The Record - November 2021 by Free Church of Scotland

THE

RECORD

MONTHLY MAGAZINE OF THE FREE CHURCH OF SCOTLAND NOVEMBER 2021 • £2.00

Editor • John Macdonald The Editor, Free Church Offices, 15 North Bank Street, The Mound, Edinburgh, EH1 2LS editor@freechurch.org News Editor • Dayspring MacLeod dayspring.macleod@icloud.com 07974 261567 Missions News • Sarah Johnson Free Church Offices, 15 North Bank Street, Edinburgh, EH1 2LS sarah@freechurch.org WfM Editor • Fiona Macaskill 8 Campsie Drive, Glasgow, G61 3HY rfmacaskill@me.com Gaelic Editor • Janet MacPhail 24 North Bragar, Isle of Lewis, HS2 9DA 01851 710354 Seminary News • Rev. Thomas Davis St. Columba's Free Church, Johnston Terrace Edinburgh, EH1 2PW thomas@stcolumbas.freechurch.org Prayer Diary • Dayspring MacLeod dayspring.macleod@icloud.com Design & Layout • Fin Macrae & Blythe Mackenzie @DUFI Art www.dufi-art.com The Record • ISSN 2042-2970 Published • The Record is produced by The Free Church of Scotland, Free Church Offices, 15 North Bank Street, The Mound, Edinburgh, EH1 2LS 0131 226 5286 offices@freechurch.org This QR Code will direct you to the digital version of the magazine on ISSUU. Available for 30 days for current print subscribers.

For Subscriptions • The annual subscription price for The Record is £33. Cheques should be iPhone: Open your camera app and hold the lens above made payable to: Free Church of Scotland. Please the QR Code, it will automatically detect the link which contact the offices for overseas subscription costs. you can click on to open. Android: Download QR Code Reader from Google Play Details of the church's activities, latest news and Store and follow app directions. people to contact are all available on the church's website: www.freechurch.org For the visually impaired: Please contact Norman Kennedy on 01463 240192 for details of how to obtain The Record in an audio version. The Free Church of Scotland is a registered charity SC012925 • Women for Mission is a registered charity SC03898

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Advertising • Anyone wishing to advertise in The Record should contact the editor.

CONTENTS

WELCOME TO THE NOVEMBER RECORD

04 WORK ETHICS FROM ANXIOUS TOIL TO JOB SATISFACTION The Editor

his month we begin a new series featuring minibiographies of biblical characters, written by

donald mackay. Donald was good enough to contribute three articles last year which considered the Exodus and the life of Moses. He begins this new series with a biography of Samuel. I’m grateful to Dr Jenson Lim for sharing his family’s experience of catechesis. Catechism has been central to Christian discipleship since the early church, and the Westminster Shorter Catechism has blessed generations of Christians in Reformed churches. It is falling out of use today, though. God willing, in the next few months, we hope to rediscover some of the benefits of catechism in these pages. November’s Record also picks up the theme of mission, including by introducing the Free Church’s Global Mission Adviser. We intend to return to both local and global mission in forthcoming editions, and I’d like to commend to you Mission Matters, the regular column of our Mission Director. This month, the Rev. David Meredith issues a challenge to ‘maintenance churches’ which are failing to cause riots in Jesus’ name. Lastly, I’d like to express my thanks to those correspondents who have been in touch about last month’s editorial. Those who disagreed with my point of view have been gracious and constructive in doing so. Disagreement — where Scripture gives us liberty — does not equate to disunity. In fact, I think that when we hold together on the crucial tenets of our faith — those explained in the Shorter Catechism — while graciously debating other matters, we become more united, to each other and to Christ. •

If you have any news articles please send them to dayspring.macleod@icloud.com. Yours in Christ

FREE CHURCH NEWS 2022 Moderator-Designate, Big Free Rally, Emergency Afghanistan Appeal

OBITUARIES

PRAYER DIARY

WORLD NEWS U.S., Nicaragua, U.K., Uganda, South Africa, Myanmar, Australia

LETTERS

REFLECTIONS Colin Macleod

OPERATION MOBILISATION Clare Macleod

GLOBAL MISION Martin Paterson

HEART APOLOGETICS: WHERE IS GOD IN THE CHURCH? Dayspring MacLeod

WHAT ARE GOD'S PEOPLE CALLED TO BE AND DO? Dr. Alistair I Wilson

CATECHISING OUR CHILDREN FOR NEWBIES Dr. Jenson Lim

SAMUEL Donald Mackay

PAGES FROM ADAM'S DIARY: THE MUSLIM CLERIC WHO CAME TO CHRIST

POETRY PAGE Jacobus Revuis

BOOK REVIEWS

MISSION MATTERS David Meredith

MISNEACHADH Janet MacPhail

John

That in all things he might have the pre-eminence Colossians 1:18 2021

40 POST TENEBRAS LUX Catriona Murray

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Photo by Marten Bjork on Unsplash

Work ethics From anxious toil to job satisfaction BY THE EDITOR

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Devotion to work or to leisure for the sake of pride, status or self-fulfilment is not a new problem for humanity, and God offers peace from such anxious toil.

ork has gone wrong . a report published last month by the resolution foundation found that only half of people in the

uk are satisfied with their jobs . The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development has discovered that, in Scotland in 2021, a third of employees find their workload is too high in a normal week. And a quarter feel that their work is detrimental to their mental health. During 2019/2020, almost 18 million working days in the UK were lost to work-related stress, depression or anxiety, according to the Health and Safety Executive. And that’s only paid employment. Seven in ten unpaid carers told Carers UK that their emotional and mental health has been negatively affected by their work over the last year. Oxford University reports that parents’ stress and anxiety levels increased significantly during Covid lockdown. Our society is well acquainted with the words of the Preacher, ‘What has a man from all the toil and striving of heart with which he toils beneath the sun? For all his days are full of sorrow, and his work is a vexation. Even in the night his heart does not rest. This also is vanity.’ (Ecclesiastes 2:22-23). And yet, we seem to have stopped reading at verse 23. When you imagine the new heaven and the new earth, what do you suppose you will be doing there? Is glorifying God and enjoying him forever all songs and fellowship? God put Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden ‘to work it and keep it’ (Genesis 2:15). And the prophets describe God’s restoration of his creation as a time when people will re-form their weapons of war, not into musical instruments, but into farming tools (Isaiah 2:4; Micah 4:3). The Preacher continues, ‘There is nothing better for a person than that he should eat and drink and find enjoyment in his toil. This also, I saw, is from the hand of God, for apart from him who can eat or who can have enjoyment?’ (Ecclesiastes 2:24-25). Our Heavenly Father, who knows how to give good gifts to his children, offers us enjoyment in our work. But too often we labour in vain, eating the bread of anxious toil (Psalm 127:1-2). What has gone wrong with work?

ESTATES OF THE REALM It is easy to think of work as, to use a contradiction in terms, a necessary evil. Toil which would be utterly in vain, except that it gives us access to the more pleasant aspects of life. We are not the first generation to take a derogatory view of work. Following Aristotle’s lead, the monastic movement in the medieval church came to see labour as a debasing activity. The ‘Rule of Saint Benedict’ prescribed manual labour, but saw it as an act of penance which monks should carry out in a detached manner. By the twelfth century, theologians had added caveats to this Rule which saw monks delegating manual labour to lay-brothers, so that work became the preserve of those who were considered spiritually inferior. Service in the form of labour was considered a secular activity, and therefore less worthy before God than spiritual pursuits. Historians now posit that the monastic view of labour influenced

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We live and work for the glory of God and for the good of our neighbours, rather than for our own good. With this true purpose restored to it, our labour takes on significance and dignity which lift it beyond mere toil. Western social development. A line can be drawn, it is thought, from monks leaving the work for their inferiors to early modern Europe’s ‘Three Estates’ — a hierarchy which divided society into the nobility, the clergy and the common people — or, ‘those who fight, those who pray, and those who work’. The vestiges of this structure remain in Westminster, where Parliament is separated between the upper house, which sits Lords and Bishops, and the lower House of Commons. Regardless of the fact that the labour of the Third Estate was utterly vital in sustaining the realm, work was not dignified. Instead, it was something to be avoided by anyone who was able. To progress was to move into the clergy or the nobility, to go in the opposite direction was disaster. Our society has not come so very far from this even now. Then, the Estates which held wealth and influence were esteemed, the Estate of labour and service was not. Today, the most desirable jobs are those which pay the most or which give access to political influence. On the whole, those who can, do these.

WORKING HARD OR HARDLY WORKING The anxious toil of the modern workplace and the modern home has driven people to one of two extremes. The most common approach is to accept an unmanageable workload as a fact of life. The optimist will muster all their energy and attack the tasks at hand, hoping that the light at the tunnel’s end will appear eventually. The pessimist, too, ploughs grimly ahead, concluding that stressful work is better than no work. Both are holding on for the day when their work is at an end. In the meantime, the effort and hours devoted to anxious toil can become a badge of honour. Productivity becomes a measure of worth, and a symbol of status. At the other end of the spectrum are the ‘time millionaires’, so–called by the journalist, Nilanjana Roy. ‘I work to pay my bills and keep a roof over my head. I don’t see any value or purpose in work. Zero. None whatsoever’, an anonymous time millionaire told The Guardian in October. ‘Life is short. I want to enjoy the time I have. We are not here for a long time. We are here for a good time.’ This man’s aim is to do as little as possible while continuing to draw a salary, allowing as much time as possible for leisure. He told the newspaper that working from home during the pandemic has allowed him to get away with working for 2½ hours a day. ‘My boss is happy with the work I’m doing,’ he says. ‘Or more accurately, the work he thinks I’m doing.’ Those who spoke to The Guardian reported feeling happier as a result of working less. Though one café owner, who has reduced the size of his business to spend more time on his photography hobby, admitted, ‘there is that niggling doubt. Do people think I’m lazy? It creeps into every part of our society, this hustle culture. If you’re not busy or trying your hardest, you’re a lesser person somehow.’ This kind of devotion to work or to leisure for the sake of pride, status or self-fulfilment is not a new problem for humanity, and God offers peace from such anxious toil.

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Our guiding principle is not to maximise our own income or influence. It is to bless other people. It is for others’ benefit that our gifts should be employed.

CALVIN’S WORK ETHIC Speaking into early modern Europe’s hierarchical society, the Reformers’ Biblical perspective recalibrated Christian thinking about work. Martin Luther wrote, ‘What seem to be secular works are actually the praise of God and represent an obedience which is well pleasing to him… it has no obvious appearance of holiness, yet these very household chores are more to be valued than all the works of monks and nuns.’ None drew out out a Biblical conception of work more fully than John Calvin. Calvin’s work ethic replaces devotion to work or to leisure with devotion to God. Beginning with Romans 12:1 (‘present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship…’), he argues that believers ‘are consecrated and dedicated to God… We are not our own; therefore, neither is our own reason or will to rule our acts and counsels. ‘Let us forget ourselves and the things that are ours. On the other hand, we are God’s; let us, therefore, live and die to him…let his wisdom and will preside over all our actions.’ (Institutes, III: 7.1). For Calvin, this principle of self-forgetfulness (as Timothy Keller calls it) guides all of Christian living, and applies fully to work. It means that we live and work for the glory of God and for the good of our neighbours, rather than for our own good. With this true purpose restored to it, our labour takes on significance and dignity which lift it beyond mere toil. Our work has meaning in God’s sight, and we know that we will receive the inheritance as our reward (Colossians 3:23). Calvin went on to write, ‘every man’s mode of life, therefore, is a kind of station assigned him by the Lord, that he may not always be driven about at random.’ (Institutes, III: 10.6). Consistent with his understanding of providence, Calvin’s view was that everyone will find their calling. God puts particular work before each of us, and his doing so is one aspect of the care and concern he shows each of his elect (Institutes III: 3.21). Calvin developed this even further. Beginning from 1 Corinthians 7, he pointed out the benefits of sticking with one’s vocation. Observing that restlessness and ambition could cause confusion, Calvin thought that having ‘respect to our own calling’ encouraged commitment and focus on the work in hand, as well as contentment and endurance. He concludes, ‘Every one, in his particular mode of life will, without repining, suffer its inconveniences, cares, uneasiness, and anxiety, persuaded that God has laid on the burden. This, too, will afford admirable consolation, that in following your proper calling, no work will be so mean and sordid as not to have a splendour and value in the eye of God.’ (Institutes III: 10.6).

BIBLICAL WORK TODAY But how is our ‘proper calling’ discovered? Calvin’s teaching on calling was both liberating and empowering to 16th Century farm labourers and copper miners. Their economic circumstances made their vocation relatively obvious. Many people today face an array of options. Does the Reformed view of work give us licence to do anything?

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It is for us to do the work set before us with all our hearts, intending to glorify God and for the good of our neighbours. Just as he guides us to our calling, God will equip us to do it.

Within the realm of what is possible for us to spend our time doing, we must apply the gifts, talents and education that God has bestowed on us. It is important to consider the desires of our hearts. They may be an aspect of God’s guiding, and working in line with them is likely to be motivating. But our own desires have to be governed by self-forgetfulness, not the other way around. This is the part that can easily go missing. Our guiding principle is not to maximise our own income or influence. It is to bless other people. It is for others’ benefit that our gifts should be employed. As far as productivity goes, Scripture prescribes the length of the working week, but not the length of the working day. Wisdom and conscience are our guides in this area. John Piper writes, ‘If the joy of fruitful labour lures you to work 12 hours a day, so be it. But take heed lest you are really deceiving yourself, and in fact are being driven by anxiety, or by selfishambition. Christians will work hard, but they will work more for the joy of all the good their work can bring to others than they will out of fear at what men will think if they fail.’ God did not curse work. After the Fall, it was the ground itself that was cursed (Genesis 2:17-19), making work harder, but no less good. No matter our stage of life, until we are called Home, God has work for us to do. We were created to do it. And, in his providence, our Heavenly Father will lead us to our vocations. As he does, it is for us to do the work set before us with all our hearts, intending to glorify God and for the good of our neighbours. Just as he guides us to our calling, God will equip us to do it. James Tonkowich, of The Institute on Religion & Democracy, writes, ‘If you’re one of those people who attacks the tasks of the day praying for God’s presence to be with you, that he will be with you as you work, I have good news: you’re doing it wrong. ‘We think the day begins when the sun rises and we hit the ground running. By contrast, the Bible teaches that the day begins at sunset, when we wind down and go to sleep. We arise to a day half spent to step into the work of the day that God has been accomplishing as we slept. The work of the day is not yours and you needn’t bear the burden of it. The work is God’s and you and I step into what he is already doing. God is not our companion in the tasks of the day. We are his companions and because of that, the work we do becomes redemptive work. Even mundane tasks have eternal purpose.’ Without God, long hours at work and time grasped for seeking selfsatisfaction are both in vain. Calvin says of Psalm 127, ‘This is the meaning of the text. Others rise up early and go late to bed, eating the bread of anxious toil; but the Lord will give rest to his beloved, since what was corrupted by Adam is repaired by the grace of Christ.’ The Preacher’s observation still stands. ‘There is nothing better for a person than that he should eat and drink and find enjoyment in his toil. This also, I saw, is from the hand of God, for apart from him who can eat or who can have enjoyment?’ (Ecclesiastes 2:24-25). God has prepared good works in advance for us to do. Therein lies our job satisfaction. •

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FREE CHURCH NEWS 2022 MODERATORDESIGNATE ANNOUNCED

martin

he free church commission of assembly was pleased to confirm that , having accepted the nomination , the rev . iver has

been

confirmed

Please pray for Mr Martin and his family as he prepares to take up the role of Moderator.. •

moderator -

designate of the free church of scotland general assembly for 2022.

Mr Martin said, ‘I am delighted to belong to a church that believes and preaches the greatest message in the world. ‘An appointment to be Moderator is a serious privilege which I hope I can live up to. It will be a huge honour to serve my church in this way.’ Mr Martin was brought up in Paisley and studied electronics at Robert Gordon University in Aberdeen. After 12 years as a process engineer in the microelectronics industry, he studied theology at the Free Church College (now Edinburgh Theological Seminary) in preparation for ministry in the Free Church of Scotland. While studying in Aberdeen he met his wife, Mairi. They have six children and eight grandchildren. Mr Martin was minister of two congregations. He served Bon Accord Free Church, Aberdeen, for six years, and Stornoway Free Church for 12 years, before being appointed as Principal of Edinburgh Theological Seminary in 2015. As well as fulfilling the administrative responsibilities of the ETS Principal, Mr Martin teaches Scottish Church History.

Photo by Judy Laing

BIG FREE RALLY SUCCESS

oving the big free rally year

presented

its

(bfr)

own

set

succession of short and snappy presentations, talks, testimonies and challenges which gave a flavour of the annual gatherings usually held in Smithton Free Church. Camps Coordinator Kirsten Macdonald said, ‘We’re delighted that so many people got together to watch the Big Free Rally videos on Saturday evening. The Big Free Rally Committee would

online this of

unique

challenges for organisers . However, if limitations really do breed creativity, then BFR 2021 was bristling with imaginative ideas that kept young people from over 50 locations engaged throughout. From the outset, the pace was set by a

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like to thank everyone who contributed, as well as those who organised events for young people across the country. The videos will remain on our YouTube channel for anyone who wasn’t able to watch on the night, or who would like to use any part of the video in future.’ Ali Macdonald, Chair of the Free Church Equipping Committee, commented, ‘It was such a blessing to be able to provide something as an alternative to gathering in one location for this annual event. While we would look forward to being together next year, this year’s materials will leave a lasting legacy for use in various settings across the year.’ Free Church Youth Camps Supervisor Donald A. Macleod said, ‘It was great to link up at the beginning of the event with different groups across the church and to know that

there were so many young people gathering on a Saturday night to watch clear and appealing presentations of the gospel and how it is affecting lives in Scotland today. ‘We are very indebted to Kirsten Macdonald and the BFR team, who did an enormous amount of work pulling it all together and getting it out on the web so smoothly.’ You can watch BFR 2021 again on the Free Church Youth Camps YouTube channel. •

FREE CHURCH DONATES TO EMERGENCY AFGHANISTAN APPEAL

ur screens and newspapers have been filled with images displaying the ongoing chaos in afghanistan ,

and the global church has been called to bring its body of believers in Afghanistan and the surrounding countries before the Lord in prayer. One of our partner organisations, Operation Mobilisation (OM), is currently providing practical aid for those who have fled Afghanistan, along with specific support for the church in Afghanistan, such as Bibles and literature and assistance with broadcasting ministries. You can find out more information about OM’s appeal on their website (www.uk.om.org). The Free Church of Scotland is extremely grateful for its partnership with OM and for the dedicated and vital work this organisation is carrying out. Through its Disaster and Relief Fund, the Free Church has sent £2,000 to Operation Mobilisation’s Mercy Emergency Appeal to help the people of Afghanistan to aid OM in its vital relief work. The Mission Board would like to encourage congregations to continue to pray for the situation in Afghanistan, for the protection of believers in the country and for provision for those who have been displaced. Please pray that OM would be guided continually by the Lord throughout this appeal and their relief efforts, and that their work would ultimately bring glory to God’s name across the nations. Donations from the Free Church of Scotland’s Disaster and Relief Fund are dependent on donations made towards the fund. If you would like to make a donation to the fund, you can do so via freechurch. org/donate. Please use the reference ‘Disaster Relief Fund’ when donating. •

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SANDY SUTHERLAND (1941-2021) BY REV. IAIN MACLEAY

he news of sandy’s passing on 10th august brought great sadness to his family

and to the many others who knew and loved him.

But it also brought a real sense of peace knowing that the words of Revelation 14:13-14 were now the blessed experience of a good and faithful servant of Christ. Sandy was brought up on the croft in Morness, Rogart with his sister Ann and brother Billy: a godly home where all the children were nurtured in the faith of their parents, Donald and Esther. It was a testimony that was blessed to Sandy as he experienced a growing awareness of God and his need of Jesus as his saviour. Sandy was converted at 15 and often expressed his thankfulness and amazement at the grace of God that had kept him all those years! Sandy married Margery and they had three children: Donald, who sadly died at the age of two, and Kathleen and John. The family lived in Blairich until they moved back to Morness in 1979. Sandy had ‘almost’ finished renovating the house, but it was lambing time so they would just have to move and the back door would have to wait!! For the children and all who visited this was a happy home, a loving home, a place where there was always a welcome. It was also a busy home, but there was always time for a bit of fun

and a story or two. Sandy had so much local knowledge and loved to tell the stories of what he had heard and seen from the past. Wonderful fireside stories! It was a home where lots of memories were made for Kathleen and John, and for grandchildren Louise and Keith, and for many others besides. But, first and foremost, this was a home where God’s love was shown and shared. Sadly, Margery, who undoubtedly was ‘a helper suitable for him’, passed away on 8th October 2015. Sandy lived a very active life! For 50 years he enthusiastically and lovingly cared for the garden at Rovie Lodge as well as being the handyman and tackling any job that needed doing from chimney to cellar! The gardens were admired by many from far and wide. Add to that the work of a keeper, a crofter, a shepherd, digger driver, and John’s right hand man when it came to baling, spraying, spreading etc, etc!! Could there be time for anything else? Sandy’s faith influenced everything he did, and for as long as he could he wanted to do what he could for the Lord who had done so much for him. Sandy was a faithful, lifelong member of Rogart Free Church who prayerfully and practically did everything he possibly could to maintain a faithful gospel witness in Rogart. His commitment and enthusiasm to the youth club and Campaigners for over forty years is best summed up in the words of one of those young people from the early days, who sent a message to John: ‘Your dad was an inspiration to me and many others, his dedication to youth club and campaigners was outstanding.’ He then goes on to say what he and so many within the community saw in Sandy’s life. ‘When anyone was in need or needed comfort, he was the first person on the doorstep.’ Sandy would be the last person in the world to want us to be going on about his life! What he was, he was by the grace of God. So much more could be said of his commitment to the Gideons, the local school and his leading of God’s praise which brought joy to so many. Sandy will be sorely missed by his family, Kathleen, Roddy, John, Keith, Louise, Billy and Ann and the wider family, and also by the Rogart church and community and beyond. For many reasons he will be sorely missed, but perhaps most of all as someone who prayed for all within his family circle, his local community – young and old – and the church family, local and further afield. We pray that, for all Sandy’s family and many friends, that they will know the blessing of Moses’ last words to God’s people, ‘The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms’ (Deuteronomy 33:27). As we pray for God’s comfort for family and friends, may we also pray, as Sandy often prayed, that the seed so faithfully sown over many years will bear much fruit for the glory of God. •

QUOTATIONS: 'Let us not hesitate to await the Lord’s coming, not only with longing, but also with groaning and sighs, as the happiest thing of all. He will come to us as Redeemer, and rescuing us from this boundless abyss of all evils and miseries, he will lead us into that blessed inheritance of his life and glory.' John Calvin

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NOV/DEC 2021 PRAYER DIARY Please send requests to Dayspring MacLeod (dayspring.macleod@ icloud.com). This month we will be praying for a wide variety of requests around the Church and the world.

Fri 12th – Mon 15th Next month’s Record will feature an update on Dumisani from the Rev. Wilbert Chipenyu. Let us first pray for lecturers who will be willing even to sacrifice to teach the next generation of African pastors. But let’s also ask the all-sufficient God to provide finances for all the staff and lecturers to receive a plentiful living wage – the workers are worthy of their reward. May He sustain them all in the work and bless them richly with His presence and provision.

Fri 26th – Mon 29th Give thanks that our Disaster & Relief fund has been able to support the people of Afghanistan. Ask the Lord to use this money to ease hunger, provide comfort and give opportunity for people to know Jesus. May He protect His dear ones there and keep them in safety whenever they are able to share His good news. He is there with them in a desperate place and He can bring good out of the darkest situation. Tues 30th – Thurs 2nd Dec This St Andrews Day week, pray for the good of Scotland: for our government, politicians and Queen, our councillors and all ‘in authority over us’. Ask that we might be fully submitted to Him and that revival might even come upon our land again. There is nothing the Holy Spirit cannot accomplish through those who love Christ.

Tues 16th – Thurs 18th This edition’s World News tells us of missionaries kidnapped in Haiti. ‘Join us in prayer that God’s grace would sustain the men, women, and children who are being held hostage…. While we desire the safe release of our workers, we also desire that the kidnappers be transformed by the love of Jesus, the only true source of peace, joy, and forgiveness.’

Fri 3rd – Sun 5th Pray for Iver Martin, a faithful servant of the Church who has showed such excellence as minister and Principal and is now called as our next Moderator. Pray for him to know health, grace and wisdom in his role, and ask the Lord to use him well in this sphere also.

Fri 19th – Mon 22nd Pray for children and young people who are confused by gender and sexuality issues. This is common among many peer groups these days, and Christian children are not immune from the pressure to question who they are. It is also easy to confuse compassion for those who are struggling with these issues with condoning their ‘choices’. Ask the Lord to strengthen the Church’s youth not only to have their identity firm in Christ, but to be a light of truth and stability to their friends and communities.

Mon 6th – Weds 8th Continue to pray for this winter’s difficulties both with health in the light of Covid and with supply chains and shortages. Ask the Lord to curb the power of viruses this year, and give thanks for the vaccines which have already aided with this. Ask Him also to help get enough food and other essentials to the poor, who are often the hardest hit by shortages, and to grant contentment and gratitude to those who may be missing out on some of the usual holiday cheer.

Tues 23rd – Thurs 25th Let us return thanks to our great God and wonderful Saviour for all that He is, all He has made, and all He has done for us. He died for us while we were yet sinners. He has compassion on all He has made. He came to dwell among us. He frees the captives from the prison. He heals all our diseases, forgives our iniquities, and one day He will dry all the tears from our eyes. Bless the Lord, O my soul!

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Thurs 9th – Sat 11th We finish off by praying again for Dumisani, this time for the students. Ask the Lord to raise up a godly, faithful and passionate generation of African pastors and teachers. May He bless those who are already graduated and in ministry, that they may see many people coming the Lord, and would be sustained. May He bless those currently studying, that they would be diligent and thirsty for the Word. And may He call more and more to come first to education and then to serve Him. •

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WORLD NEWS

AMERICAS AFRICA EUROPE ASIA AUSTRALASIA MISSIONARIES KIDNAPPED

SOCIETY MORE TOLERANT OF RELIGION, GOVERNMENTS LESS

17 missionaries, including children, from the US and Canada have been kidnapped in Haiti by the notorious 400 Mawozo gang. Haitian Justice Minister, Liszt Quitel, told the international press on 19th October that the gang is demanding $1million per person for their safe return. The missionaries were connected with US-based Christian Aid Ministries, and were returning from building an orphanage on the island. White House Press Secretary, Jen Psaki, told a press briefing that the US State Department and the FBI are working together to bring the missionaries home safely. In a statement, Christian Aid Ministries has said, ‘We greatly appreciate the prayers of believers around the world, including our many Amish and Mennonite supporters. The Bible says, “The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much” (James 5:16). Join us in prayer that God’s grace would sustain the men, women, and children who are being held hostage. ‘The kidnappers, like all people, are created in the image of God and can be changed if they turn to Him. While we desire the safe release of our workers, we also desire that the kidnappers be transformed by the love of Jesus, the only true source of peace, joy, and forgiveness.’ •

Pew Research Centre published its annual report on religion and social hostility. Researchers analysed data from a range of sources including the UN, national governments and civil society organisations. The latest data is from 2019, so the effect of the pandemic on religious freedom is not yet reflected. They have found that, across the globe, people’s respect for, and tolerance of, religion appears to be growing. Religion-related terrorism was recorded in 49 nations, which is a record low since the report began in 2007, and is down from a peak of 82 in 2014. Social hostility resulting from proselytization was found in 28 nations, reduced from 35. In Bolivia, for example, there were no reports of missionaries being expelled from the countryside by local people, unlike the previous year. On the other hand, government curbs on religion are at a record level, with 57 countries showing ‘high’ or ‘very high’ restrictions. Government harassment of religious groups and interference in worship is very common, with examples in more than 80% of countries worldwide, and more than 90% of European countries. Almost half of the world’s governments used force against religious groups. Restricting discussion of religion online and using new technology to carry our surveillance of people practising religion are the latest avenues being used by governments to suppress religious freedom. •

NICARAGUAN BISHOPS CLASH WITH PRESIDENT Nicaragua’s President Daniel Ortega has branded Catholic Bishops in the country ‘terrorists’, according to Associated Press. Ortega faced widespread protests in 2018, which he has claimed were a foreign-backed coup attempt. The bishops acted as mediators during talks between the government and opposition, but these broke down and Ortega’s government repressed the protests, resulting in the death of more than 300 citizens. Protests have continued since, and it seems the President’s recent comments were targeted at a plan suggesting democratic reforms which the bishops had put forward. ‘The bishops signed that in the name of the terrorists, at the service of the Yankees… these bishops are also terrorists,’ Ortega said during a broadcast. ‘In any other country in the world they would be on trial.’ At least seven opposition candidates have been imprisoned so far this year on treason charges. President Ortega is seeking re-election for a fourth term in an election on 7th November •

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CHURCHES CAN RE-OPEN Uganda’s President, Yoweri Museveni, has announced that Covid-19 restrictions can ease following the country’s second wave of the virus, Reuters reports. Cases began to rise in May, and the Delta variant was detected in the country, prompting the government to adopt some of Africa’s tightest lockdown measures. Restrictions were partially lifted at the end of July, allowing traffic back onto the roads and some shops to reopen. In a televised address, the President confirmed that churches can reopen from 1st November in the 80% Christian nation. Higher and Further education institutions will also be permitted to resume, but primary and secondary schools will remain closed. Museveni said that 12 million doses of Covid vaccine, mostly donated, are expected to arrive by the end of the year, and that a vaccination programme will allow the remaining restrictions to be lifted. •

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Photo by Photo by Remy Steinegger ©World Economic Forum

NORTHERN IRELAND CENTENARY SERVICE

CHURCH BURNED DOWN IN MYANMAR

A church service has been held in Armagh to mark the centenary of partition and Northern Ireland’s formation. The service, held at St Patrick’s Church of Ireland Cathedral, was organised by the Church of Ireland, Presbyterian Church in Ireland, the Roman Catholic Church and the Methodist Church in Ireland. ‘I grieve the times when fear has held us back from building relationships with those with whom we differ,’ Dr David Bruce, current Moderator of the PCI, told those gathered. ‘If we are to build a better future, then we must recognise our own woundedness and our responsibility to care for the wounds of one another.’ The service was attended by political figures from the UK and Ireland, including First Minister Paul Givan of the Democratic Unionist Party, Irish Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Coveney of Fine Gael and UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson. Queen Elizabeth had been due to attend, but was advised not to travel for medical reasons. However, Irish President Michael Higgins declined the invitation. He told the press that the description used by the organisers, that the service was an event to ‘mark the centenaries of the partition of Ireland and the formation of Northern Ireland’, ‘wasn’t a neutral statement politically’, making it inappropriate for him to attend as head of state. Sinn Féin were not represented at the service, but Colum Eastwood, leader of the SDLP, was present •

Radio Free Asia, a non-profit news service funded by the US government, reports that Myanmar troops have attacked Rialti village in the Chin State capital of Hakha and set fire to buildings including Rialti Village Baptist Church. ‘In all, 13 buildings, including the church, were destroyed,’ a church leader told RFA. The Chin Defence Force, an armed militia established to fight the military junta, attacked a military convoy heading towards Hakha in mid-October. Speaking about the attack on Rialti Village, Salai Za Op Lin, deputy executive director of the India-based Chin Human Rights Organization, said, ‘We see this as a war crime because wherever they go, they focus on wherever there are large numbers of people – it’s a deliberate violation of religious freedom’ •

DESMOND TUTU TURNS 90

Baptist World Aid Australia has published its annual Ethical Fashion Report. The 100 fashion companies reviewed in the report were given an average score of 33.6 out of 100, suggesting significant ethical problems remain across the industry. The Baptist World Aid report has been running since 2013 to support the organisation’s goal to alleviate global poverty and injustice. According to the report, the global fashion industry employs around 50 million people, but is among five major industries most associated with modern slavery. Twenty companies earned an A or A+ rating, including big names like H&M, Converse and Patagonia, and there has been an increase in the use of sustainable materials. But only 15% of companies are paying all workers in their supply chain a living wage. ‘Our research identified a vast gap between the ethical sourcing measures companies put in place, and real, tangible outcomes for garment workers,’ Chantelle Mayo, advocacy project manager for Baptist World Aid Australia, told Religion News Service. ‘That’s a big hurdle for any consumer trying to shop ethically, and an area we need to keep pressuring the fashion industry to address.’ •

The 90th birthday of anti-apartheid campaigner, Nobel Peace Prize Laureate and first black Metropolitan of the Anglican Church of Southern Africa, Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu, was celebrated in October. A service was held in St George’s Cathedral, Cape Town where Tutu, his family and invited guests heard a sermon from the Rev Dr Allan Boesak, former President of the World Alliance of Reformed Churches and a prominent supporter of Archbishop Tutu during the 1980s. According to Church Times, Dr Boesak preached on Psalm 37, telling the congregation, ‘Psalm 37 begins with these words: “Do not fret because of the wicked”... The opening verses of this song are not didactic – they are, in fact, the confession of faith.’ He spoke about Tutu’s role in ‘waking up’ the church to its role in opposing the oppression of apartheid. He told the Archbishop, ‘You have seen it all. But you have always given us hope. You have always spoken to our hearts. And you are still speaking to us today through your life.’ •

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FASHION INDUSTRY REMAINS ETHICALLY PROBLEMATIC

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LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Re: Objectivity, October 2021 Dear Mr. Macdonald, I have had the opportunity to read your article, ‘Objectivity’ this evening. First I would like to commend you for your courage in addressing a difficult issue. Had I read your article nine months ago I would have applauded your conclusions. Due to the refusal of the ‘vaccine’ manufacturers to provide a complete list of the ingredients in their formulas, those administering the injections merely had to trust what they were being told. We all wanted to trust what we were being told. In the past nine months however, much had been revealed about both the contents and the side effects of the ‘vaccines.’ Whereas it is possible that evangelical Christians ‘jumped on the conspiracy theorist bandwagon’ in the beginning, it is now known that many of the ‘conspiracies’ were based in truth. World renowned research scientists and doctors have confirmed much of what had been suspected. In your third paragraph you state: ‘profession of the Gospel requires the conclusion that objective truth exists – that there are things we can know for sure.’ The same must hold true for the safety and efficacy of the Covid ‘vaccines.’ These are things we can now be certain of. No guesswork is needed! You wrote: ‘When it comes to questions of ethics…it is the duty of a Christian…to apply the Bible’s moral framework to the difficult questions we face.’ You seem to justify the use of foetal cell lines in the various vaccines, suggesting ‘countless millions of lives have been saved.’ I am not convinced that profiting from the death of innocent babies holds up as acceptable before a holy God. How will we justify this when we stand before Him? These new ‘vaccines’ are not actually vaccines, but gene-editing therapies. In light of God’s title role as Creator, is it man’s prerogative to use gene-editing techniques like CRISPR to splice, delete and even create synthetic MRNA which instructs the cells to function in ways they were not designed to do? The Oxford/Astra Zeneca ‘vaccine’ contains a virus derived from chimpanzees. Would God approve of injecting chimpanzee viruses into human bodies? During the past nine months, since the onset of ‘vaccination,’ more people have died (upwards of 1,700 documented in the U.K. alone) as a result of the Covid ‘vaccine’ than from vaccinations in all of history combined! In light of Proverbs 24:11 (‘Rescue those being led away to death…’) is it good and moral to encourage people to take an injection that has caused so many deaths and horrendous side effects? Proverbs 24:12 – ‘If you say, “Behold, we did not know this,” does not He who weighs the heart perceive it?’ While the manufacturers claimed that the vaccines have ‘saved lives’ and ‘reduced the suffering by lessening the symptoms,’ the opposite has proved to be true. The ‘vaccines’ provide limited immunity to the original C-virus, however it offers no immunity to the variants. When people who are double-vaccinated contract Covid they often develop more serious illness than those who are non-vaccinated and have a higher rate of hospitalization and mortality as well. People who have been vaccinated carry a higher viral load and are actually transmitting the virus to others. In addition, the Covid injection has been found to weaken the natural immune system, leaving people vulnerable to a number of serious infections, as well as recurrence of cancer. I would be more than happy provide documentation for all the information I have shared here. The reason I am most concerned is that the ‘vaccine’ may well be the

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forerunner for the ‘mark of the beast.’ Bill Gates, who founded GAVI (an alliance for vaccines and immunizations) also founded ‘The ID2020 Alliance.’ The stated goal of the ID2020 Alliance is to provide everyone on the planet with ‘a good digital ID.’ He has funded the development of a small patch of micro needles, called a ‘quantum dot infrared tattoo’ that administers a ‘booster’ while inserting a unique array of copper particles beneath the skin. These are invisible to the naked eye, but are scannable under infrared light. The detectable substance which glows under the light is called Luciferase. Mr. Macdonald, I have no doubt that you have written the aforementioned article with the best intentions and in light of the information you had at the time. I hope and pray that the Lord will use the limited information that I have shared to shine light on something that has been hidden in darkness. In my opinion, you have an incredible opportunity to share that light with your readers. There is much at stake! Jesus took great care in warning us to stay alert, to keep watch and to avoid deception. Heaven help us if we unwittingly aid the cause of this unprecedented deception! Respectfully yours, Anne Reitzug Drumnadrochit [Editor’s note regarding the number of deaths reported following the Covid vaccine, which is mentioned above. The Yellow Card scheme reports that, between 9 December 2020 and 8 September 2021, 1,645 people in the UK died shortly after receiving one of the Covid vaccines. The Yellow Card scheme allows any member of the public or health professional to report suspected vaccine side effects. These reports will not have been fully investigated at the time of reporting. UK death registration data, which considers death certificates issued by doctors, coroners and the Procurator Fiscal in Scotland, records that, up to August 2021 (June 2021 for Northern Ireland), there have been nine deaths in the UK in which a Covid vaccine contributed to the death. Of these nine, the vaccine was the underlying cause of death in five cases. The source of this information is the Office for National Statistics.]

Re: Objectivity, October 2021 Dear John I was encouraged to read your editorial in this month’s edition of the Record. I so agree with you that these issues ‘must be debated by Christians, leaning on the wisdom of God as revealed to us in his word’ and that it’s ‘Good to talk.’ The trouble is debate amongst Christians on this subject, in my experience, has been seriously curtailed and almost non-existent over the past while, partly with the strictures of lock-down, but also by the Church’s own statements through the Covid committee on ‘putting personal opinions aside as we work for the greater good’ which is one of the guiding principles in the ‘Route Map’. Discussions about the origin of the virus, the management of the pandemic or the treatment were actively discouraged. Again, I know that from my own experience. Whether we should diverge from the government’s rulings or guidance was never up for debate. The assumption was always that we should acquiesce, agree with the narrative and follow the line. Despite the intention to maintain unity, this actually worked against it and it has been quite divisive. I have serious issues, however, with a number of points you make in the editorial, but will make comment on just one: On the question of whether Christians should get vaccinated, you give the short answer “Yes”. I looked in vain for the long answer and the justification for making what was essentially a pretty dogmatic statement. Instead, what followed was a series of straw men, studies on vaccine hesitancy, the mark of the beast, anti-science hysteria, internal inconsistencies and concern over aborted foetuses. The support for the assertion comes later in the statements: ‘The Covid-19 vaccination programme has saved lives’ and ‘Getting vaccinated protects the health of all those we come in contact with’, both

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of which are made without reference to any evidence. In an article which stands for objective truth these statements seem pretty subjective to me. On the first, the vaccination programme may have saved lives but we cannot know for certain that it has. On the second, there is no evidence that getting vaccinated protects others. The only claim that the vaccine makes, is that it will prevent serious illness. We may still get it and we can still pass it on. I know that’s true because I have witnessed it myself. People I know who have been double vaccinated have subsequently become infected and infected others. The only issue is whether it reduces or limits transmission. I wrote to our Clinical director precisely on that point asking him for the evidence that the vaccine inhibits transmission, but I did not receive a reply. I can only assume that there is none and wonder if it is more of a hope than anything else. The fact that it is repeated consistently on news outlets and taken as truth, does not mean that it is. The notion that you are protecting others by taking the vaccine seems, to me, to be a spurious one. The fact that emotional pressure is used to increase uptake also makes me very suspicious of what may lie behind it. Now I could be wrong on all of that and I am no way any kind of expert, but the issue is certainly not clear cut or one where we can establish what is the objective truth. It is a matter for debate and one I hope we can have while, as you rightly say ‘leaning on the wisdom of God as revealed in his word.’ Yours sincerely Crawford Mackenzie Dundee

Re: Objectivity, October 2021 Dear John, My reason for contacting is to let you know that on Sunday during the intimations I feel I have to comment on the article on the Covid vaccine that you have written in the Monthly Record. I 100% respect your own personal position and opinion concerning the Covid-19 vaccine, however I think a line has been crossed and that it is not the place of the editor of the denominational monthly magazine to tell people what they should/ should not do with regards to a medical procedure. Also, as has been the case through just about all of the decisions made concerning Covid and the church response, central office seems to think that opinions and views can be voiced or written without any consultation with Kirk Sessions: those of us who are left to deal with the fall out of decisions in a congregational context. The Record article asks, ‘Should Christians get the vaccine?’, and goes on, ‘The short answer is that we should.’ You of course have the right to answer affirmatively for yourself, but others need to be free to make informed decisions for themselves, based on their own conscience, and based on any genuine concerns they may or may not have about this particular vaccine. Most of our congregation will be ‘double jabbed’, however we have quite a few who are not, people who love the Lord and who have genuine concerns, not because they are ‘fringe conspiracy theorists jumping on a band wagon’, nor are they like the American evangelical John Fea your article speaks of, who do not get vaccinated because they are ‘anti-science’ or because getting vaccinated would be seen as ‘a lack of faith’. Such terms are inflammatory, and they might be appropriate in an article which is objective, but your article is not objective. Rather, you state clearly your own belief that Christians should get the vaccine, and ask how ‘the vaccinated’ should respond to these brothers and sisters ‘of ours’, i.e. ‘the unvaccinated’, which again is unhelpful language. You go on to answer this question by quoting 1 Corinthians 8, the inference seeming to be that the vaccinated are the stronger brother, and the unvaccinated the weaker brother. So, not only does the article cross a line in telling people what they should do medically, but more worryingly it is in danger of setting up distinctions/different classes (‘the

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vaccinated and unvaccinated’) within Christ’s church. Christ Himself makes no such distinction with His people, and if He doesn’t make any distinction, neither should we. The article’s use of Scripture is unwise and unhelpful, and in places comes across as unloving. Not only is this the case with 1 Corinthians 8, but also Philippians 2:4, and using a verse about being Christ-like and ‘looking to the interest not only of ourselves but also of others’, as a mandate for getting vaccinated. That is an astonishing misuse of Scripture, and again it completely disregards conscience, which to go against would be sin. The most alarming comment is ‘the vaccine has given our government the confidence to reopen churches for worship’. Can I remind you, John, the closure of churches and the criminalisation of worship in Scotland was ruled illegal by Lord Braid earlier this year. The government had absolutely no right to close churches, especially when throughout lockdowns they kept open every abortion clinic and found time to meet so they could introduce a hate crime bill. I could go on: your criticism of the Ezekiel Declaration, written by pastors in Australia who no longer can stand to see civil and religious freedoms taken away, and who in the declaration highlight the terrible effects of lockdowns — increase in suicides; increase in alcohol abuse. In introducing the Ezekiel declaration you mention ‘evangelicals who have decided to oppose government proposals for vaccine mandates and passport schemes’, and how for some this is ‘clearly tied up with following their chosen political team.’ How do you know that, John? Your article may make the reader think everything you have written is tied up with following your particular chosen political team. Just when we thought that, after Brexit, society could not be split any further, Covid has proved us wrong. Between the response to the virus and now vaccines, society is more divided than any other time I can remember, and this division has entered Christ’s church. The article in The Record does nothing to bridge the divide, rather I can say with confidence that for some in our congregation this article will further the divide, and it may make some feel that the Free Church of Scotland has only one opinion and stance when it comes to Covid, vaccines and the like — i.e. we are a church that is prolockdown, pro-mask wearing, pro-vaccination — which in turn might make any who in good conscience happen to have an alternative opinion feel unwelcome and judged, and make them feel that the Free Church of Scotland is somewhere they cannot make their spiritual home. Such concerns have already been voiced to me, and to be honest it is hard to disagree with them. As mentioned at the start, I wanted to let you know that on Sunday I intend to mention the article and to let people know I do not think it was wise to write, and that advice on medical matters should not be given from spiritual leaders, not unless 100% guarantees can be given, which they cannot, and not unless, at the very least, that spiritual leader is medically qualified to tell people all of the ins and outs concerning the Covid vaccine (so not only benefits, but also concerns). Even with this, any advice should still only be put across as a personal opinion, which the article does not come across as, rather it is written by the editor of the denomination’s monthly magazine, a denomination where there are different and opposing views and opinions on Covid, lockdowns and Covid vaccines. Thank you for your time, John. Kind regards, Rev. Garry Brotherston Bishopbriggs Free Church of Scotland 8th October 2021

We would love to hear from you…please write the editor at: The Record, Free Church Offices 15 North Bank Street, The Mound Edinburgh, EH1 2LS or e-mail editor@freechurch.org

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Peter said, 'Lord, you know all the things; you know that I love you'. John 21;17

STARS AND SAND, SCALP AND CELLS The macroscopic and microscopic love of God. I think it’s just amazing how God is speaking to us every day about the knowledge He has of everything that there is to know in our lives and this world; so many things that cause us to worry and fret and become distracted over and despondent over and deflated over. In the Bible, knowledge means far more than just ‘knowing something’; it conveys the idea of knowing, loving, and looking after. In Jeremiah 29:11, the LORD addresses His exiled, chastised, scolded people, ‘“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future”.’ In other words, he knows everything about them and everything for them. We find the immense and yet intimate and intricate knowledge that God has described in macroscopic and microscopic terms. So, we look up into the night sky and we see the stars spread across the vastness of space, looking as if a painter has taken his paintbrush, and with the flick of the wrist, splattered onto the black canvas countless specks of white paint. Psalm 147:4 says, ‘He counts the number of the stars and names them every one’. They are His in their billions in this galaxy, and in the billions of galaxies that there are in the known universe. He counts them and He names them, such is His knowledge. Or we go for a walk along the beach and stop, and stooping down pick up a handful of sand, and in that one handful there are an unnumerable number of grains; how much more on that one beach and how much more again in all the beautiful beaches that there are around the world (especially in the Western Isles!). Psalm 139:17-18 says, ‘How precious to me are your thoughts, God! How vast is the sum of them! Were I to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand.’ The knowledge of God is vaster than the stars in the sky and the sand on the seashore. Or we look in the mirror as we put our hair right (if we have any left!) and we probably never pause to consider what Jesus said in Matthew 10:13; ‘the very hairs on your head are numbered’. There may not be that many in comparison to stars and sand, but the point is, He knows everything about us — every aspect of our lives that may even seem insignificant or unimportant is known to Him. And it is all of concern to Him, because He is the One who made us, just as He is the One who made the stars and the sand. This is emphasised even more in Psalm 139:13-14, where David says, ‘You created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful; I know that full well.’ David knows that God knows him intricately and intimately from the very beginning of his life. Cell by cell, the Lord put us together, and in our cellular make-up, the Lord put us together. What do I mean by that? Well, in a word, laminin. I am no biologist, but I understand laminin is the name used for a family of proteins whose job is to bind to each other and to other proteins, which means laminin is what holds tissues and organs together. Without the right combination of laminin cells, we would fall apart, become very ill and susceptible to lethal diseases. When God was ‘knitting us together in our mother’s womb’ He saw our need to be held together and protected from disease, and put laminin in place. And almost like an artist’s signature on His painting, He put His signature in the laminin cell, which is in the shape of a cross! Coincidence? I don’t think so. The cross is the place where God demonstrates His love for us, knowing us full well. ‘God demonstrates his own love for us in this: while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.’ How amazing is that? In our very being, God is saying, ‘I know you’, and through laminin is reminding us, ‘I love you’. All the Lord wants is to know, do we love Him? Stars and sand, scalp and cells, are the macroscopic and the microscopic means that God uses to remind us of what Peter found to be such a comfort and consolation after a disastrous day: ‘You know everything, you know I love you’ (John 21:17) •

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REFLECTIONS REFLECTIO Photo by Trevor McKinnon on Unsplash

BY REV. COLIN MACLEOD

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Operation Mobilisation BY CLARE MACLEOD

he last 18 months has proved to me that god is firmly in control of global events and he is continuing to build

his church, even in these uncertain days! My name is Clare Macleod and I am from the Isle of Lewis. Last autumn I was able to travel to Germany to participate in OM’s sixmonth Mission Discipleship Training programme (MDT). Today, God’s continuing plan for me means that I’m writing this article from the OM head office in Shropshire where I am now a member of the Short-Term Outreach team. My journey into mission started at a very young age. Growing up, I loved to go to mission evenings and hear the stories that missionaries would share about their experiences serving God overseas. I started to develop an interest in, and a heart for, global mission and this continued through my teenage years into my adult life. As I got older, I always thought that serving in full-time mission would be something I would like to do but I didn’t quite believe it would be something I would actually do. In 2014 I went on my first short-term trip to Hungary with Eastern Europe for Christ. Then, two years later, I went to The Gambia with a Lewis-based charity called the Gambia Partnership. Two years after that I went to Moldova, again with another island-based charity, and it was after this trip that I really started to seriously consider and pray about my future. Fast forward two years and God answered my prayers as I found myself going through the application process to join OM’s MDT Love Europe programme. MDT was a brilliant experience and one in which I grew so much both personally and spiritually. Over the course of the six months my desire to be involved in full-time ministry was growing and as I was praying I felt that this was indeed the direction God was leading me. Having completed the MDT programme, and after much prayer, I accepted an offer from OM UK to join their Short-Term Outreach office and have been here since June 2021. My role involves processing enquiries and applications for people interested in going on short-term outreach both here in the UK and abroad. It is such a privilege to serve in this way and to be able to be involved in sending people to serve in so many different parts of the world. Even in the midst of a global pandemic it is so clear to me that God is still actively building his church. Although my role is primarily in the Short-Term Outreach office, I also had the privilege of organising and leading this year’s TeenStreet event. TeenStreet is a ministry of OM that seeks to reach teenagers. It is an annual conference that, in normal times, would be held in Germany where thousands of teenagers from all over Europe would gather to hear from God’s

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word. Unfortunately, because of Covid, that was unable to happen this year, so it was up to each individual country to organise their own event. God willing, in the coming weeks, I also look forward to serving as a mentor with the MDT UK programme. It continues to be a real privilege to serve in this way and use the skills and gifts God has given me for his glory. If you would like to know more about partnering with me in this global mission through prayer and/or financially, please get in touch. I am always looking for people to join my support team and it would be great to hear from you. You can contact me via email at clare.macleod@om.org • Originally from the Isle of Lewis where she is a member of the High Free Church, Clare Macleod is currently serving with Operation Mobilisation UK’s Short Term Outreach team in Oswestry, Shropshire.

Global Mission

The Free Church’s newly-appointed Global Mission Adviser, the REV. MARTIN PATERSON, shares his aims for the coming months.

existing churches and planting new ones…’ and I am right there with you. Scotland has changed rapidly in my life time and there is a pressing need to see the gospel re-communicated among the various communities of the place we call home. However, to be faithful both to Scripture and our current vision as a denomination, seeing Christ exalted among all the peoples of the world is not an optional extra. Every healthy gospel church has a desire to see Jesus glorified among all the peoples of the world because he alone is worthy of worship. It is my hope that as we serve together in the coming year we will grow in our understanding of how church planting and revitalisation in Scotland is intricately linked to sharing the gospel with people from different cultures across the street and across the world. So what might this look like? As part of my role I will be seeking to develop resources which can be used in local churches. These will range from pointers about hosting good global mission events to material for leaders that will be a starting point for engaging in global partnerships. I also plan to create opportunities for churches to learn from believers in other parts of the world through events and the Generation podcast. This sort of role only works well where there is real communication, so please feel free to get in touch with me. I would be delighted to spend time with you, share from the bible about God’s mission in the world and think through how we can serve well together to see Jesus loved, honoured and proclaimed among the nations. •

lthough this year in scotland is unexpected for us, it was not something which caught god by

surprise. Our family had planned on being in East Asia this autumn, but as with many things during the pandemic, this has changed. Earlier in the year it became increasingly clear that we would be staying in Scotland due to the restrictions in the country we will be serving in. So an unexpected question was placed before us; what will you do with this time? Before we get to answering that, most people probably don’t know much about us, so here is a brief run-down of our little family. My name is Martin and I am a minister in the Free Church, currently based at Cumbernauld. I’ve been married to Jennifer for 10 years, and until March this year we were the area representatives for OMF UK in Scotland. We have three children; Sophia (5), Joshua (3) and Luke (6 months). And as anyone who has little kids (or who can remember the experience) knows, our home is a mixture of joy, tiredness and arguments over Mr. Men stories and who gets to go first. Now, getting back to the question. It has always been our desire to serve the church and be useful in whatever way the Lord sees fit. As the leadership of OMF, Cumbernauld and the Free Church discussed what we could do during this delay it became clear that one particular opening would be a good fit. As part of the new partnership between the Free Church and OMF UK, I have been seconded to the role of ‘Global Mission Adviser’. This is a part-time role running from September 2021 until summer 2022. I will be getting alongside local churches across the denomination to help think through ways of engaging in God’s mission across the world. Perhaps you’re reading this thinking, ‘surely we need to be thinking about Scotland; revitalising

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You can contact Martin at this address martin. paterson@freechurch.org.

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Heart Apologetics: Where is God in the Church? I

f i were a non - religious immigrant moving to

My purpose in this, for a primarily Scottish readership, is not to participate in a condemnation of the American Church, but to point to someone other. Because when we ask why God isn’t working in the Church, we don’t mean our church. We don’t mean us. We mean the church at large, the church we see in macro from afar. We don’t usually question God by asking, ‘Why isn’t He working in me? Where is His power in my life?’ It sounds a bit of a silly question really, put that way. Where is God’s power in my life? Well, when did I last pray for His power to be seen in my life? What unrepentant sin is there in my habits, or attitudes, which is distracting me from His work? Why is my heart so cold toward the poor? Why do I look with self-righteous judgment upon the lost? When did I seek the Lord as to what He wanted me to do with my time today, or what behaviours He wanted to challenge, or what opinions He wanted to question? When did I ask Him which spiritual gifts He wanted to grow in my life, or plead with Him to conform my character more to Christ? When did I ask for opportunities to lead others to His salvation? When did I simply delight in His presence and give thanks for all that He is and all He has done? When did I look for ways to share in His sacrifice by pouring myself out for others? We live tame Christian lives much of the time, it’s true. We live lives of self-importance and selfreliance and self-righteousness; we live lives of self. We grow cold toward Christ, and we lose perspective of the eternal danger that all those around us are in. People may see an initial change in our character or our lifestyle when we first become Christians, but do they see — in us, not in a troubled church three thousand miles away — do they see in us the power of God to be continually renewed, refreshed, and sacrificial? If not, then I don’t think we can blame God. If I were a non-religious immigrant arriving in America (or Scotland!) today, I would not go into a church. But, in either country, I could go to my minister’s door. Either of their families would see me with Christ’s eyes and help me even at cost to themselves. I might not respond to a doorknocking evangelical or pick up a Christian book, but I would drop in for a coffee with a really good

the united states today , the last place you

would see me set foot is in a church . What you see of American Christianity on the news is a gang of bullies in red hats, wielding guns and mixing Christian and Nazi symbols. They make the Church look weak — shouting about their strength in order to cover up a terrible, gnawing insecurity. What if the government takes it all away? Their champion is a man who scorns Christ, and their heroes are celebrities who thank God in speeches but who have lost any concept of purity in their witness. On Facebook, I see these people sit in the seat of mockers. I see them eager to promote defiance against governments, to the point of bloodshed if necessary. I see them proud of their anger and obsessed with their rights and willing to discredit anyone and everyone in the pursuit of their own preferred ‘truth’. These are the public face of Jesus Christ. Where is the power of God? Not in the sense of powerful worship services, with impeccable sound quality and light cues. Not the power of God to fund a political candidate. Not even the power of God to change legislation. Where is the power of God to change people into the image of the humble, loving, uncompromising, compassionate Christ? Where is the power of God that is so secure in the Father’s love that it sacrifices all for the lost, the poor and the lonely? If God is real, and omnipotent, and good, then why doesn’t the Church look like it? The truth is, of course, that the picture on the news does not represent the Christians that most of us actually know in America. Political opinions aside — and even if we believe people to be mistaken in their opinions, we must not imagine that this in some way invalidates their love for Christ — most of the Christians I know do reflect Jesus in their personal character. There are those have made a genuine commitment to Jesus but at the same time are putting their trust in the system of this world, and Jesus will deal with those that are His. However, it’s the most toxic examples of nominal, political Christianity that get the most press, and they have tarred the whole image of the Church.

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DAYSPRING MACLEOD looks for the power of God

listener. I would steer clear of MAGA meetings, but I’d spend time with someone who was overflowing with joy and made me feel a little bit more peace in my soul. And if people can see Christ in our words and our actions and our love, it will open a door in their hearts to hear and receive Him for themselves. This morning I read Paul’s words in Philippians 3:12-14: ‘Not that I have already obtained [the righteousness of God], or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.’ For many years I misunderstood these verses. How could Paul consider himself not to have obtained the righteousness of God? He was saved. I was saved. Righteousness of God: tick! It is only recently, drawn into a deeper understanding of my own flawed heart and my own neglect of the Lord and His work, that I see more clearly how far I fall short of His righteousness. He has still such a work to do in me! But, like Paul, I try not to dwell on what is behind. I’m not fully sanctified yet, but I live in Christ’s righteousness and God is still at work to make me more like Him.

Let’s pray to see ourselves conformed to Christ, from the inside out. For so long I thought of Christlikeness as a behaviour. I expected to be conformed from the outside in — just act right, and the heart change will follow. Well, that never works! But, thank God, He is powerful indeed. I know that because He could never have even awakened me to His need otherwise. I was blind but now I see. Christ’s Body is made up of many parts, and for the corporate Church to show forth the power of God, each one of us must fully submit to that power. We can’t change other people, but we can let ourselves be changed. So I ask you, if a non-religious immigrant landed in your town today, would he find compassion at your door? Let’s stop standing in the way of what God wants to do, even if that is something unexpected, something big, something we can’t control (as it almost certainly will be). Then we’ll see Him at work. Make straight the paths! •

The truth is, of course, that the picture on the news does not represent the Christians that most of us actually know in America.

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WHAT ARE GOD’S PEOPLE CALLED TO BE AND TO DO? BY DR ALISTAIR I. WILSON

might have entitled this article, ‘what is the mission

for overseas missions. He gave only one commission… [The words] simply say what Jesus expects his followers to do.’ What precisely is that? According to Kevin Vanhoozer, ‘the Great Commission clearly involves more than evangelism. Jesus directs church leaders to “make disciples of all nations” (Matthew 28:19). This involves baptizing them in God’s Triune name and teaching them to observe everything Jesus has commanded’ (Matthew 28:20). Jesus’ instructions contain only one imperative (command-form) verb: ‘make disciples’! All the other words support that central command. What, then, is a ‘disciple’? The term ‘disciple’ is not commonly used in dayto-day conversation outside the church. It is related to the idea of learning. Kevin Vanhoozer correctly emphasizes that ‘true disciples must be hearers and doers of Jesus’ words.’ In the time of Jesus, learners attached themselves to a teacher and learned not simply from their words but also from their life. Disciples ‘followed’ their teacher wherever the teacher went. That is what Jesus’ first disciples did, and – although the way we follow Jesus now looks rather different from the experience of his first followers – it is what he calls his disciples to do today.

of the church?’ that’s a good question and many

people have considered it. The problem with that form of the question, however, is that it includes several words that require a definition. Some people think that the definitions are obvious, but I am not so sure. So I have chosen a title that expresses the key question a little more clearly. My question is very similar to the questions Chris Wright asks: ‘Who are we? And what are we here for?’ Kevin DeYoung and Greg Gilbert offer the following definitional question for ‘mission’: ‘What is the specific task or purpose that the church is sent into the world to accomplish?’ A little further on, they identify, ‘the one thing that makes Christian mission Christian: namely, making disciples of Jesus Christ’. They focus their attention on the so-called ‘Great Commission’ texts. Having discussed these, they offer the following definition: The mission of the church is to go into the world and make disciples by declaring the gospel of Jesus Christ in the power of the Spirit and gathering these disciples into churches, that they might worship the Lord and obey his commands now and in eternity to the glory of God the Father. In this short article, I am going to consider Matthew 28:16–20. Here is the text in the Christian Standard Bible translation:

A FOUNDATIONAL TRUTH: THE RISEN JESUS HAS ALL AUTHORITY (VERSE 18) The foundation of discipleship is not moral selfimprovement but the authority of Jesus. Disciples of Jesus recognise, by God’s grace, who Jesus is. It is in the encounter with the risen Jesus that someone becomes a disciple and becomes commissioned to make disciples. Jesus tells us two characteristics of his authority. First, Jesus’ authority is complete. It has been given to him (by God), but it also places him in the same place of authority as God. This text is one of many expressions of implicit Christology. Jesus is not described using the word ‘God’, but his complete authority marks him as sharing the attributes of God. This is the authority of the appointed king. Second, Jesus’ authority is universal: Jesus’ authority is not limited to a particular geographical location. Compare Daniel 7:14, where the ‘one like a son of man’ is described as follows:

THE GREAT COMMISSION The eleven disciples traveled to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had directed them. 17 When they saw him, they worshiped, but some doubted. 18 Jesus came near and said to them, “All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth. 19 Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” This commission is the culmination of Matthew’s presentation of who Jesus is and what he has accomplished. It relates to all Christians everywhere. As Andrew Walls, the distinguished Scottish historian of mission, wrote, ‘Jesus gave no special commission 16

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The term ‘go’ does not necessarily require a journey far from home. It simply requires a willingness to cross boundaries. He was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, so that those of every people, nation, and language should serve him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will not be destroyed. Jesus claims to be the glorious ‘Son of Man’ in Daniel 7. Regardless of our location in time and space, Jesus has all authority to command and to enable his disciples. Jesus is the true king and he calls all people to live as faithful citizens of that kingdom (compare Philippians 1:27–30).

culture, language, age; to open ourselves to others and to share Jesus freely. ‘Baptizing’ (verse 19). Christians agree that baptism represents inclusion in the people of God. Following Jesus is not a solitary calling. We are called to live, to serve, and to support each other in community. Making disciples means drawing people into fellowship. That fellowship is firstly with the God who is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Note the relatively rare ‘trinitarian formula’ here. But it also means being a community of believers together. The emphasis on ‘all nations’ is important not only with respect to ‘going’ but also as an indication of the global nature of the people of God. The more that we can share our experience as Christians from different parts of the global church with each other, the more we will be faithful to Jesus’ words. ‘Teaching’ (verse 20). Jesus calls for teaching, but also for obedience. This teaching is not simply a matter of knowledge (although that is important) but also of faithful living. We should note that discipleship involves understanding all aspects of Jesus’s teaching. That includes his teaching about himself and his purpose in giving his life for the lost. But it also includes his teaching on living with other people and carrying out every calling in life while loving God and loving our neighbour. Think of all the roles in life which Jesus draws on in his teaching: a farmer sowing seed (Matthew 13:3–33); fishermen fishing (Matthew 13:47–50); a landowner who establishes a vineyard (Matthew 21:33-46). All Christians are called to be and to make disciples, but not all disciples must become ‘ministers’ or ‘evangelists’ in a formal sense. A disciple may be a farmer, or a business person, or a teacher, or a parent and still respond to Jesus’ command.

AN EXTENSIVE TASK: MAKE DISCIPLES OF ALL NATIONS The command to ‘make disciples’ assumes that the hearers are disciples. Only disciples who themselves have learned from Jesus’ words and his presence are capable of responding appropriately to his command. If we wish to make disciples effectively, we must give priority to growing as disciples in the community of God’s people. The Cape Town Commitment states (I.8): ‘As disciples of Jesus, we are gospel people. The core of our identity is our passion for the biblical good news of the saving work of God through Jesus Christ. We are united by our experience of the grace of God in the gospel and by our motivation to make that gospel of grace known to the ends of the earth by every possible means.’ In Matthew 28, Jesus makes supporting statements to explain what making disciples will look like. ‘Go’ (or ‘Going’) (verse 19). Although many translations make this word a command, in fact the word supports the main command, ‘Make disciples!’ This is an instruction that requires initiative and action. Followers of Jesus are not instructed to wait until people turn up requesting to be disciples. For some people this will mean a journey to a distant land. Some people may choose to move as an act of Christian mission. Others may choose to find work in another country. Others may have been left with no alternative but to relocate. But the history of the spread of Christianity indicates that whenever followers of Jesus moved to new areas for whatever reason, they made disciples there. Wherever you live and whatever you do in life, you can respond to his command. But the term ‘go’ does not necessarily require a journey far from home. It simply requires a willingness to cross boundaries of

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A COMFORTING PROMISE: JESUS REMAINS WITH HIS DISCIPLES Jesus gave this remarkable promise to his first disciples: ‘Remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.’ (Matthew 28:20). It also applies to every new disciple who is drawn into that same calling. We are not alone. As Kevin Vanhoozer writes, ‘A disciple is a learner who spends his or her life walking after Jesus.’ Not only do we have the support of our Christian community, but Jesus promises his own unending presence. That is what makes the task of making disciples possible at all. • Dr Alistair I. Wilson is Director of Postgraduate Studies at ETS and Coordinator of the ETS Centre for Mission. He lectures in Mission and New Testament.

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CATECHISING T OUR CHILDREN FOR THE NEWBIE

he task of catechising is perhaps not something that all christian parents are keen to adopt for

After all, we lead busy lives and, if we have daily family worship and go through the Bible stories, should we not leave the teaching of the Bible to worship services and Sunday School and weeknight Bible studies? However, years ago, catechising the young would be part and parcel of families and the life of the church. It was said that the average child during the Reformation had committed part of their Bible and catechism to memory.

BY DR JENSON LIM

their family.

BASIS FOR CATECHISMS Catechism is the practice of explaining the teachings of the Bible through a series of questions and answers. A catechism covers the summary of the Christian faith and gives the child a ‘compass’ to help navigate through the Bible. The basis of this practice can be seen in Galatians 6:6, ‘Let him that is taught in the word communicate unto him that teacheth in all good things.’ The word ‘taught’ in this verse means, ‘To teach by word of mouth’ (Liddell and Scott) or ‘to catechise’ (HELPS™ Word-studies). Elsewhere the use of some form of catechism amongst converts was suggested by the Apostle Paul when he noted that they were given a ‘form of knowledge’ (Roman 2:20) and these converts had ‘obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you’ (Roman 6:17). Finally, Paul instructed young Timothy to ‘hold fast the form of sound words…’ (2 Timothy 1:13). What is this ‘form of knowledge’, ‘form of doctrine’ or ‘form of sound words’? It is unlikely to be the entire canon of the Bible, but a discrete, fixed, limited set of lessons. A ‘pattern or standard of teaching’ (Murray, 232); ‘gospel or sound doctrine’ (Hendricksen, 205). This practice continued into the early church, who, in seeking to evangelise unbelievers, set aside a ‘catechist’ to instruct the ‘catechumen’ in the first principles of the Christian faith. Therefore the use of catechisms is evident, though whether this is through the use of questions and answers is not entirely clear.

The Reformers and the Puritans were keen to continue that good tradition of using catechisms as a means of imparting Bible doctrine to the young. For example, Richard Baxter and his elders in Kidderminster catechised daily the entire (then) village, as did Joseph Alleine for Taunton (Beeke, 161). The Erskine brothers also catechised every child in the parish they were serving. They wrote their own catechisms and tested the children’s knowledge of the Bible (Beeke, 257). The use of catechisms was also popular amongst the Baptists, and Charles Spurgeon republished the Baptist Catechism for use amongst people who attended the New Park Street Chapel. Spurgeon wrote, ‘I am persuaded that the use of a good Catechism in all our families will be a great safeguard against the increasing errors of the times, and therefore I have compiled this

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PROTESTANTISM AND CATECHISMS

little manual from the Westminster Assembly’s and Baptist Catechisms, for the use of my own church and congregation. Those who use it in their families or classes must labour to explain the sense; but the words should be carefully learned by heart, for they will be understood better as years pass.’ Those who adopted catechisms in their churches and communities believed the use of catechisms supplemented (but did not replace) the Scripture memorised, sermons preached and sacraments administered. Furthermore, catechising children is a form of evangelism as the Gospel, embedded in the catechism, is the seed from which the Holy Spirit promotes spiritual life and growth. Finally, by giving the rising generation of young people a suitable grounding in the Christian faith, they would be better equipped to give a defence of their faith against error, as well as to teach their own children the ABCs of Christianity. Let’s face it, a good catechism answers the questions that most curious children might ask regarding the Christian faith. In one sense, parents are merely pre-empting those questions by asking those questions and answering them first!

9781857922882, with scriptural proofs and very short notes by Roderick Lawson). The Heidelberg Catechism is still published, though not in low-cost booklet versions, by Banner of Truth (ISBN 9781848712942) and Reformation Heritage Books (ISBN 9781601785190). A wonderful, all-in-one resource is Terry Johnson’s The Family Worship Book, published by Christian Focus (ISBN 9781857924015), which contains both ‘Catechism for Young Children’ and the ‘Shorter Catechism’ alongside a whole host of helps for family worship. In our family, the children went through the ‘Catechism for Young Children’ when they were very young. They memorized 1-2 questions and answers through the week and we ‘tested’ them on Sunday afternoon between the two services. They are now going through the Westminster Shorter Catechism, following the same process. We find grouping certain questions and answers together helps with the understanding. For example, in the Shorter Catechism booklet published by Christian Focus, Roderick Lawson helpfully groups questions 4-6 under ‘What God is’. One issue we noticed about catechisms is, while our children knew the ‘words’ to the catechism, they sometimes struggled with the ‘concepts’. Commentaries explaining the Shorter Catechism help, though we try not to overcomplicate matters. The brief comments from Roderick Lawson were very helpful and we have gone through that booklet about 2-3 times already. There are more substantial commentaries for older children and we are currently using Bible Truth Explored: The Westminster Shorter Catechism by Murdo A.N. Macleod (ISBN 9781910013199). We found his 1-2 page-long comments very profitable for a Sunday afternoon discussion. As concerned Christian parents, we must recognise that memorising the catechism is not to be confused with genuine Christian conversion, so during these discussions we must try to challenge our children with the Gospel and their need to come to faith in Jesus Christ.

WHAT CATECHISM IS NOT After all the benefits of catechisms, it is also important to stress that the use of catechisms, however noble a cause, is not the same as Bible knowledge and should not be viewed as a replacement for the Bible. Any catechism represents a framework or skeleton for a body of knowledge — in this case, the Bible. A catechism is similar to a lecture in a university, which is an outline of the whole body of information. After hearing the lecture, the student is expected to acquire the textbooks and read the relevant chapters, in order to deepen their understanding of what is delivered during the 45-minute lecture.

SOME SUGGESTIONS FOR CATECHISMS Thanks to the internet, these days it is relatively easy to obtain a suitable catechism. For very young children, some common catechisms include ‘Children’s catechism’, which is also known as ‘Catechism for Young Children’ (Paedobaptistic) or ‘A Catechism for Boys and Girls’ (Baptistic). For slightly older children, the famous Westminster Short Catechism (Paedobaptistic) or Spurgeon’s Catechism (Baptistic) are easily available online. The Heidelberg Catechism is another historic catechism in the Dutch Reformed (Paedobaptistic) tradition, warmer and more devotional than the Westminster and Spurgeon’s catechisms. For those of us who prefer a printed version, so as to pass copies to our children or family and friends, those still in print include ‘My 1st Book of Questions and Answers’ by Carine Mackenzie (Christian Focus, ISBN 9781857925708). The Westminster Shorter Catechism is published by The Banner of Truth (ISBN 9780851512655, with scriptural proofs) and Christian Focus (ISBN

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CONCLUSION The use of catechisms is a time-honoured practice for feeding the people of God the kernel of the Christian faith. It has its foundations in the Bible and we trust and pray that this practice will continue for generations to come. •

REFERENCES Beeke, Joel R. Puritan Reformed Spirituality. Grand Rapids, MI: Reformation Heritage Books, 2004. Murray, John. The Epistle to the Romans. Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdmans, 1968. Hendriksen, William. Romans. Edinburgh: Banner of Truth Trust, 1982. Dr Jenson Lim lectures in Cell Biology at the University of Stirling, and is a member of Dunblane Free Church

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SAMUEL François-Léon Benouville: The Anointing of David by Samuel (1842)

BY DONALD MACKAY

Indeed, Samuel’s very first assignment was landed on him at a time when he did not know the Lord, and it was a most unwelcome one — to tell Eli the priest of the judgment that was awaiting him because of his criminal indulgence towards his own sons. The boy carried out this duty faithfully, and went on doing so as divine messages came to him — with the result that all Israel soon knew that Samuel was a prophet of the Lord.

amuel has given his name to two books of the bible, but this is misleading. In the Hebrew Bible, I

and II Samuel and I and II Kings are all one book, and its division is only a matter of convenience. in fact, Samuel as a character features only in I Samuel, and he is not an author. Nevertheless Samuel is a most important figure in the history of Israel — the first in a long line of prophets reaching forward to John the Baptist, and a theocratic leader of great distinction. He was marked out before his birth, not by signs or prophesies, but by the piety of a devoted mother. He was of priestly lineage but never entered the priesthood. Instead, he was a kind of altar boy, spending his whole boyhood in the service of the sanctuary and in the company of an elderly cleric. It may be that the lack of a normal family life told against him in later years, and led to his not giving adequate instruction to his own sons. However that may be, his calling, at a very early age, was to be a prophet of the Lord.

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JUDGING THE NATION Meanwhile things were not going well for Israel. The Philistines captured the Ark of the Covenant. Eli and his sons were killed, along with 4,000 of their countrymen. Although the Ark returned to Israel, it languished in Kiriath Jearim for twenty years, with no one prepared to touch it for fear of divine wrath. At this point Samuel addressed the nation, telling them that if they wished to regain God’s favour they must confess their sins and turn away from worshipping heathen gods.

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But no sooner had they done this than the Philistines came up in strength to attack the assembly. Samuel was no military leader, but he offered a sacrifice and prayed for deliverance. God answered with a mighty thunderstorm which threw the Philistines into confusion and panic, enabling the Israelites to drive them off. Thereupon Samuel set up a memorial stone, with the message ‘Thus far has the Lord helped us’. And for many years the Philistine menace was blunted. Samuel had now become the theocratic leader of the nation, in other words a judge. He was not a sovereign ruling from a palace, but a modest lawgiver moving in a circuit around his home at Ramah. He was always on hand at times of national emergency. One such time emerged when he grew old and felt the need to delegate his judging duties. Unfortunately, those to whom he delegated were his own sons, who showed themselves unworthy by taking bribes and perverting justice. The people grew restive and, instead of asking for their replacement by sound judges, demanded the appointment of a king as leader, ‘like all the other nations’. This is the point at which we begin to see a little into the heart of Samuel. We are told that he was deeply grieved at the people’s demand and prayed to the Lord. We are entitled to believe that the main cause of his grief was disappointment at the people’s rejection of theocratic rule which was God-appointed. Nevertheless, there may have been a touch of amour-propre at the rejection of himself as leader. At any rate the answer of God was firm: listen to their voice, and give them a king.

appointed him leader of this people.’ This is the decisive moment. Saul’s star begins to fall — not in battle with the Philistines, but in battle with his own demons. He had earlier experienced the power of the spirit of God. Now an evil spirit entered into him and at times possessed him. He became hard and legalistic, cruel towards even his own family, and yet heedless of God’s command to carry out vengeance on the Amalekites — provoking Samuel into the one act of violence of which we have a record. Yet Samuel, who had seen the attractiveness of the young Saul, and had welcomed him with open arms into the kingship, continued to love him and was totally bewildered by the Lord’s rejection of his own anointed one.

A NEW KING It took another sharp divine reproof to bring Samuel back into the line of God’s will. He was told to quit mourning over Saul, and to anoint another, not of his own choosing. The circumstances merely added to Samuel’s bewilderment. Saul was bound to be suspicious, if not vindictive, if he heard of it. Samuel himself was not to know who the chosen one was, until it was revealed to him. And it looked as though the whole exercise was a flop, when one after another of the possible candidates was rejected by the Lord. Then at last the chosen one appeared, a shepherd lad, ruddy with outdoor exposure. Samuel, obedient though no doubt mystified, anointed David, and he went back to his shepherding. Samuel by this time was very old, and was permanently retired at his home in Ramah in the Judean hills. One day he had a knock at his door, and there was David, now a fugitive from Saul after a distinguished spell in the army. Saul pursued him to Ramah, but was arrested by the Spirit of God which caused him to prophesy and lie prostrate in Samuel’s presence ‘all day and all night’. Samuel died, and was buried as a national hero at his home in Ramah. That, however, is not the last we hear of him. A bizarre episode is recorded of the closing days of Saul’s life. Pursued by the Philistines, abandoned by the Lord, and beset by his own fantasies, he resorted at the last to divination. But the figure he called up from the dead to give him counsel was his old friend and mentor Samuel. Whether his appearance was genuine or contrived we do not know, but the message he delivered was authentic and shattering. Saul was to die next day at the hands of the Philistines and his army was to be routed. So the story of Samuel ends. He was a key figure in the Israelite saga, a bridge between the era of the judges and the kingship, a doughty prayer warrior and a friend of God. Like most of the prophets, he did not have an easy life, and he died without seeing his prayers for the nation answered. But he never faltered in his devotion, and without doubt he received his reward. •

SAMUEL AND SAUL The story unfolds: Saul is providentially brought into Samuel’s presence, and is told that he is the Lord’s choice for Israel’s first king. His suitability for the role is confirmed by many signs, by his physical attributes, and by his personal modesty and courage. But Samuel does not spare the people for their sin in asking for a king. He cites his own irreproachable conduct as a judge, the history of Israel, the unfailing intervention of God, and the downside of kingship. He calls forth an unseasonable downpour of rain at harvest time to hammer home the people’s guilt. And he assures them that, notwithstanding his retirement from active government, he will never cease to pray for them and to teach them the right way. Time passes, and the Philistines reassert their dominance over Israel. Saul’s son Jonathan challenges them and they mobilise for conquest. The Israelite army is demoralised and ill-equipped and begins to scatter. Meanwhile Samuel is slow to keep an appointment to offer sacrifices before battle. So Saul, in a panic, ‘seeks the Lord’s favour’ by making the burnt offering himself. Just then Samuel arrives, and has stern words for Saul for taking into his own hands the prerogatives of the priesthood. ‘Now your kingdom will not continue,’ he predicts. ‘Because you have not kept the command of the Lord, he has chosen a man after his own heart and

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Donald Mackay is a member of Knox Free Church, Perth

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PAGES FROM ADAM’S DIARY The Muslim cleric who came to Christ. A brother, known to some of us as Dr Adam, has served the Lord among his suffering church for many years. Dr Adam has also ministered in various parts of the world among refugees. We have asked his permission to print some of the stories of his life and service for the encouragement of readers of The Record. For well understood reasons, some of the names of people and places have usually been changed or omitted.

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I asked him where he had learned the exegesis and exposition of the Scripture. He smiled and said, ‘In an Islamic seminary.’

I have never stopped being amazed by the sovereign grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. He saves people with the most unusual backgrounds and out of circumstances which seem to make their coming to faith unlikely and incredible.

I will never cast out’ (John 6:37). And again, ‘My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand’ (John 10:27-29).

EFFECTUAL CALL

THE BOOK

As David acknowledges, ‘O Lord my God, your wondrous deeds and your thoughts towards us; none can compare with you! I will proclaim and tell of them, yet they are more than can be told’ (Psalm 40:5). A few years ago, in Central Asia, in one of our underground house churches, I heard a man opening the Word of God as excellently and insightfully as I have ever heard. I was told he was the shepherd and an overseer of several of our house fellowships. After the ministry of the Word and our time of prayer, we sat down to share a meal. I asked him where he had learned the exegesis and exposition of the Scripture. He smiled and said, ‘In an Islamic seminary,’ and he named it — a prominent Islamic theological training center. He went on to explain his background. He had been a devoted Muslim, brought up in a devout home. His father and grandfather had been Muslim jurists and scholars. After secondary school, his father had sent him to this well-known Islamic seminary where he had spent nearly ten years in preparation as a teacher and preacher of the Quran. After concluding his theological training, he became a preacher and an imam of a local mosque. An imam is a spiritual leader, something similar to a minister in a local Christian congregation. And then his name was called at the courts of heaven. For we know that all those who are the Lord’s, whose names are written in the book of life before the foundation of the world (Luke 10:20; Philippians 4:3; Revelation 21:27), irrespective of who they are, where they are born in the world, irrespective of their race and ethnicity or social standing, will come to him. One of the two criminals who were crucified next to our Lord asked him, ‘Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.’ And our Lord said to him, ‘Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise’ (Luke 23:42-43). Our Saviour was emphatic that all those who are His will come to him. ‘All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me,

During our conversation, I found that this man repeatedly used the phrase, ‘I was delivered from the power of darkness.’ Looking back, there were no doubts and questions in his mind that indeed God had delivered him from the grip of a dark dominion. The following is the account of his conversion. Early one evening, as part of his daily routine, he took a taxi to go to the local mosque where he was the Imam. That day he was scheduled to lead the evening prayer and then bring a sermon from the Quran. The thirty-minute trip in the taxi passed quietly until they reached the mosque. He instructed the taxi driver to stop and drop him off. As he reached to open the door, the taxi driver turned around, handed him a book, and sternly declared, ‘Sir, if you truly are seeking God, you will find Him in this book. Read it and ask God to open your eyes.’ Startled and puzzled, he took the book, put it in his pocket, closed the door behind him, went into the mosque and the taxi driver drove away. He led the communal prayer that evening, he delivered his sermon, and later he went home. As he was taking off his clerical robe, he remembered the taxi driver and the book that he had been given. He pulled the small book out of his pocket and opened it. On the first page, he read, ‘The Gospel of Jesus the Christ’. It was a New Testament. He read a few pages that evening and, in the subsequent days, more. He had never read the Bible. But, the more he read, the more he was intrigued. It was as though the more he drank, the thirstier he became. The scales were being removed from his eyes. As time passed, a volcanic conflict began in his heart. He had become convinced that the Christian message was true and that his former faith was untrue. But what about all those years spent in learning the exposition of the Quran and the Hadith? They seemed to have been wasted years. Now what was the next step? What must he do? If discovered, he could potentially lose his life. But what about his family? How would he inform

n the years during which i have been following our saviour in the fields of this world ,

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He was standing at a fork in the road. There was no turning back. his wife and daughters, who were also devoted Muslims? What to say to the elders and custodians of the mosque? He was standing at a fork in the road. There was no turning back. He was swept along by the river of life. All resistance was futile. He had to surrender and go where divine destiny took him. He decided to tell the folk in the mosque that he was leaving the clerical service, moving to another city, and could no longer be their spiritual guide. And then one evening he called his family together to speak to them. The consequences of the chosen new path were inescapable. With the privilege of this high calling came the potential cost of even losing one’s life. Counting the cost He had read the words of our Saviour, Therefore everyone who confesses Me before men, I will also confess him before My Father who is in heaven. But whoever denies Me before men, I will also deny him before My Father who is in heaven. Do not think that I came to bring peace on the earth; I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I came to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughterin-law against her mother-in-law, and a man’s enemies will be the members of his household. He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; and he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. He who has found his life will lose it, and he who has lost his life for My sake will find it’ (Matthew 10:32-38). Therefore, he sat down with his wife and daughters and explained his journey. Contrary to what he had dreaded the most, his daughters came and held him and tearfully kissed him. His family held him in such high esteem as a man of truth and integrity that they also followed in his steps and believed. Some time later, he took his clerical clothing — his turban and his robe — into his back garden and burned them. Next, they moved to a larger city and began to quietly inquire about Christians who might be there. But now what would he do for work? How would he support his family? He considered becoming a schoolteacher. But then, sooner or later, his employers would discover his true identity and he would be expelled and potentially turned over to the authorities. God had used a taxi driver to lead him to faith. He decided he would become a taxi driver. That was safe work. This way he would be his own boss

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and have opportunities to evangelize and share his faith and do what that faithful taxi driver had done with him. And before anyone could trace him, he would be gone. One day, one of his passengers was a young man. He noticed that the young man in the back seat was completely absorbed in reading a book. He asked him what he was so intently reading. The young man boldly replied, ‘The Word of God!’ His heart leapt. He asked, ‘What are you referring to as the Word of God?’ The young man responded, ‘The Gospel of Jesus the Christ! I am reading the words of life! God’s letter of love, grace and forgiveness to humanity.’ He pulled the car to the curbside, stopped and asked, ‘Are you a Christian?’ With the same courage and assertiveness, the young man responded, ‘Christian before the foundation of the world.’ He reached and held the hand of the young man and said, ‘I am a Christian too!’ The Lord had answered his prayers to meet another believer. He invited the young man to his home and, through him, he and his family were introduced to other Christians and eventually to an underground house fellowship.

MIGHTY TO SAVE To make a very long story short, that young man is now his son-in-law, a bright civil engineer who employs in his firm Christians who otherwise could not find work. Our former cleric had training already in teaching and speaking. His learning was transferred to his new-found faith. It was not long before he was asked to teach the fellowship. He was soon delegated the responsibility for oversight of that group and several other house fellowships. Now, he is an evangelist and minister of the Gospel. His life in some ways reminded me of Paul. A Pharisee, a teacher of the law, saved by the grace of our Lord and transformed into an apostle through whom the Spirit of God inspired a significant portion of the New Testament. In Revelation, we are told that those who had conquered the beast and his image sing the song of Moses, ‘Great and amazing are your deeds, O Lord God Almighty!’ (Revelation 15:3). Indeed, great and amazing are the deeds of our Lord and our God! The conversion of this man on his way to become an Ayatollah is certainly an example of that great and amazing sovereign work of grace in the hearts of men •

NOVEMBER

POETRY PAGE HE BORE OUR GRIEFS BY JACOBUS REVUIS (TRANSLATED BY HENRIETTA TEN HARMSEL)

The Raising of the Cross by Rembrandt (1633)

No, it was not the Jews who crucified, Nor who betrayed you in the judgment place, Nor who, Lord Jesus, spat into your face, Nor who with buffets struck you as you died. No, it was not the soldiers fisted bold Who lifted up the hammer and the nail, Or raised the cursed cross on Calvary’s hill, Or, gambling, tossed the dice to win your robe. I am the one, O Lord, who brought you there, I am the heavy cross you had to bear, I am the rope that bound you to the tree, The whip, the nail, the hammer, and the spear, The blood-stained crown of thorns you had to wear: It was my sin, alas, it was for me.

‘Jacobus Revius (1586-1658) was a Dutch poet, church historian and Calvinist theologian. He is recognised as a master of the Renaissance forms and of the sonnet. Hy droech onse smarten (He bore our griefs) is his most well-known poem, though several of his works are still widely read, and others are sung as hymns in many Dutch churches .Hy droech onse smarten ‘is a confession of guilt addressed directly to Christ in a prayer-like stance…Jesus’ death was an atoning substitutionary death for sinners, so that every sinner for whom Christ died can be said to be the one who killed him. In this poem, Revius does what his contemporary Dutch artist Rembrandt did when he painted himself at the foot of the cross as Christ is raised on it (in “Raising of the Cross”).’ - Leland Ryken, ‘The Soul in Paraphrase: A Treasury of Classic Devotional Poems’ (Crossway, 2018) •

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BOOK REVIEWS Our books this month are chosen to challenge you. It’s all too easy to fall into the habit of over-familiarising God, and making Him small, safe and easy to handle. But that isn’t our God, and each of these books will show you how to see Him more clearly. All are available from Free Church Books (https:// thefree.church/shop), unless otherwise stated. BRAVE BY FAITH ALISTAIR BEGG (2021) This book is a gem. Alistair Begg skilfully takes the reader through the first seven chapters of Daniel, challenging us to look beyond Daniel himself and to trust in Daniel’s God. Using simple, straightforward and contemporary language, the author draws out key lessons such as drawing lines, obeying despite the consequences, boldly speaking the truth and daring to believe in the most unlikely of conversions. His analysis of the minimal effort required by God to bring a godless, boastful society crashing down and his conclusion that it is better ‘to have been sidelined and mocked than to have compromised and joined the party’ are important facts we all need to be reminded of. This is a simple but profound read that is worthy of taking its place on the bookshelf alongside much more weighty commentaries on Daniel. • Duncan MacPherson, North Harris Free Church

BOOK OF THE MONTH THERE CAME A DAY PATRICIA L. CARDY (2021) Not safe, but good. That’s how Aslan is described in C.S. Lewis’ The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe, and it’s how this book should be described too. It is the heartbreaking account of the Cardy family’s ordeal when their nine-year-old daughter Jennifer was abducted and murdered in 1981, and how the Lord showed His compassion, justice and power in the thirty years that followed before her killer was convicted. Patricia Cardy, Jennifer’s mother, was a Christian long before her daughter’s tragic death, but hers is not a story of unshakeable faith against the odds. Pat doubted, struggled and wept as much as we would expect any parent to, but time and time again, the Lord met her in her pain and weakness and gave her comfort. Pat’s story is suffused with Scripture, as she was reminded over and over again of the timeless truths of God. Her experience of Jesus was very personal and intimate, but it was founded on the biblical truths we can all reach for. And perhaps most movingly, Andrew, Jennifer’s father, comes to faith during their long and harrowing ordeal. If he can find faith in the midst of Satan’s most evil trial, then there is hope for anyone. I have to be honest: I opened this book with trepidation. Of all the spiritual challenges I may face, I knew that the one I most feared was losing my son. How on earth would I recognise my loving Saviour in such an awful experience? I was burying my head in the sand, but Pat Cardy had no such choice. She, and her family, had to live through this appalling event with eyes and hearts torn open. And my goodness, what a powerful testimony to our God it is, as He brought them through. • Miriam Montgomery, Free Church Books

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BETTY GREENE LAURA CAPUTO-WICKHAM (2021) In a society where young children, in particular girls, are encouraged to find their role models on TV, films or social media, it’s wonderful to have charming books such as this pointing to a far more powerful role model. Betty Greene was a godly woman who loved flying planes and loved her Lord. After spending time flying in World War II, Betty joined Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF) to help bring the Gospel to all corners of the world. The book is beautifully illustrated and takes the reader on a gripping tour of her life devoted to God. Children will be enraptured by the life, ambition and drive of Betty Greene to see her Lord’s will done on earth. The language is very readable and our six-year-old daughter regularly returns to the book, reading it from start to finish. For the parents reading this with their children, there is a helpful timeline at the end of the book that provides more insight into the life of this great example to us all. Betty Greene is truly inspiring and this book wonderfully shines a light on one of God’s chosen servants. Not only does it illuminate Betty and all that she did, but above all it will show young readers that God will use their talents for His glory! A highly recommended book for young ones.. • Stuart King, North Harris Free Church

WITH A MIGHTY TRIUMPH RHETT P. DODSON (2021) I benefited greatly from this book. It is a study of 1 Corinthians 15, which, as it happens, is the chapter we are studying in our church currently. The book is very clear and logical throughout as the author unpacks both the familiar and the not so familiar in the chapter. I like his illustrations; they are consistently pertinent as lead-ins to his points. He expounds the five consequences of denying Christ’s bodily resurrection in detail, then explains how, just as we cannot have first fruits without an entire harvest, neither can Christ Jesus be raised from the dead without His people also being raised up on the last day. The certainty of this declaration, based on 1 Corinthians 15, was a great comfort to me. The Saviour’s resurrection is the actual beginning of the Christian’s resurrection; the harvest is underway. The book is very challenging as the author seeks to apply the theology to our lives in a very practical manner. He reminds us that the resurrection should shape our lives as Christians and should change everything about the way we live in the present. Two questions that remain with me are: ‘Are you living a resurrection-shaped life?’ ‘Will you surrender to serve Christ and embrace the risks, whatever they may be, to follow Him?’ Considering these questions should galvanise us daily to renew our commitment to live totally for Him in the period between the ‘already’ and the ‘not yet.’ This book is available from Banner of Truth. • Judith Lewis, Tabernacle Baptist Church, Llwynhendy

These books are only a small proportion of the ones we review. You can find all our reviews online at https://books.freechurch.org or sign up to our monthly email to get them directly to your inbox: https://thefree.church/books-sign-up Email Address: books@freechurch.org Sales Phone Number: 0330 2233423 (Please note that this number takes you directly to our bookshop partners, 10ofthose.com. They are very helpful!)

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MISSION MATTERS A monthly take on some of the mission work the Free Church is involved in by our Mission Director, DAVID MEREDITH

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congregations. ‘Step 1: We admitted we were powerless over congregational decline — that our congregations had become unmanageable. Step 2: We came to believe that only God could restore us to health. Step 3: We made a decision to turn our churches over to the care of God as he is revealed in the Bible.’ There must be a commitment to reform. Prayer is critical. Can you imagine a whole congregation pleading with God to save the lost and give the Church a heart for evangelism? We cannot afford the luxury of lifeless, unfocused meandering words. Pleading for the lost is a forgotten discipline. Commitment to reform means repenting of the hissy fits that so often accompany gospel-driven change. When things weren’t working in the synagogue in Ephesus, Paul moved to a secular space where he supplemented preaching with daily discussions. The result of this was a riot. Maintenance churches don’t cause riots. Mission-driven churches face up to problems, they don’t avoid them. Look at Acts 5 and 6 where we see the problems of moral failure, persecution and a complaining congregation being sorted out in clear and unambiguous solutions. We witness robust discipline; faithfulness in the face of opposition and organisation. The maintenance church is dismantled as much by the business meeting as the prayer meeting. Think about that. In a word, maintenance churches rely on human resources; missional churches rely on God. Ask ourselves if we are too easily satisfied by mediocrity. Christ did not commission his disciples to fulfil the requirements of a passable Sustentation Fund Schedule but to embark on an adventure which would result in quaking rooms, rioting crowds, demons silenced and the dumb made to speak. ‘He speaks and, listening to his voice, New life the dead receive. The mournful, broken hearts rejoice, The humble poor believe.’ •

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collection of cars and motorcycles in europe.

His collection of 350 vehicles is worth £40 million. The core of his collection is 24 Aston Martin Lagondas as well as the world’s only Bentley motorcycle. I mean, how many Lagondas does a person need? They are all meticulously maintained, but they never move. Does this remind you of some churches? Let me introduce you to the phenomenon of the maintenance church. Perhaps the foremost problem of this type of church is that it is totally oblivious to its condition. Typically it will be medium-sized and financially self-supporting. Sadly, it will also have a reputation of being alive, but God’s assessment of it is that it may be dead (Revelation 3:1). It is satisfied with enough and has lost the burden for expansion into the surrounding community. It has been years since it has seen a new convert and it’s not all that concerned. It is full of people who are all very similar in terms of background and tastes. A nice little club for people who don’t like change. The maintenance church will be inward-focused. The culture of the congregation will suit those who have attended for years; all congregants will understand the unspoken rules and will quickly be anxious at those who break them. Money will be spent on upkeep of the beautiful property and the rest of the income will be ploughed into internal needs. There will be resentment of any external observations which might upset the carefully honed status quo. The fortress will be largely impregnable. There is a path which leads out of the maintenance model to mission. It often starts with constructive discontent. There is a spirit of murmuring which is related to the rebellious complaining against God in the wilderness. But there is also a constructive engagement with clear issues. Some of you will be familiar with the first three steps of the AA recovery programme. I have adapted them for Free Church

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NOVEMBER

Misneachadh (The Autumn of life) LE JANET NICPHÀIL (Is e seo iomradh glè mhisneachail a fhuair sinn bho Chatriona Nicdhòmhnaill às na Hearadh mu Eaglais Shaor Bhaile Ghobhainn.)

nan Òrdaighean, nuair a chruinnicheadh a h-uile duine airson grèim-bìdhe, thuirt e, 'An-dèidh na seirbheis, thionail sinn còmhla airson tì, cofaidh agus biadh. Thòisich mi a' bruidhinn mu dheidhinn mo theaghlach, agus gun do rugadh mo sheanair ann an Leòdhas. An-dèidh seo innse, bha mo thruinnsear làn fad na h-oidhche!' Ann an 2013 ghluais an t-Urramach Macaoidh agus a bhean-phòsta gu Baile Ghobhainn gun ghoireas sam bith. An-diugh, tha an suidheachadh spioradail ann am Baile Ghobhainn ag atharrachadh. Tha daoine bhon choimhearsnachd ionadail anns a' choithional, agus tha ministrealachdan eadar-dhealaicht' a' toirt buaidh mhòr air a' choimhearsnachd. Anns a' chuideachd a tha seo, bidh e a' toirt togail spioradail dhomh a bhith ag aithneachadh ged a bhiodh sinn air a thighinn à iomadh dòigh beatha, mar eucoir, prìosan no à dachaighean Crìostaidh, tha càirdeas eadarainn, agus sinn a' dèanamh seirbheis do Dhia còmhla ri chèile, gus an tig barrachd gu bhith a' faicinn brìgh an t-Soisgeil. Ged nach eil coimhearsnachd mhòr Ghàidhlig ann fhathast, 's dòcha gu bheil na h-ùrnaighean aig na Crìostaidhean o chionn fhada a' faighinn freagairt san là againne. Tha dachaigh a-rithist aig an Eaglais Shaor ann am Baile Ghobhainn, far a bheil àite ann dhaibhsan a tha a' sireadh Chriosd. Tha barrachd fiosrachaidh mun obair-sa ri lorg air làrach-lìn na h-Eaglaise Saoire.

eannaichte gu robh ainm dhè gu saoghal nan saoghal; oir is leis-san gliocas agus cumhachd.

Agus atharraichidh e na h-amannan agus na h-aimsirean. Daniel 2:20-21 O chionn ghoirid tha mi air fìor thogail spioradail fhaighinn le bhith a' gabhail pàirt ann am beatha agus ann an obair na h-Eaglaise Saoire ann am Baile Ghobhainn. Is e atharrachadh agus athnuadhachadh gu cinnteach a tha an seo dhomh, agus tha mi a' toirt taing dhan Chruthaidhear air a shon. Is e àite làn thrioblaidean eadar-dhealaicht' a th'ann am Baile Ghobhainn. Tha e cho eadardhealaicht' ri na Hearadh, far an do rugadh mi, ach tha mise a' faireachdainn aig an taigh anns a' choimhearsnachd-sa, far am bheil daoine le sgeulachdan ag innse mun bhuaidh a tha creideamh air a thoirt air am beatha. Mean air mhean tha a'choimhearsnachd-sa ag atharrachadh. Dhaibhsan a tha eòlach air eachdraidh na sgìresa,'s fhiach na thuirt an t- Àrd-ollamh Dòmhnall Meek a chuimhneachadh, nuair a sgrìobh e, 'Bha coimhearsnachd bheothail Ghàidhlig ann am baile Ghobhainn airson iomadach bliadhna. Thug an obair a rinn iad buaidh mhòr air a' choimhearsnachd air fad, 's bha seo aithnichte anns gach pàirt de bheatha.' Is ann anns a' choimhearsnachd-sa a thòisich an Eaglais Shaor ag obair ann an 1863 nuair a ghairmeadh an t-Urramach A. C. Fullarton mar mhinistear Gàidhlig. Còrr air ceud gu leth bliadhna an-dèidh seo, tha obair spioradail ùr air tòiseachadh. Rugadh agus thogadh am ministear againn, Norman, ann am Baile Ghobhainn, agus thug a phàrantan Murchadh Iain Tormod MacAoidh mar ainm air, an-dèidh seanair à Leòdhas. Nuair a bha e ag èirigh an àirde, bha e a' fuireach ri taobh na h-Eaglaise Saoire air Sràid Bhriton, ach cha deach e faisg air doras- eaglais', bliadhna an-dèidh bliadhna. Dh' atharraich seo, oir nuair a bha e na bu shine, ghabh e ri tairgse an t-Soisgeil, agus chaidh e a-steach dhan E a g l a i s Shaor agus do chlèir Ghlaschu agus Dhùn-Eideann. A' bruidhinn mu dheidhinn deireadh-sheachdain

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Is e gu cinnteach facal glè mhisneachail a tha an seo dhuinn, agus fìor thogail cridhe. Tha e a'cur nar cuimhne gun a bhith a' sgìtheachadh ann an ùrnaigh. Bidh Esan a' freagairt na àm Fhèin. •

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BY CATRIONA MURRAY

POST TENEBRAS LUX

Photo by Sixteen Miles Out on Unsplash

t this time of year , we are particularly

When you consider the cold winds that prevail against us, it is hardly surprising if Christians should feel discouraged, even to the point of questioning our faith and our salvation. If Christ in all his power and glory is that central bonfire from which his followers draw their light and warmth, then Christians themselves can be best likened to those candles that I hoard so carefully. They are varied in size, shape, colour and scent, but all have a unity of purpose: to provide light and fragrance in the dark of winter. If, like me, you are a connoisseur of such things, you might know that cheap scented candles are not worth the price — however low. They tend to give off a very powerful smell when you take them home…but nothing at all once you put a match to them. Apparently, the reason for this lies in the process; either the scented oil is added to the wax at the wrong moment, or does not carry sufficient fragrance to begin with. The good candles, though, are reminiscent of what the Bible has to say about faithful followers of Christ. Yes, they give off His fragrance in the ordinary way so that it may be discerned by anyone coming into their presence. I do not need to read the label to recognise the scent. But, how much more powerful does that fragrance become when the candle is lit! Indeed, you could say that it fulfils its ultimate purpose when nights are longest and the dark season is upon us. Then, I will take a jar and place it somewhere central before putting a match to it. It brings light and it brings fragrance which only becomes stronger the more it burns. We are living through a season of spiritual darkness in this world. The mere fact of our faith singles us out and ensures that we will be subject to heat and pressure every day of our walk. If we remember, however, that the great and central fire is Christ, who unites us one to another and — crucially — to Himself, we need fear nothing. All we are called upon to do is trust Him, and let His flame and His fragrance testify to the defeat of darkness forever. •

aware of the darkness , as days shorten and

evenings draw in . In my home, I have a chest of drawers filled with candles of every style, size and fragrance imaginable. Gone are the days when no respectable Wee Free would be seen purchasing anything fancier than a regulation box of plain ‘in case of power cut’ candles from the Stornoway shops! Now, there is a roaring trade in jars, tins and even teacups filled with fragranced wax, all designed to beguile the winter evenings, enhancing the cosiness of our homes. Winter is a dark season, and it is no surprise that our pagan ancestors sought ways to mitigate that with bonfires and torchlit displays, lighting up the long night and keeping evil at bay. During Samhain, it was the practice for druids to light a communal fire from which all householders in the district would take an ember and carry it home. Thus, the first fire of the new year in every hearth came from that central one, lit by the religious leaders of the community. It seems strange nowadays, but imparted meaning and comfort to a people who lived in some fear of what darkness could bring upon them. And, in many ways, it was an imitation — albeit a pale one — of the ultimate salvation visited upon mankind. Christ came as the light of this world, into the winter of sin. His was not a frail candle, guttering and extinguished by the winds that blew against it; but a steady and eternal flame, brightening and warming all around. When we receive an ember from that central fire, and take it to ourselves, it protects us from the darkness in ways that the liveliest imagination cannot conceive. Of course, the presence of Christ in our hearts should be a unifying force in a much more substantial way than the symbolic fire shared across the hearths of our Celtic forefathers. We are joined as brothers and sisters in a real and abiding sense. Nonetheless, it does not mean that we are never to experience darkness again. Christians sometimes have an arduous journey to make through this world, and may experience many seasons in which the flame seems to have gone out altogether.

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NOVEMBER