The Record - September 2018 by Free Church of Scotland

THE

RECORD

MONTHLY MAGAZINE OF THE FREE CHURCH OF SCOTLAND SEPTEMBER 2018 • £2.00

Editor • Rev. David A Robertson The Editor, The Record, St Peter’s Free Church, 4 St Peter Street, Dundee, DD1 4JJ 07825 748752 drobertson@freechurch.org Missions News • Mrs Sarah Johnson Free Church Offices, 15 North Bank Street, Edinburgh, EH1 2LS sarah@freechurch.org WFM Editor • Sarah Cumming 31 Doune Park, Dalgety Bay, KY11 9LX sarah.cumming@hotmail.co.uk Gaelic Editor • Janet MacPhail 24 North Bragar, Isle of Lewis, HS2 9DA 01851 710354 Seminary News • Rev. Thomas Davis Free Church Manse, Carloway, Isle of Lewis thomasanduna@btinternet.com Prayer Diary • Mrs Mairi Macdonald ian.macdonald57@btinternet.com Copy Editor • Dayspring MacLeod

SASRA’s

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The Soldiers’and Airmen’s Scripture Readers Association takes the gospel to the men and women of our Armed Forces and we need your prayer support. If you’d like to commit to joining our 100days prayer event, please visit:

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and tell us on which date during the event you’ll pray for SASRA and our work. We will send you free prayer materials. If you’d just like to enquire about the event you can call us on: 03000 301 306 or email 100days-capt@sasra.org.uk

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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

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CONTENTS

WELCOME TO THE SEPTEMBER RECORD

As you can now see and feel we have increased the size of the Record by eight pages to forty. This obviously gives us more scope to hear your news and views so if there is anything you would like to see in The Record please write and let us know. This month we have news of church buildings being refurbished, a new church and minister in Haddington, job opportunities in the Free Church, Free Church finances, obituaries, an outsider's perspective on the Scottish church, theology and anthropology, book reviews, spiritual building, evangelism, a Christian with cancer, Bible commentary on Ecclesiastes, pastoral care, poetry, conferences, adverts and columns. What more could you ask for? Probably a lot…so go ahead and ask. As we go to press Runrig have just finished their final two concerts. Many of our readers will have been amongst the tens of thousands gathered in Stirling. For many of us Runrig are at least part of the soundtrack of our lives. I question whether we will see their like again. Not just because they were a unique band in terms of their style and music, but also because they came out of, and expressed, a culture which has significantly changed. That culture had many influences of which the predominant was biblical Christianity. This permeates the music which could not have been produced without that Christianity. Our contemporary society needs to realize that without the roots of Christianity we cannot expect to long have the fruits. And those of us who are Christians need to realize that we don’t have the option to retreat into a Christian bubble, but must continue to be salt and light wherever the Lord calls us. Our responsibility is to speak and live his Word. That is the only hope for Scotland, the UK and the world.

SPEAKING UP

PRAYER DIARY

FREE CHURCH NEWS Poolewe & Aultbea Refurbishment, New Ministers Licenced, Kirkcaldy Free Church, New Free Church in Haddington, Chernobyl Visit to Nairn

OBITUARIES: REV. ALASDAIR PW FRASER

JOB VACANCIES

FINANCES

A SYDNEY LENS ON THE SCOTTISH FENS Simon Manchester

WHAT IS MAN? Edgar Andrews

SPIRITUAL BUILDING Pete Sanlon

A CHRISTIAN WITH CANCER Murdo Alex Macritchie

CELEBRATION OF HOPE Iain MacAskill

ECCLESIASTES: THE SECRET OF HAPPINESS

WOMEN FOR MISSION ANNUAL MEETING 2018

GOD & ANXIETY: A WEE CONFERENCE ABOUT A BIG PROBLEM Louise MacMillan

OBITUARIES: HECTOR MACLENNAN

BOOK REVIEWS

POETRY PAGE Jock Stein

THE MYTH OF MIXED BLESSINGS Dayspring MacLeod

GAELIC Janet MacPhail

POST TENEBRAS LUX Catriona Murray

elcome to your expanded record.

See you next month… David

“He proclaimed the kingdom of God and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ – with all boldness and without hindrance!” Acts 28:31 NIVUK

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SPEAKI W

point in casting our ‘pearls before swine’. In recent years a version of this, known as ‘The Benedict Option’, after a book of the same name by Rod Dreher, has become the ‘in thing’. Dreher argues for a return to a kind of monastic Christianity in which Christian communities shine like light in the midst of an increasingly barbaric culture. Puritan evangelicals take another point of view. We believe that Christians are called to be salt and light and to seek the prosperity of the nation/city/culture that God has called us to. We are not just in this world for our own benefit, but also to be the prophetic voice of God for the nations. We call communities and nations as well as individuals to repentance and faith in Christ. At a time of great trouble in the history of the United Kingdom, John Owen gave several sermons over the years to the English Parliament. These are found in volume 8 of his works, Sermons to the Nation, and they make fascinating reading — especially if you know the context. In February 1659, with Parliament about to recall the King and the Puritan revolution apparently over, he preached a wonderful sermon on Isaiah 4:5, ‘The Glory and Interest of Nations Professing the Gospel’. Owen argued that we should be encouraged by Gospel promises in the midst of perplexing and difficult outward circumstances and by the presence of Christ with his people in those same circumstances. Owen specifically disavowed the notion that Christ was with people because of their nationality, but he also disavowed the idea that it doesn’t matter what our rulers believe. Owen gives us a pattern for acting and speaking out in our nation today (remember he was speaking to Parliament):

ith the rapid retreat from any form of

values in today’s ‘progressive’ the question arises as to what the Church can or should do about it. Sadly, the confusion in the culture is mirrored by confusion in the Church — including the Free Church. ‘Liberals’ tend to go along with the culture rather than challenge it. That is why the Church of Scotland Establishment is unlikely to challenge anything that the political establishment advances. They are either the ‘spiritual’ wing of the new progressives or playing catch-up. Broad evangelicals are happy to speak out about issues that the culture agrees with, but tend to keep silent in public about more contentious issues. It’s much more culturally acceptable to speak out against sex slavery than it is to speak out against same-sex marriage. Whilst in general they may not agree with the current trends within society, they tend to think it is unproductive to speak out and only causes unnecessary hassle. christian

scotland,

Too many Christians don’t want to rock the boat — but they don’t seem to realise that we are on the Titanic and it is sinking. Separatist evangelicals who adopt a more biblical and conservative theology often want to circle the wagons and retreat into their churches. After all, the world will behave as the world, so is it not better to ensure that we remain pure until the Lord returns or the Spirit brings revival? We can complain within our own settings and grumble about the state of the world, but we figure there is no

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SEPTEMBER

ING OUT Secondly, we need to watch our own life and doctrine closely. And we need to make sure that we personally are ‘in Christ’. Upholding Christian standards whilst not knowing Christ is the ultimate road to hypocrisy. Thirdly, we must oppose the profaneness and opposition to godliness that is flooding our nation. In William Wilberforce’s day that meant he was opposed to slavery, animal cruelty and the decline in the nation’s ‘manners’ — what he regarded as civilised Christian conduct. In our day there are many issues, including the oppression of the poor, abortion, racism, attacks on the family and the LGBTQ agenda to impose Queer theory and deconstruct marriage, gender, sexuality and the family. Too many Christians don’t want to rock the boat — but they don’t seem to realise that we are on the Titanic and it is sinking. Fourthly, we must be united as Christians. Sadly, there are many who profess the name of Christ who neither know him or are known by him. But those who do know Christ cannot afford to have family squabbles when the family is under attack. And yet far too many Christians seem to think that their number one priority is to attack or demean our fellow believers. Yes, we have to deal with heretics and false teachers who, like wolves, would attack the flock, but we need to remember what happened to Owen and his fellow Puritans — internal division destroyed their witness in many areas. It is true that there is a time to be silent. But there is also a time to speak. There are many things about which I have kept quiet — so much so that, believe it or not, I carry a bit of a guilt complex for not having spoken out.

If you desire the glory of these nations, labour to promote the interest of Christ in these nations. Labour personally, every one of you, to get Christ in your own hearts. Set yourselves to oppose that overflowing flood of profaneness, and opposition to the power of godliness, that is spreading over this nation. Value, encourage, and close with them who have this presence of Christ.

Would that such a sermon were preached and appreciated in both the UK and Scottish parliaments! But that is unlikely, given our current insipid national civic Christianity. You are more likely to hear a sermon on climate change and Brexit than anything specifically to do with Christ.

It is true that there is a time to be silent. But there is also a time to speak.

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I realise that this is a different age. But the same principles can be applied to our culture today. Firstly, it is our responsibility to promote the interests of Christ. That does not mean that we confuse our interests with his, or that we align Christ with any kind of politics. But it does mean that we proclaim the Gospel and we remind our rulers that they are servants of God and they have to answer for what they do with that stewardship. It also means that we pray first of all for ‘kings and those in authority’.

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We are so weak and spineless. And we lack courage. We feed ourselves like the hired shepherds who run away whenever the wolf attacks the sheep. Or we proclaim loudly about issues that are long past and have little relevance to the culture today.

There is a great responsibility here on those of us who are church leaders. We are not called to be involved in party politics but we are called, as undershepherds of the Great Shepherd, to protect, warn and care for the flock of God. But we seem more concerned about preserving and protecting our position. We are so weak and spineless. And we lack courage. We feed ourselves like the hired shepherds who run away whenever the wolf attacks the sheep. Or we proclaim loudly about issues that are long past and have little relevance to the culture today. As Luther said: ‘If I profess with the loudest voice and clearest exposition every portion of the Word of God except precisely that little point which the world and the devil are at that moment attacking, I am not confessing Christ, however boldly I may be professing Him.’ We need to see what is coming. He said to the crowd: ‘When you see a cloud rising in the west, immediately you say, “It’s going to rain,” and it does. And when the south wind blows, you say, “It’s going to be hot,” and it is. Hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of the earth and the sky. How is it that you don’t know how to interpret this present time?’ Luke 12:54-56 How is it that we don’t know how to interpret this present time? We need to learn to read the times and apply the Scriptures to them. As an example of how to do this, let me recommend highly Al Mohler’s book We Cannot Be Silent: Speaking Truth to a Culture Redefining Sex, Marriage, and the Very Meaning of Right and Wrong. I don’t want to have on my conscience the Lord’s people in a few years’ time saying ‘We didn’t see that one coming!’ Some of us did. And we have to speak out before it’s too late. Whether people will listen or not — that’s not our concern. We have to speak the Word of the Lord. And — in case we forget that our fight is not against flesh and blood but against the principalities and powers — we need to remember that disagreeing with an ideology or particular practice does not give a Christian the right to forget the biblical teaching that every human being is made in the image of God, every human being is to be shown love and respect (even, or especially, our enemies) and every human

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being is to be given the good news of Jesus (not just the bad news of their own sin). We should disagree because we love the truth, not because we want personal victory or revenge. ‘Meanwhile let us live at peace with all men, as much as in us lies, and let us endeavour to practice uprightness in our whole deportment, that we may be able to confidently appeal to God, that when we suffer at the hands of men, we suffer wrongly.’ (Calvin) Let us treat all people not on the basis of their sexuality, race, gender, class, or so on, but rather on the basis that they are made in the image of God — and need that restored. Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners — of which I am chief! I end with the words that Owen used to close his sermon: ‘Blessed are the people that are under his care and conduct; yea, blessed are the people whose God is the Lord.’ •

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The Editor

SEPTEMBER

PRAYER DIARY SEPT/OCT 2018

We are praying, too, that you will be filled with his mighty, glorious strength so that you can keep going no matter what happens—always full of the joy of the Lord… Colossians 1:10 (Living Bible) Sat 15th Pray that all the ladies who gather for the Ladies Away Day in Inverness will have a blessed time of fellowship as they worship God together and learn more about him and his work from speakers Catriona Murray and Megan Patterson. Sun 16th As we go to worship today pray for the vacant congregation of Garrabost, Isle of Lewis. Remember interim moderator Rev. Andrew Coghill as he guides them. Mon 17th Pray for those who have decided that now is the right time for them, or someone close to them, to move into a care home. Ask God to guide them in finding the right place, dealing with the financial implications and to give them emotional and physical strength to make this transition. Tues 18th The Board of Ministry are scheduled to meet today. Pray for them as they consider all the issues on their agenda. Wed 19th Pray about smaller rural communities that lack many basic facilities. Ask God to grant wisdom to those officially responsible for planning and maintaining transport, health and other vital services to residents.

Tues 25th Pray for the congregation of South Uist and Benbecula in their ongoing efforts to reach others with the gospel of Jesus Christ. Wed 26th David Meredith will be the speaker at the Mission Conference at First Presbyterian Church in Starkville, Mississippi on 26-30 September. Give thanks for the encouragement and financial support the Free Church receives from the USA. Thurs 27th Pray for Greg Doti, working for three to eight years with Dunfermline Free Church. Pray that he and Rev. Jeremy Ross will work well together and be used by God to build and bless the church. Fri 28th Continue to remember all the youngsters who attended camp over the summer months. Pray particularly for those who responded to the gospel at camp and are not part of a church family. Sat 29th Pray for all our young folk who gather for the Big Free Rally in Smithton today. As those who were at camp over the summer renew friendships, pray that those who were not at camp will be included and enthused for next year.

Thurs 20 Thank God for all who contribute to the life of their community and serve in voluntary groups and churches to provide support and share the love and truth of the gospel.

Sun 30th This evening at Badenoch Free Church in Kingussie, there is the first of four weekly outreach lectures by Rev. Clive Every-Clayton on the theme, ‘Can the truth of Christianity be proved?’ Pray that the lecture and question time would be helpful to many.

Fri 21st Pray for Rev. Duncan Murchison and his wife Lydia as they settle into the work in the Portree and Bracadale congregation.

Mon 1st Pray for young people who are not in education, employment or training. Ask God to grant success to those offering hope and practical support to help change their lives.

Sat 22nd Pray for our Queen and all the royal family. Give thanks for her devoted service and her faithful obedience to God.

Tues 2nd Pray for the youth committee of the Western Isles Presbytery as they seek to recruit a youth worker to develop discipleship in congregations.

Sun 23rd This Sunday, remember our brothers and sisters in the North American Presbytery, and especially Rev. Kent Compton as Moderator of Presbytery. Mon 24th Pray for the Christian Police Association as they seek to build bridges between the police and local Christian faith communities.

Wed 3rd The Commission of Assembly meets in Edinburgh tonight. Pray for good outcomes from any decisions made. Thurs 4th The Bible Society in Nepal is seeking to empower woman through a Bible-based project. Pray for the encouragement and transformation of the Nepalese women who take part.

Fri 5th Suraj Kasula urges us to pray for Nepali Christianity. The transforming power of the gospel is spreading across the country; however, anti-Christian movements are arising and an anti-conversion law has been passed, resulting in imprisonment of Christians. Sat 6th Pray for the Bible Society team in Iraq using a trauma healing programme to help the local people to come to terms with what they have experienced and begin to find healing in the Bible, and to discover God's love for them. Sun 7th The small congregation in Greenock have been vacant for many years. Pray for Rev. Alastair MacDonald as their interim moderator and for the mission board as they look to renew and restore local churches. Mon 8th Pray for our Prime Minister Theresa May and all those who are involved with the process of Britain leaving the EU. Tues 9th Pray for Christians in leadership throughout the country having to make strategic decisions every day. Ask God to give them wisdom and authority as they serve and influence society. Wed 10th Pray for the wives and children of imprisoned Christian men and those who have become widows and orphans because of persecution. Thurs 11th Rev. Ali Sewell was officially inducted to the new church plant work in Haddington on 8th August. Pray for the Haddington congregation as they work in that community alongside Ali, Julie and their children. Fri 12th Pray for the work of the Bible Society in Romania. The Society provides Bibles and other books as there is a huge lack of materials and resources to teach, and teachers are very pleased to be able to use them. Sat 13th Pray especially about our education system. It has been reported that children as young as eight could be told they can choose their gender, under draft lesson plans backed by the Scottish Government. Sun 14th Give thanks for the dedicated group worshipping in Dunblane this morning. Pray for them in their vacancy as they work and witness in their community.

Prayer requests to: ian.macdonald57@btinternet.com. Please take time to send requests for your congregation or ministry to be included in forthcoming Records. These prayer notes are prepared 5 weeks in advance of publication.

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FREE CHURCH NEWS POOLEWE AND AULTBEA REFURBISHMENT

he deacons’ court of poolewe and aultbea would like to place on record their appreciation to all who have contributed to help us with this refurbishment, which is a complete rebuilding of the old church. The cost so far, exclusive of the congregation’s own labour, is in excess of £200,000. We are encouraged, and grateful to God for the help we have already received. The builders have now finished their work, leaving the congregation to complete the following: taping and filling, installing kitchen and two toilets, acoustics, floor coverings, seats and furnishing. For this we estimate the cost at approximately £50,000 Considering the circumstances of the congregation and the amount of work they have done in connection with the building of this church, as well as the honest efforts they make to contribute what they can on a weekly basis, we would appeal on their behalf to the sympathy and liberality of Christian friends

to help us complete the work. Any donations will be thankfully received by our treasurer, Roderick McKenzie, 8 Ormiscaig, Aultbea, IV22 2JE. He will also be glad to provide the Deacons’ bank details for direct transfers. •

NEW MINISTERS LICENSED

n tuesday 26th june , in partick free church ,

the Free Presbytery of Glasgow and Argyll licensed Nick Mackison and Duncan Murchison as ministers of the Gospel, both having recently

completed their studies at ETS and passed their Trials for License. The Questions put to Probationers having been satisfactorily answered, Rev. Ivor MacDonald encouraged Nick (a member in Glasgow City Free Church) and Duncan (a member in Partick Free Church) with words from Hebrews 10 to ‘hold unswervingly to the hope we profess’, after which he prayed for them and their future ministries. •

The photo shows Nick with his wife Sharon and their children Zach, Alexa and Eve; Duncan with his wife Lydia; and Duncan’s mother Margaret and brother, Murdo.

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COME AND HELP US — IN KIRKCALDY BY REV. JOHN JOHNSTONE

t’s been my privilege to have served in kirkcaldy over the

We have a small committed core who are time-poor, due to pressures of work and family. We urgently need missionally minded people to move to the Kirkcaldy area to help us in intentional evangelism, evangelism training and discipleship. This kind of help, with the Lord’s blessing, might help us become a sustainable congregation, which will serve the area for many years to come.

last nine years.

The Lang Toon is a great place to live. Yes, we are less well known than Edinburgh to our south and St Andrews to our north, but our seaside location is attractive, with many beautiful coastal walks, woodland walks, beaches and two large parks. We’re a small but happy and united church with about 40 members and 20 adherents, typically with about 40 out on a Sunday morning. This attendance is shocking in one sense, as there are well over 100,000 souls in this area — people who do not know their right hand from their left, spiritually speaking. We want to see conversions. We want our light to shine all the more in this spiritual darkness. We are working hard, but don’t want to rest on our laurels. Kirkcaldy is one of Fife’s largest towns with a population of over 50,000, yet with just one evangelical church with over 100 members. We have huge social problems on our church doorstep. However, very near to these housing schemes are homes with fewer social problems but just as many spiritual ones.

We have a healthy mix of ages, including about a dozen children. We are praying for help, as currently we are not in a sustainable position as a church; we are in great need of mature (humble) Christians to come and join our small core. We run a fortnightly community café in our church on a Saturday morning; this has proved a useful place to get to know people, and some have started attending church through this venture. We’re running a Christianity Explored course for those in the café who are interested in finding out more. One of our more recent outreach ideas is our ‘Meal with a Message’ events, where the church family are encouraged to invite their unbelieving friends and contacts along to a two-course meal with a gospel presentation between the courses. These have been a blessing. Our sixth one will be held in November.

Only six miles from Kirkcaldy is the new town of Glenrothes, which has a similar population and similar dearth of evangelical churches. In short, there is a desperate need for gospel workers in central and eastern Fife. Kirkcaldy and Glenrothes alone make up 28% of Fife’s population, and yet there are only two sustainable evangelical churches between these two towns, with less than 1% of people attending an evangelical church. Our passion is for the church to be making more and more disciples, for the glory of God alone. Could you help us? Are you retired, considering moving out of Edinburgh or St Andrews or Dundee, or perhaps an ETS student? One of the greatest encouragements I’ve had in the ministry here has been the help of ETS families who have moved to Kirkcaldy. Both Thomas Davis and Thomas Penman and their families have played a crucial role in church life. They are gifts from God. In a few months we won’t have any ETS students, but we firmly believe that having some in Kirkcaldy would be both strategic and mutually beneficial, as the two Thomases can testify! Perhaps you could work in Kirkcaldy Free Church parttime while studying at ETS!

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We want to reach out to the town as a whole, and this makes sense as our members are scattered around the town. This is normal in modern Scotland, with most people now driving to church.We will always welcome people from surrounding towns and villages too, conscious of the lack of Reformed churches in the area.

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Our church building is modern and in good repair. We have a healthy relationship with like-minded churches in Fife, and are founding members of Fife Gospel Partnership. We are self-sufficient financially (just); however, our financial weakness lies in overdependence on a few generous givers.

• That our members would keep close to God, be faithful in individual and corporate prayer, keep close to people and speak to people for God, all by his grace. I’ve recently spent a few weeks reading several books on church revitalisation. One of my favourite quotes is from John James’ excellent book Renewal: Church Revitalisation Along the Way of the Cross. ‘Healthy church revitalisation partners with others. For most healthy church revitalisations, it is relationships that make all the difference. Relationships will be developed between a new core team and an existing church family…between new and old leadership teams…and between the church undergoing revitalisation and other local gospel-hearted churches…. With this kind of generosity of spirit towards one another, anything is possible.’ Surely in a Presbyterian denomination like ours, when it is well known we need help, some of you might be interested in joining us in gospel work. Your gospel generosity might just make an enormous difference. •

KIRKCALDY FREE CHURCH MISSION STATEMENT Knowing Jesus Christ and Making Him Known ‘For God’s glory, KFC’s desire is to make disciples and to equip Christians to know Jesus and make him known in Kirkcaldy and in the surrounding area.’ KIRKCALDY FREE CHURCH VISION STATEMENT • That every member would be equipped to share their faith with confidence and be more committed to the church, using the gifts God has given them, and that they would intentionally and prayerfully form meaningful relationships with non-Christians. • Having a regular attendance in excess of 60 people on a Sunday morning and 30 people on a Sunday evening. • To see five new families living in Kirkcaldy and attending our church. • Establishing three Home Groups in strategic locations and fostering close-knit Bible study and Christian support within these groups. • That our fortnightly café would become weekly again, with a greater evangelistic emphasis. • To build a surplus of £5,000 on top of our remittance and other expenses that can be invested to support local work or wider Free Church work.

TWO THOMASES — IN KIRKCALDY THOMAS DAVIS AND TOM PENMAN DESCRIBE THEIR EXPERIENCE AS ETS STUDENTS LIVING IN KIRKCALDY Briefly describe how you ended up in Kirkcaldy. Why did you move there? THOMAS DAVIS My family’s move to Kirkcaldy was really a remarkable providence from God. In the summer of 2010, I applied for the ministry in the Free Church. That same summer my great-aunt passed away. She had lived in Kirkcaldy, which was also where my grandfather, Dr Greig, was born. My mother and her sister inherited my great-aunt’s flat, so when we told my parents that I was applying for the ministry they immediately offered us the flat as accommodation. It was amazing how, in God’s timing, everything fitted together, and we were able to move to Kirkcaldy in the summer of 2011, just before I began studying at ETS. TOM PENMAN I moved here as a student at ETS. Originally I was only part-time and travelled in two

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days a week, but when I went full-time the distance was too far to travel four days a week. My wife and I needed to move closer so I could get to class quickly, but at the same time wanted to avoid the sky-high costs of living in Edinburgh. We also wanted to be somewhere we could serve in a local church while I trained for ministry, and I knew that Kirkcaldy were looking for people to get involved with the church. What is it like living in the town? How did your family find it? TD We were very unsure what to expect – both my wife Una and I had lived in Lewis for virtually our whole lives to that point, and we didn’t know the town or the wider area at all. But we absolutely loved it! Our flat was right in the middle of Kirkcaldy, close to the school, the station and Tesco, so it was really

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handy. The people were friendly, and we quickly got to know lots of folk, both through church and the school. TP Kirkcaldy is a good place to live. Many people are aware of its poverty and post-industry problems. But it has great parks, nice beaches, a theatre, and all that kind of stuff. Most importantly, the people are friendly. My wife enjoys living here. There are plenty of Parent and Toddler classes and groups (some held at the church) and it is easy to get around town. Most things are within walking distance of the town centre.

many congregations, even the most basic resources are not always available, and also showed me how even one person can make a huge difference to a congregation. But at the same time as being struck by the weaknesses in terms of resources, I was also amazed by the amount of work that the congregation was doing: a Saturday café, a toddler group, community outreach, house group and more. It was great for me to become involved with these things, and it really complemented my studies at ETS with practical gospel work. TP There are plenty of opportunities to learn as an ETS student at Kirkcaldy Free Church. You have opportunities to preach, lead small groups and Sunday services. I have also been serving as an elder since February, giving me further opportunities to both serve by leading and give input on the direction of the church. Our minister, John Johnstone, is very supportive of my studies, willing to discuss essay topics or lend books as needed. He gives feedback after sermons and small groups. The church is also willing to back off and help you clear your schedule during essay and exam times when ETS gets most busy.

Rev. Thomas Davis & Rev. John Johnstone.

What gospel opportunities do you see here? TD There are many: the congregation is right in the middle of a scheme with lots of social needs, but also with some wonderful people. So there’s a huge mission field right on the doorstep of the church. But there’s also lots that can be done for the wider town and surrounding area. Kirkcaldy is very easy to get to, so it’s a great place for people who don’t have a church they can go to in their own locality. That means there’s opportunity to build up a community of believers in the area in terms of worship, discipleship and serving together. TP Ironically, the signs of gospel need are also gospel opportunities. There is still a lively interest in the spiritual in Kirkcaldy. Many have a pagan or Roman Catholic connection. This makes discussing the gospel easier than in more secular places (although there is still the problem of RC nominalism and mistrust of the organised church).

Describe the gospel need in the area. TD The gospel need is huge. Kirkcaldy is a big town, bigger than most people probably realise, and yet there are not many churches, and of the few that there are, it is not easy to be sure if a clear, biblical gospel message would be preached in them all. It’s also a town that has not had it easy in the last 50 years. It was once booming with hundreds of jobs, but most of these have gone, and you can see lots of areas of deprivation and deep social need. It is a town that really needs hope. TP Kirkcaldy is a town of 50,000 people where less than 1% of the population is actively Christian. There is widespread interest in the occult, witchcraft and psychics, while cults such as the JW’s and Mormons are trying to recruit. Other religions such as Islam are a growing presence as well. Although there is an increasing number of community groups aiming to deal with social problems, people’s greatest need, their need to have their sins forgiven by repenting and trusting in Jesus Christ as Lord, is totally neglected. If the church doesn’t do this work, no one else will.

Why is church revitalisation an important option for ETS students to consider while studying? TD It is important for several reasons. One: church revitalisation is a great need in our denomination – congregations in every presbytery need revitalising, so it is something that we need to focus on. Two: because it can put us out of our comfort zone, especially if like me you were in a numerically and financially strong congregation. Three: it is a huge encouragement for a fragile congregation to have a student and their family with them for three years. Four: a revitalisation is an exciting place to be, because you can see God at work as he builds things up again. And five: because the key needs of a church revitalisation are exactly the same as they

What was it like being an ETS student in Kirkcaldy Free Church? What opportunities are there to learn? How were you supported? TD I found the combination of studying at ETS and worshipping at Kirkcaldy Free Church a hugely beneficial experience. Prior to coming to KFC, I had been in a big congregation in Lewis where there was never any shortage of office bearers, precentors, resources or facilities. When I came to KFC, I realised how much I had taken for granted, and it was a badly needed eye opener for me. It showed me that for

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are any other congregation, and therefore serving in revitalisation, or in a church plant, can help us to see what the biblical priorities really are. TP Being in a church working for revitalisation has two great advantages for an ETS student. Firstly, the church is smaller so it is much easier to get involved. Often in larger churches it’s easy to hide in the crowd, or be passed over for a role because there always seems to be someone better suited. But in a small church you don’t have that option. Everyone needs to pull their weight. Secondly, the sad fact is that many of our churches in the Free Church need some form of revitalisation. Being involved in it as a student lets you get the experience you need before you encounter it in your future ministry.

prayerfully and sacrificially supporting this work. But over the years, people have moved on, and some have been taken home by our Father. And whilst every time I go back KFC I am amazed at the new faces I see, at the same time it’s clear that there is a small core in the congregation who are carrying a big burden of responsibility. KFC is working hard to disciple believers so that they will be ready for leadership in the future, but in the shorter term, it would be wonderful to see some more committed and experienced believers able to come and support the congregation. TP The Christian church was not designed to be a series of independent groups spread out across the country, but a single family of God where brothers and sisters help one another and operate as a single body. Presbyterians should know this more than anyone. No congregation is expected to survive on its own. If a new church were planted, it would be normal for it to receive assistance (monetary, personnel, etc.). In a church revitalisation context, with few resources or people, the need for help should be just as clear.

Why is Kirkcaldy a good place for full-time or parttime students to be based? What is the commute like? TD The commute is very easy. It takes about 40 or 50 minutes on the train, depending which one you get on, and there are trains more or less every 15 minutes. It can be quite busy in the mornings, but I usually came home about 3pm (unless there were afternoon lectures) and at that time the trains were very quiet so I was always able to get lots of studying done on the journey. It’s also good exercise to walk up the hill from Waverley to ETS, and of course it’s very cool to go over the Forth Rail Bridge every day! TP Kirkcaldy has a lot going for it. The fortyminute commute is shorter than that of some of my Edinburgh-based classmates! It is also affordable. Costs are much lower in Kirkcaldy than they are in Edinburgh, from housing to food to transport. You also have access to great parks, cafés and beaches.

In what ways is KFC still a fragile church? How else could the denomination help in order for it to become a sustainable congregation? TD There are lots of practical ways in which congregations can help. The congregations who are far away could do the most important job of all by praying for KFC. That would be the greatest encouragement and the most effective way of helping, and in many ways it is the simplest too. But congregations that are a bit closer could give some additional help – maybe a worship leader from another congregation could help at a KFC service once a month. Maybe guest preachers could come along every so often for a special invitation service. And other folk can help by just coming along and visiting every so often and worshipping together with our brothers and sisters at KFC. TP KFC is fragile in several ways. Firstly, it has few leaders and it is very difficult to train up new ones. Discipleship takes a long time and some of our members struggle to read. Also, as it’s in a poor area, church finances are precarious. It would only take the loss of a couple of members for the church to become untenable. The denomination could help by giving advice on discipleship and helping us train up new members for future leadership. It could also give advice on funding opportunities and where we could get help, for example, for getting a ministry assistant or church worker.

ETS student Tom Penman.

Why does Kirkcaldy Free Church need the help of the denomination in order to revitalise? Can they not do this on their own? TD Kirkcaldy Free Church has done a huge amount in the past 25 years. It started as a very small congregation in the early 90s and then planted a church in Dunfermline which has now become a fullfledged congregation. It’s amazing to see what God has done, and there have been so many faithful people

THE RECORD

What else would you like to say about your experience? TD I would just want to say how fond our memories are of our time at KFC, and also to say how thankful to God we are for the warm welcome, the continual encouragement and the wonderful friends that we found waiting for us there. •

SEPTEMBER

NEW FREE CHURCH AND MINISTER IN HADDINGTON

addington is a small town twenty edinburgh,

miles

outside

situated

near

scotland’s east coast. Historically

its geographical position meant it was the gateway to the capital and therefore lay in the path of many foreign and domestic armies with varying intentions. Now, though its 10,000 inhabitants rarely need saving from marauding invaders, they do have one thing in common with the peoples of the past, and that’s their need of salvation from the besiegement of sin. In 2017, Ali Sewell and his wife Julie moved their family to the area and began work on planting a church within the local community. Getting to know the people and the culture of the area led them to start a home group with their core team, which primarily met to develop relationships and discuss the teachings of the Bible, all the while praying for God to build the congregation through conversions rather than simply transfer growth. One year on, they have now set up regular meetings in the Town House, situated in an enviable location on the High Street. They also plan to launch official services in September under the name Haddington Community Church. Pastor of Cornerstone and Generation Director of Training Neil MacMillan said, ‘It’s exciting

to see how far Ali and Julie have come in the process of planting in Haddington. They are a talented couple and I am thrilled that another new church has been planted. Scotland is losing the equivalent of ten churches a month — many new churches are needed to reverse this crisis.’ Ali was formally inducted into the Haddington church plant in Cornerstone, which meets in the Old School House in Edinburgh’s Morningside. For the past year he has led a core team to develop the work in the community while officially supported by St Columba’s Free Church. Mr Sewell, an Edinburgh Theological Seminary graduate, said, ‘Since we’ve been here we’ve seen even more just how urgent

the need is for new churches to share the gospel here in Haddington and throughout East Lothian. We’ve met lots of people, had some real encouragements, and also plenty of challenges. There’s so much still to do and we feel like we’ve only scratched the surface, but we trust that God will build his church and we rely upon him to show people their need of Jesus. The next stage is to establish a Sunday morning worship service, which will give us a strong focal point and help us as we continue to embed ourselves as a church into the community.’ Please pray for Ali and his team in Haddington as they look to bring the Gospel to their community. •.

CHERNOBYL VISIT

has recently hosted again a group of school-aged children from Chernobyl in the Ukraine, in a partnership developed alongside other local churches. Many will remember the horrific explosion at the nuclear power plant in Chernobyl, close to the border between Ukraine and Belarus, in April 1986. While time moves

on and the world’s gaze only occasionally returns there, for the residents of that region everything changed that day, and the legacy of contaminated food and soil and the consequent health-related issues remains an everpresent daily reality. Over the years charitable efforts have been made, among other things, to bring to the UK some of the children who

he nairn congregation of the free church

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have been born into the affected region since. One such charitable group was founded in Nairn some twenty years ago and in recent years many young children, aged about eight to twelve, have benefited from a few weeks’ stay in the town during the summer holidays. A different group of children come each time and, amongst other things, are treated to fresh healthy air, free medical and dental checkups, new clothes and some traditional Highland hospitality. A number of churches in Nairn have been at the forefront of this enterprise, sharing something of the love of Christ with those from such an unfortunate background. In recent years, Nairn Free Church have also been delighted to play a small part in such a worthwhile effort by entertaining these young visitors and their local host-families. Nairn minister Rev. Murdo MacLeod says, ‘We were really blessed to have been able again to have these children as our guests – playing games, eating, chatting, singing, and even teaching them some ceilidh dancing! Our in-house piper fairly kept the neighbours entertained as our young

friends learned “Strip the Willow” in the garden in the early evening sunshine! I’d love to have heard them trying to describe it to their families when they got back home!’ While the short time spent with the children offers only a limited experience, all the congregations involved have been encouraged to know that the children leave with a sense of what God’s people in a faraway land are doing to help them even in this small way. ‘Although what we have done is very modest,’ said Murdo, ‘it’s always good to remember that small things can make a big difference. A mere month spent in a healthy climate is believed to add as much as three or four years to the life expectancy of these children. Our hope and prayer would be that the spiritual ripples of a small dose of kindness would lead to an equally disproportionate blessing to these children and their families. The God who used the widow’s mite and the young lad’s few loaves and fishes is well able to use and to grow our little contribution offered in the love of Christ.’ •

THE LATE REV. ALASDAIR FRASER (1932-2018) BY FERGUS MACDONALD

lasdair pw fraser was born on 28 October 1932

Society of Great Britain and Ireland. For many years he was a member of the Free Church Psalmody Committee, where he strove to encourage excellence in the sung praise of the Church. He was closely involved in the production of Sing Psalms. In 1976 Alasdair was appointed Junior Clerk of the Free Church General Assembly, a position which he held with distinction for eleven years. In 1994, after fulfilling a 37-year ministry, Alasdair retired from Elgin, and he and Monica moved to Aberdeen. Monica’s passing in 2002 was a huge loss to Alasdair and their two daughters. Shortly before his retirement Alasdair was diagnosed with leukaemia, and in his final years he also contracted a range of cancers. Alasdair was no stranger to intense physical discomfort, but he bore his pain stoically, refusing to allow it interrupt his personal fellowship with God. About a week before he died, very early one morning, Claire went to her father’s room to see how he was. He replied, ‘I’m having a happy night. I’m praying for the people of Aberdeen.’ Consistently humble and self-effacing, Alasdair was not a high flier; he had no interest in attaining any kind of celebrity status. His godly character enhanced his calling as a minister of the Word and Sacrament. He earnestly sought to fulfil God’s ‘Great Requirement’ to act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with God, serving as an example and encouragement to his fellow ministers. On 29 April, Alasdair Peter Will Fraser crossed the frontier separating time and space from eternity to enter the assembly of the firstborn and to join the heavenly choir singing the song of Moses and of the Lamb.•

in Dundee. His father Alex R Fraser, was the local Free Church minister, and his mother, Daisy Will, the daughter of the superintendent of the Dundee Tent Mission. When Alasdair was seven the family moved to Dumbarton, where his father was about to begin a long and fruitful ministry. Alasdair was the eldest of five children, all of whom were musically gifted, and the family often sang sacred songs in four-part harmony, even when washing and drying the dishes! Alasdair professed his personal faith in Jesus Christ at the age of fourteen, and immediately became an active witness for Christ. On leaving secondary school, he entered St Andrews University, where he became very involved in the Christian Union, and was active in the university orchestra and choirs. While at St Andrews Alasdair felt called to the Christian ministry, and he entered the Free Church College in 1954. In 1957, he accepted a call from the congregation of Elgin and Forres and was ordained in November of that year. In June of the following year Alasdair married Monica Snell from St Albans, whom he had met during their time at St Andrews. They created a warm and hospitable home in Elgin which was enriched by the arrival of two daughters, Catriona and Claire. Alasdair saw his ministry as essentially expounding the biblical text and relating it to the lived experience of his congregation. Also much appreciated was his pastoral care, in which Monica ably assisted him. Alasdair’s outstanding musical gifts found expression in his active membership of the Hymn

THE RECORD

SEPTEMBER

FREE CHURCH OF SCOTLAND JOB OPPORTUNITIES WESTERN ISLES PRESBYTERY — YOUTH DISCIPLESHIP SUPPORT WORKER

Closing date for applications: Saturday 29th September

This new role offers a highly enthusiastic and passionate youth worker the opportunity to be actively engaged in youth discipleship. The successful applicant will work with the youth committee of the Western Isles Presbytery to develop youth discipleship in congregations. They will work with existing youth leaders and Kirk Sessions to provide opportunities for young people to grow a resilient Christian faith. The role requires the post holder to demonstrate a clear Christian commitment and sympathetic to the ethos and vision of the Free Church of Scotland. Therefore it is an occupational requirement for the post holder to be a Christian. Any enquiries, or for informal discussion, please contact Rev David Macleod on 07920 844260 or email david.macleod@me.com. 3 year fixed term contract (Initial 6 month probation period) Full-Time: 37 hrs p/w Salary: £20,000 plus expenses Closing date for applications: Saturday 29th September Interview: To be confirmed but provisionally w/c 1st October An application pack can be requested from: stuking@hotmail.com To apply send completed application form with covering letter to stuking@hotmail.com

SMITHTON FREE CHURCH — CHURCH MANAGER

Closing date for applications: Saturday 29th September

Smithton Free Church is looking to employ a full-time Church manager. The large evangelical congregation is based in Inverness in the Highlands and part of the Free Church of Scotland. The church has a one-bed flat attached which may be available to the successful candidate. Duties would include: Manage church office and support staff Maintain and develop record keeping systems Coordinate hall/room lets Facilitate day to day maintenance of the building Oversee IT/AV systems There is an occupational requirement under the Equality Act 2010 for the post holder to demonstrate a firm Christian commitment. As such, the successful candidate will be sympathetic to the values, aims and ethos of the Free Church. If this job interests you, please contact Charles Anderson on 01463 793191 or email office@smithtonchurch.com for further information. Smithton Website:https://smithtonchurch.com

About the Free Church The Free Church of Scotland is committed to the proclamation and furtherance of the Christian faith in the nation of Scotland and beyond. We believe that faith in the person and works of our Lord Jesus Christ is humanity’s greatest need, since it is only by His perfect sinless life, sacrificial death on a cross, and bodily resurrection from the dead that we can be reconciled to God and granted eternal life. Safeguarding The Free Church of Scotland has a Christian care for the welfare of each individual and seeks to make the Church a safe place for all. In particular, the Church seeks to protect and safeguard all those who are especially vulnerable, both children and vulnerable adults, with whom it comes into contact through its activities and services.

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CONGREGATIONAL REMITTANCES JANUARY-JUNE 2018 EDINBURGH & PERTH Aberdeen Broughty Ferry Dundee — St Peters Edinburgh — Buccleuch Edinburgh — St Columba Edinburgh — Christ Church Falkirk Kirkcaldy Dunfermline Edinburgh — Leith Edinburgh — Grace Church Livingston London City Perth & Pitlochry St Andrews GLASGOW & ARGYLL Arran Ayr & Kilwinning Bishopbriggs Blackwood & Kirkmuirhill Campbeltown Coatbridge Cumbernauld Dumbarton Dumfries Dunblane East Kilbride Glasgow — Dowanvale Glasgow — Govanhill Glasgow — Partick Glasgow — City Greenock Dunoon & Strachur Lennoxtown Lochgilphead & Tarbert Mull & Coll Newmilns Oban Stirling

2018

£34,646 £17,275 £43,516 £29,593 £78,634 £19,571 £17,736 £14,300 £18,800 £19,124 £17,275 £14,676 £31,087 £16,331 £17,947

2017

£36,225 £7,717 £20,360 £41,006 £55,700 £3,329 £17,400 £9,100 £16,700 £17,831 £16,900 £13,208 £33,676 £14,761 £13,700

£390,511

£317,612

£7,200 £17,527 £17,702 £16,540 £14,695 £19,246 £16,244 £108 £16,422 £0 £8,439 £44,398 £10,000 £19,090 £34,381 £430 £0 £11,500 £7,975 £300 £17,040 £16,440 £14,180

£6,400 £13,840 £12,865 £16,540 £4,084 £17,885 £15,430 £630 £2,198 £0 £15,000 £39,463 £10,000 £17,832 £32,163 £622 £0 £11,000 £9,125 £300 £17,540 £14,100 £14,200

£309,856

£271,217

INVERNESS, LOCHABER & ROSS Burghead £5,017 Dingwall & Strathpeffer £27,739 Gardenstown £17,547 Elgin & Forres £16,502 Fortrose £16,145 Fort William £3,937 Glenurquhart & Fort Augustus £13,500 Inverness — Free North £39,350 Inverness — West Church £4,683 Greyfriars Stratherrick £30,120 Kilmallie & Ardnamurchan £16,069 Kiltarlity & Kirkhill £4,500 Kiltearn £1,390 Badenoch £630 Knockbain £20,398 Maryburgh & Killearnan £13,500 Nairn £0 Urquhart & Resolis £16,420 Smithton-Culloden & Nairn £71,121 Urray & Strathconon £19,000 £337,568

£4,020 £29,348 £18,900 £11,500 £15,951 £7,910 £13,015 £38,526 £14,783 £30,216 £31,840 £9,950 £2,150 £0 £19,031 £12,800 £0 £30,900 £91,760 £18,225

THE RECORD

£400,825

NORTHERN Assynt & Eddrachillis Clyne Bonar Bridge/Lairg Dornoch Golspie Helmsdale & Kinbrace Lybster Castletown & Community Rogart Rosskeen Tain & Fearn Thurso & North Coast Wick & Keiss SKYE & WESTER ROSS Duirinish Gairloch, Kinlochewe & Torridon Lochalsh,Glenshiel & Glenelg Trotternish Lochbroom & Coigach Lochcarron & Applecross Plockton & Kyle Poolewe & Aultbea Portree Raasay Sleat & Strath WESTERN ISLES Back Barvas Callanish Carloway Cross Harris Kinloch Garrabost Lochs North Harris North Tolsta North Uist, Grimsay & Berneray Park Scalpay Shawbost South Uist & Benbecula Stornoway Stornoway High

REMITTANCE TOTAL Other Donations North America Ev. Presb. Church Donations — Individual Donations — Group/congregation Disaster&Relief/Youth Project

GRAND TOTAL

2018

2017

£660 £300 £14,200 £16,111 £9,582 £12,395 £350 £10,843 £3,000 £33,250 £32,380 £13,750 £538

£660 £3,750 £11,000 £14,700 £5,250 £12,130 £500 £11,430 £1,000 £20,300 £35,000 £12,200 £630

£147,358

£128,550

£15,140 £16,600 £600 £15,093 £17,580 £5,650 £17,975 £19,693 £28,307 £630 £13,200

£18,700 £15,850 £600 £14,403 £17,300 £8,201 £17,945 £18,777 £22,031 £630 £11,000

£150,467

£145,438

£54,433 £19,519 £22,269 £25,075 £25,800 £18,733 £17,275 £34,279 £28,000 £18,350 £17,275 £17,425 £17,002 £16,200 £16,800 £6,280 £126,766 £18,350

£57,831 £19,897 £20,164 £25,750 £33,280 £6,300 £17,900 £47,415 £29,000 £16,900 £16,900 £14,208 £16,652 £16,690 £16,800 £5,310 £128,826 £16,741

£499,831

£506,564

£1,835,593

£1,770,207

£0 £0 £49,669 £12,489 £1,670 £63,828

£0 £0 £25,257 £35,382 £9,578 £70,217

£1,899,421

£1,840,424

SEPTEMBER

A SYDNEY LENS ON THE SCOTTISH FENS BY SIMON MANCHESTER

Scotland in May-June this year at the invitation of some pastors for the first Scottish Keswick held in Kilmarnock. The faithful prayers were answered when many more came out than were expected and the packed hall was joyful. I took the Old Testament narrative of Elijah — Elisha because it’s the sort of thing that gets easily devotionalised in a Keswick context (has your river dried up etc?) and I wanted to approach the text God-centredly and with due attention to Biblical Theology and fulfilment in Christ. Whether the goal was reached I cannot say but a few leaders seemed grateful. I can’t say there was rich fellowship in the Word in my conversations that followed and I wonder if the church found the approach very different from the norm. Coming out of a Sydney context where the congregation is taught to anchor the text then pursue it to its Christological goal this may not have been the normal fare for some... and if not I hope it increasingly becomes so. The greatest concern for discerning pastors is people who applaud the milk and not the meat. The music was excellent (though 6-7 songs in a row was a challenge) and the mission input was deeply instructive. The bookstall was huge and feast-like and all in all it was a great initiative. I commented at the end that reaching the under 40’s will be the big challenge for the future and (was it my imagination ?) the response was a little cool. But the grey Keswick will pass away soon and needs urgent prayer for a new wave of youth — may the Lord provide in abundance. The “Servants of the Word” conference in Glasgow did have a fine mix of young and old. Hosted by the Tron Church this conference really is the best blend of input from the front and then workshops round the table. Having seen these round table seminars where a short talk is critiqued and straightened, they are the key to progress in the ministry of the Word. It’s not enough for pastors and potential leaders to listen to someone do the teaching (valuable though it is ) — personal challenge and encouragement is given. The workshop is the needful place to do that. Little progress is made without the workshop and someone who can ask the hard questions and people willing to change and develop. I found it very humbling to be with ten or so round the table who were prepared to learn (over forty years old though they mostly were) and to take correction and to heed some hard questions. To ask a pastor

who has just given his brief talk “did you get that out of the text?” Or “why did you lay a burden on us that the passage doesn’t?” Or “what was the point of the passage after that spray of good ideas?” Is sobering stuff. Some undoubtedly have the gift for clear teaching and some less so — but God willing we made progress. It was a refreshing time for my wife Kathy and me to be with lovely people in such a lovely place and climate(!). I get the impression that — as in Australia and much of the West — the pulpits are getting more confused and the congregations too. We are not going to build the church with singing — though may it be done well and faithfully and briefly — but the church will be built on preaching that causes the listeners to say at the end “I now understand that scripture rightly and I see the Lord’s greatness and goodness more clearly and I determine to trust and serve Him more truly” Lord be our Help and Hope. •

t was my privilege to visit

2018

P.S. While I was visiting Scotland, back home in Sydney a Scottish pastor (David Robertson) was staying in our home and was in big demand all over the place having fine impact for the Lord. So the swap was weighed in our Aussie favour I think!

Simon Manchester is the senior minister St Thomas' Church in North Sydney, Australia

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PSALM 8:6 PROFESSOR EDGAR ANDREWS writes about his new reader-friendly book on the origin, nature and destiny of mankind.

this

electronic

age

protect

Thirty years ago, Richard Dawkins’ book The Selfish Gene (1976) held centre-stage as science’s supposed definitive reply. Man, he proposed, is a helpless robot driven by his genes (genetic structures whose only purpose is to reproduce themselves). So where do we stand today? Although selfish genes are out of fashion, current views on the nature of Man remain dominated by the neo-Darwinian evolutionary narrative. Humanity is (they tell us) the product of random genetic mutations acted on by natural selection—a highly surprising but still fortuitous outcome of a sequence of cosmic accidents. God is redundant and there is no purpose in our existence. But in spite of the confidence with which our society promotes this evolutionary scenario, our uncertainty and anxiety over what it means to be human has never been greater. Neither chickens nor chimpanzees, I suspect, suffer identity crises.

ourselves

against identity theft ,

lest fraudsters gain access to our personal details, hijack our credit cards, and empty our bank accounts. But no one seems to notice that our modern materialistic age is robbing us of something more precious than money; namely, our personal identities, both as individual human beings and as the human race. THE RISE OF AN IDENTITY CRISIS Three thousand years ago, the Psalmist asked the question, ‘What is Man?’ and gave the clearest possible answer. Mankind, he declared, was created by God and destined to be crowned with glory and honour (Psalm 8:6). Three hundred years ago, the English poet Alexander Pope was not so sure. Man, he suggested, is ‘the glory, jest and riddle of the world’. That, of course, didn’t answer the Psalmist’s question, but only restated it. But it did serve to remind us that the riddle was not yet solved.

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SEPTEMBER

SO WHAT’S THE ALTERNATIVE? In the light of all this, it seemed to me high time to revisit the Psalmist’s question, and my new book What is Man? Adam, Alien or Ape? is the result. As a scientist I am conscious that many of the answers offered today involve science rather than philosophy or religion. So I set out to examine the big picture—the theories that compete to explain the origin, nature and destiny of mankind. I quickly discovered that almost any answer is acceptable in Western culture as long as it avoids invoking God.

CONCLUSION What is Man? To some, he is an alien, jetted to earth from outer space by a superior civilisation, or seeded on earth by alien minds. To others, he is cosmic flotsam stranded on the shores of time by mindless material tides. To yet others, he is a lucky ape, the fortuitous product of aeons of evolution. This writer, however, argues that human beings are God’s special creation, made in his image, owing homage to their Creator, and having both the purpose and destiny revealed to us in Christ. •

our modern materialistic age is robbing us of something more precious than money; namely, our personal identities, both as individual human beings and as the human race.

Edgar Andrews, BSc, PhD, DSc, FInstP, FIMMM, CEng, CPhys., is Emeritus Professor of Materials Science at Queen Mary University of London and formerly Head of Department and Dean of Engineering.

The book is divided into three parts which consider in turn man’s place in the cosmos, in the biosphere (the world of living things), and in the Bible. Our relation to the cosmos is important because if, as many claim, our universe is the accidental product of impersonal forces, then Man himself must also be an accident of nature. On the other hand, if the cosmos can only be explained as the work of a nonmaterial Creator, then Man himself is likely to be a purposeful creation. Turning to Man’s place in the biosphere, we again have competing scenarios. It seems odd to me that while no one denies that human beings are unique among living things, very few question the narrative which attributes our existence to random and purposeless evolutionary processes. This applies not only to the biological characteristics of Man but also to human consciousness and mind. In stark contrast, the Bible claims that humans are unique because they alone are made in the image of God (a concept discussed at length in Part 3 of the book).

our uncertainty and anxiety over what it means to be human has never been greater. Neither chickens nor chimpanzees, I suspect, suffer identity crises.

WHAT IS MAN? EDGAR ANDREWS ELM HILL (2018) WWW.AMAZON.CO.UK £11.99

Finally, we consider the biblical narrative, starting with a discussion of worldviews in general before presenting the biblical worldview of Man’s creation, fall and redemption, in and through Jesus Christ, the perfect man. How we may participate personally in that redemption is the subject of the gospel of Christ, which Paul declares to be ‘the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes’ (Romans 1:16).

2018

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SPIRITUAL

BUILDING BY REV. DR PETE SANLON

aspects of spiritual reality we ought to be seeking, requesting and cultivating. These are the spiritual realities that make us fit vessels for building up the Church in these days of exile.

THE RECORD

SPIRITUAL DEPTH The priority for believers in exile is to develop spiritual depth. The Bible exhorts us to feel the need for spiritual depth and reality to be nurtured. So, for example, Jesus tells his followers to be like salt in the world, and warns that if we lose our saltiness, we become useless (Mat. 5:13). We are told to ‘work out our salvation’ (Phil. 2:12) and to ‘increase in the knowledge of God, being strengthened by God’s power’ (Col. 1:10-11). Jude urges us to ‘build yourselves up, praying in the Holy Spirit’ (Jd. 20). All of these and many other texts call us to seek a deeper level of spiritual reality. Generations of cultural activism and apparent progress of the Gospel in Western nations have lulled many of us into complacency. We assumed that a superficial church attendance and occasional Bible reading would be adequate to keep us Christian, and to attract the world to believe Jesus’ message. As exile becomes more obviously the context in which we live, it is all the more clear that such an attitude was delusional. As more churches capitulate to the spirit of the age, we need to give much more effort and care to being Church in such a way that there is some possibility of believers being spiritually rooted enough that they will be able to keep trusting Jesus to the end. Church is too often built around the lowest expectations of commitment and growth — that must change to focus on helping all who want more spirituality to find it. SPIRITUAL DISCIPLINE The Spirit we are given is described in 2 Tim. 1:7 as a Spirit of ‘power, love and discipline’. The reason the Spirit enables us to be disciplined is that the context in which we serve brings ‘times of difficulty’

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we considered the historical image of the Titanic and the biblical image of Exile. These images were used to encourage us to heed Jesus when he tells us to ‘Know the Times’ (Lk. 12:56). We now turn to the positive response: how are we to act when we come to see that our times are ones of Exile? The answer is that we engage in ‘Spiritual Building’. 1 Peter addresses us as believers living in exile (1 Pet. 1:1). Those who recognise the implications of that read: ‘As you come to him [Jesus], a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house’ (1 Pet. 2:4-5). We have a responsibility to come to Jesus — to incline our hearts, dreams and plans to Jesus. Coming to Jesus will mean living a new-creation-oriented life. We rejoice in Jesus despite enduring present exile sufferings. We know our future inheritance is kept for us by God (1 Pet. 1:5-8). As we come to Jesus we find that God himself ‘builds us up as a spiritual house’. The Church of God is his building. God does the work and he does his work in spiritual ways. The building that is done is spiritual. The first step towards Spiritual Building of the Church is to recognise that the project is not one we can do in human ways. The Spirit enables us to endure exile — he does not equip us to use the attitudes and tools of the world to do his building. This is a warning to those of us who think we need the mainline denominations’ buildings or the secular culture’s respect in order to nurture the church. Such assumptions rest deep in our hearts but kill off openness to the spiritual building in exile that God is doing. The building up of the Church will be about people — not primarily buildings, finances, conferences or books. Of course these are means to be used, but the Bible wants us to embrace the Spiritual Building before we dare talk of other things. So 1 Pet. 2:5 talks of people coming to Jesus, not a conference! As we come to Jesus there are three n the first part of this article

(2 Tim. 3:1). The description of the times that follow reads like a description of our exiled context — and it inevitably leads to suffering for us, as it did for Paul and Timothy. Chained as a criminal, Paul wrote that he ‘endured all things for the elect’ (2 Tim. 2:10) and warns us that ‘all who desire to live a godly life will be persecuted’ (2 Tim. 3:12). Faithful believers in our exiled days will suffer. Parents will agonise as their children are mistreated at school. Doctors will be forced to lose their jobs or participate in ungodly practices. Freedoms permitted to other religions will be denied to Christ-followers. Government workers will lose their jobs for what used to be seen as acceptable conversations about God. Teachers will be forced into silence about their beliefs. All of these things and more have of course already happened in the UK — and will only increase. In such seasons believers need to develop spiritual discipline. We need to not be fooled by easy solutions or utopian dreams. There is no escape from the suffering of the times; neither Christian schools, homeschooling, classical education, financial clout, mainline denominational links nor friends in high places will enable us to evade the need for discipline in suffering. We must beg God’s Spirit to strengthen us and our children.

people to connect what they read with the spiritual challenges facing them. The challenge is one of living in a season that is a deeper exile than we’ve previously experienced. God equips us for that and will give us the needed wisdom if we ask in faith (James 1:5-8). The Spiritual Depth, Spiritual Discipline and Spiritual Discernment we need are ultimately nothing more than a deeper outpouring of God’s Spirit on his people. The three positive realities I am commending are experienced as one organic whole within the love God’s Spirit sheds abroad in our hearts (Rom. 5:5). The love for God and neighbour that is spiritual, and grants the depth, discipline and discernment to love in loveless days, is experienced and nurtured within local churches that press beyond the worldly compromise and superficial worship that marks so much of modernday religion. There are many blessings for churches that begin to seek together ways to live for God in exile. They will be given — together with suffering — to all who sincerely ask and seek (Mat. 7:7). THE BENEDICT OPTION Many of the thoughts in these articles have been expressed better than I can give them words in a bestselling book, The Benedict Option: A Strategy for Christians in a Post-Christian Nation, by Rod Dreher (2017). This work is well worth pondering. It is written with the American scene in mind, and it does not claim to be by an evangelical. As a result the insights need translating into our context, but the effort to do so is worthwhile. Benedict was a sixthcentury monk who preserved the Faith by shaping monastic communities of believers. The vision was not to retreat from the world but to strengthen believers for a season of being in exile. There are many illustrations in the book of how churches can be more true to their calling by helping believers experience the kind of spiritual reality needed for life in exile. I commend it to you. •

SPIRITUAL DISCERNMENT It is tempting to avoid facing the issues that confront us in these times by denying the possibility of discerning the need of the day. So some say that because we cannot have infallible knowledge of the future outside the Bible, we can do nothing more than read the Bible and keep believing. But the Bible itself urges us to discern the times (Lk. 12:56). With careful pondering of Scripture and the work of the Spirit in us, we are able to know what steps God is calling us to take. We need no more Christian leaders who think the Bible can be taught in a hermetically sealed environment — we need ministers who equip

Rev’d Dr Pete Sanlon is Rector of Emmanuel Anglican Church (Free Church of England) and Vicar of St Mark’s Church (Church of England). Both churches are in Tunbridge Wells.

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A Christian with Cancer BY MURDO ALEX MACRITCHIE

y name is murdo alex macritchie .

I was born and brought up in Stornoway on the Isle of Lewis in a loving Christian home. After a troubled and rebellious early life I left the island and went on to serve the Army as a chef for almost five years. It was during my time there that I met and married my dear wife Michelle, and in 2003, at the age of 26, I was dramatically converted to Christ during a music concert in Glasgow. Music was very much the god in my life at that time and I had absolutely no word of Christ; yet by his grace and his mercy the Lord broke into my experience, revealing the emptiness and the vanity of the life I was leading. He made clear my desperate need as a sinner to be right with God through the atoning work that Christ had done on the cross. After making a public profession of faith in Stornoway Free Church in 2005, I moved away again, and I now live in Suffolk where for the last six years I’ve worked as a private chef to a high-profile family. I worship in Bury St Edmunds Presbyterian Church, which is part of the EPCEW, and I’ve also been blessed to be involved in Daylight Christian Prison Trust, where we regularly visit a local prison and minister to and pray with the inmates there. Back in November 2016 I was diagnosed with inoperable pancreatic cancer. The prognosis wasn’t a good one: initially I was given a 7% chance of survival, until they discovered that I also had cancer on the peritoneum, which then reduced that percentage to less than 1%. I’ve always said that I’m not interested in what odds the doctors gave me; what mattered was God’s will. If the Lord willed for me to live beyond this cancer then I would, and if that was not his will, then at least I would know I’m resting my hope in the sovereign will of my loving Father in heaven and not in some statistics. I’ve gone through 18 months of chemotherapy thus far, which at times has been rough. There have been some really painful and difficult times, yet the Lord, as he has promised, has never ‘left me nor forsaken me’. I have very much felt his abiding presence throughout this difficult providence. There has been a stripping away of much in my life, a stripping away of those weights that the writer to the Hebrews speaks of in chapter 12. There has been ‘chipping’ away of the rough edges, conforming me more to the image of the Saviour – oh, how the sanctifying process can be so painful at times, yet so necessary for us as we journey on to glory!

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Not long after my diagnosis I began a video blog on social media called ‘A Christian with Cancer’. I initially started the blog on my private page to keep my family and friends updated with my progress as I went through treatment, but I received many requests to set up a stand-alone page so others outside of my circle of friends could follow my progress too. The response to the videos was quite overwhelming, with over 20,000 views on the first vlog and hundreds of kind and supportive messages from both Christians and non-Christians alike from all across the world. I’ve found the page has opened doors for me that were never there before, both to evangelise to unbelievers and to minister to fellow brothers and sisters in the Lord who may have been suffering themselves and struggling to understand what the Lord was doing in their lives. Currently the cancer is contained: we have seen some reduction on both the pancreatic tumour and the peritoneal disease, and at present I am enjoying a measure of good health. I’ve returned to work for two days a week and I’m able to exercise regularly, pain-free, which is quite remarkable given my initial prognosis. This is a clear answer to prayer. The Lord’s people have been stirred up to pray for us as a family and we can see the evident power of this and how the Lord ‘hears the prayers of the righteous’. We know we are living from scan to scan, and earthly speaking there is a lot of uncertainty as to what the future holds, but none of us are promised tomorrow. The ‘thorns in our flesh’ that the Lord brings into our experience are there to keep us humble and contrite and to help us to live with a greater eternal perspective, our eyes firmly fixed upon the author and finisher of our faith, the Lord Jesus Christ. Christ’s words to Paul after he had pleaded with the Lord to have his thorn in the flesh removed, and Paul’s trusting response, are precious words to me as I battle on and endure to the end in the strength of the Lord. • “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong. 2 Corinthians 12:9-10

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The â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;thorns in our fleshâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; that the Lord brings into our experience are there to keep us humble and contrite and to help us to live with a greater eternal perspective,

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BY REV. IAIN MACASKILL

as Stirling Free Church, along with over two hundred other churches, mainly in Central Scotland, were preparing for the Will Graham Celebration of Hope at Falkirk Stadium. As I write now, the event itself has taken place and participating churches are following up with those who made spiritual responses over the weekend of the Celebration.

Those who came forward were given a Living in Christ booklet including a Bible study on the Gospel of John. Those indicating no connection with a church have been allocated to participating churches in their own area and are being encouraged to attend Growing in Christ courses. A great emphasis is placed on preservation – contacting individuals and connecting them to Christians in their own community.

last wrote in the april edition of the record

Will Graham preached with clarity and conviction, speaking on The Prodigal Son on Friday evening, Time on Saturday and The Thief on the Cross at the finale on Sunday. I’ll never forget the joy of seeing hundreds responding at each event, including the ‘Kidzfest’ programme on Saturday morning. The statistics collated by the BGEA team are very encouraging. The attendance at the Stadium over the weekend was 9,533 with another 31,649 watching on mobile devices from 87 countries worldwide. Spiritual responses totalled 1,461, with the highest percentage (65%) coming from those under thirty-five years of age.

THE RECORD

In the June issue of the The Record the focus was on the life and legacy of Billy Graham, and the point was made that the days of crusade evangelism are over. I would argue that there is a place for such events, as there are many spin-offs that benefit the body of Christ. Let me explain. Throughout the preparation and at the event itself, a huge emphasis was placed on prayer. Regular prayer meetings were held throughout the area, bringing Christians from different denominations together. Stirling Free Church hosted the Christian Life and Witness Course with over a

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Photos courtesy of www.billygraham.org.uk

In our own church, there is a greater understanding of evangelism and an increased boldness in sharing the gospel and making disciples.

hundred people attending on three consecutive Sunday evenings, with around half coming from other churches.

past crusades in Scotland. We filled a stand at Falkirk Stadium, whereas he packed out both Hampden Park and Murrayfield. We’re reminded of the attitude of some with the rebuilding of the temple in Jerusalem in Haggai’s day. The Lord knew that the leaders and the people were disillusioned and discouraged. There were those among them who remembered the glory of the former temple (Solomon’s) and believed that this one was inferior in every way. However, the Lord encouraged them to continue building with this promise: ‘The latter glory of this house shall be greater than the former … and in this place I will grant peace, declares the Lord of hosts.’ (Haggai 1:9) Many who were discouraged before the Celebration of Hope are now enthused to work and build up God’s church in Scotland; not with bricks and mortar but with people who will experience the beauty and glory of Jesus. We often sing from Psalm 85: God our Saviour, now restore us; from us turn away your rage. Will your anger burn against us? Will it last from age to age? Will you not again revive us, that we may rejoice in you? Show us, LORD, your covenant mercy; your salvation grant anew. This is our prayer for Scotland. •

Through the course many Christians re-dedicated their lives to serving the Lord and a common bond of unity in the Gospel was established with many volunteering for counselling and other duties during the event. There was also a marked unity amongst the leadership which we pray will continue in the days to come. Regular meetings have been arranged for the Falkirk and Stirling area with up to twenty pastors involved in the planning of further outreach, maintaining the momentum and motivation generated throughout the process. A Thanksgiving Service has been planned for August. In our own church, there is a greater understanding of evangelism and an increased boldness in sharing the gospel and making disciples. There have been those who have compared the present Will Graham Celebration of Hope to his grandfather Billy’s

Iain MacAskill Vice-Chairman Central Scotland Will Graham Celebration of Hope

Many who were discouraged before the Celebration of Hope are now enthused to work and build up God’s church in Scotland; not with bricks and mortar but with people who will experience the beauty and glory of Jesus.

2018

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Clap along if you feel like a room without a roof (Because I’m happy) Clap along if you feel like happiness is the truth (Because I’m happy) Clap along if you know what happiness is to you (Because I’m happy) Clap along if you feel like that’s what you wanna do

harrell’s ‘happy’ probably won’t win the nobel

these are the tokens of a contented and a happy life. Think about how often you not only eat and drink, but you think about eating and drinking! Solomon adds to this the joy of satisfying work. Given that he had earlier stated that the pursuit of food and drink was meaningless and work futile, this is a significant change in attitude. So what makes the difference? Because he sees it as a gift of God. When secularism is replaced by theism, pessimism turns to optimism and human autonomy to human faith. His life motto becomes Carpe Diem — seize the day and enjoy life. Is that not a great motto for us at any time? But then Solomon seems to spoil it by telling us that nobody can add to or take away from the things that God does. ‘Whatever is has already been, and what will be has been before; and God will call the past to account.’ It seems that even today there is nothing new under the sun!

prize for literature,

but it does express what most people in today’s society seem to want. We just want to be happy and to enjoy happy days. Happiness is the ultimate goal – but what is it? The US Declaration of Independence puts it like this: ‘We hold these truths to be self-evident, that, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.’ But how do we pursue happiness? That is the great quest for Solomon — who so far has tried wine, women and song (plus money, education, work and art) and yet found that the burden of eternity outweighs them all. In this month’s Ecclesiastes passage (3:12-15), Solomon summarises what he has learned so far. And it has a surprisingly contemporary ring. ‘I know there is nothing better for people than to be happy and to do good while they live.’ To eat and drink —

THE

GOSPEL FOR TODAY’S SOCIETY ECCLESIASTES 3:12-15 THE RECORD

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But this is not despair. It is saying that whilst earth is passing and futile, true security (on which happiness depends) can be found in God’s sovereignty and grace. God’s action is permanent, it is effective and it is complete. His actions are totally secure and sure. Nothing can separate us from the love of God that is in Christ (See Romans 8). Our happiness is to be built on the solid rock of Christ and his Word, not the shifting sands of contemporary culture. This happiness includes the fear of God, but it is not the craven fear of the despot, but reverence, respect and awe for God. That is where our sense of beauty and the eternal is satisfied — because ultimately it is a sense of, and for, God. Let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us. One final thing — at New Year or at funerals or other great moments in our lives, we often think of the passing of time and the circle of life. In v.15 Solomon addresses this by reminding us that it is God who keeps the cycles of history going. Things are going

on a pre-determined course — but it is not Marxist fatalism, or human greed, or some mysterious force, but God who holds our times in his hands. This is where true happiness (or as Jesus would put it, ‘blessedness’ — see the Beatitudes) is found. In Him. You are not an insignificant insect, crawling from one sad annihilation to another. If you have trusted Jesus Christ, you are a child of God being prepared for an eternal home (John 14:1-6; 2 Cor. 4). The Puritan pastor Thomas Watson wrote, ‘Eternity to the godly is a day that has no sunset; eternity to the wicked is a night that has no sunrise.’ Instead of eternity being a burden which prevents our enjoyment of life, it becomes in Christ an opportunity to enjoy life. This is so much more than worldly happiness; this is real joy. Something which cannot be taken away. Real Christianity is not ‘pie in the sky when you die’ but ‘steak on your plate while you wait’. May you know real happiness and joy in Christ. •

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SECRET OF

HAPPINESS 2018

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WOMEN FOR MISSION ANNUAL MEETING 2018

n saturday, 13th may around 90 women gathered

shooting and a Cuban air crash, it was a pleasure to be focusing for a little while on a happy event. It was also, as weddings generally are, a reminder to us of the wonderful celebration awaiting all who follow Jesus Christ, irrespective of their earthly ethnicity or status. The diversity of Christ’s family was reinforced as we moved upstairs to link up with our Glasgow friends and hear from speakers who serve Christ in this country and abroad. We feel very blessed to be part of a network of Women for Mission groups who have raised almost £40,000 to be spent between missionary endeavours in Marseille and Nepal, in addition to supporting short-term mission workers. It was good to hear from Fiona Christie regarding her current missionary endeavours in Scotland, and her plans to stay here after many years of service including short and long-term mission work in Hungary, Moldova, Germany and Colombia. Rev. Duncan Peters, a Free Church minister for Asian Outreach, also addressed us with a particular focus on The Holy Injil: The Good News of Luke, a new translation from the original Greek text with commentary, recently published with support from WfM, and proving to be a useful tool in explaining the Gospel to Muslim friends. Although the sound quality prevented us from hearing presentations from both Marsali Campbell and Catriona Lamont, the pictures on the screen were well-received as we saw the obvious delight on Suraj Kasula’s face on welcoming Catriona and Derek Lamont to Shekinah Evangelical Church in Nepal! We are sorry to hear that Rona Matheson is stepping down as Chairperson this autumn, but we know that Janet Murchison, our new chairperson, and her committee, will continue the good work. We echo the sentiments of Psalm 145, which we all sang heartily, knowing that through God’s leading of our endeavours: Thus all will hear about your mighty acts and know the glorious splendour of your reign. Your kingdom will endure for evermore; For all time your dominion will remain. •

for the Women for Mission (WfM) annual meeting. Helping to Help, WfM’s 2017/18 fundraising project, raised £38,615, which will be used to help Shekinah Evangelical Church in Nepal buy land to build a church, Richard and Barbara Davies to share the gospel with a particular people group in Marseille, and WfM to provide small grants through their Support a Volunteer Fund. We were delighted to welcome Duncan Peters, who spoke to us about his work in sharing the gospel amongst the Muslim community, and Fiona Christie, who has recently returned from serving in Colombia. We also heard about Derek and Catriona Lamont’s trip to Nepal, and from Marsali Campbell, who will soon return to Dwelling Places in Kampala, Uganda, having completed her studies in London. As well as giving thanks for the response to the closing fundraising project, every year the new project is introduced at the annual meeting. The 2018/19 project, Community Connections, will raise funds for medical work in Bulgaria, helping disabled refugees in the Middle East, building work in the Philippines, and WfM’s Heart for Home fund, which provides small grants for community outreach in the UK. To find out more, visit https://www. womenformission.org/fundraising-project With many WfM supporters based in the Western Isles, we’re grateful to those who make it possible for us to link with those who meet there. Some of the ladies from the WfM group in Uist have sent us their thoughts on the day. together in glasgow city free church

Several Uibhistich crossed the Sound of Harris to make their way to Stornoway on a breezy Saturday to join friends from Lewis and Harris for the WfM video link-up to the AGM. Owing to the Royal Wedding of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, the 19th of May 2018 will be embedded in the national consciousness for a long time. The main focus for those of us gathered in the Murdo Alex Memorial Hall that day, however, was primarily on the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Having said that, we did follow the biblical command to ‘rejoice with those who rejoice’, and happily took advantage of the big screen that was laid on for us; and which, despite the occasional glitch, enabled us to appreciate the joy that a wedding brings. While some of us marvelled at the fabulous fascinators on show, those of us unable to distinguish between a Versace and a Valentino set about serving the delicious soups and puddings prepared for the occasion. It is surely significant that our Lord himself chose to launch his public ministry at a joyous occasion: a wedding in Cana of Galilee. In the course of a weekend dominated by the grim news of another American school

THE RECORD

Fiona Christie at WfM Annual Meeting

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VENUE Drumossie Hotel Inverness

D AT E Saturday 15th September 10.30 - 4.00 pm

SPEAKERS Catriona Murray Megan Patterson

W F M AWAY DAY 2 0 1 8

Keep the Conversation Flowing BOOK ONLINE www.womenformission.org

Women for Mission Registered Scottish Charity SC038988

GOD AND ANXIETY:

A WEE CONFERENCE ABOUT A HUGE PROBLEM BY LOUISE MACMILLAN

t columba’s free church hosted a capacity-attended

Cory linked what we call anxiety to fear and pointed us to the many Scriptures that tell us not to fear. Fear in and of itself is not necessarily a bad thing; it can give us a shot of adrenaline that helps us escape danger. But the fear that leads to anxiety can be utterly debilitating. ‘Consider the lilies’ is what Jesus commends us to do in the Sermon on the Mount. Not glib proof-texting, but a reflection on the care and creativity of our Lord and Saviour.

conference on anxiety on 28th april 2018.

How could an afternoon conference hope to adequately tackle this huge topic? Cory Brock (then assistant minister at St Columba’s) provided a theological overview of anxiety. WH Auden, he told us, coined the phrase ‘the age of anxiety’ in his eponymous 1947 poem; it feels like every age since has become ever more anxious. The world is

God and Anxiety Conference, St. Columbas Free Church, Edinburgh

a very unpredictable place. None of us is immune and many of us suffer from some kind of anxiety that produces life-restricting symptoms. Counselling services and GP surgeries are under huge pressure as the numbers seeking help continue to rise. Both speakers took the experience of anxiety very seriously, asking the question ‘Can the Bible offer us any help?’

THE RECORD

Cory showed us that it is our desire for control that is often found at the bottom of our anxieties. Our hearts want to have control over our lives, but life shows us again and again that this is not possible. We want to control outcomes; we want to be the masters of our own lives. Cory pointed us to a God who sees us and knows us and asks us to contemplate himself. This is

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What hinders us? Are we trusting the God of the gospel with the detail of our lives? Are we seeking to relate to God as we pray, and to our community as we ask for help? We need to ask for prayer, to share our weaknesses rather than hide them

where we need to bring our anxieties. He finished with a meditation on Psalm 27 that points us to gaze on the beauty of the Lord, to dwell with him. This is where we have to ultimately find ourselves — in the love of Jesus. Our disordered desire for control must repeatedly be laid down at the Cross as we seek to serve one Master.

Scriptures that tell us who God is and who we are in Christ. Ephesians 1 was a great place to start. She then pointed us to Hebrews 12, ‘Let us throw off everything that hinders.’ What hinders us? Are we trusting the God of the gospel with the detail of our lives? Are we seeking to relate to God as we pray, and to our community as we ask for help? We need to ask for prayer, to share our weaknesses rather than hide them. We are part of the body of Christ and we should have relationships that reflect honesty and integrity. We are all needy. Helen shared some of her own personal struggles with anxiety with humility and sincerity. She helped us see what a difference resting on God’s promises can really make. Both talks were substantial, going deep below the surface. Without God and the knowledge that he is in control, what choice is there but to be anxious? I would commend the audio from this conference as an excellent resource, whether you suffer from anxiety yourself or care for those who do. Download the audio file and listen. The application of God’s Word to our lives was in itself life-giving. The conference was sold out a week before the event and attracted people from across Scotland and from across a wide spectrum of churches. ‘God and Depression’ is planned for 2019 — look out for more details coming soon. •

Louise MacMillan (LHS) with conference panel

We want to do things on our own but we can’t. Cory managed to lift our eyes away from ourselves and onto Jesus. He displayed his talent for both compassion and (almost exhaustive) engagement with Scripture, and made God’s Word come alive with richness.

The conference was co-hosted by St Columba’s Free Church and Biblical Counselling UK. To find out more about the vision and work of BCUK, go to Biblicalcounselling.org.uk. The conference audio is available at stcsfc.org/bcuk-april18.

Without God and the knowledge that he is in control, what choice is there but to be anxious? Helen Thorne, from London City Mission, picked up where Cory left off and sought to practically apply Scripture to our anxieties. What should we actually do? She looked at three kinds of words: words that root, words that refine and words that relate. Like Cory, Helen encouraged us to root ourselves in

2018

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THE LATE HECTOR MACLENNAN (1947-2017) BY JOHN FORBES

james munro maclennan was born in Inverlail, Lochbroom, in February 1947 and brought up at Salachy, Lairg, where his father was keeper on the estate. He attended the Lairg primary school, then Sutherland Technical College at Golspie. Built by the Duchess of Sutherland for the sons of Highland crofters, ‘the Tech’ was a state-funded boarding school providing a breadth of education and opportunity that was to serve Hector well. On leaving school he worked in the smelter at Invergordon, afterwards taking over from his father as keeper at Salachy, then working for the Forestry Commission for many years until knee trouble forced early retirement. He married Margaret Mackenzie in 1979 and they came to live at Dalmichie, a beautiful outpost just north of Lairg where the house, set in its own smallholding, perches on a knoll overlooking the meandering river Tirry with Ben Klibreck in the distance. This was to be their home and homestead and here they raised their two children, Joanna and Kevin. Hector’s approach to life was practical as well as imaginative. He believed in duty and service, but didn’t lack a sense of fun. He was interested in everything, had an optimistic ‘can do’ attitude, and a mind full of ideas. He was also perceptive about the times he was living in and often confidently and correctly predicted outcomes of General Elections when polls and pundits were getting it wrong. He read widely, had his ear to the ground, and seemed to be able to sense the mind of the people. These characteristics were to be of great value to the Lairg community, where he served as a popular community councillor from the inception of the council until the day of his death. Hector loved his community. He loved its people, its places, its history. It was matter of principle to him that he would buy groceries in the village, even if they were cheaper elsewhere. When the Kessock Bridge was built, some Lairg folk were delighted that they could get to Inverness and back so easily in a day. Hector, however, anticipated the problem that, with villagers spending their money in Inverness, soon you wouldn’t be able to get things in Lairg. It was true enough. Where there were once car sales, electrical goods, tools and other ironmongery, a butcher and a shoe shop, Lairg came to be a place where locals complained that ‘you can’t even buy a nail in the village’. Lairg has, however, seen some positive developments in recent years with smaller family businesses emerging again, including a new cafe/restaurant, a hardware store and a pet shop. Sometimes in little communities the success of one business causes jealousy. Hector had no such sense of rivalry. He welcomed all positive developments gladly and longed to see the village and its villagers thriving.

Hector’s gifts were also used effectively in Lairg Free Church, where he served as an elder for fifteen years through some difficult times. In 2006, when a significant part of the congregation left to form a separate Christian fellowship, Hector proved himself a true servant leader. Shouldering the extra responsibility and coping with the hurt without bitterness, Hector, with Margaret, laboured to provide stability and nurture to the congregation during the vacancy, which lasted a further two years. Hector was a humble man with a strong sense of duty. Though diagnosed with cancer in 2009, he continued to serve tirelessly in the many responsibilities that fell to him, not least in the church courts. He was always willing to volunteer if there was work to be done. For many years he was an assessor elder for Assynt and Eddrachillis. He was often found on committees that others may not have wanted to be on, travelling many winding miles around Caithness and Sutherland to visit small congregations, or offering himself as a commissioner to the General Assembly when Presbytery struggled to make up the numbers, even if it meant leaving early to get back up to Inverness for his cancer treatment. In spiritual things he was practical and steadfast. He was not averse to change, welcoming it where it was necessary but not merely for the sake of novelty. He was not afraid to review or reassess the way things were done; he liked to ask questions and firmly believed in that biblical principle, ‘Test all things, hold fast what is good.’ Hector died a month short of his 70th birthday. His death has been a great loss to the congregation of Bonar Bridge and Lairg, by whom he is sadly missed, as also by his dear family, Margaret, Kevin and Joanna along with her husband John and grandchildren Alexander, Daniel and Thomas. •

ector

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SEPTEMBER

BOOK REVIEWS

All You Need To Know About The Bible (six-volume set)

six-volume set is a compelling read. As the title indicates, the six books cover just about everything that can be said about the Bible. This may seem a tall order, but Brian Edwards covers an extraordinary expanse of ground. Each book begins with the series outline, and when applied across all six volumes, highlights the indepth nature of this exploration. Book 1, Can We Trust It?, sets the scene by giving the reader a helpful overview of the overarching theme of the entire Bible. Book 2 addresses the claims of Scripture. Edward’s aim is to affirm the authority and accuracy of the Bible. He does so very convincingly throughout. Indeed, this entire set is a tremendous apologetic tool in itself and could be used effectively as such. There is more of an academic slant to volumes 3 and 4 as the author gives a full account of how the books of the Bible came into existence with a helpful section on the formation of the New Testament ‘canon’. This will appeal to divinity students and scholars alike. Book 4 deals with Bible manuscripts and translations with a balanced overview of the positives and negatives of today’s Bible versions. Book 5 digs deeper still from a scholarly and archaeological perspective before Book 6, Enjoy your Bible!, ends on a high note with the reader encouraged to engage meaningfully with the Bible. Although the reader would do well to read all six books, each book can be read on a stand-alone basis. The introductions to each book are superb. Edwards whets the reader’s appetite with immediate effect. In his introduction to Book 1, he describes the Bible as ‘the handbook of Christianity’. He cuts to the chase by stating unequivocally that ‘if we want to know what Christians believe, and if Christians want to know how they should live, it is to the Bible that we must turn’ (p9). The heights and depths to which Edwards goes in evaluating and affirming all aspects of the truth of the Bible gives the Christian reader greater confidence in aiming to become the ‘worker’ of 2 Timothy 2:15 ‘who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth.’ This work has been a mammoth task, undertaken meticulously and enthusiastically. The author is to be commended for pulling many complex strands together into one seamless vestment of all things Scripture. •

2018

his concise but comprehensive

ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE BIBLE (SIX-VOLUME SET) BRIAN H EDWARDS DAYONE (2017) WWW.DAYONE.CO.UK £30.00

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BOOK REVIEWS Record columnist DAYSPRING MACLEOD reviews the new historical novel In the Blink of an Eye by Ali Bacon about D.O. Hill’s work on the Disruption Painting, whilst others from across the church also share the Christian books they have enjoyed reading recently.

for Christian artists and writers to produce works that are more relevant to the secular world. In the Blink of an Eye is that rarest of creatures, a secular novel that is particularly relevant to the Church, and the Free Church in particular. It’s 1843, and DO Hill makes a generous but somewhat short-sighted offer to the elders of the newly emergent Free Church to paint a mass portrait recreating the Disruption. Twenty years later, he’s still at it, and wishing he’d never started. The intervening years are narrated by a series of women on the periphery of his life, several of which are apparent candidates to be the next wife of the widowed painter. And looming over the whole narrative is the process of calotyping (a form of early photography), with its difficulties and potential and unique ability to show the truth. I mentioned the book is secular (it is more interested in the artistic process than in the Disruption), and an early chapter through the eyes of a Free Church minister doesn’t ring quite true — but the finale, returning to that minister’s thoughts, bring home a beautiful message about identity in Christ and his ability to reward the faithful far above what the world can offer. In the Blink of an Eye is produced by Linen Press, a brilliant small publisher. The book is as well-written as I’ve come to expect from them, though the editing is not as sharp as it might be, and a few anomalies in grammar, names and dates might niggle a careful reader. Similarly, I think Ms. Bacon may have fallen into the very common trap of ascribing too-modern sensibilities to women of another time. There is little for a mature Christian reader to object to, but it should be stated the women in the novel are certainly aware of, and in a number of cases seeking, what might then have been called marital pleasures. Well, human nature doesn’t change, but culture does, and I suspect that the well-bred 19thcentury Edinburgh lady was too naïve to know there was anything much to be pleased about! If that is a criticism, it’s only a byproduct of one of the novel’s great strengths: the setting is so vivid it feels like Ms Bacon has visited the past, and the characters, while based on historical figures, are fully fleshed out. No doubt that requires some writing in the blanks between what can be surmised from

their letters and other historical sources. Ms Bacon blurs the line between fact and fiction so that one is constantly wanting to look up the people and places described and find out more, which is a brilliant characteristic of any novel. Particularly beautifully drawn was the difficult second marriage of the eccentric architect James Gowans. Relationships in this novel are always something fleeting, something to be nurtured carefully or embraced for a time. Like the calotypes of the ministers, each individual is considered primarily alone in her own frame. In short, I recommend In the Blink of an Eye to any readers who appreciate good history and even better writing. • Dayspring MacLeod, Record columnist

made an appeal in the record some months ago

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IN THE BLINK OF AN EYE ALI BACON LINEN PRESS WWW.LINEN-PRESS.COM £7.99

SEPTEMBER

Autopsy of A Deceased Church, Thom S. Rainer (2014) The Church of Christ will never die. But the tragic fact of the matter is that individual church congregations throughout history have died and are still dying today. If the number of people going to your church has been steadily dwindling for decades, your church is dying — but it isn't dead yet. This book offers a valuable resource in stopping this terminal decline, by first explaining the likely reasons for it (typically no fervent prayer and no mission focus — the church has become a members' club rather than passionately evangelising their community), and then showing the changes that must be made to give new life to your church. Every elder in the church of Christ in the UK should read this book, along with its partner title Who Moved my Pulpit, also by Thom S. Rainer (a discussion of how to make church-saving changes without creating potentially fatal rifts, splits, disharmony and disunity). Do not despair, dear brethren – the illness in your church does not have to lead to death. • Alasdair B.M. Macleod, Stornoway Free Church

Women & God, Kathleen Nielson (2018) This is not written solely for women, but for anyone seeking clarification of what it means that ‘every human being is created in the image of God’. It is not asking whether God is sexist, but showing the goodness of God to his 'female image bearers' and discovering some beautiful truths in this. It is neither feminist nor anti-feminist; it seeks to be Bible-based in all its arguments. The author has quite a long introduction setting out what she plans to do and why, and at first I found the book a bit laborious. However, once I got into it I was blessed by it. It starts at creation, and covers the fall, strong women in the Bible, women and sex, women’s bodies, women and marriage, working its way up to the church as the Body of Christ, where both female and male image bearers are equal and created to work together as the body of Christ. This is the culmination of all her arguments: ‘Unity through complementarity. Becoming one, ultimately with Christ and in Christ. Being the unified people of God is our eternally good identity, and we’re growing into that identity right now, reflecting Jesus more and more. ’• Fiona M. Talbot, Plockton & Kyle Free Church

The Family Life of a Christian Leader, Ajith Fernando (2016) Don’t let the title put you off! When we hear the word ‘leader’, we think that it must be exclusively for elders or ministers. Yes, this book has a focus that would be helpful for elders and ministers or anyone involved in ministry. However, if you are a parent or spouse, you are a Christian leader to someone. We all know that relationships bring the potential for stress, hurt, confusion and anxiety, particularly the relationships closest to us. How do we get a balance in life? To what do we commit our time? In what way does our sin express itself in our relationships? What does it look like to be a godly parent? These questions and more I found myself asking as Ajith tackles them with the heart of a counsellor and the insight of a professor. • Chris Davidson, Merkinch Free Church (a plant from Free North)

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2018

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POETRY PAGE PSALM 13: BEATING ON THE DOOR BY JOCK STEIN

John Bates, librarian to Napier College (1981), in his book Damaged Beauty Needs a New Design, wrote: ‘Suddenly, in my fifties, disasters of a strange ferocity, both physical and metaphysical, broke upon me and all my family. In fact, everywhere I turned I saw the leering face of evil. Then I fled to the psalmist: How long will my enemy triumph over me? Look, answer me, O Lord my God! Give light to my eyes that I may not sleep in death, lest my enemy say, ‘I have overcome him’; Lest my foes rejoice at my downfall, though I trusted in your kindness. ‘At this moment, when I felt my will to live weakening, poetry gave me the means to grasp my condition, and to write of the world around me with new insights, especially to see poetry as the soul of human love, and of all the arts, music, dancing, painting, sculpture and architecture.’ •

Psalm 13: Beating On The Door I’m beating, God, upon your door. I do my best to read your lips but I am shaken to the core by suffering, sorrow, and what’s more I’m trusting someone vague who kips when I would worship and adore. On glib response I set no store nor on those charismatic cantrips which have left me raw and sore. How long before I rant and roar, or worse, when my whole being slips to shadow life upon the floor I will ooze death through every pore while casually the Devil rips my fading faith to shreds. Therefore I’m beating, God, upon your door; with these bad trips I’ll get to grips; I’m pounding, Lord, upon your door and I will worship and adore.

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SEPTEMBER

’m sure we have all had that experience of receiving something that we know is a blessing from the Lord’s hand, but which immediately makes our heart sink. A fantastic new job — in a city we hate. A beautiful new grandchild — born out of wedlock. A clean bill of health — after a double mastectomy. An unexpected tax refund — the week before our car fails its MOT. We often call these things ‘mixed blessings’ or a ‘hard providence’. Here’s what I want to suggest. Our God is so inherently good that he sends GOOD things to test us. I’m not talking about the year of unemployment, the miscarriage, the terminal diagnosis, the dying car — of course those things are hard. Those things will try your patience, your relationships, and even your faith. (Yes, I include the car in that — sometimes it’s

your joy, it’s not him. It’s sin in this world, and in your heart, which resists taking good and not bad from God’s hand. RECOGNISE THAT HE IS STILL IN CONTROL. And that means that even if he didn’t create your disaster, he has a purpose for it. Sometimes that might be bringing you closer to him. Sometimes it might be giving hope to others going through the same experience. Sometimes it might be bringing change to a troubled relationship. Sometimes it takes time — a lot of time — to see a purpose. And even more than time, it takes willingness. If you aren’t going to look at your problem with spiritual eyes, you are never going to find out the reason for your trial. It will look senseless to you until you humble yourself to examine it before the Lord. How do I know it’s there at all? Because ‘every good and perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the

THE MYTH OF MIXED BLESSINGS

BY DAYSPRING MACLEOD

Father of lights’ (James 1:17). The mixed blessing is a myth. God doesn’t do mixed. We do mixed. He does ‘good and perfect’. REVERSE YOUR THINKING. You may feel grief because it seems that the blessing is sullied by the catastrophe. What if, instead, it’s the catastrophe that is redeemed by the blessing? You can’t spend your tax refund on the holiday you wanted — but God provided for your expensive car repair before you even knew you needed it. You’ve been worrying about your daughter’s lack of a stable relationship — but now she is forming a new family around her child and taking her responsibilities seriously. You’ve lost a part of your body that you cherished — but the Lord has added years to your life. You may not have enjoyed your experiences in that big city — but now you are going there with a new purpose and a new start. I’m sure you’ve heard that super helpful phrase, usually in the context of getting sacked, ‘Don’t think of it as a problem, think of it as an opportunity.’ This is not quite the same. You should think of the problem, and ask the Lord’s help with it. We know that even the greatest blessing of all comes with a cost — because Christ invites us to count it before we come to follow him. Grace is free but it’s costly: one of the paradoxes of our faith. But the cost is nothing but dust when weighed next to the benefit. With spiritual eyes, we can get to the place of giving thanks when our spirits are overwhelmed within us. And our God is so good that he helps us not only to carry our burdens, but even to carry our blessings. •

the relatively small stuff, the one last straw, that hits you the hardest and makes you wonder if God even cares.) Those things are the result of sin in the world, and they don’t always come with a clear blessing attached. Those things come along to drive you to God on your knees, and many of you will know what I’m talking about if, like me, you’ve gone through some of your sweetest spiritual times in the midst of your darkest valleys. But what about when we get the good news that makes us whisper ‘Oh no’ just when we know we should be saying ‘Hallelujah’? What do we say to the Lord when we don’t even know what we feel? Where do we go when we are overwhelmed by our blessings? How do we turn to him with thankful hearts when we may, in fact, feel rather resentful that he hasn’t given us the gift we wanted in the exact wrapping we would like? Here’s my recipe. ACKNOWLEDGE THE DISAPPOINTMENT This should probably not come first, but I suggest it because I, at least, find I can’t concentrate on the actual blessing until I’ve dealt with the pain. Confess before God where you feel let down, or anxious, or unsure. My favourite verse for this is Psalm 142:3a, When my spirit was overwhelmed within me, then you knew my path. KNOW THAT GOD DIDN’T DISAPPOINT YOU. We know that sin corrupts everything around us, right? He didn’t set cancer in his creation ordinance, or tempt your child into an inappropriate relationship, or kick your car’s radiator in. If something’s stealing

2018

WWW.FREECHURCH.ORG

Cumhachd Gràidh (The Power of Love) LE JANET NICPHÀIL

ha am bàrd,

Iain Mac a’ Ghobhainn ag ràdh gur e An Crann-ceusaidh ‘toradh a’ ghràidh shìorraidh’, agus gu cinnteach tha sin fìor. Chì sinn gu soilleir gu bheil an Crann-ceusaidh a’ sealltainn gràdh an Athar dhuinn, agus tha e cuideachd a’ sealltainn gràdh Chriosd dhuinn. Nach e a-rèist raon àlainn a tha seo anns na rinn iomadh anam romhainn ionaltradh bheannaichte? Chì sinn gràdh na Trianaid anns a’ Chrann. A-rèist, mar a thuirt am bàrd a dh’ainmich sinn roimhe, ‘An rùn an Triùir ro thoiseach ùin’ bha an Crann fo chliù ’s a’ chiad mhadainn’. Rùnaich an gràdh-sa an Crann mus do leagadh bunaitean an domhain. Mar a leughas sinn ann an litir Eòin, ‘Ann an seo tha gràdh, chan e gun do ghràdhaich sinne Dia, ach gun do ghràdhaich Esan sinne, agus gun do chuir E A Mhac fhèin gu bhith na ìobairt-rèitich airson ar peacaidhean’. Is ann bho shuas a tha an gràdh-sa. Is e seo gràdh an Athar, agus is e an Crann-ceusaidh a tha a’ sealltainn dhuinn cuideachd gràdh Chriosd d’a shluagh, agus faodaidh sinn facail an Abstoil a chleachdadh, ‘Mac Dhè a ghràdhaich mi ’s a thug E Fhèin air mo shon’. ’S e mìorbhail mhòr a th’ ann gu robh gràdh Dhè a’ gnìomhachadh d’ A shluagh anns an t-sìorraidheachd, agus an uair sin ann an eachdraidh, agus air a’ cheann thall nam fèin-fhiosrachadh. Abair gràdh! Leughaidh sinn ann an Soisgeul Lùcais mu fhulangas an t-Slànaigheir. Cheasnaich iad E, bhuail iad E agus chuir iad crùn droighinn air A cheann; dhiùlt E am fìongeur, chan òladh E e. Tha Esan a’ giùlain gach buille gu toileach airson gu bheil E a’ sìor ghràdhachadh. Ge b’e dè na buillean agus am pian, bha Esan, ‘a’ fuireach ciùin a-measg gach smùid bha a’ teachd bho rùintean sìorraidh Air’.

Bha am bàs-sa cho àmhgharach ’s gum biodh na bha a’ fulang mar seo, le dubh-ghràin orra-san a bha gam bualadh, ach, ’s ann a chì sinn Mac Dhè ag ùrnaigh airson na bha ga bhualadh. ‘Athair, maith dhaibh, oir chan eil fhios aca ciod a tha iad a’ dèanamh’. Cò dhinn a thogas ar cinn gu h-àrd, nuair a chuimhnicheas sinn air na dh’ fhuiling Mac Dhè a-bhos san t-saoghal-sa air ar son? Chuir sinn gu bàs E, agus ghiùlain E gach buille gu toileach. Eadhon air a’ Chrann-ceusaidh bha Iosa cuimhneach air A mhàthair. Tha gràdh Aige dhi agus E ag ràdh, ‘A bhean, feuch do Mhac’. Tha E an uair sin ag ràdh ris an deisciobal a b’ ionmhainn leis,‘Feuch do mhàthair‘. Tha co-fhaireachdainn aig Criosd r’A mhàthair oir tha i air mòran fhulang. Thig facail Shimeoin gur cuimhne, nuair a thog e an leanabh na uchd ’s a bheannaich e Dia, thuirt e cuideachd ri Moire, ‘Thèid claidheamh tro d’anam-sa ‚ fhèin’. Tha seo gu cinnteach air tachairt, agus tha Iosa airson gum bi A mhàthair fo chùram neach anns a bheil earbs’Aige, agus tha E a-rèist a’ coileanadh na h- àithne d’a taobh, nuair a tha E a’ toirt urram dha mhàthair. Aig a’ Chrann, gheibh sinn sealladh air Gràdh a bh’ ann ro thoiseach ùine; chì sinn cuideachd gràdh a dh’ fhuiling nithean air nach ruig inntinnean cruthaichte. Tha gràdh an seo cuideachd do na daoine a bha a’ toirt gach buille Dha, agus chì sinn cuideachd gràdh Iosa dha mhàthair. Feumaidh sinn gu cinnteach ar cinn a chromadh le nàire nuair a chì sinn ann am fìrinn beagan den mhìorbhail-sa. •

(B’e an t-Urramach Alasdair I. Macleòid a bha a’ searmonachadh, agus tha sinn a‘ toirt taing dha.)

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SEPTEMBER

BADENOCH FREE CHURCH OF SCOTLAND, RUTHVEN ROAD, KINGUSSIE FOUR PUBLIC LECTURES

CAN THE TRUTH OF CHRISTIANITY BE PROVED? CLIVE EVERY-CLAYTON EMERITUS LECTURER IN APOLOGETICS AT BBI AND CUPEI, BRUSSELS SUNDAY EVENINGS SEPTEMBER – OCTOBER AT 7 PM Sep 30

What’s behind the Big Bang? Can we know that in the beginning there was God?

Oct 07

Was Jesus an incarnation of God? Does his unusual life prove anything?

Oct 14

Can Christianity be the only truth about God? What about other religions’ contrary ideas?

Oct 21

Can Christianity be proved by experiment? The proof of the pudding – is it not in the eating?

After each lecture, refreshments will be served at 7.45 pm, followed by an exchange of views and discussion for those who want to stay until 8.45 pm.

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BY CATRIONA MURRAY

POST TENEBRAS LUX

brought up on a diet of 1950s science fiction films might be inclined to feel that the news headlines relating to Lewis just now seem familiar. We are simultaneously under threat, it would appear, from ‘giant rhubarb’ and ‘monster turbines’. Such inflammatory reporting is par for the course in a small community where nothing all that earth-shattering ever occurs, but it belies the fact that there is a much more frightening battle being waged where no one can see. The island has been the target of that unpleasant brand of atheism which tries to masquerade as tolerance, whilst trying to shut down any avenue available to the Gospel. There is a silent and insidious campaign being waged against Christianity in schools, with many primary heads quietly dropping morning prayers and grace before meals, without a word to parents. I know of one such where the centuries-old practice was relinquished at the request of two unbelieving families, but could not be reinstated despite this being the wish of the majority of others. Only when this ugly, militant atheism spilled over into the unacceptable; only when people began to see the social media campaign having real world consequences did Christians begin to stir. Up to that point, I’m afraid there was a very distinct possibility that we might sleepwalk towards a secularised Lewis, very different from the legacy we had been given. When my father was active in nyone

THE RECORD

the health service union, COHSE, one of the shop stewards ‘from away’ (ie somewhere other than the Western Isles) used to visit once a year. He was — unlike my father — a typical union man, and almost fanatically committed to the cause. He would talk earnestly about the need to further the strength of the unions and, more especially, the Labour Party in Scotland. The way forward, he insisted, had to be to get ‘one of us’ into every strategic position available. This is obviously what the socalled secularists in the Western Isles also had in mind. Their negative and divisive agenda has been comprehensively rejected thus far — but only because their own unpleasantness, their public harassment of Christians, and their disregard for the rules of community drew altogether the wrong sort of attention. Even the most naïve of Christians could not fail to notice that the threat had become real. There has been a lull in vitriol emanating from the Western Isles Secular Society — an online community for malcontents whose sole aim seemed to be discrediting the Free Church in Lewis. As a group, for the moment, they appear to be a busted flush. But this, in my opinion, is the most dangerous time. It is now that we risk complacency setting in. Those B-movies about the Thing from the Swamp, or the aliens from Outer Space, they always had that moment when the hero finally stops fighting and lies, panting with exhausted relief that he has overcome the foe…

only to be struck from behind by a slimy, green tentacle. As Christians, we have the great advantage of knowing the devil and what he is capable of. Those doing his bidding are not so fortunate. They don’t believe he exists and would laugh at me for saying so, even as he guides their hands, and puts words into their mouths. In his guile, he has tricked them into thinking that all they want is freedom. Because he is clever, he has made them see their Christ loving neighbours as the obstacle. I have firsthand experience of the fact that people who have been brainwashed by Satan no longer see the likes of you or I as human. That’s what we are up against. Does it seem likely that such a threat has simply gone away? Is it time for us to breathe a sigh of relief, and lie prone on the ground? Relaxation is not an option, but neither is it the only risk. In Matthew 12, Jesus speaks of the other great threat to peace — a recognised source of weakness in all forms of warfare: ‘Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and no city or house divided against itself will stand’. If we waste time on petty arguments about things that matter more to ourselves than to God, how do we serve His Kingdom? We cannot. There is no spare energy or time any more for squabbles about how we sing, or how we dress, and whether we sit or stand. We can only stand united in Christ. •

SEPTEMBER

The Record - September 2018

Articles inside

The Secret of Happiness