The December Record is out – including the usual news, views and reviews – as well Murdo Murchison, an interview with Alaister Wilson, poetry from John Milton, an article by Joe Barnard on bringing up children in a Christian home and a new bible series on Ecclesiastes. Here is the editorial – Great Joy for All the People As our society moves further away from … Continue reading Great Joy for all the People – The Christmas Record
Today we celebrate 25 years in St Peters – I wrote the following article for the St Peters website It is a humbling and joyful thing to still be here after 25 years – in the joys and pains the Lord has preserved and blessed us. “Go, stand in the temple courts,” he said, “and tell the people all about this new life. At daybreak … Continue reading 25 Years at St Peters
This is the lead article in the October Record…. This month is the 500th anniversary of the event that is assumed to have been the beginning of the Protestant Reformation – Luther’s nailing of his 95 theses to the doors of the cathedral in Wittenberg. There will be a variety of reactions to this anniversary, from studied indifference from the many to joyous enthusiasm from … Continue reading Remembering the Reformation?
Last Sunday I was in Ninewells – missing being with my own congregation, but secure in the knowledge that they would be hearing the Word of God from in my view the best bible teacher in the English language. We love having Sinclair with us – not just because of his teaching gift but because he and Dorothy are now very much part of our … Continue reading The Visible Word and the Aaronic Blessing – Sinclair Ferguson
It seems as though whenever the few, brave sane Christians who put their head above the parapet and write into newspapers trying to make a biblical case on issues for the day and defend Christianity are wasting their time. Often the letters are published, but they are usually followed, if they are any good, within a couple of days by the mocking letter from the … Continue reading The Free Kirk Fights Back!
Last Sunday I preached on Romans 2:17-19 – Circumcision of the Heart . It was part of an infant dedication service for Timothy Harrison, son of Graham and Michelle and brother of Ben. Let me explain why we do this. We are a Presbyterian Church and we believe in covenant baptism which includes the infants of believers. I wrote about this Baptism – A personal Journey in … Continue reading Infant Dedication, Heart Circumcision and One of the Best three Sermons ever preached!
(the whole service is now on Youtube – VIDEO – Gordon Wilson’s Memorial Service) Yesterday was quite an extraordinary day for me and I think others….in so many ways. It’s not every day you get to preach the gospel in front of the First Minister, the former First Minister and the government ministers responsible for Health and Education! Of course that was not what … Continue reading The Memorial Service of Gordon Wilson – A Witness to Different Truths
The following is a personal reflection on the loss of a friend, mentor and member of my congregation, St Peters Free Church. His memorial service will be in St Peters tomorrow (July the 5th) at 12 noon. The Political Leader Gordon Wilson was born in Glasgow on the 16th of April 1938 and died in his adopted city, Dundee, on the 25th of June 2017. … Continue reading Gordon Wilson – A Man of Integrity and Intelligence
The journalist John Macleod has just begun a major three part series in The Daily Mail on the current state of the Church in Scotland. Given that this is published in Scotland’s best selling Saturday newspaper it is good to see the question being given such prominence. Coming on top of a more local and narrow series in the Dundee Courier focusing on the decline of the Church … Continue reading Losing Our Religion – The Daily Mail on the State of the Church in Scotland
My phone has hardly stopped ringing over the past couple of days, with journalists from different news organisations desperate for information and ‘an informed opinion’ about the recent tragic death of Iain D Campbell. It still disappoints me that in a world where people are being killed, this is considered so newsworthy that it merits so many column inches and so much gossip. … Continue reading Tragedy in Lewis – A Pastoral Response
