This month marks the last Record I am editor of….It is the Assembly edition so the Moderator’s address replaces the normal editorial – so here is the last intro…which explains what is happening. Congratulations to John Macdonald, the new editor-designate on taking over. I will very much miss my role as editor – although at times it has been a pain! May the Lord enrich … Continue reading My Last Record
“O that God would gie us, the gift to see ourselves as others see us” (Burns). “And those things when we hear, let us also make open show of our defects, but of our excellencies let us say nothing. Or if the opportunity force it upon us, let us speak of them with reserve and impute the whole to God’s grace.” (Chrysostom) The above words … Continue reading Onward Christian Soldier – The Scottish Daily Mail
This is my farewell gift to Scotland! – An interview broadcast on BBC Radio Scotland this morning at 8:30. It’s called the long interview because having 30 minutes to discuss on radio is unusual. I found Bill Whiteford to be one of the best interviewers I have ever faced – probing and challenging without being rude and aggressive. We discussed a range of subjects, the … Continue reading The Last Farewell – The Long Interview with Bill Whiteford
This weeks article on Christian Today – you can read the original here – Go West: is the American Church the answer to the UK Church’s problems? (Photo: Unsplash/Travis Gergen) “Over paid, over sexed and over here” was one common saying concerning the American GI’s during the Second World War. I doubt that this is the appropriate description for the growing number of American missionaries … Continue reading Go West: is the American Church the answer to the UK Church’s problems?
The week of speeches continues – After talking about church planting amongst the poor at the Assembly, then religious freedom at the Scottish Parliament, it was back to the Assembly to talk about education. I moved the following: The General Assembly recognise that there is a fundamental onus laid on the Church to communicate a Christian world view to its young people. They recognise the … Continue reading The Free Church and Education
In the early 1980’s I was studying history and politics at the University of Edinburgh. I had been attending Morningside Baptist Church, and indeed had been baptised there – but, through reading the Bible, I became what is called ‘Reformed’ – even though I did not know what that was! I became to look for a church that taught this biblical theology but also practised. … Continue reading The Free Church and the Poor
As we head towards the General Assembly next week, my hope and prayer is that we will deal with the important issues – one of which is how we reach the hundreds of thousands of people who live in Scotland’s schemes. To my mind, it is fanciful to think that the Free Church will be able to do this. We will need to partner … Continue reading The Three Presbyterians – the Free Church and Twenty Schemes.
This is a conversation I had with Alastair McIntosh, a Quaker activist, broadcaster and writer. He is the author of a superb book – Poachers Pilgrimage. We discussed many things in front of a good audience in St Peters. It may not sound the most riveting of evenings – over an hour discussing theology, history, the Highlands,church etc – but the most common reaction afterwards from those … Continue reading In Conversation – with Alastair McIntosh
A few months ago one of the writers in The Record, Dayspring Macleod, mentioned that the Free Church was not cessationist. This raised a few eyebrows and prompted a couple of people to get in touch asking me to deal with her error. The trouble is that both those who got in touch, and Day were right. Cessationism is the view that the apostolic spiritual … Continue reading Is the Free Church Cessationist?
This is a news story based on an interview with Eternity magazine in Sydney. I didn’t realise the interview was going to be filmed (it lasted over 30 minutes) – hence my attire. You can watch their edited highlights of the clip here – The text of the report is below. I also find it interesting how they summarised the interview. There was of necessity … Continue reading “Don’t be like us” says a true Scotsman – Interview with Eternity magazine
