On Sunday afternoon I had the privilege of joining Dalziel South Parish Church for their Kirk Session Conference. What a great crowd of positive elders. It was an opportunity to encourage them as they make preparations to build a new church. What I found inspirational was that this group of elders were keen to become a mission shaped church. They want their new building to be open seven days a week, they want a church cafe, they want a church open so that the community...
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[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5YGc4zOqozo[/youtube]Here's an interesting story that's going around the internet. Dave Carroll a country and western singer had his guitar badly damaged while travelling on a United Airlines flight. When he tried to claim the company they refused to listen to his story, gave him a hard time and dismissed his claim as not eligible. Well Dave was so insensed that he wrote a song, put it on YouTube and 11 million hits later United...
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This article is a response to the meditation found on the front page of www.standonline.org.uk A few years ago I came across the term "keek a boo" theology. It is all about understanding the hidden yet revealed nature of God. We have all played the game "hide and seek", "keek a boo" theology highlights one aspect of this encounter. We have all seen a father or a mother hide behind a curtain the quickly appear, hide, then appear. the child keeps looking in...
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I had an interesting day today. I spent most of the morning writing and preparing material for the worship the General Assembly. This afternoon I took dorm of the ladies who working in branches through to the Barge in Leith to let them see how the Trust is making use of this magnificent facility. We had a great time and it was such an encouragement to the ladies to hear how they have been part of the story of the Vine Trust and how their contribution through branches...
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[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ntpitrIsOWY[/youtube]Last Easter I stood on the streets of Edinburgh and offered men and women the most powerful symbol of God's Love. The bread and the wine. Here is an every day household commodity that has become a symbol speaking of the broken body of Jesus. I was amazed at the number of people who stopped and took the bread and the wine and the others who turned away reverently reflecting to themselves about the ambiguity...
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Its the strangest feeling being in the study on a Saturday evening and not having to prepare a sermon after 30 years of preparing at least two sermons and sometimes three per week. I think I've got withdrawal symptoms. Anyway, I still had a busy but interesting week moving between meetings at 121 and also preparing for the lecture I gave this afternoon at the International Christian College in Glasgow . The theme was "Mission in the Contemporary West" I was especially...
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Leonardo lives on in a Scottish painter Stuart Duffin. I think it is wonderful when talented contemporary artists take up the challenge of painting well known classical Biblical themes. I especially like when they put their own spin on the painting. Stuart Duffin has done such a thing. I believe this painting was just finished last week for a parish church in the South side of Glasgow. Check out Stuart's blog re the painting The painting freezes the moment in...
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