It's hard to believe that we left Edinburgh just a week ago to visit throughout the Presbytery of  Ardrossan.  Now one week later I'm preparing to leave to head up to Skye. As I look out the hotel window I see my collar reflected in the window looking out across to Arran. It's all in the life of a Moderator. You have to make sure your collar is ready to travel. Earlier this week, on Tuesday we had a most interesting visit to the Isle of Cumbrae.   We were welcomed...
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Last Saturday I was welcomed to the Presbytery of Ardrossan. Around fifty people gathered for a meal and I had an opportunity to speak with the Presbytery about the challenges facing the Church today. One of our greatest comforts is to believe that our Lord still journey's with the Church. So often I encounter church members who seem to have forgotten that the Holy Spirit is part of the guarantee that we are no alone. When you hear them talk they do so with fear and...
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This post was written on Tuesdayof this week. Thank you to all the many friends who have left greeting and best wishes on my last blog post. Yes we had a great day on Saturday. Everything went according to plan the weather included.  However the work of the Moderator continues without relent. Sunday morning I was up at 7.00am after going to bed at 2.00am to get ready to celebrate with the congregation of Fairmilehead in Edinburgh, their 75th Anniversary. It turned...
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Why is it that nothing in life ever goes according to plan?  Someone once said Its not the difficulties that arise, in life that shape us . Its how we deal with these difficulties. My immediate discomfort , disappointment, deflation, started last Friday morning. I was returning home from South Africa passing through Edinburgh Airport when my leather Peruvian hand luggage, let's say was misplaced. The incident is the subject of a police inquiry so I don't wish to go...
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Yesterday I had the opportunity to engage with some of  social and environmental issues that surround the mining industry here in South Africa. I was introduced to John Capel the founder of the Bench Marks Foundation by Christian Aid's Manager Rob Cunningham. Rob is a Scot from Carnoustie who has spent a large part of his life working in the area of International development. At present he seeks to support organisations who are making a difference in the lives of the...
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It's Easter Monday evening and we've arrived back in our hotel after spending a four hour trip on the road back to Johannesburg from Newcastle. Today we met up with Rev Vuyani Yepe and his amazing team of workers in the Uniting Presbyterian Church of South Africa.  Vuyani has been in this congregation since he was a probationer in 2009. The only way to describe him is that he is utterly committed to serving his community and inspiring his congregation to become...
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It's Easter Sunday evening and the past three or four days have been a bit of a whirlwind. We left Livingstone, Zambia mid Thursday afternoon and arrived in Johannesburg about and hour and half later. We were met at the Airport by Gerry he is the General Secretary of the Uniting Presbyterian Church of South Africa. He arranged for us to have coffee at the airport and briefly to go over our timetable for the coming days. The idea is that we will experience two very...
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