Ansthruther trip continues

 

We made it to Anstruther on a glorious day to the birth place

 of Thomas Chalmers.

 

 We made it to the fish and chip shop- several times winner of the best in Scotland etc.

I was reminded of many years ago being involved in mission in Anstuther with the Church of Scotland. The local Baptist church helped. Here is a picture of their building. Near the sea.

How are you going to build your church?

Fulfilling the Will of GOD in the community.

A look at how a Church might implement its agreed mission in this changing world.

For many Churches, the process of discovering themselves and implementing their desire to follow God is a hard one.

This is caused by many different distraction as diverse as members not “buying in” to the mission, conflict of time use,- be it work or family or worthwhile causes. Mankind creates a busyness that stifles the Work of God in the community. This is seen so often in the activities of organisations and they view expressed in actions ...” I am busy therefore I am important and needed”.

This expression comes from the wish from most people who have a sense and need “to belong”.

The early church had that sense of belonging meeting regularly to share in meals. Whilst life seems more complex in this decade the sense of belonging is still important. If leadership could harness the sense of belonging and gifting of their flock the work would be easier and perhaps move on quicker to complete the plan to fulfil the purpose of the community known as “such and such” church.

Part of the challenges after agreeing how the community should be, is the method and structure of such, I hesitate to say, an organisation that has control yet flexible to the changing needs of the community and its people.

Future of your church

If you are wondering How to move forward as a church how about considering the following.:

Firstly I will not be advising whither you start a Mums or Toddlers group. I am thinking more about first steps in the process of gaining an insight in to the future work.

Need to Meet to find a "Corporate discernment"... moving forward inch by inch. Take time together to sift out ideas etc. Allow everyone their input. Have a facilitator as leader for the meeting. Also sometimes the quieter person has the answer or discernment.

Prayer and discussion on " How God, would you have us steer?"
This is realisation. and the need to go on or in other words you cannot go back...
Retreat a time of rest and reflection

An uncluttered time to reflect and breathe - away from it all - including the Sunday routine.
What does God want for us?
What might he be calling us to?

Often he wants you to stop something first. Is there activity continuing that has past is sell by date and is not producing...?

Show a high value in Missions home and away.

Community/City/region impact

Where is God currently working, look for opportunities something to get alongside?

Move from Doing....to... becoming
Rally to a cause seems easy. Rallying around God -more difficult.

How does one move forward?

Teach me to live my life the way he would if he were here. (physically)

Head off discouragement

Calm be the person you want to be!
When God reality is present and someone comes into the body.
Then God has brought them in.

Remember "Come follow me".
Too many in the full time ministry are in a "rat race".
The next step should be "a dance with the Trinity and others"

Living in love speeds the coming of Jesus.

1 Our Corporate lives as examples and patterns
2 our assumptions about ministry
3 Our ministry plan
4 Our life rhythms and ministry
rest periods
5 Our ministry results

Are the activities -one purpose?

Step back from the need to see immediate results.

Happy discerning in the way forward.

Duff continued 2

The Church of Scotland's first appointed missionary to India was Alexander Duff (1806-1878). Born in Moulin in Perthshire his academic career was at St Andrews. He carried off the top honour for Greek Latin. Logic and moral philosophy. He also gained the essay prize for best translation into Latin of Plato "” Apology to Socrates". He was indeed a excellent scholar. He was indebted to the encouragement of Dr Thomas Chalmers who took up the post of professor of moral philosophy in 1823. It was Chalmers, the most prominent evangelical in Scotland who later became a national leader that inspired Duff in to the mission and its work in the church. It was Doctor Ferrie of St Andrews who proposed Duff as the first missionary of the Church of Scotland in Calcutta. Duff felt at this time in 1829 ready to be sent to India. Before departing for India he was married to Anne Scott Drysdale (July 1829) and ordained on the 12 August of that year. Next month Duff and his new wife boarded the Lady Holland at Leith for London and on route the trials started with a ship wreck off Cape Town with no loss of life. They continued later on the Moira which also had difficulties after a cyclone, which left them all having to wade, to shore through the undignified mud of India.
At a little over 24 and two narrow escapes not to mention the many dangerous escapes as a youth Duff was obviously being preserved to carry out the mission work. Duff the educationalist went on to attract the attention of many including the governor of the East India company and indeed Gladstone. He was the founder of the University of Calcutta. It is unfortunate that his efforts on education and mission have been neglected in the last 100 years. He had several travels back to Scotland and it is noted that in1839 he raised the foreign giving for mission from £1200 to £ 7,538.
On one return to Scotland Duff found himself on the middle of the debate that would grow into the Disruption. In early 1843 he was still silent on how he would act in respect to his loyalty to the mission, church and conscience. He in due time sided with the Free Church and was instrumental in raising the first endowment and to become the first professor of the Free Church College Edinburgh of Mission and Education.
In 1871 Lord Shaftesbury wrote to Duff asking if his name could be added to the list of vice-presidents of the Bible society. Duff was highly honoured and accepted. His life had been a life of many seasons in Scotland in India, married and widowed early. He also advocated the mission work outside of Scotland.
It is unfortunate that Alexander Duffs contribution to the church, abroad has not been greatly recognised. At his death the tributes showed what a godly man he was- Gladstone acknowledged his intelligence energy devotion and spirituality and likened him to William Carey.

Mission for Scotland from Scotland ... the start

Scotland's mission awareness started in 1790 but was developed greatly during the 19th century. That century was dominated by the Westminster Confession and its emphasis on the doctrine of election by the Moderates. It was the preaching of the evangelicals towards conversions that accelerated mission. As far away as New Zealand and the American Indians people heard of the God who had provided Jesus Christ as the Redeemer. There was also a need to tackle the Paganism in the African and Indian countries. When Missionary Societies were formed during this period they initially got a poor reception in Scotland.

In 1804 the British and Foreign Bible Society was formed and in 1805 the Glasgow Bible Society followed in 1807 by Port Glasgow and Greenock. It was in 1809 that the Scottish Bible Society was formed by founding Church of Scotland ministers in Edinburgh. During that same year the Edinburgh Bible Society was instigated by minority churches. Missionary Society work was focussed in countries less hostile like Jamaica. Workers were paid little living expenses and encouraged to stay “single to save on costs!
It is only as we look back from our perspective that we see Britain's enthusiasm in mission and concern for the lost and its contradiction in encouraging slavery. Many names go down in history as forerunners in the spreading of the Gospel abroad, Livingstone, Slesser, Moffat, Mitchell, Savalle, and Duff. Duff requires specific mention.

Alexander Duff

Keyboard players

Why can I not find keyboard players in the North of Scotland to play for worship praise. Its not like everone is playing the bagpipes!

Music praise...

Psalm 150 says.

Praise God in the sanctuary...
with sounding of the trumpet...
with harp with tambourine and dancing...
the strings and the flute...
clash of cymbals...resounding cymbals...praise the lord



The Free Church of Scotland is know for its Psalm only singing, in Scottish churches.

John Macdonald ( The Apostle of the North) 1779-1849 Ferrintosh, was a Gaelic spiritual verse writer and Free Church minister. Interesting to have an hymn writer in a Psalm singing denomination.

Opposition to Hymns and instruments is not restricted to this arm of the Presbyterian Church. But James Begg was a promoter of the use of Psalms and no instruments.

In 1866 the Free Church voted 3 to 2 for the use of hymns. In 1869 Begg was unsuccessful in Curtailing hymns. In 1872 the Church accepted the New Hymn book 213 votes to 61. In 1877 Prof Bruce wished to have their Own Free Hymn Book with Begg supporting a defence of no change in the position.
Then in 1892 the assembly withdrew permission to use instruments for worship and uninspired Hymns in public worship- the current position- as far as I know!

Here are some dates of interest.
There are 350 currently used Hymnals in the UK

Moravian Hymns (8) 1501
Hymns and Spiritual Songs Sinclair- Caithness 1750
Glassite collection of songs 1749
Scotch Baptist Psalms and Spiritual Songs 1786
Psalms and Hymns 1866
Baptist Hymnal 1900
Scottish Psalter 1923
Methodist Hymnal 1933
Youth Praise 1966
Sing to God (S.U.) 1971
Mission Praise 1 1981
Songs of Fellowship 1991
Source 1 1999
Church of Scotland CH4 2005

There is a long heritage of Hymns and spiritual songs in Scotland. Unfortunately some denominations have put their heads and legal books in the sand. Scripture shows us and instructs us to sing Psalms, Hymns and Spiritual Songs and to use various instruments.

Make a joyful noise!

Many years ago their was a compliant in a church about new types of instruments being used in worship. It was not felt right and proper to use instruments that synthesised the sound of proper musical Instraments. When was this 1980? 1990? 1966? No the 12 Century when the pipe organ was introduced!

Are church services too busy?

Busy?
You have had a hard week at work, you have had a busy schedule of evening activity. You have rushed to Church because you slept in after watching the late film- just to chill out.

And it would be so good to have a quiet time in a corporate meeting. But...

There is that "Sandwich service" where it looks like those leading are afraid to have silence in case the congregation think they have lost the place!


Contemplative-
Quakers, brethren, Baptists, Assemblies of God, Charismatic and Pentecostal Churches have over the years recognised the depth of fellowship in having a time of silence together in the "Worship time" at Church. To take time to reflect is so important especially when life seems to be busier and busier.

Just like the public reading of the Bible has a different impact on our lives, so too, could a time of silence in the public worship.

There is a time for joyous worship, and loud! And there is a time form silence.

Thanks for the variety in praise in the Christian Church.

Church in the nation

The nation's mission - “we have seen more co-operation between rival football fans!”.
Is the Churches' point lost, out of touch, or left in the dressing room of the nation.
Is the nation needing more a hop, step, and jump.
The playing field is ready, the crowd awaits ...... but we can't see a team in the dugout.
The time is now, and it is right, it is ripe, it is redress, it is revival.
It is time to be perfecting, it is time to be precise, it is time to be peacemaking of heart and soul of the Church in this nation, it is time to be passionate.
Making poverty history is a just cause! - losing a nation is as worthy.
The Scottish Church collective is a mixed bag of ineffectual rubble from “fallout” over many centuries. In this post-modernist era what happens now?
Is this Grand Canyon of gulf too big? Has the history of the Church in Scotland anything to teach us?

Will revival of the spiritual nation come from the North?
Historians can tell us what happened technically or conceptually, they may tell us about key characters who were influential down through the years but can they provide a key that will unlock the spiritual revival of Scotland and the UK.
There has been a silence for too long regarding the Church and its message! Of its witness there has been a silence for various reasons, there has been a silence regarding the hope to be secured. Now is the time to bury the hatchet, now is the time for factions to come together for a real cause, now is the time to facilitate prayerful revival.
Why has there been such a silence;
The message - of its repair and hope by so many?
The Church – collective, to bring the news of goodness to the country?
The individual – to gossip a story of their life - spiritual?
Intentionally or unintentionally there is surely "a conspiracy of silence" requiring redress. A silence stronger than the alleged Presbyterian coyness.
A silence stronger than the stubbornness of folded arms while the spiritual poverty worsens.