Diamond or square

Is this a diamond window or am I just looking at things the wrong way. whats your perspective.

The person who saw from the side an half eaten apple ask two people what they saw.
One said an eaten apple.
The other said a whole apple.
?

History of Stirling Baptist Church

H, sent me a copy of the "Standing on the Rock"

A History of Stirling Baptist Church 1805 2005. This book is by Brian R Tolbot. Unfortunately I am unaware of any outlets stocking it for resale.

Having not completed it yet, I reserve judgment but what I have skimmed looks great and informative.

I am grateful to the increse in traffic to this blog. keep coming back for more related stuff.

Embo last weekend

Another lovely garden, this time in Embo.

Gone fishing... Helmsdale

I will make you fishers of men, fishers of men fishers of Men...so the chorus goes.

Lovely lobster creels at Helmsdale.

Now then how do we fish for men?

Is it to their intellect, is it to show their strength/weakness. Is to show a leader worth following. Do we appeal to something.

"I will make you fishers of men" said Jesus. What was that method and process. Can it be carried out today in this culture. Is the same basis still there?

Is there anyone still fishing?
How do you fish?
What bait are you using?
Which fish do you like to fish?
Have you caught anything lately?

The Church emerging re-forming

Church emergent

emerging church


For the lazy.....

Christianity today article with lots of side pages and info

Oh, and not necessarily my views.

Lairg in the sun..Emergent church

Lairg in the sun ...


The future of the church including in Scotland will be heavily influenced by the "emergent church", whose growth is substantial in America.

It would be good if viewers could check out the writing of Richard Foster and Dallas Willard who are indirectly quoted as linked to this emergent church. It is no doubt because they hope for a community that is God centered and not overly religious for the sake of being religious.

Mark your diary today for looking back in the future the emergent church is on its way. Are you tempted to find out with a google search?

Rosskeen Free Church Ross shire

What a lovely building on the A9 in Ross shire. Every time I pass it I admire it. This was taken on the move through the car windscreen!

Rosskeen parish has a deep heritage of Christian witness over the years.

Answer

Well in 1751 there was an act of the Scottish Parliament to remove 11 days from September 1762 to have the Christian calendar in line with the planets due to the irregular circulation of the earth and the planets around the sun. (that's why we have leap years)

So in September 1752 the dates went 11,12,24,25!
Well done Margaret. Got it in about two hours.

Big question for you ?

You have a few days to ponder and research .

What was special about September 13 to 23 1752 in Scotland?

Good one for the historians?

No clues to leap onto.

and Again on target...The Story

John Knox
John Knox (1513-72) is looked upon as the main Scottish figure of the reformation of 1560. Knox fled to Europe to escape Mary Tudor's Queen-ship which started in 1553. He was heavily influenced by Calvin. Originally from Haddington he returned to the area to marry a Berwick girl. She died 5 years later in 1560. Know married again to Margaret Stewart daughter of Lord Ochiltree in 1564 and had three daughters. Knox having made much encouragement to the Scottish Churches from abroad, now being home found himself head to head with the Catholic Queen Mary who was invited back by the protestant lords to the throne on the condition that she upheld the protestant faith.

Knox could not stomach a Catholic Queen and as soon as she was back in Scotland Mary Queen of Scots found herself being preached against. Despite strong open debate in the public eye Knox continued to preach against her at St Giles Edinburgh. The political unrest got complicated and Knox moved to Ayrshire and after, the treat of murder and civil war he moved to St Andrew's in 1570. Although Knox rejected Roman Catholicism and worship on the spiritual grounds there were also political and economic reasons.

The Story continues

Reformation
Early in the sixteenth century reformation was taking place in Europe. Luther was giving account as to his thoughts and writings. Between 1532 and 1533 Calvin experienced a sudden conversion. His Institutes were published in 1536. He recognised two sacraments Baptism and The lords Supper. In 1537 he declared the ordnances “that Christ had instituted in the church four offices Pastor, Teacher, Elder and Deacon". A new Catechism was prepared and he found himself in the biggest struggle (1548-1555) as the people of Geneva felt swamped by all the “refugees” from Europe gathered in the city.

For Scotland, in the beginning of that century it was still a poor and backward country. Smarting from the defeats of Flodden (1513) Solwaymoss (1542) Pinkie (1547) it found itself still not under the control of England. Both England and France were keen to build relations with Scotland to out win the other. The Douglas family favoured England the Hamiltons -France.
Protestant beginnings started with Patrick Hamilton. Cardinal Beaton and the French put up a strong "holding work" for the Catholic Church. George Wishart (1513-1546) was burned by Cardinal Beaton on 2 March 1546. on the 29 of may Beaton in revenge for Wishart was brutally murdered and his wife fled to Fife. (yes he had a wife). 1547 saw a hunted protestant preacher and friend of Wishart become their spiritual leader, John Knox Scottish reformation hero.

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!