Duff monument Pitlochry

Alexander Duff (2)

Pitlochry memorial to A Duff The Church of Scotland's first appointed missionary to India was Alexander Duff. 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 in debited 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 (July1829) 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. The 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 in 1839 he raised the foreign giving for mission from £1200 to £ 7,538. On one return to Scotland Duff found himself in 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 hos 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. [Andrew Duff]

Dive Steve Curtis Chapman video

Watch the google video clip of Steve from some years ago diving in....

Alexander Duff

I never thought some few months ago I would be living in the village that Alexander Duff preached and lived in before his Indian mission work. But here we are in Pitlochry area. So how do you find the church for you when you move to a new area?

Is it doctrine ...? Is it closest to your experience..? Is it catering for the family unit? Is it the church that invites with a warm welcome?

What about worship or should I say Praise accompanied or not modern What ever that means or traditional- what ever that means!

And the leader/pastor is there vision? has the church got behind the work ?

And finally you have to agree there is compromise...

The Church compromises and accepts you the way you are!
That is a sign of the kingdom. Happy hunting.

Suzy W Yaraei

Susi's song at My space worth a listen
Dance! Suzy W Yaraei

Changes

Pitlochry is a lovely place. Now that we as a family have moved we can begin to pick up the thoughts old and new. Thanks for holding on. I hope the meeting in Lairg have been fruitful.

Moving house

So Pitlochry is about to get a new family. The next few weeks will be hectic!
Returning to Perthshire was not really in the plans but as we adjust to the new chapter in lifes book there is a sense of real anticipation.
Dont expect much from me until the boxes are packed and un pack.
I am so pleased Connect Scotland has been a success... hope its dry for the rally in Edinburgh tomorrow.

Gathering of like minded people

It is encouraging to hear of some meetings coming up in Lairg drawing people from all parts of "stations" North of Inverness. Hope these meeting are fruitful and last. First on Friday 17 May.

New job new focus

With the speedy run around the country of late i have not been attending to you good readers. With a new job just started I hope to get back into routine soon.

Consider this:
Jesus could not go straight to heaven from the cross. He had all the sins of the world and there is no sin allowed in heaven. So he dumped them in hades and preached there before the Resurrection.!

PFKTC etc

The post of a few weeks ago The people formerly known as the congregation has had several updates. You might like to track the developments via achievable ends or the last comment version VII.

Meet the neighbours...

When the new neighbours came to town we were wondering what they may be like? What interests they might have and would they be good neighbours?

What makes a good neighbour?

They arrived recently and with a few more added to the offspring they already had, I hoped they will not be noisy. They settled in quickly.

Strange how we have got accustomed to their habits. They have really become part of the community. But I don't like it when they come in to my garden and lounged around...you got to draw the line somewhere. How will I tell them that they are upsetting that their approach is not to our liking? Would it be too forward to raise the issue?

I remember last year a party of French students stopped on route on their holiday travels and as it was a nice day thought they would sit on the grass to have a very European lunch. They kindly asked if they could sit in the garden for lunch. Because I was taken aback I had said yes without realising it. You could tell they were continental...wanting to sit on the grass... chequered cloth... eating French stick bread in Sutherland.

Well the French students had a good relaxing lunch and set off South. It was a first for these parts. We often get strange glances as we eat out in the garden in Sutherland. Our garden table from B & Q Huntington has been well used.

That reminds me I must get some paint and stop the enset of rust.

But as for the new neighbours they continually eat out and have taken to eat in our garden without a request to us for approval!

Well maybe we will have to tolerate their different habits... I suppose they havent carried out any damage and it does increase the numbers in the community.

Here is the proof of their anticts.

The neighbours...

Wating for a train...

"Waiting for a train waiting for a train the whole wide world is waiting for a train...but the train aint coming..." words to an old gospel song sung at many a beach mission in the seventies.

There has been tremendous changes since then.!