Prince George: The New Born Addition to the Royal Family

Yesterday, Thursday, I went on the Royal Deeside tour, a one day tour of the beautiful Dee
River Valley. The river runs from the Scottish Highlands to its mouth at the North Sea. It
forms the south side of Aberdeen, the third largest city in Scotland. Traveling by van out
of the city, we always had the cascading river in view. Soon we were entering the western
portion of the Highlands. I and my travel companions (a couple from Texas and three wom-
en from China) soaked in he beauty of majestic forests and forlorn moors.

But the reason we all had chosen this particular tour was because it was the Royal Deeside
Tour; that is, the tour visited Balmoral Castle, the summer residence of Queen Elizabeth and
the Royal Family. Balmoral Castle is not really a castle, but an enlarged hunting lodge. It has
been used as a royal residence ever since Queen Victoria and Prince Albert fell in love with
Balmoral and the Scottish Highlands back in the early 1850s. There is a certain romance with
all things Scottish that has drawn Royalty of the United Kingdom to this place ever since.

As in most years, the Castle closes to the public August 1 when the Queen takes up her an-
nual summer residence at Balmoral. Since I didn't want to wait until next year to tour the
castle and grounds, I reserved a place on one of the last tours for the season. Queen Eliz-
abeth remains very popular with the people of the United Kingdom (England, Scotland,
Wales, and Northern Ireland). For over 150 years, Balmoral has been an important part of
the life of the Royal Family. There was increased police presence when we got there. Per-
haps it was because the Queen would be arriving at the castle that very day. Everything,
however, was rather hush hush due to security concerns.

But of course the big news since Monday has been the birth of the Royal Baby to Prince
William and Princess Kate. The birth of a boy, who later received the name George, was
the great news presented by the BBC and newspapers and the talk of people throughout
Britain and, indeed, throughout the world. Some people I have talked to here in the North
East are thrilled about the birth of the baby boy who is destined to be king. Others are con-
cerned that he will never have a private life of his own, that the public will be interested
in everything that takes place in his life. No one I have talked to would desire that for
themselves or their loved ones. Others are not even interested in the Royal birth; they
couldn't care less. I myself feel sorry for him. It has been rumoured that the new born
Prince would be making his first appearance at Balmoral in the next few days.

William and Kate attract a lot of attention. William is young and gallant and Kate is beau-
ful and charming. Their wedding and Kate's pregnancy won the hearts of many Brits and
Anglophiles around the world. It is hard for me to comprehend that the three of us inhab-
ted the same world, the University of St Andrews, at the same time. It is said that applica-
tions by women to study at St Andrews rose dramatically when it was let out that William
was going there. I remember that there were many women postgraduate students who were
on the prowl for a Prince William sighting. I heard several reports of successful sightings of
the Prince. I may have come across him and Kate, but I really would not have noticed. I
really did not care. As I walked around the town, I was usually lost in my thoughts. I did
spend a lot of time at a nice coffee shop that the couple frequented, but I don't think that
I was ever there when they were. I was never on the look out for them. An elder at Cupar
Old Parish Church, where I served for a year, was the lecturer in the classes in geography
that William attended. I did see the Queen and Prince Charles, however, when they came
to William's graduation service. But I did not see William, nor did I ever see him in his roy-
al person. I just didn't care.  

I find it hard to relate to the world that the Royal Family inhabits. Some people are fasci-
nated by Royalty. Others call for the Royalty to be abolished, for they see it as a thing of
the past and of no use to a modern society. But as I delve more and more into British his-
tory and culture, I come to a greater appreciation,  even admiration, for the important part
that Royalty plays in the United Kingdom in these days. Maybe I was too hasty in saying
that I don't really care. It is more of being fascinated than caring. I am enchanted by the
British Royalty and its splendour and pageantry. A great deal would be lost if the sense of
royalty were ever done away with. We Americans rejected Royalty in the early years of
the Republic, but it seems to me that many Americans in these days still look with longing
upon the Royal Family here in the United Kingdom. I enjoyed my short visit to Balmoral
Castle. There was a lot of history and culture to soak up. I had an enchanting time.

Blessings to you and yours,


 

Sabbath Keeping and My Frantic and Hectic Life

As I enter into my second year of ministry at St Fergus Parish Church in North
East Scotland, I am concerned that my life has become more frantic and hectic
than in any other period of my life. It is not only unhealthy physically and emo-
tionally, but also a revelation of deeper spiritual issues in conflict within me. If
I do not meet and engage with these contending forces within me, they will slow-
ly sabotage my life and Christian ministry and take me out of action.

For over forty years I have taken seriously the Fourth Commandment: Remem-
ber the Sabbath day, to keep it holy (Exodus 20:8-11 ESV). During that time,
I have always struggled to clarify what that meant for my life and, more impor-
tantly, how to work it out in my ministry. Even to this day, the issue of the Sab-
bath continues to be at the forefront of my reflection on living my life before the
face of God.  Rather than using time to do what God has called me to do, I rea-
lise that I misuse time. And this is not to my benefit.

Long have I planted the Sabbath in the sacred ground of my soul only to see it
attacked and overwhelmed by personal issues and spiritual forces round about
me. The Sabbath is at the very heart of my relationship with God, my Creator
and Redeemer. I have so much on my mind and am so often on the go that I
find it difficult to slow down and rest. My designated Sabbath has become my
'day off' in which I throw all that I had to do or wanted to do, but did not do,
during the preceding week. I have also noticed that because my Sabbath has
become my day off, it has sometimes become a day off from God. I confess
that there are days of rest that I blow God off and go about doing my own thing.

I look to Genesis 2:1-3 to find the seventh day as the glorious basis of the Sab-
bath. After six days of creation, God blessed the seventh day, made it holy,
and rested from God's labor. The Fourth Commandment (Exodus 20:8-11)
springs forth with vitality from the foundational passage in Genesis 2. I had
always read Isaiah 58 as speaking about true fasting, but verses 13-14 pro-
claim the rich beauty of honouring the Sabbath. In the last two verses of Mark
2 Jesus proclaims that man was made for the Sabbath and that He, Jesus, is
Lord of the Sabbath. Hebrews 4 points to a Sabbath rest that God's people
will enter at the end of time. The Sabbath is at the very heart of Christian
faith and at the very centre of the Christian life.

Even though there are times when I seek ways to avoid honouring the Sab-
bath, there is a greater part of me that yearns for weekly Sabbath rest. By
resting on the Sabbath, I gain God's perspective that brings order to my
sometimes chaotic life. I am reminded once again how my work is founded
on the accomplished work of Jesus Christ on the cross for the forgiveness
of sin and on his resurrection from the tomb. My life and my work are mean-
ingful because of a value from outside me. I rest from my own self-suffici-
ency. Every Sabbath that I observe I hear Jesus say to me: Come to me, all 
who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest (Matthew 11:25-30).
Sabbath rest is a weekly reminder that we are not home yet. It is preparation
for Sabbath rest at the end of time prepared by Jesus Himself.

It seems that whenever the Sabbath is discussed among Christians, sooner or
later there is the issue of when the Sabbath is to be observed. Is it Saturday,
Sunday, or any seventh day of one's week? I have seriously considered all
three options, and have made the decision to go for the seventh day of my
work week. I lead God's people in worship on Sunday, the Lord's Day. On
Monday I attend to personal issues such as grocery shopping, house cleaning,
laundry, and all the things I have to do for daily life here in Scotland. Tuesday
has become my Sabbath. For six days I have worked hard; on the my seventh
day, Tuesday, is my Sabbath when I meet with the Lord and am refreshed by
God. It is a time of enjoyment and pleasure in the Triune God, in God's crea-
tion, and in the beauty of God's labour.

I have only been following this scheme for several weeks now, but I've al-
ready been receiving the benefits of it. I have been enjoying Sabbath rest,
yet I have been getting more work done throughout the week. I see more of
an order of my life on a week by week basis. I feel free to take a day off to
rest in the Lord every seventh day. I would appreciate your prayers as I con-
tinue to plumb the depths of the riches found in Sabbath rest.

Blessings to you and yours,

My First Year in a Wee Village in the Back of Beyond

I can't believe that I have been here in St Fergus in northeast Scotland for over a
year now. Like many Scots, a dear colleague of mine, the  minister of  the Meth-
odist church in Peterhead, has a marvellous way with words. She described St
Fergus as a wee village in the back of beyond. St Fergus is a wee village that is
integrated into early 21st century Scotland. Across the main road from the vil-
lage is the gas terminal that receives one third of the North Sea gas that is dis-
tributed throughout Britain. Despite that, some people I talk to do see St Fergus
and the region north of Aberdeen as more isolated from the rest of Scotland in
political, economic, and geographical terms.
.
My minister friend has sensed that many Christians here feel isolated personally
and spiritually from the other regions of Scotland. St Fergus exemplifies this
sense of isolation, of being in the back of beyond. Her description of St Fergus
strikes a chord within me. I feel like the Lord has placed me in a wee village in
the back of beyond. That description may apply to countless other wee villages
in Scotland, but this is where I am now. St Fergus and the other towns of Buch-
an are out of the way from where the real action is suppose to be taking place in
Edinburgh and Glasgow. We truly are the back of beyond. Furthermore, God has
placed me beyond my comfort level. As a result of being here just one year, God
has been continuing to work on me and to transform me. I have been stretched in
ways I have never been stretched before. St Fergus, the wee village in the back of
beyond, has become a set apart place where the Lord works on me so that I can
better shepherd God's people in the village.

St Fergus in particular and North East Scotland in general are way out there be-
yond Aberdeen, the third major city of Scotland. Aberdeen is home to one of the
four ancient and distinguished universities in Scotland. There's a lot of things hap-
pening in Aberdeen due to receiving the bounty of North Sea oil. Yet people pre-
fer living in the Central Belt between Edinburgh and Glasgow where things are
supposed to really be happening. When I have returned to St Fergus and the North
East from London, Edinburgh, Glasgow, and even Aberdeen, I feel like I am again
coming into the back of beyond. It is a different world. I have enjoyed learning to
live within this new culture and region that God has called me to.

I am still struggling to understand the Doric Tongue. I often feel like I am taking
three steps forward, and then in short order taking two steps backward. There are
times when I preach when I wonder if people are understanding what I am saying.
It takes time to identify the church culture of St Fergus Parish Church. I am con-
tinuing to distinguish between how things are to be done and how they are not to
be done. I have enjoyed my short time here and I am looking forward to many
more years of service here. I am happy being here and I have no intention of look-
ing elsewhere. Most of all, I recognise that the Lord has placed me here not only
to serve and minister, but to be shaped, prepared, and equipped for even more am-
ple service in God's Kingdom. This is what God is doing as I have been led to the
wee village in the back of beyond.

Blessings to you and yours,

Taking a Sip of Water from a High-Pressure Fire Hose

First things first: My right eye is doing well and so am I. The four weeks before I
went into the hospital were hectic. Despite serious concern about my eye and two
surgeries in seven days, I enjoyed a time of rest during my twelve days in the hos-
pital. But ever since I got out of the hospital just over three weeks ago, I again have
been busy preparing and carrying out various church services, a funeral, and a ma-
jor meeting of the Kirk Sessions of four churches to plan for the immediate future.

I expected that I would be especially busy during my first year or two at St Fergus
Parish Church. It was to be a time to make connections with people and do a wide
variety of things for the first time. But I did not expect that things would be this hec-
tic. I strive to plan things well and do things in an orderly way. That went out the
window the first week I was back in Scotland and in St Fergus. Even now things
have not gotten any easier for me. I feel like I am trying to take a sip of water from
a high-pressure fire hose. I am not able to do it at all.

As I survey July and August ahead, I can see some needed down time. Nothing
much is scheduled that is connected with the church. I feel like a fast-moving cur-
rent is carrying me to a nice little inlet where I can catch my breath for a spell. I
look forward to two weeks of vacation in the second half of August. I desire to do
more postings on the blog. Writing a post encourages me to reflect on what I have
been thinking or doing. Writing about these things  helps me to look at what is im-
portant to me in my life and ministry here in the North-East of Scotland. With so
much happening the past year that needed attention, posting to the blog took a low
place in my list of things to be done. I hope that can change that in the two months
 to come. As always, I covet your prayers.

Blessings to you and yours,