Everything's in a Whirl

I have had the best of intentions of posting frequently on the blog, but, alas, I have not been suc-  cessful. I will keep trying though. I am doing very well, but everything's in a whirl. Probably it is
best that I give you small snapshots of what's been happening with me. Even though the pace of
life here in St. Fergus is pretty laid back, things come at me pretty quickly. There are times I feel
like I am trying to take a drink of water from a high-pressure fire hose. It is very hard to do.

I enjoy preaching weekly (hopefully not weakly) again after being away from it since August,
2003, when I left pastoring two churches in South Dakota in order to study at the University of
St Andrews in Scotland. From that time to late 2008 I did not have opportunities to preach. As a
result, my preaching became quite rusty. Plus, I think that major heart surgery in 2006 had a neg-
ative effect on my preaching and critical thinking skills. Slowly I have been regaining my confi-
dence and skills that are needed for preaching. Since mid-July I have been using the lectionary
readings from Mark 6-8 and John 6 as my preaching texts each Sunday. I have been enjoying
focusing on who Jesus is. My desire is to encourage that we at St Fergus Parish Church have a
closer walk with Jesus.

I go into Peterhead frequently. It is only an eight-minute drive into the town centre. Two fel-
low ministers have become close friends. One of them, Abi, is minister of one of the three
Church of Scotland congregations in Peterhead. He is from the Democratic Republic of the
Congo, studied and taught at a theological school in Kenya, and then came to the University
of Aberdeen to do a PhD in the Greek Old Testament. After finishing his thesis, he was en-
couraged to remain in Scotland to minister with the Church of Scotland. Abi oozes love for
Jesus as well as for people. He's a brilliant preacher. He was seen as quite a catch for churches
with vacant pulpits. I can imagine there were a lot of broken hearts at several churches when
he sensed God calling him to a church in Peterhead. I am glad the Lord sent him here. He has
quickly become a dear friend and ministry colleague.

Then there is Isabel who is the minister at the Methodist church in town. She came to pastoral
ministry in the Methodist Church after she and her husband had been serving in ministry to sea-
men and deep sea fishermen since the mid-70s. She has been at the Peterhead church for just
over a year, taking over a congregation which had been in serious decline in recent years. It is
already starting to shows signs of life under Isabel's pastoral leadership. Like Abi, she has a love
for Jesus and a love for people. I am attracted to the way she speaks with her Scottish lilt. I could
listen to her pray and preach for hours. Isabel and her husband Bob have become close friends
and dear ministry colleagues.

On Saturday mornings Isabel, Bob, and I attend a growing prayer group that Abi started recently
in his church. Then early Tuesday morning Isabel, Bob, and I attend a layperson-led prayer group
that has been meeting in the Methodist Church for many years. The four of us are committed to
praying long-term for revival to breakout here in the North-East of Scotland. It has been my plea-
sure and privilege to find them so quickly and to be so quickly drawn into a network of prayer
here in Peterhead.

There's so much to share with you. I hope to do a better job of posting on the blog.

Blessings to you and yours,