Something that I Would Never Have Imagined Happening

Wednesday evening I met with members of the St Fergus Community Association. We had some planning to do for the Community Association's Family Christmas Eve program at the church, St Fergus Parish Church, the church where I am minister. I had met with the Committee two or three previous times, and gradually a Christmas Eve program began to emerge. It really came together nicely last Wednesday. I really enjoy working with the members of the committee. The leader of the committee and the willingness of the members to work on projects in the village amaze me.

I remember the first time I went to the meeting of the Community Association. One of the members of the committee attends the church when her fishing boat captain is home from the sea. She invited me to come as minister of the church to talk to them about a family Christmas Eve program at the Village Hall. I agreed to go. When I first went to the Village Hall for the September meeting, I expected to meet older people on the Committee. But when I got there a little early, I was surprised to meet four twenty- and thirty-something moms. Soon four more of the same walked in. The meeting was unlike any meeting I have ever been in. They worked well together and made plans for specific action.

In that meeting and in each of the meetings since, I have been impressed with each member of the committee. At that first meeting, I just stayed while we discussed the Christmas Eve program and then left. But I have stayed longer the following meetings in order to take part in discussions about other village matters. There are some good leaders in the group. Everybody is committed to seeing that there is more of a sense of community in the village. They are all busy mothers. Many of them get together in the Village Hall for a time for toddlers and mothers once a week. A few of them can't make the monthly meetings because their husbands are working in the North Sea oilfields. I have moderated many meetings and I know how hard it can be. I was impressed with the work of the com-mittee and its leadership.

At the last meeting, the main topic of discussion was the Family Christmas Eve program at the church, just before the church's Christmas Eve service. The Village Committee decided to move the Family Christmas Eve program from the Village Hall to the church. The Church Elders agreed and supported the Family Program moving into the church. We talked about what we would do for the children during the very short program. They have asked me to be the MC, something I am very hap-py to do. I enjoyed participating in the the exchange of ideas. They are a creative group. I am really looking forward to the program for the children on Christmas Eve. As I had done before, I stayed for other items on the agenda. I desire to keep on participating on the committee in the months and hope-fully years to come.

I have been praying about ways to open up St Fergus Parish Church to the village. I am concerned that many villagers would never set foot in the church except at a funeral. Perhaps it is fear of the un-known. I am excited that parents and grandparents will be coming with children of the village for this fun Christmas Eve program. I will invite them to stay for the church's short Christmas Eve service. Several of the committee members have already told me that they would like to stay for the service after the children's program. We need to be able to welcome people from the village. Christmas Eve is a great way to start developing our hospitality to people in the community.

But most of all, I had a glimpse of what I would like to see happening at St Fergus Parish Church: people who are in their 20s and 30s committing themselves to meet together and plan things that serve others. I would like to see them doing things at the church with the same zest that they meet to-gether for the Community Association meetings. I yearn to see them do so for the sake of Jesus Christ and His Kingdom. The church here has a great group of elders, but they are growing older and I don't see younger people coming up behind them (really, behind us).  I pray that in the near future the younger people of St Fergus would experience the new life that the crucified and risen Jesus brings to people. I also look forward to a new generation of leaders and other members of St Fergus Parish Church who would serve our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ and the people of North-East Scotland.

If you are the praying type, please remember us in your prayers.

Blessings to you and yours,      

  

A Busy Ten Days

It is Wednesday evening. Tomorrow in the USA, it is Thanksgiving Day. I miss Thanksgiving Day. It's a special day that has many memories associated with it. I will not experience anything like that special day tomorrow here in Scotland, but that's ok. I enjoy being minister at St Fergus Parish Church and being involved with Presbytery of Buchan. 

I have had my hands full since Tuesday, and things get pretty hectic through the weekend and into the following week. Monday was my Sabbath, my seventh day of resting in the Lord. How good it was. It is a holy habit I need in order to survive the wear and tear of pastoral ministry, wherever I am. The next day, Tuesday, I had planned to prepare for a teaching time I do on Fridays, the Sunday morning service at St Fergus Parish Church, and a Sunday evening service at another church in the area. I was not looking forward to the weekend because of those three engagements I had. I planned for a con-siderable amount of time for preparation for a teaching, one service, and two sermons.    

But early Tuesday afternoon, I received a call from a funeral home to do a funeral. I was covering for a fellow minister who was on vacation for a few days. Before I knew it, I was agreeing to a funeral service the following Monday in a nearby town. The family couldn't do it later and the funeral home could't do it earlier. I dropped my preparation, made necessary arrangements, and went and visited the family. A 39-year-old father of two young children had died from cancer the day before. I came back home and received a call from another funeral home for a funeral on Tuesday. Again, I was cov-ering for another pastor while he was on vacation. The family is coming to town soon and I will meet with them tomorrow. Fortunately one minister returned home earlier than expected and assumed the duties for the Monday funeral. That will give me some breathing room for my Sabbath rest on Mon-day. 

There's always things to do. Yesterday I met with three members of a Presbytery committee to dis-cuss certain matters. This afternoon I took communion to five people at a nearby nursing home. I was assisted by one of my elders who has become a close friend. He is able to converse with me in proper English and then interact with the persons in the Doric Tongue. He has a real gift of ministering to people. I enjoyed the flirtatious attention of a late eighty-something resident as she received com-munion. We served a ninety-eight year old and a one hundred-year old. It is amazing how they joined with me in reciting Psalm 23 and the Lord's Prayer. Tonight I visited a village man in the hospital down the road. He hasn't been to any church in years, but I sense that God is doing something in his life. That excites me. They were involved in a serious car accident ten weeks ago. Both of them were near death, but have survived. The wife got out of the hospital several weeks ago. They are talking about coming to church when they are able. 

I teaching a Bible Survey course on Friday evenings at a Church of Scotland congregation in Peter-head. Tomorrow I tackle Deuteronomy and Joshua. This is the sixth in the series that I expect to take into February of the new year. I enjoy the students who come from a variety of churches in the area, including one from St Fergus. It is a small class of fifteen to twenty people each Friday. They express a deep hunger to know about God and Scripture. I put in a lot of time in preparing for the class. It is fun for me to do. Saturday mornings I help lead a prayer meeting that attracts people from churches in the area, including two of us from St Fergus. This Saturday I will also be attending an area wide prayer meeting that comes together every two months. We enter into the Advent Season at St Fergus Parish Church on Sunday, the first Sunday in Advent. The Gospel reading for the first Sunday of the new Christian year is Matthew 24:36-44. We always recite the Apostles' Creed on the first Sunday of the month. I will preach on the Second Coming of Christ, the theme of the first Sunday of Advent. I haven't decided what I will preach on at the evening service of another church. I will probably work on that tonight, tomorrow, and Saturday. I will seek every moment to prepare for the teaching and preaching. It is amazing how ideas develop and click together as I am forced to use my time wisely. I look forward to resting on Monday for most of the day. Then there is the funeral noontime Tuesday. 

That's my week, although most weeks aren't always so full of things to do. When things get hectic, I have to rely on the Lord more and more in order to get things done. As always, I ask for your prayers. 

Blessings to you and yours, 

The Lord's Supper, Godianity, and the Godian Faith

The Pulpit and Communion Table, St Fergus ParishChurch.
The Bread Plates had not yet been brought out. 

One thing that annoys me greatly is that many people I encounter affirm that the Christian religion is about God in general, but neglect the centrality of Jesus Christ in the Christian faith. Cer-tainly, they acknowledge Christmas as Jesus' birthday and Easter as his death. In reality, they see Christmas as more about gift giving and family get-togethers than about anything that has to do with Jesus and His love. As I lis-ten to and talk with people, I am sad-dened by the absence of Jesus Christ in their religious views. For many people with whom I have talked, Jesus is off on the margins of their lives, neglected and not worthy of consider-ation. But now in these days, even God is seen as distant and remote, not having any interest in the affairs of this world. Yet any time something tragic happens, there are those who lash out at God, condemning God for allowing something bad to happen to innocent people such as themselves or a loved one. Many are focused upon God in general to the neglect of the specifics of God's Son Jesus Christ. He plays no part in their world. The Christian faith is no more than occasional thoughts about a general concept of the Divine.

Last month I was travelling with a friend to a service on the other side of North East Scotland. We were talking about this issue that both of us are concerned about. He referred to it as Godianity. Boy, did that make sense to me. It struck a chord in me. The use of Godianity plays off of the term Christianity. For people of the Godian faith, the focus is on God to the almost complete neglect of Jesus Christ. God is not the Triune God of the Bible, but somewhat of a fulfilment of the desire many people have for a God who is there, but not too close to cause any discomfort. This God is rather abstract, tame, and safe to call upon in time of need. As I talk to other ministers, I hear about people who are on church membership rolls, but only show up in church at Christmas, Easter, or Communion, if they ever show up at all. God appears to have no place in their lives except at certain times of the year or for certain times of rites of passage in life such as a baptism, a wed-ding, or a funeral. Yet they call themselves Christian. This is the God of Godianity. 

There are other expressions of Godianity that I have encountered among Christians here in the UK as well as in North America. There are Christian Godians who put their trust in God and have sensed in some way divine guidance and provision. They offer testimonies of how God has heard their prayers and led them in the right way. That they testify to what God has done for them is not what concerns me; it is what they do not testify to that concerns me. What is missing is any refer-ence to the Crucified and Risen Jesus Christ, our Lord and Saviour. I have no doubt that the people who share of God's presence in their lives are active Christians. The problem is that they do not base their testimony or theology on the Cross and the Empty Tomb of Jesus. Such believers have a general view of the God of the Bible, but lack the basic fundamentals of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

In 1 Corinthians 15:3-8, the Apostle Paul writes: For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures and then he appeared ... and the text continues. The Apostle considered as of first importance, the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, the Cross and the Empty Tomb. In 1 Corinthians 2:1-5, the same Apostle Paul wrote that he had 'decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.' He preached the Gospel 'in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.' Paul considered it his primary duty to proclaim what God had done for us through the Crucified and Risen Jesus Christ.

When I came to St Fergus Parish Church in June, 2012, I endeavoured to proclaim the Cross and the Empty Tomb in my preaching to the congregation Sunday by Sunday. I follow the lectionary readings for the gospels each Sunday. The lectionary followed the Gospel of Mark until the end of November last year, and Luke after that. It was remarkable the way that the Gospel of the Crucified and Risen Lord Jesus came through the lectionary texts. For the past three months or so the gospel lectionary selections have been looking at Jesus' parables in the Gospel of Luke. Rather than forcing the Gospel of Jesus Christ onto the parables, the parables powerfully presented the Gospel. This is my primary task in preaching at St Fergus Parish Church: to proclaim the Good News of Jesus Christ's death on the Cross for the the forgiveness of sins according to the Scriptures and His resurrection from death to life, also according to the Scriptures. Everything else works out from there in my ministry with the people of the congregation.

And so I feel great joy when we celebrate the Lord's Supper at St Fergus Parish Church. Unfor-tunately it is only twice a year. I had grown accustomed to celebrating it the first Sunday of every month. As a result, at times I feel a hunger to be fed at the Lord's Table. But the time is not right to make any changes in the frequency of taking Communion. I am thrilled, even giddy, when we take  the Bread and the Cup at church. If done properly, the focus is on the death of Jesus for the for-giveness of our sins. All of our senses are involved: we see the Bread and the Cup; we hear the Gospel proclaimed; we smell the Bread and the Wine; we feel the bread, Christ's Body broken for us; we taste both the Wine, Christ's Blood shed for us, and the Bread. We taste and see that the LORD is good. It does not get any better than that, except to be in the Crucified and Risen Jesus' presence when we feast with Him at last at the Marriage Banquet at the End of Time. The Lord's Supper is celebrated in anticipation of that great  meal in the future. That's why I have fun when we celebrate Communion.  

As always, I covet your prayers on my behalf as a preacher of the Gospel of Jesus Christ at St Fergus Parish Church.

Blessings to you and yours,  

A Doric Tongue Update

This is me trying to look
reverential and ministerial
in my study  

I do not know whether it is true or not, but I sense that local people are no longer dropping off using the Doric Tongue when they are speaking to me. They used to do that a lot, but not as much now. I feel more comfortable with the language when I am around local people. I have found that the key things to do are to relax and not try too hard to understand all that is said word for word, but to get the sense of what is being said. I think some people are surprised at how much I understand. 

The big challenge for me right now is to be able to speak more in the Doric. It is important that I do this naturally rather than thinking about it. I have noticed that when I use a Doric word it comes out flat and it doesn't sound right. It drops with a dull thud on the floor. I want Doric words and phrases to come out naturally and unconsciously. I have all these Doric words and phrases swirling around in my mind, waiting to pop out in conversation. I have been expecting situations when they would naturally make their appearance known. 

I have had several situations when I could have used the Doric phrase nay bother. I hear it all the time. I often use the phrase no bother or no problem. I use those phrases often, but no where as much as I hear people say to me nay bother. Often I find myself telling someone no problem when I could have and should have said nay bother.  The problem was, I was thinking about it and it would not have come out naturally. I missed the opportunity.

Several months ago I was heading down to St Andrews by train. I was fortunate enough to get one of four seats at a table. The guy next to me kindly asked if he could get out into the aisle. Before I knew it I uttered nay bother. It just came out of me so unconsciously from deep down within me. It was totally me. It was a good sign that the culture here in the land of Buchan is starting to seep down into me. This is the way it has to be now: that Doric words and phrases come from within me, from my heart, rather than consciously through my mind. Don't think about it, just blurt it out. This means learning like a child again, not thinking about what I say or how I should say it. That means I have to be less self-conscious and open to making mistakes and being corrected. That is very hard for me to do. There have been other cases since then when I have spoken Doric words and phrases that came from my heart without thinking through first what I was to say.

I am in the process of going through what happens to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The proclamation that Jesus died on the Cross for the forgiveness of sin and was resurrected from the Tomb three days later is not an abstract notion left in the air, but a reality that is translated into history of flesh and blood people in communities throughout the world. A long time ago God the Father, in love, sent the Son through the power of God the Spirit. The Word of God took on human flesh and spoke Aramaic words with a strong Galilean accent. Jesus was a Jewish man who dwelt in the Hebrew society of ancient Israel. In these days I sense that the Spirit is fleshing out the Gospel of Jesus Christ with a Doric accent. The Spirit has certainly done that before in the North East, but I sense the Spirit of Jesus is on the move again in the Land of Buchan. Please join me in praying that the Gospel will again take on flesh for revival and renewal among the people of Buchan.

Blessings to you and yours,

An Eye Update

My eyes just a couple of days ago.
A big difference from early this year.

Last Friday I was into the Eye Clinic at the Aberdeen 

Royal Infirmary for my latest checkup on my right eye. 

My doctor, Dr K, was quite pleased with the progress 

of my eye since the surgery I had in early June. The 

inflammation was greatly reduced and the pressure in 

the eye was up to where it was suppose to be. I went 

away quite pleased with the progress of my eye. I will 

be back for another checkup in four weeks. 

Last May, just before my surgery, I would never have expected such a positive report from Dr 

K. My right eye had been shrinking for several years. But late last year the eye became greatly 

inflamed and the pressure inside it dangerously low.  I was not in pain, but I could not keep my 

eye lid open. During the winter and spring of this year I was travelling down to the Eye Clinic 

every other week, sometimes once a week. At one point the eye was in such poor condition and 

deteriorating so rapidly that I was informed that the eye might be lost. I prepared for the worse.  

But that is when I experienced with my own eyes the power of prayer. Dear Christian brothers 

and sisters in my hometown were praying mightily for my eye. Here in NE Aberdeenshire I re-

ceived prayer from others in the Christian family. Word spread among believers throughout the 

area. I really felt supported by the prayer of Christian brothers and sisters both far and wide. 

People whom I had not known have stopped me on the street and elsewhere to ask me how my
eye was. They were happy to receive the report that I gave, that their prayers were answered in
such a positive way. I am firmly convinced that the power of prayer changed what had been a
very terrible situation for me into one of healing and life. 

My eye is doing so well that sometimes I forget what a traumatic situation I was in the first half

of this year. It seems so long ago and so far way. How easily I forgot how the Lord Jesus was 

there for me as my Good Shepherd. I am mindful of how fragile life is and how quickly situa-

tions can change. But whether I am in good times like now or in bad times, God is God, and I 

am not, and God is my Shepherd. I ask for your continued prayers on my behalf, for my life
and ministry as well as for my eye.  Be sure to see the photo just below. 

The Right Rev Dr trying to look silly. 

Blessings to you and yours, 

                                             

Sunday, Sunday, Up in the Pulpit

The pulpit, organ, and Communion Table at St Fergus
Parish Church

The picture at the left shows the front part of the sanctuary of St Fergus Par-ish Church. There is a depth of rich-ness of colors of the sanctuary. I was thrilled by its beauty ever since I first set foot in the church in early June of last year. My favorite time of the week is Sunday when I lead the worship ser-vice here every Sunday. My favorite time in the service is when I mount the steps of the pulpit to preach. 

Ever since I first came to the church, I have preached from the pulpit. I would rather preach from down below, closer to the people; but that would just not sit right with the people in the pews. It is not a battle I choose to fight, so I preach from the pulpit. I am a happy camper just as long as I am preaching, whether from above in the pulpit or down below on ground level. I enjoy preaching every Sunday from the pulpit. Except for twenty-two occasions to preach during the year of pas-toral ministry in 2008/09, I had few times to preach from the middle of 2003 until the middle of 2012. One reason I love being here at St Fergus Parish Church is that I have the opportunity to preach every Sunday.

In over thirty-five years preaching, I have always carefully selected my preaching text. I tended to choose passages from the Psalms or the epistles of Paul. But here I've decided to follow the gos-pel readings of the Lectionary.  This year the Gospel Readings have been from Luke. Each Sun-day I preach from the selected reading from that Gospel. For the last several months the readings for each Sunday have been from the parables of Jesus in Luke. I find the parables challenging to preach on and have tended to disregard them in my sermons. But since I committed myself to keeping to the discipline of preaching from the Gospel passage assigned in the lectionary, I preach from Jesus' parables. Each week when I begin my study and reflection on the assigned text from Luke, I always wonder how I can preach from this text. But by the time I enter into the pulpit to preach the text, I am excited to share what I have learned during the week. 

The reason that I choose to preach from the assigned Gospel readings from the lectionary each Sunday is because they focus on who Jesus is and why the Father sent him into the world. The dear people of St Fergus Parish Church are good and decent, even religious; but they know very little about Jesus Christ. They haven't heard on a consistent basis what is of first importance: that Jesus died on the Cross for the forgiveness of sins in accordance with the Scriptures and that he arose from the grave, also in accordance with the Scriptures. The people in the pews have heard that, and yet they really have not heard it. My task as a preacher is to proclaim the life-giving Gospel of the crucified and risen Jesus Christ whenever I preach and Sunday by Sunday. I am held to that by keeping to the assigned lectionary texts of the Gospel of Luke. As I climb the steps into the pulpit at St Fergus Parish Church each Sunday, I am excited. It is the highpoint of my week. I am proclaiming the Gospel of the Jesus of the Cross and the Empty Tomb. There is no other message I'd rather proclaim. As always, I ask for your continued prayers. 

Blessings to you and yours, 

Andwele-'God Brings Me'

Andwele teaching at the popular Bible
Teaching time Friday evenings at  
St Andrews Church/Peterhead.

I have a dear friend, colleague, and brother in the Lord named Andwele, although that is not his real name. Andwele is a name from Africa that means God brings me. Both Andwele and I share the same conviction that God has brought both of us here to serve the Lord Jesus Christ and the people of the Northeast of Scotland as ministers with the Church of Scotland.  

Andwele came to Peterhead via the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) (his homeland and where he entered into the ministry), Kenya (where he did advanced biblical and theological studies and was active in Christian ministry), and Aberdeen (where he did his doctoral work in biblical studies and was invited to minister with the Church of Scotland). Because he is from the DRC, French is his primary language.  But because he has studied and ministered in Kenya and Scotland, Andwele has become remarkably proficient in English. Like me, he is doing everything he can to understand and speak the Doric Tongue.   

We enjoy the company of each other. Whenever we are together we talk, talk, talk. We talk a lot about what we see God doing here in the Peterhead area. We both have enjoyed the scholarly side of the Christian faith by going through the research process for our PhDs. Both of us are pastors, seeking to be in relationship with people in our con-gregations as well as those outside. Andwele has a passion for evangelism (sharing the Good News of Jesus Christ with those who do not yet know Him). I focus on building up and equipping believers for life and ministry in Christ. We firmly believe that God is mightily at work here in the North East of Scotland. We also strongly believe that both of us have been especially prepared and equipped to play a part in the revival and renewal of God's People in this region. We are encouraged to meet with other men and women who have been yearning (some for over a decade)  for God to do a new thing in these parts. We get excited when we look to see what God is doing in these days and desire to play our part as God leads us.

I have a lot of fun being with Andwele. He is confirmation to me that I am called by the Lord to be here in Aberdeenshire and in St Fergus Parish Church. Andwele is a fellow scholar / pastor, a dear brother, a wonderful colleague, and a close friend. As you remember me in your prayers, also remember Andwele. I will try to remember to do further postings about him in the future.

Blessings to you and yours, 

The Joy of Preaching

I know, I haven't posted on the blog since August. Well, I have my reasons and I will share them
with you in postings to come, but not now. I just want to briefly share with you my joy of preach-
ing. When I mount the steps into the pulpit on Sunday mornings at St Fergus Parish Church, I feel
like a knight in full armour mounting his war horse, prepared for defending and extending the Roy-
al Realm. I am Sir Geoffrey the Lion-Hearted, groomed and trained for battle. As a preacher, I go
forth armed with Truth, Faith, and Prayer as only a few of my armour and arms. I experience great
joy in preaching as a valiant knight serving Jesus, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.  

But I also enter the pulpit as Pastor Jeff the Tender-Hearted. I am a brave knight in my imagina-
tion, but I am a Pastor/Shepherd by calling. As I look out into the congregation, I see the faces
of women and men, boys and girls, with names that I seek to learn. I have heard the stories and
struggles of many of them. I sense a compassion for them that is a little bit like, but nowhere
near, the love that a mum has when her newborn is placed in her arms. I also know first hand the
stupid games we humans play with God and ourselves and how our hearts are prone to foolish wandering. We are utterly lost. And I, the God-ordained undershepherd, am called by the Good Shepherd himself to give my life for God's sheep. That contributes to the joy of preaching as well.

As I am up in the pulpit preaching, I realise that I am also Jeff the Broken-Hearted. It comes from
being a sinner as well as being sinned against. I need the blessed balm of the Gospel, of the Cru-
cified and Risen Jesus Christ, our Lord and Saviour. I need God's forgiveness. I need to forgive
those who have hurt me. The forgiveness that only Jesus can bring is at the heart of the Gospel.
We are all broken-hearted and in desperate need of the Gospel. Only the Cross and Empty Tomb
of Jesus Christ can make us whole-hearted. This is what gives me great joy in preaching: preach-
ing the powerful, life-giving Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Blessings to you and yours,    

Living in the Land of the Doric Tongue

I have been wrestling with the Doric Tongue for well over a year now. There are times when I
feel comfortable hearing people speaking it; but there are still times that I don't understand any-
thing that a person has just told me. It is a challenging language to understand, even for people
from other parts of Scotland. Words and ways of speaking from Flemish, Danish, Dutch, Ger-
man, Old Scots, and perhaps even Gaelic languages seem to be woven together to form the Dor-
ic Tongue that is spoken today.

I am finding out there is not one Doric Tongue, but many. The people in St Fergus speak a Dor-
ic that has much in common with other dialects of Doric, yet also its own distinctive words, pro-
nunciation, and idioms. Being in a farming village, St Fergus people speak a more rural dialect
that is different from the variations of Doric spoken in the fishing villages along the coast. The
dialects are different from village to village. The Doric that people who live in Fraserburgh, Pe-
terhead, and Ellon, the major towns in NE Scotland, are different from the Doric spoken in vil-
lages around them. Many Scottish people from other parts of Scotland have told me that the
Doric Tongue has the reputation for being the most challenging and difficult dialect in Scot-
land to understand.

But I have been making headway in understanding the Doric Tongue used in St Fergus and in
the surrounding areas, including Peterhead, the major town in the area. For over a year now, my
next door neighbours, Agnes and Jim, have been my patient tutors of the Doric Tongue. Agnes
is much more verbal than Jim, and talks to me a lot, almost every day. When I first moved in be-
side them, she used to switch to a more common English, yet slowly introduced Doric ways of
saying things. She's been a great teacher. But I still have a long way to go.

I used to have trouble picking out individual words in a conversation. Now I am starting to pick
out specific words and ask what they mean. I'd like to share some of the words I've learned. The
first word I have heard a lot is ken, to know. I have heard it used in other parts of Scotland, but
not anywhere as often as I've heard it used here in the North East. I hear it sprinkled through con-
versations as an interjection. Ken? (you know?). Some people I talk to on the street or in church
use ken? in every sentence. Ken? It is also frequently used as a verb of knowledge of something
or someone. I am often asked if I ken so and so, or if I ken what time the church service is. I fre-
quently hear the word. Ken? 

I wrestle whether to use the word, the word ken, myself when I am talking to someone. There
have been a few times when I have been brave enough to use the word ken as an interjection,
but it doesn't quite come out right. It seems that it has to do with the pitch or timing of my say-
ing it. I nae ken. I ken that I can write it, but it I still feel uncomfortable using it in speech. I am
reluctant to use ken as I  talk to people. I sense that my ability to rightly use the Doric word is
welling up inside me and that one day it will spill forth naturally and in the right way. I don't
want to have to think about it coming out in my speech; I just want it to spring forth uncon-
sciously. More about my adventures of speaking the Doric Tongue in future postings.

Blessings to you and yours, ken?       

  

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,

Back into the Fast Lane

I have been home from the hospital now for just over one week. I am doing very well and
I am not experiencing any pain. It is good to be back to full speed again after being so in-
active for the twelve days I was under medical care. I had entered the Aberdeen Royal In-
firmary June 1st for surgery on my right eye June 3rd. I expected to be released from the
hospital one or two days after the operation. People who undergo the same procedure I
was scheduled for usually report to the hospital the evening before the operation and leave
the day after. But since I have a mechanical aortic heart valve, I am taking warfarin every
day to thin my blood.

I take the warfarin to prevent blood clots from forming. When blood clots break off and
are circulated to a vital organ, they can cause a stroke or heart attack. I am grateful for
warfarin because it helps keep me alive and healthy. Warfarin hinders the ability of the
blood to coagulate and form clots. People who take warfarin often experience bleeding
that is slow to stop, sometimes with tragic consequences. There is no place for that dur-
ing surgery. I  went into the hospital two days early to take medication to thicken my
blood for the operation. The operation on my eye was successful and the bleeding was
not a concern.

After surgery, I was put back on my medication to thin the blood. I expected that my
blood level would be back to normal after one or two days, perhaps three at the most.
But that was not the way it was. My blood's recovery was painfully slow. Perhaps it
was good that I was still in the hospital. Late Friday following surgery, my right eye
took a major step backwards. A doctor was able to observe what was happening. Sur-
gery was scheduled for the following Monday. Again I was put on medication to thick-
en my blood for the operation.

The surgery on Monday was successful. My eye appears to have been repaired, at least
for the foreseeable future. Not long after surgery, I was put back on the medication to
thin my blood. I cringed at the thought of more time in the hospital. But it was not to be.
The blood level quickly rose and I was allowed to return home two days after the second
surgery. I was stunned, but happily so. I was in the hospital for twelve days.

Whereas one part of me was anxious to get out of the hospital as soon as I could, a bigger
part of me really enjoyed my twelve day stay. I never was in any pain and I quickly recov-
ered from both operations. The medical care and the staff were top rate. I was actually im-
pressed with the Scottish meals that I could chose. I enjoyed talking with medical staff and
fellow patients on the Ward. I had time to read, journal, listen to podcasts, and chat with
people to my hearts content.

During my unexpected extended stay in the hospital, I was able to hand off the few duties
and commitments I had to other people. Because I actually felt good both physically and
spiritually, one voice in me really moaned and groaned about being inactive in the hosp-
ital for so long, but a more dominant voice was quite grateful for this time. It was a much
needed time of rest that the Lord had granted me. I felt a sharp sadness saying goodbye to
the staff as I left. I was still savouring the mince and tatties that I had for dinner just before
I left.  

As I write this, it has been just over a week since I returned home from the hospital. Agnes
and Jim next door have made sure that I am all right. My eye is doing very well and I have
enjoyed being back in the village and engaged in ministry again. The food at the hospital
was surprisingly good, but it nowhere begins to be compared with Agnes's  cooking. She
and Jim make sure that I am ok.  Even though I feel great, I must admit I have been thinking
of ways to take advantage of their neighbourly goodwill. Meanwhile, I am back in the fast
lane, as busy as was before the surgery. There is still a lot to catch up on, especially emails.
As usual, I ask for your prayers on my behalf.

Blessings to you and yours,

Finally! I Am Home!

This is just a hastily written posting to report that I am back at home in St Fergus after
being in the Aberdeen Royal Infirmary since Saturday, the first of June. That day I re-
ported to Ward 30 (the Eye Ward) for surgery on my right eye the following Monday.
I was scheduled for what is considered a fairly routine procedure: removal of a buckle
that had prevented the retina from detaching for over twenty-one years and replacement
of the natural gel of my inner eye with a silicone gel. It was expected that this simple op-
eration would stabilise my eye.

But in my case, this simple procedure was complicated by previous cardiac surgery. Sev-
en years ago, my defective aortic heart valve was removed and replaced with a mechani-
cal aortic heart valve. Since then I have had to take warfarin every day to thin my blood,
thus preventing life-threatening blood clots from forming and causing serious cardiac dam-
age in my heart, brain, or lungs. Rather than reporting to the hospital the night before the
operation, I arrived two days before to start the process of thickening my blood for sur-
gery. I was put on another medicine that had a short-term and temporary effect of prevent-
ing clots from forming while my blood grew thicker. Rather than leaving the hospital the
day after the operation, I was told to expect to remain several days longer in order to thin
my blood again.

The operation early Monday, the third of June, was successful. I am grateful that I was
not awake for the surgery. Upon examining the buckle directly, the doctor did not re-
move the buckle, but did inject silicone gel into the eye. She had told me she would not
make a decision about the buckle until she could examine it while I was asleep. I went
through surgery well and did not experience pain. Upon examining my eye in the days
after the operation, the doctor was pleased with the condition of my eye. I was pleased
as well.

In the days following the surgery, the primary issue was not the condition of my eye af-
ter surgery, but the restoration of the thinness of my blood to the level it was before the
operation. I started taking warfarin again the evening after surgery, hoping that the re-
quired level would be reached within a couple days. I was kept on the other medicine to
prevent blood clots from forming while my warfarin level got back to normal. But the
couple of days became longer and longer; two or three days became seven days. I had
not expected that I would have to spend more than a couple of extra days in the hospital.

But looking back now, it is fortunate that I stayed longer in the hospital. On the Friday
following Monday's surgery, the right eye went through a traumatic conniption. I re-
ported the situation to the ward staff and a doctor came quickly to examine my eye. He
was concerned about the eye and almost arranged for emergency surgery early in the
morning. But later in the morning, the doctor saw that the eye had stabilised. Taking his
advice, I made the decision to postpone necessary surgery until Monday. On Saturday
I again stopped taking warfarin in preparation for surgery on Monday. The condition of
my eye was serious.

On Monday, the 10th of June, a week after the first operation, I again had surgery on
my right eye. The doctor removed the buckle and patched up a hole caused by the
buckle over the years. The buckle had been the primary cause of the recent problems
with my right eye. The surgery was serious because the condition of the eye was ser-
ious. I quickly recovered from the operation and the next day received the good news
that the operation had been successful. My concern again turned from the condition of
my eye to how long it would take to get my warfarin level up to where I would be al-
lowed to go home.

I started taking warfarin again Monday night, the day I had surgery. The eye felt good,
but I was not looking forward to waiting a long time for the warfarin level to get back
to normal. On Tuesday I received news that the warfarin level was going in the right
direction, even if slowly. But Wednesday afternoon I was informed that my warfarin
level was at the point where I would be allowed to go home. Wednesday night the doc-
tor gave her consent for me to go home. I was both surprised and shocked. It happened
so quickly. By 7 pm a friend had picked me up to take me home to St Fergus. I was
home by 8:30 pm.

I will be sharing more about my time in hospital in blog postings to come. I am grateful
to the LORD God for God's gracious presence with me through trying times. I am also
grateful to those who undergirded me in prayer. I struggled to learn how to use my
iPhone to keep friends informed of what was happening to me. There were a good
number of people I could not contact regarding my situation. But I know that I would
have been lost if I did not know that people were praying for me and that God was
powerfully present with me during this time of challenges with my eye. I spent twelve
days in the hospital. It feels so good to be out and to be home.

Blessings to you and yours,

The Latest Right Eye Update

Six weeks ago I was facing the possibility of losing the sight in my right eye. The eye was shut-
ting down despite the best efforts of the medical specialists at the Aberdeen Royal Infirmary Eye
Clinic. The condition of the eye had been steadily deteriorating since last autumn, thus causing
the eye to shrink. The eye looked horrible. The doctor told me that we were running out of op-
tions for the eye. I prepared for living my life with only my left eye. I was told by the doctor that
many people do well with one eye.

But prayer and critical medical care changed the situation of my eye. I asked people to pray for
the healing of my eye. There were those who laid hands on me and anointed me with oil. It was
shortly thereafter that the doctor observed the eye becoming progressively better. Rather than
discussing the eye shutting down, she talked to me about surgery to remove the gel of my inner
eye, replacing it with silicone gas to keep the pressure constant in the eye. She would also re-
move the anchor holding the retina in place. It had been eroding the tissue of the retina, thus
causing loss of pressure. The situation had changed greatly.

I have been scheduled for eye surgery on Monday, the third of June. If everything goes well, I
will be released the next day. However, I will enter the hospital the preceding Thursday morn-
ing in order to begin the process of thickening my blood for surgery. Since my aortic heart valve
was replaced in 2006, I have been taking warfarin to thin my blood. The doctor intends to thick-
en the blood in order to cut down the risk of serious bleeding during the operation. I am receiv-
ing excellent medical care and I marvel at the state of medical technology and knowledge in do-
ing this. As always, I covet your prayers.

Blessings to you and yours,  

Coming Up on the First Year in St Fergus

It is hard for me to believe that I am coming up on the end of my first year here in St Fergus.
I arrived back in Scotland on June 6 of last year. I was eager to get back into full time ministry
after having spent nearly sixteen months waiting for a visa to re-enter Scotland. I enjoyed be-
ing back home in the Longview/Kelso area, but God had called me to pastoral ministry at St
Fergus Parish Church in Scotland. Because I was going to a church in an area of Scotland
that I didn't know, I really didn't know what to expect. But I have been truly blessed by be-
ing here.

I enjoy living here among the people of North-East Scotland. When I arrived, I was immedi-
ately challenged by the Doric Tongue. Although I still have a long way to go in understand-
ing the dialect, I am feeling more comfortable hearing people speak it. I have not been enjoy-
ing the weather of North-East Scotland: rain, rain, and more rain, and very little in the way
of sun. But despite that, I have managed quite well. Agnes, my next door neighbour, often
learns me the Doric as we almost daily meet out back to chat and catch up on the latest news
of people in the village. I have been blessed by frequent helpings of her Scottish broth, fish
cakes, and mince and tatties.

I have been with the good people of St Fergus Parish Church for almost a year. I have be-
come increasingly fond of them as my time goes on with them. I enjoy preaching each Sun-
day at the church and at other churches in the area. I have been listening to the people here
and to the Holy Spirit, seeking to be sensitive to how God has been at work in the lives of
the people. I had intended to lay low for the first two years at the church, but I found that I
was quickly swept up into the congregation and the village straight away. I came through
the first year doing quite well and I am eager to get on with the second year. I enjoy being
here because the Lord has sent me here to pastor God's people at St Fergus Parish Church.

Blessings to you and yours,

The Healing Power of Prayer and My Right Eye

It is with a sense of quiet joy that I share with you that my troubled right eye has been improving
over the last week. I had wanted to report this to you before now, but found myself swept away
by tasks that I thought had to be done last week. Maybe I have my priorities mixed up. What has
happened to my right eye is quite remarkable. I still do not have good vision in my right eye (I
never did over the past few years), but the steady process of the eye shutting down has been
halted. For the past week the condition of the eye has been improving dramatically. It is a big dif-
ference from ten days ago.

In mid-April I met with an eye specialist in Aberdeen. The condition of my right eye was poor.
I did not have any vision from that eye and it was continuing to gradually shut down. It seemed
that it was only a matter of time before the eye shrank and shut down completely, and then the
eye would have to be removed. That did not sit well with me at all. I agreed to meet with her
again in two weeks after the demanding events of Holy Week were over. There was no improve-
ment over those two weeks.

Since last autumn I have been helping lead a Saturday morning prayer group in Peterhead, the
big town nearby. On the Saturday before I met with the eye specialist, I shared with the mem-
bers of the group about my eye. I told them about the rapid deterioration of my eye and asked
them to anoint me with oil, lay hands on me, and pray for healing of the eye. They had been
praying for me before, but this was a new step for us. Abi, my dear African brother and minis-
terial colleague, prayed mightily for the healing of my eye. I also contacted various other peo-
ple in Scotland and the USA to pray in agreement for healing of my eye.

I experienced gradual changes in the eye the rest of the day. On Sunday my eye was much im-
proved; vision started to return. By Monday morning, the eye was in far better condition yet.
Early in the afternoon I saw the eye doctor. The purpose of meeting was to discuss the remain-
ing options for me. In our previous meeting she had said that the options available to me had
been greatly reduced. I had the sense that she perceived that the eye was beyond restoration;
it had deteriorated to a point beyond which recovery did not seem likely.

The eye specialist examined my eye and I reported to her what I had been experiencing with
my eye. She told me that the fissures that caused so much concern in my eye were disappear-
ing; the retina that had been curved was now flatted out nicely; and there was no sign of bleed-
ing within the eye. The eye had greatly improved. Then she talked about the options. Because
of the condition of the eye, she would not advise me to have the eye removed. Those were the
words I and others had been praying for. The option to remove the eye was the one I had been
dreading.

After hearing the options available to me, I decided to continue the present regimen of drops
and steroids to stabilise the eye for a few more weeks. Upon her recommendation, the gel in
my inner eye will be replaced with a more stable silicone gas to build up the pressure within
the eye. She will also remove the buckle that had been the chief source of my present prob-
lems.  That the doctor offered to remove the buckle soon was a sign to me that the condition
of the eye was greatly improved. Because the eye had been in such poor condition, the re-
moval of buckle was not even an option before last week. But things are different now.

It has now been a week since I met in consultation with the eye specialist. The vision of the
right eye continues to improve; but that is not saying much, for the vision in that eye has al-
ways been poor, especially in comparison with the other eye. Meanwhile I continue to be in-
volved in the ministerial duties that are entailed in being the minister of St Fergus Parish
Church. As always, I ask for your prayers, especially in regard to the ongoing issues of my
right eye. I ask your prayers for the continuing healing and restoration of my right eye.

Blessings to you and yours,

St Fergus Easter 2013: The Cross of Jesus Christ and the Empty Tomb

First, just a quick word on the condition of my right eye. I have slowly regained some sight in
my right eye, but unfortunately it is very poor vision. I have made an appointment with a local
 optician this coming Friday to enquire if vision could be improved with glasses or contact lens.
Next Monday I consult with the eye specialist about options available to me. I have been run-
ning out of options with only a few left. I intend to make a decision next week sometime. Mean-
while I continue to live with this condition in the light and presence of Jesus Christ. I do pray
for and desire that He would heal and restore my eye; but what I long for to a much greater ex-
tent is that I be in a more intimate and deeper relationship with Jesus, regardless of my physical
condition or life situation. I yearn to revolve around our crucified and risen Lord and Saviour
Jesus Christ. The past eight weeks, therefore, have been an especially rich time for me.

More importantly, the past two weeks, especially Holy Week, have been a special time for me.
Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Resurrection Sunday proclaimed the Gospel of Jesus
Christ directly into my life in a way I hadn't experienced before. Despite the condition with my
eye, I had been on the go during these last two weeks. By Sunday afternoon I felt worn out. I
crashed the evening of Easter Sunday and laid low all day Monday. Yet I still felt the glow of
the crucified and risen Jesus. At Sunday worship at St Fergus Parish Church we sang hymns
about the Resurrection and listened to the gospel accounts of the Risen Christ. I preached from
I Corinthians 15:1-8. The Apostle Paul speaks to the heart of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, empha-
sizing his death and resurrection as being of first importance. I have been reflecting on this key
passage for some years now, but only in the last few weeks has it been shaping my life and pro-
clamation. I have provided the text for you below. I want you to pay special attention to the sec-
tion highlighted in red.

I Corinthians 15:1-8

         1 Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you 
         received, in which you stand, 2 and by which you are being saved, if you hold 
         fast to the word I preached to you--unless you believed in vain. 3 For I delivered 
         to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in 
         accordance with the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the 
         third day in accordance with the Scriptures, 5 and that he appeared to Cephas, 
         then to the twelve. 6 Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at 
         one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. 7 Then 
         he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. 8 Last of all, as to one untimely 
         born, he appeared also to me.

In this section of Scripture, the Apostle identifies the heart of the Gospel message that he 
has been proclaiming to others. The Gospel he has been preaching to believers in Cor-
inth is the message of salvation. What Paul has received, he has been delivering to oth-
ers. The Gospel is a message of life that saves people from sin and death. The Gospel is 
not about what men and women do. It is not about us. It focuses on what God has done 
in the Son of God, Jesus Christ. Jesus died on the Cross for the forgiveness of sins. His 
redemptive death was anticipated throughout the Hebrew Scriptures, what we Christians 
refer to as the Old Testament. Jesus died and was buried. But that was not the end of 
the Story: on the third day He was raised from death to life. All of this was foretold in the 
Scriptures. Then Paul lists all the people the Risen Saviour showed himself to, including 
himself as one untimely born.   

We believers who name the Name of Jesus Christ anchor our faith in the two essential 
tenets of the Gospel: that Jesus died on the Cross for the forgiveness of our sins, accord-
ing to the Scriptures, and that He was raised from death to life on the third day, according 
to the Scriptures. This is the Gospel we proclaim. The Gospel that we have received and 
believe in points to the crucified and risen Jesus Christ. In Him we are justified and sancti-
fied. This Jesus and what He did is the heart of the Gospel that brings life to those who 
are dead in sin. The content of our preaching must be shaped by the Cross and the Emp-
ty Tomb of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Saviour. Faith in the crucified and risen Son of 
God brings salvation and life in all its fulness. Everything else is secondary, and flows 
from those two cosmic events that God did through His Son Jesus Christ. I thought that
I knew that, the Gospel. Perhaps I did. But I came to a renewed and deeper awareness 
of it in my life during Lent and Holy Week at St Fergus Parish Church, 2013.

Blessings to you and yours in these weeks after Easter,