My First Scottish Wedding

I officiated at my first wedding in Scotland last Saturday. I am realizing how significant it was
in the formation of my ministry here at St Fergus Parish Church. I saw your good comment,
Big R, and I will respond to it in time. But now I need to reflect on the wedding I officiated at
just the other day. It has been two days since the wedding, and I am realizing how much I in-
vested of myself in crafting the marriage ceremony. Yesterday afternoon after having directed
Sunday worship as well as the wedding, I felt drained and just a little down. Even though I en-
joyed both services. I felt worn out.

I started meeting with the bride and the groom a month before the wedding. I can imagine that
they were wondering what this tall American dude/minister would do. The groom, who is in his
late twenties, has been working as a hair dresser since he was 14. He and his older brother be-
gan their own hair dresser shop when he was 17. The elder brother has emigrated to Australia,
but the groom has developed the shop into a successful small business that also trains young
people for hair styling of both women and men. One of the first trainees was the bride. For over
thirteen years she has found a vocation at the hair shop, and for over twelve years has been with
the groom. Just several weeks ago, the bride and groom moved into their new beautiful home
that the groom and his father have been working on for the past eight years. I believe I have
gained two great friends as we have met together to get to know one another and plan for the
wedding.

I spent considerable time researching how weddings are conducted here in the North-East of 
Scotland. I asked questions of ministers and other people about the weddings they had been 
part of or attended, and watched a video of one wedding in St Fergus Parish Church. The lay-
out of the sanctuary posed some stiff challenges for me as I thought through the service. The 
bride and groom didn't really know what to do for the wedding, and were looking to me to tell 
them what to do. Things really came together at the wedding rehearsal. The bride and her maid 
of honor took my suggestions and added their input. I witnessed the transformation of the bride's 
view of her own wedding. The wedding had always been important to the bride, but something happened there at the rehearsal. Focusing on the rapidly approaching wedding date, something 
clicked within her and, in a way, she entered into her own wedding dance. It seemed to me that 
when the groom sensed that, something clicked in him, too, and he joined her. Together they be-
gan to dance the dance that crested on their wedding day. There were no thunderclaps or halle-
lujah choruses, but something was transformed in the couple. The result was a wedding that 
was honoring of marriage, beautiful, fun, and deeply meaningful, especially to the couple. 

As I write this post, it is raining heavily outside and there is a barrage of thunder. I enjoy listen-
ing to the downpour on the windows and rolling heavenly booms. There is more that I want to
share about the wedding, but I will put that off for a day or two.

Until then, blessings to you and yours,

A Response to Big R

It is always good to receive your comments, Big R. You know how to get a rise out of me. 

In over thirty years of some sort of pastoral ministry I have come to realize just how messy 

the Christian faith and church life are. Whether ancient Israel or the Church of the past two 

millennia, God's people have always been characterized by messiness. Nothing Christians 

do surprises me anymore. I did not write the blog post to place blame on anyone, especially 

young people. I was reporting what I heard people share with me. Things are pretty messy
with the Church today. 

As I have been walking around St Fergus and Peterhead talking to church-going people, I
have heard two key questions, two critical issues. The first is: where have all the young
people gone? The second is: where have all the people gone? A number of people remem-

ber how the churches of the area were filled to the brim in the 1950s, 60s, and even into the 

70s. Attending church activities for young people was part of growing up in Scotland. But 

now things are much different. Churches are not what they used to be. I can feel their grief 

and sadness as they participate in churches that are not what they used to be years ago. I 

have heard it said that the North-East of Scotland is about 20-30 years behind the rest of 

Scotland in terms of the decline of the established Church. Wales and England are also ex-

periencing the sharp decline of the Church. All the years of studies and reflection cannot 

take the edge off the trauma Church people feel for the rapid decline of the Church. No-

one seems to have an answer. 

In the face of this, I am optimistic. God delights to move in such situations. I see the Spirit
at work in Peterhead and St Fergus, and in churches round about. The Triune God is on the
move and I am seeking to fall in step with the Lord. There are churches reaching out to the

youth and there are congregations that are growing in number. I am meeting with believers 

from various churches in Peterhead who seek revival and renewal not only here in Peter-

head, but all over Scotland. Things are happening. But at this point in time, the advance-

ment of Jesus' kingdom is slow and at times barely perceptible. I hope to be writing more 

about this in future blogs. I ask for your prayers for this in the North-East of Scotland and 

wherever you may be. Big R, I'll be trying to engage with you remarks in upcoming posts. 

Blessings to you and yours,

Where Have All the Young People Gone?

Since arriving in North-East Scotland over two months ago, I have been chatting with a lot
of people. One issue regarding the churches comes up over and over: where have all the
young people gone? Boys and girls who attended Sunday School as children seem to disap-
pear from church once they turn twelve years of age. They found other things to do on Sun-
day mornings. Church does not have a place in their young lives. They might come to church
with their families on Christmas and Easter, but they disappear once they are employed or go
to the university. Adults who remember the large Sunday Schools in years past express sad-
ness and even grief when they observe that the young people no longer come to church. I
hear those feelings expressed here in the North-East; I have heard them in Canada; and I have

been hearing them for several decades in the USA. Where have all the young people gone? 

When I was a wee lad I remember a large Sunday School in my home church and classes for 

each grade level. It seemed that the church was filled to the brim with kids. But when I at-

tended my home church the past year when I was in the US, we were fortunate to have three
children show up for the Children's Talk before being dismissed to Sunday School. Many Sun-
days children were not present. Wherever I have been in Britain, Canada, and the US, the
question of where have all the young people gone is on their minds. Even for churches that
have Sunday School programs for children, the question is what happened to the children
once they turned twelve. They seem to disappear from church once they enter into their
teen years. Where have they gone?

In a few weeks time the Sunday School at St Fergus Parish Church will start up for another
year. Three mothers of young children and a young secondary student will provide crafts,
fun, and a Bible lesson to seven to nine children. They do an amazing work. They carry on
with the ministry of two elders who worked with children and young people for over twenty
years until three years ago. But the question I keep hearing over and over when I talk to peo-
ple is this: where have all the young people gone? They certainly are not in church.

I have wrestled with this issue for decades; and I expect that it will continue to capture my
attention for decades to come. I don't really know what to do; but that does not mean that
I am without hope. I put my trust in the Lord Jesus, stand upon Scripture, and act faith-
fully where the Lord has planted me. As always, I ask for your prayers.

Blessings to you and yours,

Finally! A Picture for the Blog!

St Fergus Parish Church, St Fergus, Aberdeenshire, Scotland

I have been working on getting pictures of St Fergus Parish Church and the area surrounding the village of St Fergus into the blog and onto Facebook. I succeeded in regards to the latter, and now I see that I am successful regarding the former. Here is the first picture I have had on my blog. It is a picture of St Fergus Parish Church. The church building itself dates back to 1850 or so, but there is evidence of a Christian church here in the area from the mid-16th century. The foundation of the earlier church building can still be seen at the village cemetery located between the village and the North Sea. When I get more settled, I will explore the old site to see what I can learn. The clerk of the Church session has given me material to go through about the history of the church. I feel like I am on an adventure! 

I am interested in finding out more about St Fergus the missionary and whether he was caught up in the great missionary movement that flowed out of Iona in the second half of the first millennium of the present era. The great Celtic missionary saint Columba was at the forefront of a movement that swept into Scotland and Northern England from Ireland. Other Celtic missionary saints such as Aidan, Cuthbert, and a host of others proclaimed the Gospel of Jesus Christ and healed the sick. Later the Venerable Bede, an Englishman, wrote a history in the English language of this great missionary endeavor. I am wondering if St Fergus was part of this great Celtic missionary movement. I have a hunch that he was. I expect that St Fergus Parish Church tapped into this stream of rich Celtic missionary heritage! I am eager to find out more. In the picture above of the church, there is a standing Celtic Cross in front of the church. I haven't heard anything about the date of the cross, whether it is ancient or relatively recent. But I will have joy in finding that out! 

Blessings to you and yours, 

The Doric Tongue: My Challenge

I am starting to settle in and put things in place. But before me is one challenge that will occu-
py my attention for years to come: the Doric tongue. Doric is a dialect of Scots that is spoken
in the North East of Scotland. People I have met who grew up speaking Doric do not refer to
it  as a dialect, but as the Doric tongue. Several people speak of it as a language, with a vocab-
ulary and way of saying things all its own. Whether I am talking with friends from St Andrews
and Cupar or new acquaintances from northeast (also called Aberdeenshire) Scotland, the con-
versation always seems to come to how I am handling the Doric tongue. I usually answer in the
little Doric I've mastered: nae bad, 'not bad.'

I take every opportunity I can find to listen to Doric speakers. I have to pay close attention to
what is said and the context in which something is said. Sometimes I can follow along; other
times I feel completely lost. Fortunately many of the people whom I visit slow down their talk-
ing and teach me words I hadn't known before. It would be helpful if I were a child who is learn-
ing to speak Doric. Children are willing to talk, make mistakes, and be corrected. But I find that
my pride gets in the way. It is difficult for me to talk knowing I will make mistakes. It is hard for
me to accept correction. It is challenging for me.

But still, I take seriously learning the language and settling into this culture of the North East. I
do so because God takes language and culture seriously. Jesus Christ is the eternal Word who
took on human flesh. Jesus centered his ministry in Galilee and spoke Greek, Hebrew, and Ara-
maic with a Galilean accent. He lived out his life in the manner and customs of his community.
He was not the universal man who was a reflection of everybody. He was truly human, but he
was also a Galilean. When we are redeemed and saved, God does not throw away our own lang-
uage, social mores, and customs. Rather, God brings us into the Kingdom with our distinctive
language and customs. However, we are not saved by Jesus being a Galilean; we are saved by
Jesus, the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. Christ died, Christ is risen, and
Christ will come again. As a result, people from every tribe and language and nation and peo-
ple worship him as Lord of lords and King of kings.

I take seriously the society in which God has placed and the people with whom I live. I am
making every effort to speak and understand the Doric tongue. As I do this, I can only ask for
your prayers.

Blessings to you and yours,  

Swamped, But Still Going Strong

I am somewhat astonished by how long it has been since I last posted on my blog. I had planned

to blog frequently about my big move to the North East of Scotland as I took up ministry at St. 

Fergus Parish Church. I had the best of intentions, but was not able to carry them out. Even 

though my residential internet access was activated last week, I still did not post to my blog and 

answer emails from friends. It had been my fervent desire to keep people informed of my move 

across the Pond to my new home in St. Fergus, Scotland. I did not succeed in carrying out those 

best of intentions. I have felt swamped by all that I have had to do to get setup here in St. Fer-
gus. There is much more I have yet to do. 

I am doing very well. I am happy and enjoy being in a new area of Scotland that I had never real-

ly experienced before. I firmly believe that the Lord shaped me for such a time as this during the 

sixteen months I spent in my hometown of Longview, Washington. I have been well prepared. 

Even now I have a strong sense of what I need to do to enter into pastoral ministry here with the 

people of St. Fergus and Peterhead, the latter being the large town just a few miles down the road 

from the former. 

But I have also been challenged by the reality that the way things were done in my hometown in 

the USA are certainly not the way things are done here in North East Scotland. I have to unlearn 

habits, customs, and routines that made sense in Longview, but do not work here in St. Fergus. 

There have been times I have felt like a little child who is having to learn from grownups and old-

er children how to do basic things of life. It is humbling, but it is a process that everyone goes 

through in varying degrees when one moves from one culture to another. It is a process that I ex-

pect to be in for years to come. 

I am developing new habits, customs, and routines for my life here in this part of Scotland. As 

a result, right now I spend considerably more time to do routine things that I did quickly when 

I was at home in the USA. Even the way things were said and done in the South East of Scot-

land where I  lived before are not the way things are said and done here in the North East. Some-

times I feel swamped as I try to do everything I believe I need to get done to settle in here. It
takes time to build new habits and routines. But soon I will be up to speed with many of the things
I struggle with now.  

As always, if you are the praying type, I ask for your prayers as I learn to live and serve the peo-

ple of St. Fergus and North East Scotland in Jesus' Name.  

Many blessings to you and yours,  

Back Online in a New Land

Well, here I am, back online and in a new land! I have finally figured out a way to post to
my blog. I have been back in Scotland for over two weeks now, and in St. Fergus for just
over two weeks. I am slowly getting organized in my new home and bringing a sense of or-
der to a new phase of my life here in the Northeast of Scotland. Before my first week was
over I learned that my phone landline and internet access would not be operational until the
third of July. I finally found access at the public library in Peterhead, the main town down
the road. At first I found it difficult to gain access on wifi, but now I get online immediately.
I attempted to gain access to my blog, but found that it was blocked by the authorities that
be. Here in St. Fergus, one of the elders has graciously allowed me to use his computer. I
finally figured out how to access the blog and am now writing this blog post on his compu-
ter. But it is hard to wait until I gain my own access in early July.

I have been prayer walking around the village of 600 to 800 people. No one seems to have
an official population figure.  The village of St. Fergus is surrounded by a variety of agricul-
tural fields. It looks like there are new houses going up. I bless the people in the houses as I
walk by and talk to a few of the people on the streets. There are three  businesses in town: a
used car lot, a pub, and the town store that also serves as a post office for outgoing mail. It
seems many people of the village stop by there to get their morning paper. One can pick up
assorted items, but most people tend to go to one of the two or three big supermarkets in Pet-
erhead. I have had some nice chats with people in the store when I have gone there for one
or two items. Since the church stocked my refrigerator and cupboards with food, I have yet
to make a grocery run.

I visited the primary school in St. Fergus this morning. Just over 100 primary level students
are eagerly awaiting summer vacation. Next year I hope to do assemblies at the school, visit
classes, and go on field trips with the kids. The head teacher (principal) seems keen to involve
me in different activities next school year. I am looking forward to it. I hope that students will
see me as they play outside and come up to talk to me and introduce me to their parents. I
would like to see people at the church put on a Summer Holiday Club (Vacation Bible School)
here in St. Fergus sometime in the next few years. I know there are parents at the church who
are eager to see that take place. I am also amazed how some schools (such as the one here in
St. Fergus)are open to the Gospel of Jesus Christ being presented to the students and their par-
ents. It just is not possible in the USA. So I look forward to the coming school year.

I am delighted by the people here in this area of Scotland. They are some of the friendliest and
most kind people I have ever met anywhere. I am touched by how nice everyone has been. I
mean that in a good sense of 'nice.' I am struggling with understanding the 'Doric tongue,' the
dialect of the region, but people are sensitive to my plight and have mercy on me. It is a mat-
ter of training my ear, being patient, and being willing to make mistakes in speaking. I hope
to write about that in future blog postings.

I am very happy and content here. I am where God has prepared me to be. In God's love, God
has placed me here. It seems that I have encountered many doors closing on me the past five
years. Now I am thrilled to see so many doors opening for me. I am committed to being here
for the long haul. There is no other place that I would rather be. It is a new adventure for me.
I strongly sense God's provision, guidance, protection, and blessing upon me as I start my life
here in St. Fergus, Aberdeenshire, Scotland. I feel royally blessed. I plan to write more in the
weeks ahead as I am able. It should be easier when I get online in my own place. As always, I
covet your prayers on my behalf.

Blessings to you and yours,

Solid Rock in a World of Disruption

It is 3:30 in the morning and I am wide awake. I went to sleep at 10:00 pm and slept well
through the night. Now I am up and wondering where to start with all that I have to do. My
small world is disrupted and in disarray. Since last summer I have been going through 30 or
so boxes of personal and family memorabilia that I had stored in a small U Haul storage unit
for the past twelve years. For the past six weeks my stuff covered the floor of my small stu-
dio apartment as I went through boxes. My family heritage and even my own personal life
were strewn around me. I felt a good measure of relief and order when two friends helped
me move 14 boxes of family and personal memories out of my room and back into storage.

In just a few hours, just after Morning Watch, some guys will come and take away my bed,
desk ,and a chair that I've donated to a Christian ministry. Later today I will move into dear
friends' home for several days before my departure for Scotland. Again I am in transition
with no place to call my own. My little studio apartment has been the place where I have
met with God for over a year. It has become a special, even a holy place for me. My home
is being taken apart and I am sad. It is an end of an era that has been very precious to me,
even though I  didn't see it that way earlier last year. In a way it has been a wilderness exper-
ience for me. I never had a lot, but I always had enough.

I have gone through nine significant moves since 2006. It seemed that I was always packing
up and moving on to someplace else, especially during the first three years. For at least two
years, 2009 and 2010, I had a more stable and secure place to stay. Even then I always knew
it was temporary and that sooner or later I would be moving on. But moving to the pastoral
position at St Fergus Parish Church feels positively different. It is an end of a long process
that the Lord has put me through. I have received the orders for which I had been waiting. I
am no longer ordered to stand down, but to go into action. And I am ready and eager to do
that.

I have experienced disruption and disarray the past nine years, especially the last six. At times
I flailed and floundered, grasping for anything that would give me security. But over that time
I learned over and over that even though situations and circumstances change, the LORD God
is a fortress and high rock upon which we can stand. More specifically, Jesus is the solid rock
upon which we stand in a world full of disruption and disarray. Our settings and situations may
change, but the LORD never does. I am grateful to God for teaching me that, but I have the feel-
ing that I will quickly forget and have to learn it all over again. May we all learn that Jesus is our
solid rock in a world of disruption.

Blessings to you and yours,

The Fun of Doing Good to Others

I am thrilled to do good to people. Sometimes I get giddy being kind to others. It's fun to see
people receive a blessing, especially when they never expected it. Each day I make every ef-
fort to be kind to others and to do good to them. When I seek to do so throughout my day, I
never know when a situation might be ripe for being kind and doing good. Acts of kindness
and goodness, it seems, are never planned. I have found that to be kind and do good I have to
be sensitive to people whom I encounter and sensitive to God at work in our lives and in the
world. For followers of Jesus such as myself, showing kindness to others and doing good to
them become divine appointments with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. There have been
times when I have been given great joy by doing good to others who never expected it.

By being around homeless women and men a lot, I have had many opportunities to do good
and to be kind to other people. Many of them are kindness-starved. I seek every occasion to
practice good and kindness among them. Because they rarely experience either, they let me
know how much they appreciate my practicing these qualities among them. Several times I
have sensed that several men and women who live on the street were touched when I did
something nice for them. But it is also fun for me. We who are believers in Jesus Christ have
been blessed in Him and have been called to bless others as a result. The sons and daughters
of Abraham have been blessed to be a blessing (Genesis 12:1-2). 'For we are God's work-
manship, created in Christ Jesus for good works which God created beforehand that we
should walk in them' (Ephesians 2:10). This is why doing good to others and being kind to
them brings joy to those people who name the Name of Jesus Christ.

A dear friend from the church I grew up in blessed me with an old classic 1985 Ford station
wagon while I am here in the USA. I have had the fun of using it to bless others, especially
the homeless. Not too long ago I gave a ride to a guy who was homeless, but now has his
own place and is involved in a ministry to the homeless. It was raining and this guy had trou-
ble walking. A homeless friend of his came with us. After chatting with him I offered to drop
him off at the other guy's place to get speakers he was storing there to take to a homeless cou-
ple who had just moved into an apartment. So I did that. We picked up the speakers and drove
to a laundromat where the couple was washing their clothes. When we got there, I offered to
drive the husband, the friend, and the speakers over to the couple's place, and then to drive
them back to the laundromat. It would have meant a lot of walking in the rain for both guys,
and all the while lugging the big speakers with them. Both of them were giddy with happiness
that this was happening to them. It was especially fun for me.

This past year I have learned at least two things. First, believers in Jesus Christ have been
blessed to be a blessing to others. Second, God created us in Christ Jesus for the purpose
of doing good works. The good works do not save us. They are the fruit of a grateful heart
redeemed by the saving work of Jesus Christ on the cross for the forgiveness of our sins.
May we all know the joy of being kind to people and doing good to others because of the
kindness of the LORD God and the good work of His Son Jesus Christ on our behalf.

Blessings to you and yours,

Back in the Game

I have spent the last ten days frantically trying to get back to post on my blog. My University of
St. Andrews student account has been going through some changes and would not let me enter
into my account. Moving back to Scotland and closing my studio apartment only increased my
frustration. After considerable prayer and an abundance of perseverance, I finally was able to en-
ter my blog. All I can say is that I feel tremendous relief. I will be submitting new posts in the days
to come before I leave for Scotland. I will continue the blog when I get to St. Fergus.

Blessings to you and yours,

Continued Blessings as Plans Take Shape

I am still in shock as time rushes forward, whether I am ready or not. Over the past four years
I have had so many doors slammed in my face or been bogged down in times of waiting. I still
cannot rest with the reality that both my passport application and thesis were accepted by the
powers that be. I still wake up early in the morning wondering whether they were nothing more
than dreams of wishful thinking. Gradually I realize that they are real and that I have plenty to
do in the coming weeks.

I was informed that Thursday, June 14, was the earliest date for the service of my induction as
minister of St. Fergus Parish Church. All of the parties involved have agreed to that date. I have
heard that the village is all a buzz that I am coming. The children are busy practicing their con-
tributions to the service. My visa becomes valid June 1. I did consider entering the United King-
dom in late May, but broke it off when I saw the added expense and work to do in order to ap-
ply for a general visa. I will not risk being turned back from entering Scotland before June 1 at
an airport in Britain because I entered Britain before the date on my visa. I want everything to
be in order and legal.

I recently secured my flight to Scotland, departing from Vancouver, BC, Canada, on Canadi-
an Affair in the evening of June 5 and landing in Glasgow, Scotland, in the morning of June
6. Due to flying one-way during the summer period, I was very concerned about the price of
the ticket before I started my airline search on the internet. My concerns were validated when
I priced  one-way seats on a variety of air carriers at prices between $1300 and $1800 for late
May and early June. Feeling a bit forlorn, I looked at the Canadian Affair website. They are a
Canadian charter air service that flies between five Canadian cities and six British airports, one
of which is Glasgow.

When I searched for Canadian Affair flights from Vancouver, BC, to Glasgow, in early June,
I was astounded by a one-way flight on June 5 for less than less than 350 Canadian dollars. It
surprised me even more when I learned I could reserve an extra leg room seat for 80 Canadian
dollars. The grand total cost came to under 430 Canadian dollars. I quickly reserved my ticket
and seat and made the payment. In a few seconds I had my confirmation papers. There were
no other flights on other dates or other Canadian Affair routes that were that low in price. I had
the deep sense that the Lord was taking care of me and sending me a gentle message of His
graciousness and favor.

I hope to take the train up to Vancouver, BC, a day or two earlier so I can visit with friends I
knew when I was at Regent College over ten years ago. The flight departs Vancouver, BC, in
the early evening of June 5, and arrives in Glasgow, Scotland, in the am of June 6. I plan on
arriving in St. Fergus on June 7. I have one week to get settled in before I am inducted on June
14. It is all happening so fast. I am excited. As always, I covet your prayers as I journey through
these momentous times.

Blessings to you and yours,

A Most Significant Week

Last week, April 16 to 22, was a most significant week in a very significant year of my life. On
Tuesday, April 17, I was informed by email that the University of St. Andrews had accepted my
PhD thesis. On Thursday, April 19, I was informed by another email that the British Consulate in
New York City had issued me a visa. By 10 am Friday, April 20, I had my passport with the visa
in my hands. I have to say that I was in a state of shock; it had happened all too suddenly and un-
expectedly. I was stunned to say the least.

I had been expecting word on whether my thesis had been accepted or not for several months. I
had no inkling when I would learn of its status. To say the least, I was thrilled and relieved. When
I submitted my visa application early in April, I was expecting that I would learn of the success of
my application sometime in mid-May. But then last Monday, I received an email from the British
Consulate informing me that an Entry Clearance Officer was assessing my application. At anoth-
er website I read that the average time of the process was nine days. I figured that I would learn
whether I had been issued a visa or not sometime the following week. So at 9 pm when I read the
email informing me that a visa had been issued to me, I was thrilled. I could hardly sleep that night because I was so excited.

A lot of people have been praying that I would be receiving my visa so that I could return to Scot-
land to pastor St. Fergus Parish Church. For the past year I have been meeting every Thursday
morning with a group of pastors and Christian leaders to pray for the work of Christ in the area.
All during this time they have never ceased to pray for me to that end. Last Thursday I reported
to them that I expected to receive news of my visa sometime next week. There was a good ses-
sion of prayer on my behalf. Later that day, I read the email informing me that the visa had been
issued to me. It had been sent out at 12:30 pm, east coast time. The time difference between the
west coast where we are and the east coast is three hours. So the decision was made and the
email was sent about the time that we were praying on the west coast.

Through this challenging year of waiting, I have grown in faith in the Lord. I have also experi-
enced anew the faithfulness of God. These have always been lessons that I have had to learn
over and over for over forty years. I am overwhelmed by God's love, care, provision, and pro-
tection. God has guided me. I have been royally blessed by having gone through the past three
years. All I can say is God is good.

Blessings to you and yours,

The Heart of the Gospel

Good Friday and Resurrection Sunday (Easter) are joined together with Christmas as my three
favorite Christian holy days. For nearly two millennia these three have been the centerpiece of
biblical faith. Christmas highlights the Incarnation: the Son of God became human, was born
into the world, and dwelt among us. Good Friday is the day when we remember Christ's death
on the Cross for the forgiveness of our sins. Resurrection Sunday celebrates God raising His
Son, the crucified Messiah, from death to Resurrection life. They do not point to anything that
we humans have done, but entirely to what God has done in Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

Resurrection Sunday is a great and glorious day. Last Easter Sunday we celebrated with Chris-

tians throughout the whole world the historical reality that on the third day after Jesus Christ
was crucified, God raised Him from the dead. Christ was indeed victorious over sin and death. 

Jesus, God in human flesh, really did walk among us 2000 years ago. He really did suffer and 

die on the Cross for the forgiveness of our sins. Jesus really was raised from death to life. His 

tomb really was empty! The Crucified and Risen Savior was seen by over 500 witnesses. His 

death, burial, and resurrection fulfilled the promises that God had delivered to God's people cen-
turies before Jesus' birth in Bethlehem so very long ago. 

Our salvation is securely anchored in what God did through the death, burial and resurrection 

of His Son Jesus Christ nearly 2000 years ago. Saving faith is grounded in what God has done
in Jesus Christ: it is not based on anything we have done to earn our salvation. By grace we are
saved through faith. Yet the constant refrain I often hear from well-intentioned evangelical Chris-
tians focuses on such human activities as faithfully attending Bible-believing church services or
caring for the poor and needy. When we focus primarily on these good and proper Christian ac-
tivities, I find that the Cross and the Empty Tomb tend to be neglected. The Gospel of Jesus is
not about what we do; it is grounded in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. God cre-
ated us to do good works, but they flow out of the Good Work that God has done through Jesus
for us and our salvation. The Cross of Christ and the Empty Tomb are the heart of the Gospel. We
put our trust in what God has done through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Blessings to you and yours,
    

Between Good Friday and Resurrection Sunday

Some more liturgically-minded Christians refer to the day between Good Friday and Resurrection
Sunday as Holy Saturday. On one side is the day when the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ was cru-
cified for the forgiveness of our sins. On the other side is the day when God raised the crucified
Savior from death to glorious new creation life. In between is Saturday, to some Holy Saturday. It
is a time when nothing seems to be happening; we do know that Jesus Christ died and was bur-
ied. I try to feel what those followers of Jesus felt that first Saturday after they had just witnessed
the long-expected Messiah's suffering and death on a Roman execution instrument. I can only im-
agine the devastation, dismay, and depression they were experiencing during that first Holy Satur-
day.

Even in this day and age, the Saturday between Good Friday and Resurrection Sunday is a day
characterized by darkness, silence, waiting, and inactivity. I have known God's Story for many
years now, but still all I can do on this day between two emotionally-laden days is sit and wait.
That's how I have felt the past year here in my home town in the States. Behind me is the visa
refusal and hopefully before me is my being granted a Minister of Religion visa to return to Scot-
land to minister at St. Fergus Parish Church. Ever since I received the visa refusal letter in March
of last year, I have been living through my own Holy Saturday between Good Friday and Resur-
rection Sunday. For the last twelve months I have not been experiencing feelings of devastation,
dismay, or depression. In no way does my journey even compare with Jesus' journey of passion,
suffering, and death. But still I experience my own period of silence, darkness, inactivity, and
waiting.

Yesterday I remembered Jesus' death on the Cross of Calvary. I know it's Saturday, but Sunday's coming! Even though I rest in God's Story, I still don't know how my own story will turn out. Noth-
ing is certain, especially when I am dealing with the Bureau of Immigration of the United Kingdom.
I have been royally blessed these past twelve months. I have submitted all my papers and paid all
the fees to the British Consulate in New York City. My visa application is in their hands. Now all
I can do is wait; there is nothing more I can do. All that I hear from God right now is silence. I do
not really know what God is up to. It feels to  me like Holy Saturday, the day between Good Friday
and Resurrection Sunday. But I know for certain that God is in control and that He is leading me.
To those of you who pray, I ask for your prayers.

Blessings to you and yours,

Grass Roots Presidential Politics 2

I thought that I would have this blog posting done last week, but circumstances took me
off track. Oh my, how time flies! But I still want to make some comments about my partici-
pation in the Republican caucus for the county on Saturday, March 3.

After waiting in line for nearly an hour, I was finally able to register for the caucus. Then
I went into the crowded assembly hall to find my precinct site. There were so many people
and precinct signs that I felt overwhelmed by all of the humanity crammed into such a con-
fined area. There was so much to take in; my senses were saturated. But I persisted in the
search and finally spotted my precinct and the table it shared with another precinct. I signed
the precinct list and still had a bit of a wait before the proceedings got going. Earlier I was
greeted by a good friend I knew in high school. He was a year ahead of me, had taught his-
tory in the area school district, and had gotten involved in local Republican politics and local government. He has a long history of serving on the city council. He is currently the mayor,
a post he has held several times before. I hadn't seen him since the early 1970s, but as soon
as he saw me he greeted me by name as any good politician would do. It turned out he was
the captain of the precinct I was registered in.

After a long delay, we got started with the election and appointment of caucus officers and
an overview of caucus procedural process. Then we finally got down to choosing delegates
from each precinct to attend the county Republican caucus April 21. I am happy to report
that I am an official delegate to the county caucus! I expect that I will still be here then, pre-
paring to head back to Scotland. We had eight persons at our precinct table, and seven could
be elected to go as delegates. Two people were not available to attend the next caucus. So,
six of us were automatically elected without speeches or anything to be delegates. There were
two of us in favor of Mitt Romney, one for Newt Gingrich, two for Ron Paul, and one unde-
cided. Other precincts did not have it as easy and took longer to elect delegates. I was able to
leave ahead of the crowd.

I learned later that Romney won the Cowlitz County Republican caucus with 273 votes of
809 total votes cast (33.7%); Paul came in second with 228 votes (28.2%); Rick Santorum
was third with 210 votes (26%); and then Gingrich with 68 votes (8.4%). There were 25 un-
decided votes (3.1%) and 5 write-in votes. Statewide, Romney won the state straw poll based
on the caucuses. Romney gained 37.6% of the vote, Paul was second with 24.8%, Santorum
at 23.8%, and Gingrich at 10.3%. The undecideds came in at 3.4%.

This was Romney's fourth victory in a row after recently suffering a string of small defeats to
Santorum. The caucuses were a straw poll only, but Romney's showing only increased his
momentum. Because of the caucus system, Washington's 43 delegates to the Republican Na-
tional Convention at the end of the summer will not be determined until the the state conven-
tion earlier in the summer. It has been estimated that 50,000 people turned out for the caucuses,
more than four times the turnout in 2008 Washington State caucuses. Fourteen thousand dele-
gates were chosen on the precinct level to attend the county caucuses. I will be one of them!
The number of delegates will be gradually whittled down through several more steps of the
caucus process until the 43 delegates will be elected and commissioned to the national conven-
tion. Only longterm committed Republican activists usually get the privilege of attending the
national convention as delegates. Hopefully, they will be nominating the next President of the
United States. Anyway, I expect to be back in Scotland by that time. I will request an absen-
tee ballot in order to vote in the November elections. 

I am hopeful that change will come to the people of the USA. I yearn for a change in leader-
ship from a Democratic-controlled Senate and Presidency to Republican leadership in those
areas of Federal government. I am excited about Romney. He exercises the intellect, skills,
character, and experience to lead the American people through much needed change, espe-
cially in the areas of jobs and the economy. I would, however, give my full support to San-
torum or Gingrich if they were deemed the Republican candidate for President of the United
States. After bitter disappointment at the results of the 2006 and 2008 elections, there is hope
that this great nation can get back on track again.

Blessings to you and yours,

Grass Roots Presidential Politics

I just got back from seeing the stirring movie Act of Valor with my two best buds in the whole
wide world. Afterwards we talked about the movie and current events while chowing down
on the best hamburgers I've eaten in a long time. I really enjoyed being with them and going
to the movie together. It was great buddy time. Our time together was a great way to cap a
busy day for me. In the morning I attended the Cowlitz County Republican Convention to
choose delegates to attend county and state Republican conventions. Then delegates will be
chosen to attend the National convention that will choose the Republican presidential candi-
date to oppose President Obama in November.  

I have been watching the process to select the Republican presidential candidate with great in-
terest since the fall of last year. I have been seriously concerned about the course of the coun-
try since the 2008 presidential and congressional elections. Things seemed pretty dismal until
the 2010 GOP election victories across the nation. I am enthusiastic about Republican candi-
dates Mitt Romney, Rick Santorum, and Newt Gingrich, but not as much for Ron Paul. Of the
first three, I am most supportive of Mitt Romney, although I would fully support any of them
against President Obama. I admire Romney's stance on the issues, especially economic poli-
cy. He has the experience in business and government to serve well as chief executive of the
country. Romney has the character and integrity to tackle the critical issues that the USA faces
at this time in history.

With all this in mind, I set my sights on attending the county Republican caucus when I first
heard about the date earlier in the year. I was excited about going and being part of the politi-
cal process. When I got to the place it was held, I was surprised to see a long line to register.
People were in a line that stretched outside and down the street for a good ways. All the park-
ing lots were full, so I finally found a place to park a short walk away. I spent close to an hour
in a slow moving line to register. There were people of all ages there and most were white. I
listened to conversations of people who were extremely concerned about the way the country
was heading with the current administration. A change in the direction for the country was
yearned for. Ron Paul supporters were out in full force with their signs. There was a festive
mood as we entered into the building where the caucus was held. I was excited to be involved
in this process. The hall was jam packed with people. They were crowded around tables, one
table for one or sometimes two precincts. Many people were left standing with all of the chairs
taken.

Far more people attended than was expected. The caucus was called to order at 10:00 with
prayer and the pledge of allegiance, but then put on standby until registration could be con-
cluded. We didn't proceed with the caucus until close to 11:00. I will write more about the
caucus tomorrow or the next day. There's a lot to share.

Blessings to you and yours,


 

Being Pro-Life in the Face of a Culture of Death

I cannot remember when I became consciously pro-life in my outlook on life. I cannot remem-
ber ever wrestling between the pro-life position and the contrary pro-choice position. The dic-
tates of my conscience never allowed me to even consider for a moment the pro-choice option.
I was conducted quite willingly by both my heart and my mind to the pro-life stance. Since the
mid-70s I have never wavered from my convictions. There is no middle ground. Since the Su-
preme Court decision in 1973 legalizing abortion rights, those holding to the two contrary posi-
tions over the issue have been in serious conflict with one another. The primary issues are so
serious that there appears that there is no room for compromise. It is a matter of life and death.

Roe v. Wade was handed down in 1973 when I was in college. I do not remember anything
about the decision. But this year I have been going through things I have saved over the years.
I came across some college newspapers in which I had some articles published. I was shocked
to see in the papers a number of advertisements offering abortion services to students. They all
seemed to be conveying the message that abortion was simply a medical procedure to deal with
a minor health concern.

 But I must have had a strong position against abortion. In 1976 or so the wife of a a minister I
was serving with when I was in seminary told me that she had changed to a pro-life position be-
cause I had spoken out so passionately about the sacredness of the unborn and the case against
abortion. In the late 1990s I became involved with Operation Rescue in Boston and participated
in silent vigils in front of abortion clinics. I spent three nights and four days in jail with over 100
other women and men over New Year's, 1990, for trespassing the grounds of three abortion clin-
ics in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Charges were dropped on all of us.

I can still vividly remember attending presbytery meetings and hearing Presbyterian ministers
and elders exhorting us to join the fight to keep abortion safe and legal. A dear cousin shared
with me about the time she faced the hostility and ridicule of pro-choice supporters as she and
other colleagues stood in defense of the pro-life position at a presbytery meeting. During the
late 1980s and early 1990s, I sought to listen to and comfort a woman I was very close to deal
with the abortion she had when she was in her 20s. I and other Christians proclaim that Christ's
death on the cross for the forgiveness of our sins is a life-giving message to those who feel the
real guilt of past sinful actions, including abortion.

But over the years the issue of abortion has gradually faded from our society's consciousness.
Abortion is not an issue in Canada and Scotland, two countries where I spent considerable
time. In many societies abortion is an entrenched woman's right that must never be revoked.
Meanwhile the pro-life position, most evident in the USA, is mocked and ridiculed as oppres-
sive to women. With my return to the States early last year, I have again been brought in con-
tact with pro-life Christians who take seriously the defense of the lives of the unborn. I have
been meeting with a small group of Christians who participate in silent vigils at an abortion pro-
vider in a nearby city. I have listened to several women share their stories about their abortions
and about the healing journeys they had been on. In a six week exercise conducted by minis-
try to women they experienced forgiveness and new life in Jesus Christ.

It is evident that the public sentiment in the USA has moved in a more pro-life direction. But
the pro-abortion ideology still prevails today in our government. There are many in the current
administration who work fiercely to make abortion legal at any stage of fetal development and
at taxpayer expense. Unrelenting political forces seek to make abortion a fundamental Consti-
tutional right. The result has been an expansion of a culture of death and a cheapening of life
in our land. This culture of death aggressively promotes the view that lives that are imperfect,
immature, and inconvenient are disposable and discardable.

Over the past three decades, I have been grieving the relentless momentum of a culture of
death here in the USA.  Recently the breast cancer research and support charity G. Komen
for the Cure decided and subsequently reversed the decision to halt grants to the key abor-
tion provider Planned Parenthood. Upon learning of the charity's decision, Planned Parent-
hood advocates erupted in fierce outrage. The leading abortion provider in the USA normal-
ly refers women for mammograms rather than offering the service itself. The Komen charity
sought to provide funding directly to mammogram providers. But Planned Parenthood at-
tacked the charity. Thus the charity was seen as caving in to the demands of the pro-abortion
movement and the media.

More recently President Obama has sought to cram a contraception mandate down the throats
of the Roman Catholic Church and other pro-life Christian denominations. The primary is-
sue is not contraception, but that of freedom of religion from government interference. Under
the mandate, the federal government demands that Christian organizations pay for services that
are against Christian conscience despite the right of freedom of religion from government intru-
sion. Pro life Christians would be obligated to fund not only contraception, but also for steriliza-
tion and abortifacients such as the morning after pill. Both sides show no signs of wavering.

It is difficult to keep from falling into discouragement and disheartedness in times such as these.
The culture of death and its cheapening of human life seem to be gathering momentum in these
days. In times such as these let us look to the Lord Jesus Christ and join with him in establish-
ing the Kingdom of God.

Blessings to you and yours,

Not Death, But Life for the Unborn

Churches across the USA could choose one of the Sundays of January to observe as Sanctity of
Life Sunday. Some congregations chose January 15 and others January 22. Whatever the date,
Christians across the land remembered the year 1973, when the Supreme Court of the United
States of America handed down the fateful decision regarding a woman's right to legal abortion.
Thirty-nine years ago the majority of justices ruled in the court decision Roe v. Wade that a wom-
an has a constitutional right to abortion. Even though abortion became the law of the land, there
has been unrelenting conflict between pro-choice supporters and pro-life opponents that has not
diminished over the years since the decision. The supporters of a woman's right to abortion view
it as a simple surgical procedure whereas the opponents see it as the killing of the unborn. The
tension has only intensified since the ruling was passed down.

In the USA, abortion has become one of the most common surgical procedures performed on
adults. I have read accounts that one in three women in the USA has had at least one abortion.
In some areas of American cities, abortions far exceed live births. Since 1973 there have been
50 million babies aborted; that is a rate of 3000 aborted children a day in the USA alone. Those
stark numbers represent a lost generation.  The emergence of ultra-sound in Crisis Pregnancy
Centers has presented to many women the reality that the 'thing' within them is indeed a human
life. The younger generations have grown up seeing ultrasound images of their brothers and sis-
ters developing in their mothers' wombs. Therefore, the sentiment of younger generations has
become increasingly pro-life in more recent times.

Yet in the USA, it is the reality that abortion continues as normal. One interpreter of the times
recently referred to abortion as being as American as apple pie. The Pro-life Movement is not
as vocal as it used to be and it has been continuously dismissed by mainstream media. The Pro-
choice people seem more entrenched in their positions. It seems clear that the two positions
are irreconcilable and that there is no room for compromise. It is an issue of two opposite views
of life: Pro-lifers stress that the unborn child has the right to life and the Pro-choice people de-
fend that a woman has an unrestricted right to choose. I stand firm in my Pro-life convictions,
but I do not see a way for this to be resolved in the current era. I will write more in a forthcom-
ing blog.

Blessings to you and yours,

Morning Watch: Transforming Me

I was here in Longview in January, 2007, when Morning Watch was in its first month. I
was staying with dear friends for three weeks while I was home from Scotland. I remem-
ber hearing about Morning Watch to which my friends headed off at 5 am. I accompanied
them a few times, but then made the wise decision to take comfort in a warm bed while
they went off in the cold and rain to pray. I had heard that it was only an experiment for
thirty days and reasoned there was little that I could do to contribute, especially since I
would soon be returning to Scotland.

When I arrived in Longview the end of January last year to apply for a visa to re-enter Scot-
land as a minister, I heard that, after four years, Morning Watch was still happening. I felt no
desire to take part in Morning Watch. I enjoyed sleeping too much. Then my visa applica-
tion was refused for twelve months. In mid-March I attended a Christian leaders' conference
and talked to several ministers about Morning Watch. I did not want to do it, yet I felt a strong
pull on my heart to ask them more about it. The Spirit kept tugging at my heart and I kept try-
ing to squirm out of it. Finally in late March of last year, I decided to try it out. Once I attended
one Morning Watch, I was unable to refrain from going to more. I sensed that if I had not con-
tinued going, I would have been disobedient to the Lord.

Since late March of last year,  I have been attending Morning Watch five or six days a week.
There have been two weeks during that time when I did not attend because I was finishing up
on my thesis work. Morning Watch has become the foundation stone of my time here in Long-
view before I head back to Scotland in April or May. The Lord has engraved on my heart the
desire and ability to go to Morning Watch. It has shaped my time here and has also forged how
I will minister when I return to Scotland. I view it as the serious heart surgery that is required
for me to move into a new era of my life. It is rugged training in the wilderness to prepare me
for the next phase of my ministry. Even when I arrived in Longview last January, I did not
foresee how much the Lord would use Morning Watch to prepare me for the road ahead. Even
now I do not grasp how critical it was to my growing more and more into Christlikeness. I may
never fully understand what God did to me through Morning Watch. It has transformed me. All
I can do is thank the Lord for what He has done through Morning Watch.

Blessings to you and yours,

Morning Watch: Transforming Prayer

I have been attending Morning Watch from 5:00 to 6:00 five or six mornings a week since
late March of last year. On Monday, January 2 of the New Year, Morning Watch entered its
sixth year of believers gathering together to pray for the the communities and churches in
Cowlitz County of the State of Washington. The numbers may have varied over five years,
but there has always been at least two or three people gathering together at the 5 am hour to
praise the Name of Jesus and to intercede for the people, families, communities, and churches
in the area. There have now been Morning Watches  for over 1825 days without a single inter-
ruption.

At the Morning Prayer on that first Monday of 2012, Tim, who has been involved with Morn-
ing Watch ever since the first one, drew attention to how things in the area have changed over
the five years that Christians have purposefully interceded for people and towns of the county.
When they first started five years ago, Tim and others perceived a haze over the area. But grad-
ually as their concentrated prayers pierced the darkness, the haze began to dissipate. Unrelent-
ing prayer changed the atmosphere over the area. Various social problems that were above the
national norm back in 2007 have now plummeted below the national norms. Tim pointed out
that rates of sexually transmitted diseases in the county have dropped by more than 50% and
child abuse cases have taken a sharp down turn. Both the number of unwed teenage pregnan-
cies and school drop outs have fallen significantly. Longview schools have surged from the
very bottom of Washington State schools to healthier rankings. There is also a marked improve-
ment of unity and cooperation among Christians and churches in the Tri-Rivers area. It is evi-
dent that prayer does indeed change things.

Over the past few years a particular format has emerged that is followed for Morning Watch.
There is a person who is assigned to lead prayer for each day of the week. On Mondays Tim
focuses on prayers for pre-teens in the area and on Tuesdays Russ directs Morning Watch to
pray for all levels of government. On Wednesdays Leslie directs attention to praying for busi-
nesses and the local economy. On Thursdays Larry directs prayers for the poor and needy. On
Fridays Terri leads prayers for arts and entertainment and on Saturdays she prayerfully focuses
on family issues. The climax of the week is Sunday when Larry leads prayer on the the Bride
of Christ, the Church. The leader of a particular day usually does three things: he or she picks
a specific concern within the focus of the day, an attribute or name of God that relates to the
concern, and then one or two biblical texts that speak to the issues. At the beginning of Morn-
ing Watch, the leader shares about the specific concern for that morning and begins praying.
There is an open mic in the middle of the sanctuary where people can read from Scripture or
offer up their own prayers. A live vocalist or a praise and worship CD shape the atmosphere
for worship and prayer. Prayer and praise through music complement one another.

It is evident to me that the prevailing prayers of a small group of people gathering together for
over 1825 days without interruption have been changing things and people. There may not be
the numbers of people praying that there were five years ago, but there always seems to be at
least two or three persons praying at Morning Watch. Usually there are more that that. What is
important is that wherever two or three people are gathered in Jesus' name, God is present there
and prevailing prayer has become transforming prayer. God has been changing and transform-
ing people as well as their situations. I am witnessing that prevailing prayer is necessary for
long-term transformation of people and communities. It is a primary lesson that I have learned
that I will be taking back with me when I return to Scotland in a few months.

Blessing to you and yours,

Morning Watch: Prevailing Prayer

At 5 in the morning of January 2 in this new year, I was helping out at Morning Watch. When
I opened up the Tri-Rivers International House of Prayer (TRIHOP) building at 4:20 I did not
realize what a significant day it was. Exactly five years earlier, at 5 am on January 2, 2007, a
crowd of people from a variety of area churches met at a large local church to seek the Lord
and pray for God's kingdom to come to the people in this area. As many as 88 people showed
up some days during that first month five years ago. It was suppose to last only 30 days, but it
never stopped and has continued for over 1825 days without one day of morning prayer being
missed.

Morning Watch still meets from 5 to 6 every morning, seven days a week. But it was moved
from the church in which it started to the TRIHOP facility. Even though two churches call
TRIHOP home, Christian leaders in the area hope to establish TRIHOP as a place of 24/7
prayer in the near future.  Usually between 3 and 12 people participate in Morning Watch.
People come and people go. Some come just before work and others have the time to devote
to this. People sit in chairs arranged in a semi-circle facing the stage.  On the outside of the
chairs are a number of tables. Some people prefer the chairs and others always sit at tables
where they can spread out their Bibles and journals.

There is often a singer on stage who accompanies him- or herself on guitar or keyboard. A
praise and worship CD is used when a musician is not scheduled. The goal is for  the music
to complement the spontaneous prayers of the people at the mic located in the area in front
of the stage. For over five years, praise, Scripture, and prayer have been woven together at
Morning Watch. A certain routine has been established and it has stood the test of time. But
despite that, it is still very difficult to get up and go that early in the morning. There are some
people who attend for a few days or a few weeks, and then do not attend again. Others ap-
pear occasionally. Only a very few have been there since the very beginning five years ago.
It certainly is not easy to get up for Morning Watch.

I am amazed that there are Christians who even think of getting up that early in the morning
to attend to God in prayer. I have been attending Morning Watch five or six days a week
since late March of last year. There are many mornings, however, that I myself struggle to
get up in time for Morning Watch. But I can't really remember seeing any fewer than two oth-
er people in attendance. Some people are longterm attendees and others are there for a day or
two; but as far as I can tell, every day for the past five years there has always been at least one
person from the local Christian community in attendance at Morning Watch, lifting up people
in prayer to the Lord. That is truly prevailing prayer.

Blessings to you and yours,

Dateline: New Year's Eve

As I write this posting, the rapidly rising tide of darkness floods into the area I see outside my
windows. Christmas lights on houses still radiate energy and color that even the week after
Christmas cannot dispel. The world seems hushed and calm; it must be true that people are
getting ready to celebrate the coming of the New Year. I look forward to the year 2012 be-
cause it is the year I return to Scotland to be pastor of St. Fergus Parish Church. But I really
can't get excited about the New Year's celebrations that will commence in just a few hours.
By then I hope to be asleep in bed. At 4:20 am I will be setting up for early morning prayer
at 5 am.

I'm still savoring Christmas and all that it means. I can't get enough of Christmas. But this
year, the Christmas season has a companion. Hanukkah (some people spell it as Chanukah)
is an eight day Jewish festival. Because of the differences between the Jewish calendar and
the one commonly used in this era, Hanukkah, based on the former calendar, does not always
occur during Christmas time. This year it was observed from December 20th to the 28th. The
festival commemorates the time when, nearly 150 years before Christ's birth, the Maccabees
(a small band of faithful Jews) defeated the Greeks and their army (at that time, one of the might-
iest armies of the world), stymied Greek influence among the Jewish people, and reclaimed the
Jewish Temple in Jerusalem by cleansing it and rededicating it to God.

Hanukkah especially commemorates the miracle of the oil that took place when the Temple
was being rededicated. The Maccabees found only enough pure olive oil for the Temple can-
delabrum to last for one day. It truly was a miracle that the scant supply of oil lasted for eight
days until more consecrated oil could be found. Hanukkah has come to be known as a festi-
val of light because it celebrates the triumph of light over darkness and purity over adulterat-
ion. Purity and dedication of God's faithful people shed light into the darkness of the world.
That small band of Jewish people refused to compromise. They remained faithful to God and
committed themselves to being God's light in a dark and ungodly world.  

The story of Hanukkah is a great story, a Jewish story that Christians should be more aware
of. Although God plays a part in the miracle of the oil, the story is mainly about the actions of
a small group of courageous and faithful Jewish warriors over 2100 years ago. But my atten-
tion is focused on Christmas because it is about what God has done on our behalf in order to
save us from sin and death. God's Son, the second person of the Triune God, was made hu-
man and dwelt among us. Jesus is the true light who came into this world to give us life (John
1:9). He is the Word made flesh and born of Mary in Bethlehem. Behind the manger is the
cross upon which he was later crucified. Christ died at Calvary for our sins in accordance with
the Scriptures. Jesus was buried and raised on the third day, also in accordance with the Scrip-
tures. More than 500 people witnessed their Risen Lord and Savior (I Corinthians 15:1-8).

I like the story of Hanukkah, but it doesn't compare to the Christmas Story because the latter is
Jesus Christ's Story. Jesus' birth in a manger prepares us and sets us up for the Mystery of Faith
when we proclaim that Christ has died, Christ is Risen, and Christ will come again. I can never
get enough of the Gospel Story.

A blessed New Year to you and yours,

A Christmas Time to Savor and Remember

It is the day after Christmas, and I am laying back to enjoy the past week, the week leading
up to and including Christmas. The week was Jesus-focused and people-rich, and I feel satis-
fied and  content. I really couldn't ask for anything more. The week began with a wedding last
Saturday, December 17, in Astoria, Oregon. I caught a ride with dear friends to see the beauti-
ful daughter of a best friend of both of us marry her best friend and the love of her life (don't
worry, that's one guy, not two). After the wedding ceremony, the proud father of the bride
wowed the guests with a bold and energetic dance routine with his darling daughter. Great fun
was had by all!

Then I was able to lay low until Thursday when things started happening again. A small group
I've had the pleasure of being part of since I returned to Longview prepared a dinner for guests
at a shelter in town. About 13 of us prepared pancakes and sausages for about 110 people. We
were challenged by a stove that did not provide a consistent surface for cooking over 200 pan-
cakes and broiling enough sausages. But perseverance and ingenuity prevailed and we were
successful! I found out I haven't lost my talent for knowing when to flip good-looking pancakes.
Later that night I met with a guy with whom I've been meeting with every Thursday since April
to discuss the basics of the Christian life. It is the first Christmas in his lifetime that he recognizes
that Jesus is the reason for the season.

Since mid-March I have been attending morning prayer between 5 and 7 am at a Christian com-
munity center in town. I try to attend five or six days a week because it provides me with the
spiritual foundation for my time here. It has meant a lot to me, especially during the Christmas
season. So, that was where I was Thursday morning. That night some close friends took me to
a Mexican restaurant that we enjoy. Great food and great friends! A family friend with whom I
had lost contact saw me come into the restaurant and came and talked to me. I was saddened to
hear that her husband had passed away just the month before. But now I know where she lives
so that I can visit her. Later I was able to finish up and send off two emails to the church I'll be
pastoring in Scotland. The first was a short message to be read to the congregation at the Christ-
mas Eve service, and the other was to be read to them at the Sunday Christmas service. Next
Christmas I will actually be with them in person!

I woke up early on Christmas Eve to go to Morning Prayer, but felt sick as a dog. I had felt
something bad coming on the day before, but thought I could carry on. I thought about sleep-
ing in, but pulled on my clothes and went to Morning Prayer. I really struggled through Morn-
ing Prayer and crashed as soon as I got home. I slept for nearly four hours and came close to
canceling all that I had planned for later that day. When I first arrived at a Christmas Eve get-
together of a family that is very dear to me, I felt lousy and completely out of it. But the time
together eating, talking, and exchanging gifts really put some life back into me. I had such a
great time. I went back to my place and napped another two hours or so. I felt much better
when I went to my church's Christmas Eve candlelight service. I was a narrator for a dramatic
reading of the Christmas Story. I felt renewed and energized by again hearing the Christmas
Story.

I had been invited to two family gatherings after the service. Earlier in the day, I had thought
on passing up the opportunities because I was feeling sick and tired. But I felt good after the
service. I couldn't decide which one to go to, so I chose to go to both. And so I did. I enjoyed
talking with friends and munching on Christmas goodies. It made for a late night, but a very
enjoyable one at that. Despite the late night, somehow I was up for Christmas Day Morning
Prayer at 5 am. There was barely a handful of us there. After enjoying a quick nap, I was off
to a short Christmas service at church. Then in the afternoon I was invited to a Christmas Din-
ner at the home of dear friends and their extended family. It was such a delicious ham dinner
with a lot of great things to eat. I got to meet new people and talk with people I knew from be-
fore. But five-year old twin girls and their 10-month old sister were the center of attention. It
was just a great time on Christmas Day.

The last three Christmases in Scotland, and indeed, the last three years there, were very diffi-
cult for me. For the past several years I have felt squashed and battered, and the twelve-month
visa refusal only contributed to that state of affairs in my life. But the Lord has richly blessed
me by leading me here for this period of time.  I have enjoyed being with dear friends again
and being back at the church I grew up in. It has been good to be home for Christmas. I will
always treasure this time.

Continued Christmas blessings to you and yours,

George

Last Sunday morning, Keri (the seminarian intern at our church) and I led the congregation
through a Chrismon's service. We read Advent Scripture passages, led the congregation in
singing Advent hymns, and gave the congregation instructions on decorating the Christmas
tree with ornaments symbolizing Jesus Christ. I gave a message on the meaning of Christ's
coming that probably went longer than it should have. My general tendency is to preach long
sermons, especially during special times of the Church year. The season of Advent leading
up to Christmas is always a special time for me. It is festive, joyous, and expectant. So I may
have spoken longer than I usually do.

After the service I walked down the hall to the fellowship hall for coffee hour. The lineup for
the refreshment table was long, so I surveyed the room. I noticed one guy all alone at one end
of a table and two people sitting at the other end. He was eagerly working on a plate heaped
full of goodies. There were only a few people sitting down at tables, so he must have been one
of the first ones to get down to the hall for cookies, cheese, crackers, and sweets. He certainly
was not shy or bashful, and quickly made himself at home. As he ate from his plate he had a
big grin on his ace. It was that big grin, almost a silly grin, that I noticed as I surveyed the con-
gregation as I gave my message. He had been sitting towards the back of the left hand side of
the sanctuary. There wan't anybody around him. But he always had that big, silly grin on his
face. Now here he was at coffee hour, chomping away on his snacks, with that big grin on his
face.

I left the refreshment line and went and sat with him. I introduced myself and he told me that
his name was George. He looked to be in his forties, but I was not sure. Besides the ever-pres-
ent grin, there was a sparkle in his eyes. Then he took a big bite of a cookie and chewed quick-
ly as if he was in a hurry to say something. I got the impression he wanted to share something
big with me. So I waited. When he was good and ready he told me that in 1997 he had had
brain surgery so that he was not so violent. Then in a lighthearted way, he spent several min-
utes listing all his medical conditions, surgeries, broken bones, and treatments that he had ex-
perienced since 1986. George expressed a deep sense of accomplishment for everything that
he had undergone. He seemed happy and content in his own little world. When we got up from
the table I noticed that everyone had left except for the those cleaning up. George had been giv-
en a bag full of goodies to take home with him. He seemed to be a happy camper.

It says a lot about our congregation that George felt comfortable enough to stay through the
service and come to fellowship time. He picked up on God's hospitality that characterizes our
congregation. I think that many congregations struggle with how to work that out in their life
and mission. I have always struggled with how a congregation can be hospitable to people
who inhabit the margins of society. I often feel helpless, not knowing how to relate to people
who live out on the street and are homeless. I wondered whether the Holy Spirit had spoken to
George through my message or the hymns, prayers, and activities of the service. I blessed him
as we parted and he quickly disappeared from sight. I wondered if I would see him next Sun-
day or ever again.

Blessings to you and yours,

Two Radically Different Perspectives on Things

In the last blog posting I wrote about TheCall: Detroit that took place November 11 in the heart
of the city. As I watched portions of the 24-hour assembly where Christians prayed for the city, I
was touched by how Christ-centered and Spirit-inspired it was. The assembly was characterized
by lively faith, anointed prayer, and powerful praise to the Triune God. The attendees reflected a
loving heart for the city of Detroit. The tension, conflict, disorder, and disunity that have come to
characterize the Occupy Wall Street people were not evident among the 30,000 or so people who
took part in TheCall: Detroit.

There were religious leaders in Detroit who opposed what TheCall and its promoter Lou Eng-
els were attempting to do at the prayer assembly.The pastor of an historic Black church in De-
troit charged that TheCall would divide rather than unite with its message of hate. It was label-
led anti-Muslim, anti-homosexual, and anti-abortion. A Muslim cleric was concerned that the
attendees of the assembly would go into the city's streets to vandalize mosques and persecute
Muslim people. Apparently there was a group of Christian pastors who denounced Engels as
un-Christian, un-American, and idolatrous. They even criticized the pastors of some of Detroit's
largest African-American churches for being deceived by Engels. Engels and TheCall move-
ment were charged by a small group of religious leaders with being connected to the radical re-
ligious right and bringing divisiveness and fear into the city by its politics of deception.

An African-American cleric organized a small group of protesters that marched from Occupy 
Detroit to where people were gathering for TheCall assembly. Nearly fifty demonstrators pro-
tested at the entrance of TheCall,  displayed protest signs, listened to the minister give a speech,
and then left after an hour. I am saddened by the conduct of the ministers and their little flocks
of protesters. They represent the slow decline of the historic mainline Christian denominations.
They are fixated on fighting injustice, racism, the loss of reproductive rights, homophobia, ex-
clusivism, and so on. It is most unfortunate that they are blind to Christ's death for the forgive-
ness of sin, his burial, his resurrection from the dead, his ascension into heaven where he sits at
the right hand of theFather as King of Kings and Lord of Lords, and his coming again in power
and glory.

It is hard for me to understand the protests against Lou Engels and TheCall. Where I perceived
a mass outpouring of Christian unity, love for Jesus Christ, and love for all people, there was a
small group of Christian leaders, people of mainline denominations, and other protesters who on-
ly saw hatred and bigotry.  The result was that they went berserk. Two radically different per-
spectives on things were exhibited. It makes me wonder where their hearts are. I stand with
TheCall, not with the protesters.

Blessings to you and yours,

A Tale of Two Movements

Early one Saturday morning not too long ago, I went to the daily city-wide Morning Prayer at a
local church. I noticed more cars than usual in the parking lot and more people than usual in the sanctuary. Several young people looked as if they had been there all night. They were watching
a live feed of the 24-hour solemn assembly of prayer, fasting, and calling on God that was taking
place at Ford Field in Detroit, Michigan. The assembly, called TheCall: Detroit 11/11/11, began
at 3:00 pm on Friday, and would conclude at 3:00 pm Saturday. There wasn't Morning Prayer
that day, but I stayed and watched the live feed of TheCall: Detroit. That meant that the 24-hour
program of the assembly was broadcast live over the internet. Even though we were in Longview, Washington, we could take part to some extent in what was happening in Detroit at TheCall.

Later I searched the internet and found out more about TheCall Movement. For over ten years,
hundreds of thousands of Christians have been called to solemn assemblies for times of prayer,
fasting, repentance, and worship. Sponsors of TheCall have recognized that in view of the self-centeredness, idolatry, and sin in the land, there is a desperate need for God's mercy upon the
people. They hope in Christ that Christians across the nation would unite and experience anoth-
er great spiritual awakening. Lou Engle, the visionary co-founder of TheCall Movement, has or-
chestrated seventeen assemblies across the nation over the past decade. The first one took place
in the year 2000 when 400,000 people showed up for TheCall: Washington, DC. Between 10,000
and 35,000 people, and sometimes more, have been in attendance at the other assemblies. There
have been a variety of themes for the assemblies: a cry for justice, righteousness, and compas-
sion in our nation; a call to end abortion and to promote Pro-Life issues; prayer for revival and
the nation's turn to a biblical worldview; and a plea to God for righteous government leaders and
social justice in the USA.

Even though Morning Prayer was cancelled for the day, I continued to watch the solemn assem-
bly on live feed from Detroit. The cameras panned the crowd that had assembled. Since it was a
24-hour affair, people came and went. I read later that upwards to 40,000 people had attended the assembly. The cameras showed a diversity of people, but I was struck that teens and twenty-
somethings composed the majority. People were reading their Bibles, praying, and raising their
arms in worship. On stage there were different praise leaders and teams every two hours. The
singing was worshipful and peaceful. Also on stage were different groups of people leading the
assembly in prayer for Detroit and the world. People from all over the USA were there to pray
for the people of Detroit as they faced the challenges of economic collapse, racial tension, the
growing presence of Islam in the Detroit area, and the shedding of innocent blood on the streets
and in the womb. People prayed to God for forgiveness, revival, Christian unity, and social jus-
tice. The focus was on Christ and it was evident that the Holy Spirit was powerfully present
among them.

In contrast to the ten-year TheCall Movement (TCM) is the now two-month old Occupy Wall
Street Movement (OWS). I have a strong sense of Christian kinship with the former and no re-
spect for the latter. TCM abides in the love of the Father, stands with Christ crucified, and lives
in the power of the Holy Spirit. OWS stands for misguided  and misinformed people who bring
conflict, tension, envy, and disorder in whatever place they choose to occupy. They are a people
without God and without hope. The 30,000 or so people who took part in TheCall Detroit gath-
ered together to pray for the peace of the city and to see life in Christ manifested there. They
were united because they were focused on praising and worshipping Jesus Christ. Tens of thou-
sands of people in Detroit and across the USA were united together for the cause of Christ and
his kingdom. But only disunity and conflict have been manifested when thousands of OWS peo-
ple across the cities of the nation and the world have come together to occupy city centers. I pray
that Jesus would capture the allegiance of the Occupy Wall Street protesters, that they would re-
ceive life in all its fulness that only Jesus can give, and that they would commit themselves to
Christ and his kingdom. May it be so, Lord Jesus.

Blessings to you and yours,