Christingle Service

Should the church support the protesters at St Pauls'?

http://www.4thought.tv/themes/should-the-church-of-england-side-with-the-protesters-at-st-pauls/ian-chamberlain
You might like to take a look at this link since it will give you access to a number of views.
My own view is that the church should support the protesters since we need leadership at this time in history and unlike the prevailing political view that 'money' is going to fix things for us, we need to recognise that the big challenge for democracy now is 'Can it challenge the Corporations?'
Decades ago the cry was to challenge the landed gentry but over the last few decades we have seen the emergence of a rich elite that are so powerful that we have to bail them out when they get into trouble....
I am not at all sure that Jesus would approve..

A man died this week

A man died this week. On the operating table. Not much older than me. Quiet man. Not seen him for 30 years. As a young christian he introduced me to Matthew 25. Taught me a lot of things. Started a charity called Archway - http://​www.archwayfoundation.org.uk/ which is still going.The Lectionary reading this week is Matthew 25:31-46 where Jesus points out some criteria that will be used at Judgement Day;
•I was hungry, and you gave me something to eat, (or you gave me nothing to eat).
•I was thirsty, and you gave me something to drink, (or you gave me nothing to drink).
•I was a stranger, and you welcomed me in, (or did not welcome me in).
•I needed clothes and you clothed me, (or did not clothe me).
•I was sick and you looked after me, (or did not look after me).
•I was in prison and you came to visit me, (or did not look after me).

Some coincidence methinks.
So, I will have plenty to say tomorrow morning....

Team Work works :)

It has been an incredibly busy week and more to follow as Christmas fast approaches but I am glad that all the fuss and bother from the summer is fast being overtaken by so many positives.
Remembrance day services in the schools this week have gone so well and the 6th form presentation in Bowmore was just amazing - the silence was not broken by a single cough or noise of any kind and I cannot remember such respect being shown by so many, so young.
Jim and Gwen managed the primary schools and it would be false to understate the positive impact that Jim (the Baptist Minister) and his wife Riona have had upon the team work on the island. The Ilsay Fellowship on Wednesdays and the prayer meeting on Fridays are bearing fruit as Christians bring before God the concerns for so many on Islay.
Remembrance tomorrow and the elders in Bowmore will lead as I go off to St Johns in Port Ellen to allow them to have an 11am silence this year. I won't mention names but I will say how great it is to have fellowship with these folk, especially as I see and sense their hope for the future.
After Remembrance we look to all the Christmas events, starting with the annual Christingle Service in the Round Church. This has become an island wide event and it is so good to get that support from the other parishes. Indeed a major part of my experience here is the shared goal of reaching our young people once again.
In each of the primary schools the children now recite the Lords Prayer with confidence in a way they simply did not a year ago! We engage them with new songs and videos in a way that has not happened before, all because of team work - team work with the schools, Jim, Gwen, our parent helpers who shall remain unamed, and our Presbytery Youth advisor Jess Reynolds.
I think we are beginning to connect in ways that will be a real blessing to all in months to come.
We have also been contacted 'out of the blue' by people that feel called to Islay in service and we look forward to an exciting 2012.
We must not forget the Gaelic Services which are becoming more established thanks to Parish support and contributions from the likes of the Gaelic choir and Alistair Scouller of Colonsay.
If I were to be asked for a summary of my theology then I would undoubtedly say that I am Romans Chaper 12 man - team work, shared responsibility, common vision and goals. This for me is God at work amongst his people and I see it beginning to emerge here. Please pray for us all as we see the way forward for Christmas and beyond. Thank you.
Team work works :)

November Prayer Diary

The November Prayer Diary is out!
This monthly prayer diary is constructed from prayer requests handed in to the Friday lunchtime prayer group and can also be found on the Round Church and St John's websites (see links to the websites in the sidebar on the right). Please feel free to use the diary and join us in praying for our congregations, community on Islay and the wider world. Click on the following link to view the diary. You can also download the diary by right clicking on the link and selecting “save target as” November Prayer Diary

Ministerial Support

I received an email from John Blanchard earlier this week.
For those of you who don't know him he has a worldwide evangelistic ministry and perhaps his most famous book is entitled 'Ultimate Questions'. This has sold over 14 million copies worldwide in many different languages.
Apparently he was evacuated to Islay, from Guernsey during the war and has very fond memories of that time. He is back here next June and he emailed me introducing himself and asking if 'there is any way I can serve you' whilst I am on Islay.
I found this expression striking, to say the least. Here is a man with a worldwide ministry asking if he can serve the ministry here, when you might expect him to perhaps suggest that whilst he's here 'he could teach me a few things, or help things along a bit...'
There is no doubt that ministers need support and I have a great deal of support here on Islay. It is no exaggeration to say that without that support the church just would not function. The support offered reflects, for the most part, the teaching in Romans 12 where we are told, for example,  'not to think more highly of ourselves than we ought' and to use our gifts for the benefit of the 'body of Christ'. In other words its all about Christian team work and ministry.
When you see a church working in this way it is a great witness to all that is great about being a Christian, but sadly not all 'ministerial support' is like this. There are those that work within the church to different agenda's, pledging support for the ministry but actually doing something else..... namely working for their own glory or self importance. They like to be seen and they enjoy the praises offered for the 'support'. They are quick to criticise. Such individuals and groups can be very damaging even though at first sight they may appear solid and faithful workers for the gospel.
The video below has long been known to us and when we first saw it some years ago we just laughed at it, but now we look at it with new eyes, eyes that know what ministerial support should look like. So, to all of our Romans 12 friends and co-workers with Christ.
Thank you :)

October Prayer Diary

The October Prayer Diary is out!
This monthly prayer diary is constructed from prayer requests handed in to the Friday lunchtime prayer group and can also be found on the Round Church and St John's websites (see links to the websites in the sidebar on the right). Please feel free to use the diary and join us in praying for our congregations, community on Islay and the wider world. Click on the following link to view the diary. You can also download the diary by right clicking on the link and selecting “save target as” October Prayer Diary

Protection from the storms of life.

We will be singing this song at the Islay Fellowship meeting this evening. It is a great encouragement when the storms of life break around you. A reminder to trust God to protect you from the storms and floods. Such promises resonate well with us at the moment, but like Hurricane Irene our storm is abating and the floods are falling. Thanks to all those that have been so encouraging these last few months. :)

What is Church all about... what is it meant to be?

A friend sent me this video and it says so much in so short a time. Take a moment to play it through a couple of times.

It reminds me that I am not called here to get people into church. I am called here as a minister to introduce people to Jesus Christ and encourage them to become disciples. That is how it has worked for two thousand years and it is still working.

It has always been so that there are those that laugh, some even oppose at considerable lengths, but the message goes on. That is the message that I will be giving and I hope to get more and more effective in that.

If you like the video and want to know more, give me a call or come along to the Islay Fellowship meetings at the Baptist Church, Bowmore, 7.30pm on Wednesday evenings.

It's been a long time..

It has been almost 3 months since I last added anything to the blog. It has been a difficult time. It's been as if my life has become polarised - on one side amazing things happening, on the other side very vindictive forces at work. An important series of meetings take place tomorrow that I hope will break that cycle of polarisation and allow us to get back on track.

Gwen and I were reading from 1 Corinthians and came across this;

1 Corinthians 16
After I go through Macedonia, I will come to you—for I will be going through Macedonia. Perhaps I will stay with you for a while, or even spend the winter, so that you can help me on my journey, wherever I go. For I do not want to see you now and make only a passing visit; I hope to spend some time with you, if the Lord permits. But I will stay on at Ephesus until Pentecost, because a great door for effective work has opened to me, and there are many who oppose me.

That about sums it up for us.

Puppets Training Weekend

Last weekend we had a training day at the Round Church led by our good friend Chris Watt from 'Out of the Box' in Inverness. All of the churches on Islay sponsored the visit which was endorsed by our Presbytery Youth Worker Jess Reynolds. The photo below just gives an idea of what happened on the Saturday but Chris also came along to three services on Sunday and was well received by young and old alike. It is clear that the proper use of puppets could be a usful communication aid in so many settings eg schools, Sunday Club, open air events and Sunday Services.

Next steps?

Buy some puppets,  get training, get script writing, and then go for it !

General Assembly 2011

The General Assembly was quite a disappointment but an invaluable experience. Convenors often did not answer questions, or at least I did not think they answered the question, and they seemed to just duck the good searching questions. One man stood up and asked for an amendment indicating moderators would be chosen on merit rather than familiarity. Perfectly valid I thought. He was called to order most aggressively by the moderator, when the man indicated that his concern was that 9 of the last 12 had all worked at 121. The poor guy was visibly shaken and overall I have left with the abiding impression that Edinburgh rules the committees and the assembly.


Listening to the same sex debate was also very helpful for me because I could see that this was not really about homosexuality. The revisionists (not liberals, more upbeat word, clever) time and again went to the notion that God made us in his image, God loves us and wants us to love others. All true but not the whole truth and nothing but the truth. Its Christianity Lite, the low calorie version with lots of artificial flavouring, the more marketable commodity for this age, no need for repentance and faith.... and sin.... duh, wots that?
The tradionalists (not evangelicals, more downbeat word, clever) responded graciously and accurately, reminding the assembly of the nature of fallen humanity and the gospel of repentance and faith based on Gods love shown to us in Jesus.

However, the vote went to the revisionists, so that sets me to thinking hard about my own future.

The good news (and I say this tongue in cheek) is that the Church expects us all to holds hand and rejoice in the fact that very soon we will have a range of gospels to suit every taste :)  Presumably when the congregations turn up for Sunday worship they will be able to select the 'good news for the day' they want to hear, then the preacher of choice will appear on a large screen streamed in live from some location, or be shown a sermon that we had conveniently 'prepared earlier'.

Thank God I had to come back early to bless the MV Finlaggan tomorrow,  followed by a busy rest of the week doing good old traditional parish ministry stuff.

Scottish Parliament Election on 5th May

Here's a couple of websites which you may find helpful for the up and coming election next week:

www.churchesvote.org a website backed by a wide spectrum of Scottish churches and
www.makethecrosscount2011.net/scotland  by CARE (Christian Action Reserach and Education)

Good Friday

More photos from Good Friday in Bowmore Square. Thanks Rae!
Click on the photos and they will pop up as larger images in a new window.

Resurrection Day!

HE IS RISEN...   HE IS RISEN INDEED! Here's a photo of the 8am service in Port Ellen in celebration of our Lord's resurrection!! Click on the photo below to see a close up :) It will pop up in a separate window.

Then it was a quick cup of coffee back at the Baptist Church, where they actually had a wonderful breakfast spread (!!) then back up to Bowmore for our 10 o'clock worship service and Euan's Baptism at the Round Church. Back to Port Ellen for Communion at 11.30.. back to Bowmore for the Easter Egg Hunt at 2pm with more wonderful cakes and goodies (!!).... off to Gortanvogie for an Easter Service with the folk there. Phew! What a day! What a Great God! Hallelujah! In fact the celebrations were such that I forgot to take any more photos. But here's one of the videos that we had at the Easter Egg hunt. One that we sing at Sunday Club and at CFC's :)

Make sure that your speakers are turned up.. Jesus is my Superhero!!

EASTER SERVICES

You are welcome to join us at the following SPECIAL EASTER SERVICES being supported by Islay churches (additional to the regular Sunday services in each church). – All welcome!

Maundy Thursday 21st April
•Communion Service, Episcopal Church Bridgend, 7.30pm

Good Friday 22nd April
•Walk of Witness from Round Church to Bowmore Square, 2.00pm followed by Open Air Service in Bowmore Square.
•Service, St John’s Church, Port Ellen, 7.00pm

Easter Sunday 24th April
•Open Air Service, Community Gardens, Port Ellen, 8.00am followed by breakfast in the Baptist Church
•Islay Churches Kids Club’s Easter Egg Hunt, Baptist Church, Bowmore, 2pm
•Service, Gortanvogie, 4.00pm

Sing to the Lord a new song!

It was so good to praise God together and share and pray with one another at the Islay Christian Fellowship yesterday evening. The theme was God's Word and our words. Here's a new song that we sang..

Islay Christian Fellowship

Further fruit from our Alpha Course is the formation of a group which we are calling the 'Islay Christian Fellowship'. Those involved with Alpha had so enjoyed the fellowship, discussion and teaching that they wanted to continue to meet. So tonight will be the first meeting - 7pm in the Baptist Church, Bowmore, and we will set the scene for these weekly meetings over next few months.

Jim McNulty, the new Baptist Minister, and I will take shared responsibility for the leadership of the group and I will start notifying the other church groups about these meetings which are intended to be open for all. I am hoping that this group will provide refreshment and encouragement for those want more in depth teaching about what it is to be a Christian, but also have the opportunity for discussion and questions. So, if you think this might be of interest to you, please come along, you will be most welcome.

This meeting also complements the Islay Prayer Group Meeting which started a few weeks back. This group meets at midday each Friday in the Baptist Church Bowmore and is also open to all that would like to come along.

Some of you might be asking 'Why is this Church of Scotland Minister involved in so many meetings at the Baptist Church?' - a perfectly reasonable question and the practical answer is simply that the Round Church in Bowmore is not suited to meetings involving just 15-20 people or so. We have been using the Baptist Church for our Junior Church for many months now, having switched from the Bowmore small hall, because the Baptist church is an excellent building with good facilities, including projector and screen. However, if our numbers for Fellowship and children start getting up to the 100+ mark we can always move on from the Baptist Church and start meeting in the Round Church :)   However, the spiritual answer to the question is perhaps even more relevant - we are meeting together because as Christians the Baptists share the same concerns that we do. It therefore makes good sense to work together.

A Tale of Two Errors

I have been doing some reflecting over the last few days as we have been enjoying some time off. During the last year I have been exposed to various issues and I have seen more of the local and national churches struggle with lack of connection to the communities and culture in which they find themselves. If I were at this stage to offer a broad generalisation at what I see around me, I would say I see a tale of two errors, both of which have the net result of denying God's transforming power.

The first error I see is that folk look around them and they see all the evidence of good and bad. They see it on the news, they see it in their community and if really honest they see it in their homes too. Yet in the seeing they do not seem to take the next logical step which would be to focus on the good and weed out the bad. Instead they accept what they see as the 'way of things' and develop various strategies for coping with the highs and lows of life. I am not referring to a lack of action which is based on a lack of choice, or a lack of knowledge, I am simply referring to that side of humanity which readily shrugs its shoulders and just gets on with things. The gospel is good news to people in these circumstances once, and only when, they see that there may be an alternative way forward. Until that time any ministry into these circumstances tends to be a listening exercise, and often a lesson in listening to futility. Now listening is an absolutely key starting point in any 'caring' circumstance but I see too much emphasis on listening. Too often the listener fails to bring anything of Gods power and love to these circumstances. Oh, they may claim to bring love in Gods name but are they really? I see it as more like a doctor coming along, drinking tea and eating cake whilst the patient perishes for lack of diagnosis and treatment. I use the word perish deliberately because it is a word the gospel often uses but we seem to have forgotten it.

The second error I see is similar but in many respects sadder than the first. It is an error that many Christians or church going folk make in that they too recognise the work of good and bad in their lives, and the lives of the communities around them. They know that the bad things are driven by a power called sin and they know that Jesus Christ can and does forgive sin when asked. Yet their lives continue much as the others around them, harassed by various issues that they, like the first group, accept as the 'way of things'. They too develop various strategies for coping. They know that sin works in their lives but believe that is the way of it until we get to heaven. What is more, since sin is at work in their lives they believe they have no place to comment on the lives of others, or suggest that we should all be weeding out the bad. This group have had the visit by the doctor, who in turn has made a diagnosis and offered treatment. The patient however has become resigned to the diagnosis, accepts it and gets along with life, but refuses the treatment, because it 'probably won't work anyway'.

I see this as the work of all in ministry today, to make contact effectively with these two groups and teach them the truth, because Jesus said that the truth will set us free. Set us free for what? Well for lots of things but most certainly free to see his transforming power at work in our lives and the lives of those around us.

International Atheists Day

Don't forget to pray for your atheists friends today. Think especially of Richard Dawkins and Stephen Hawking who extrapolate their data quite wildly at times to justify their atheist position. Pray that God will be gracious and merciful of course, but also pray that like many other prominent scientists they may have their own Damascus Road experience. Then they too will see that our Faith and Science combined bring much greater depth and understanding of who we are and why we are here.
Also pray for some work I am doing with a group down at Cambridge to make available a series of short videos that look at whether there really is a Science v Christianity divide. Thanks :)

First Fruits from Alpha

We have started a weekly Prayer Group Meeting in Bowmore - the first took place today in the Baptist church. One woman attending said she had been praying for this for years! The meeting will take place from 12-1pm each Friday from now on and all are welcome.

This is an answer to my own prayers and hopes for the Alpha Course and has come out of the Alpha Course without prompts from myself. I am acutely aware that those few energetic churches that I have had the privilige of knowing have always had people praying for the work of the church on a regular basis AND at a prayer meeting ie corporate prayer is involved as well as private prayers. There is much to pray about on Islay and I want to encourage folk to drop in from time to time and join this group as they pray each Friday.

I should add that this is not to be thought of as the Round Church Prayer Group, just as the Alpha Course should not be thought of as Church of Scotland. We said from the beginning that all were welcome, little realising that another outcome would be to forge such strong relationships with local Baptists. In an island situation a prayer group reflecting Christian concerns of all kinds must transcend denominations and this Prayer Group does that.

Since our arrival on Islay we have been more and more blessed by developing links with the Baptists here. Last Septemeber we moved our childrens work out of the Bowmore Hall to use the much better facilities of the Baptist Church, and our Alpha Courses have been held in Baptist church facilities, both in Bowmore and Port Ellen. The reality is of course is that we are just sharing with fellow Christians and I am sure the timing of the Prayer Group starting is no accident, because it coincides with the arrival of the new Baptist Minister and his wife, Jim and Riona MacNulty. I was priviliged to speak at his induction and we look forward to working together in the years to come.

Jesus said 'You shall know them by their fruits' Matthew 7:16. That's my prayer too, that people will begin to see that God's people are fruitful in all kinds of ways.

Now for something completely different

I keep hearing the expression in church circles that 'one size does fit anymore', but do those using the expression really believe what they are saying? This video is hardly regular church and it takes a while to get to the words (unless presumably you are under 30 and grew up singing this stuff?) but those that I catch have a theology that is OK by me. Isn't that the filter we should be using ie theology, rather than condemn it because it's a rap, it's too loud, and the guys singing it are probably not white? I can tell you I get really excited when I see God's word moving in different circles from my own. The group even call themselves 'ImpurFektFaith' (they spell it incorrectly - tut tut) - but the name still hits the mark for me.

Don't get me wrong, this is not 'my cup of tea' but I really enjoyed the message.... definitely a good one for a family service (in 2013?). Perhaps a 'Make War' banner should become a 'Make War on Sin' banner to improve it a bit? ... but now I am being picky :)

The lights are dimming..... but why?

Just had an email from a colleague with this in it;

Lights are dimming across the old town. The power supply is faltering. Homes, shops and cafes are all struggling to operate, to stay open. Then the bright idea; why don’t we reduce the number of cafes, shops and homes with power?
This is controversial. People argue about what shops, cafes and homes are essential, which are not. Fears are expressed about the loss of buildings and groups that have been in the town for generations. People complain that family homes where grandparents lived will be lost forever. New groups will be enforced as families have to share – and many don’t want to! Through all the arguing people are constantly reminded that the power supply is running down. If hard choices are not made then all power will be lost. Lights will flicker and dim. The town will die.
Eventually after much soul-searching, the cuts are made. The remaining shops, cafes and homes have more power diverted to them and the lights shine brightly once again! Everyone cheers, even those who have lost what was precious to them. Their town lives again. Change has worked.
However, in all the celebrations, in all the light, one bulb flickers and dims. Only a child sees it. Alone among the crowd the child wonders, “Why is the power fading in the first place?”

I think the little boy is asking the right question and this is precisely why I have come into the ministry. There is nothing wrong with the power source, it is infinite and eternal, it's simply that folk have become disconnected.
At our Alpha Course last night one member of the church said that prayer for specifics is irrelevant because life is all predestined. At best this person seemed grateful for the blessings that did at least pop up once in a while. A man rightly commented 'why bother praying at all then?' Our dialogue progressed with an openess and respect which was really good, reflecting the purpose of the Course. 
Please pray that we will become more connected as we go forward.

New ways to post a comment!

We've just changed some blog settings so that hopefully it will be easier now to post a comment.
If you wish to comment on any of the posts on this blog:

• Click on the "comments" link on the bottom right hand corner of the post.
• Write your comment on the space provided just under "post a comment"
• Where it says "Comment as" click on the drop down menu arrow and choose from one of the options. We have just added 2 new options at the bottom of the list i.e. name/URL and anonymous. These 2 options give you access to comment without the need to have a google account etc. If you choose the name/URL option you can leave your name against a comment without having to give a URL. Just fill in your name where prompted and leave the URL field blank, then click continue.
• Once you are happy with your comment click on the "Post Comment" button and you will be prompted to copy a word verification before your comment is finally posted!!

Your comment will then go to Rob to be checked as authentic (not spam or something worse!!) before appearing on the blog asap. I hope this all helps, but do let us know if you need any further information.
Happy commenting!!!!

Great! It seems that people want to post comments...

I have been getting feedback from more people that they like the blog because it gives them information about what is going on, and what topics are engaging me as the minister. However, I have just had a call from someone wanting to post a comment and found it to be a horrible process. He eventually gave up and gave me a call.
I was pleased to have the call and I explained that the blog is set-up, as many are, to stop people being able to post comments before a moderator has seen the content. The reason for this is simply that I have experience of forums, bulletin boards and blogs which, if open, seem to attract every nasty, foul person on the planet. These people take delight in just blasting your site with whatever will ruin it - often this is porn or links to porn. That's why we typically keep people out.
Nonetheless, since the blog is getting noticed by people in the parish and dialogue can be opened up, I will take a look at how we might filter people through a reasonably simple process so that comments can be posted. I will blog my findings in due course. :)

Happy Anniversary

A member of one of my congregations has just dropped by the manse to leave a present and a card commemorating the fact that I am 'one' today; I was ordained a year ago. This person shall remain unamed, to avoid embrassment, but has been a constant supporter and encourager of myself and Gwen since our arrival a year ago.
What a year!
11 weddings, 28 funerals, and five baptisms - all of which lead to great highs and lows as you go on the emotional roller-coaster hoping to engage and encourage these people as they go through the major events of life.
What a blessing!
The privilege of getting to know people, and for them to so freely invite me into their lives is just amazing. So much in one year. Thank you God for the privilege and joy of being an ordained minister.
I could of course mention the changes...  but you all know what they are, and I look forward to many more as we try to steer a course to future promises and away from past blessings.

Invitation to Minister in Jamaica

Just before Christmas I had an invitation to take a small team over to Jamaica in March 2011. The invite comes from the Operations Manager of the Luis Palau Organisation and Luis Palau's son Andrew, both of whom I met in Inverness 2008. At first I just thought 'no chance' and sent an email back saying sorry cannot manage this one, but after some reflection I realised that perhaps I had been too hasty to say 'no chance'.
The Christian life is meant to be about giving to the poor and 'going out' to tell about the good news. Most churches that I know give fairly generously to the work of various organisations involved in such ministries but few churches get involved directly. Those churches that do get involved directly seem to benefit dramatically from an increased energy and confidence that is hard to gain by local work alone.
For this reason I would like us to seriously consider sending a small team out from each church to Kingston in March. I have attached some links to information pages that you can take a look at. If you would like to go or if you would like to offer some sponsorship then please let me know asap.
The links are at - flyer 1 flyer 2 flyer 3

Alpha Courses in Port Ellen and Bowmore

Gwen and I are having a few days away on Jura before returning to start the long awaited Alpha Courses. In Port Ellen the course will start on Tuesday 11th January in the Columba Hall:  ~6.30pm for refreshments and then ~7-9pm for the course content.
In Bowmore the course will start on Wednesday 12th January in the Baptist Church on Jamieson Street: ~6.30pm for refreshments and then ~7-9pm for the course content.
Each course will run for 10 weeks and I hope that many folk will attend this course, or one of those that will follow over the next couple of years.
This is not just for church members either, all are welcome, and its free :)
See you there!

A Blessed 2011 to you

Reflections on 2010