About Louis Kinsey
I am a Church of Scotland minister, working with the congregation of St Columba’s Church in Aberdeen, on the North East coast of Scotland. I have ministered here since early 1991. I studied at Edinburgh University having spent some time in the Armed Forces. I am very happily married, with two sons who make me proud. My ministry focus has always been on preaching, vibrant worship, evangelism and prayer. Few things thrill me more than standing in front of a congregation and preaching.
In addition to ministering to a congregation and parish in the suburbs of Aberdeen, I am also a school chaplain, prison chaplain and chaplain in the Territorial Army. Life has been slightly quieter since my older son went off to University, if a little more expensive, thereby leaving more time for trumpet playing, reading and movies. I do like to write hymns and Christian worship songs, for all ages and in all sorts of genres. If you would like to see any and use some, please get in touch.
This blog approximates most closely to a conservative evangelical Christian view of the church and the world. It’s never easy or even fully possible to pigeon-hole anyone, but this blog will give you a reasonably good sense of what I am about. Hope you enjoy it!
Hi Louis,
Just found your blog while surfing around the net and enjoyed looking in.
I’m an elder down in Glasgow. I know our minister and session are appalled that it has come to this (the Rennie case).
Personally, I’ve had a problem with the bias in Life and Work for years, so the editorial is nothing new.
Every blessing on your ministry and your blogging. I think we are in dangerous times and it is vital for evangelicals to stand firm and together at this time.
Kind regards
James Miller
James, I understand that the Council of Assembly and the Mission & Discipleship Council are both going to consider issues arising from May’s editorial in Life and Work. I was unhappy with it and wrote to the Convenors, receiving gracious responses from both. I visited your blog and thought it was super. I have added it to my blogroll. Bless you. Louis
Thanks Louis. I’ve returned the compliment on my blog. James.
Dear Louis:
In researching the passage ‘guard the good deposit’ a google search led me to your website. I am deeply grieved to hear of recent developments in the Church of Scotland. I had no idea.
The United Church of Canada, of which I am a minister, decided to ordain practicing homosexual persons in 1988. (i did not concur with this decision). Since then, our denomination has been in sharp decline and I frequently hear from ministers that ‘the United Church of Canada is dying”. Our denomination has also moved away from speaking of Jesus as the Way, the Truth, and the Life…the only name given among men by which we must be saved. It is a discouraging situation. Many are responding with ideas to close churches, sell properties and create ’signature congregations’ which will better get out the UCC message of ‘inclusivity, diversity and openness’. In my view this will only delay the inevitable. Our problem is not institutional or structural. Our problem is that we have (as in Jeremiah 2) forsaken the fountain of living water and have dug cisterns for ourselves–cracked cisterns that can hold no water. Perhaps if we were to repent and return to Jesus Christ and His Word, we would have hope…but I do not at this point see that this is likely. So many seem determined to continue in futile man-made doctrine and practice. May God have mercy on us all.
Thank you for your godly concern, Stuart. We are in shock this morning. We cannot expect to reject God’s word and also to experience his favour at the same time. May God grant repentance to your church and to mine. Regards, Louis
Romans 1 24. Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves:
25. Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.
26. For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature:
27. And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet.
28. And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient;
29. Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers,
30. Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents,
31. Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful:
32. Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.
I could go on but as i look around the bible tells us in the last says what will happen. Believe me I know much more than you all. However people hate christians like it says in mathew 24. Soon people will make an underground church. cause the ministers that do teach right. Few will hide just like it was 2000 years ago. when the priests of that day persuceucted and hunted christians. One world religion will emerge, it goes with 666 in revelation. and I could explain 50 pages here however that is why i dont seek to be a priest. cause you have to have a degree, and most of them do not understand what religion is in the first place.
2 Timothy 3) 12. Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.
As the bible says leave them alone the blind will lead the blind. and they both fall in the same ditch.
After all in the tribulation maybe then they will change. cause they are blind to even the signs of the 2nd comming. cause they serve another.
After all god know who are his. who does not love him, tells us in romans 1 24
Timothy
PS: as the world get worse, maybe you will notice some of the signs.
How much worse does the world have to get before the people understand what is going on, as for the priests most only scream if isreal atacks. not if isreal get bombed weekly and the people follow them. The people of isreal now thinks the us is more for gaza than isreal. Even the pres of us wants to bring in the peace plan. He is the first pres in history that say sorry the way we acted to muslums. the people that hate christians in the first place. Yet in all this not many churches are even teaching right nor no what is going on. When someone tries to explain to them. they kick they out of church and use his ideas. Yes it happened to me.
John 16
1. These things have I spoken unto you, that ye should not be offended.
2. They shall put you out of the synagogues: yea, the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service.
3. And these things will they do unto you, because they have not known the Father, nor me.
Do this do something stupid in church, does the whole church gosip about it and so your embarased and they never let you forget it. or do they help you. Test them then you will know if the priest is teaching right. as for baptism that does not matter. Read 1 cor 10 – 11
As for me yes i can teach the people how to understand and read the bible in one week and they can teah others. but it depend on a persons heart. if someone yells and screams and is proud. they will have a hard time to understand.
Matthew 13
13. Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand.
14. And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive:
15. For this people’s heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.
16. But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear.
I tell you some more in the future. yes the world will never get better. all true christians know this.
Dear lois
I only came across your blog recently and found it enormously helpful in these dark days. While miles from the front line, I still feel like I have been given a real kicking and in desperation want to do so something. It is the question in Psalm 11 “ when the foundations are being destroyed what can the righteous do” the answer is, I think, in the psalm and it is not to “fly to the mountains”. What it will mean it actual terms, I do not know but I had one thought and here it is:
I visited a Church of Scotland in my professional capacity this week. They have a pretty down at heel building, have been vacant for a long time only now allowed to move forward. I know nothing of their history, whether they could be called evangelical, bible believing, liberal, traditional or any other label we might like to think of, but I was struck, in quite a powerful way, by a deep feeling that they were genuinely seeking God for their future. I felt they were desperately looking for someone – for a pastor -who would open up and lead them to God’s truth and I came away thinking that a premature split in the church would leave them high and dry and possibly lost. I sincerely hope, if only for the sake of folks like them, that the threatened split doesn’t happen just yet
Crawford
I’m writing here as someone who knows Louis through the Territorial Army but comes from a different tradition, namely the Scottish Episcopal Church. The confusion the CoS is dealing with at present is something the Anglican Communion has wrestled with for years.
I don’t think having gay clergy is something we should fear or use scripture to condemn. If we were to do that then I’d like to be sure that those who are so sure of their scriptural position are disciplining their slaves appropriately and ensuring they and their families do not wear clothing of different materials. I get very edgy about those who cite selected lengths of scripture to justify their position. If you know the texts you don’t need them repeated. If you don’t, it’s unlikely you’ll read them.
Human existence is so diverse, difficult and complex that one man/woman’s orthodoxy is very easily regarded as another’s heresy. We’re also on this earth for such a little time that any witness, from gay, straight, black, white or whatever should be welcomed rather than than denied. Christ’s kingdom is greater than all of us. He asks supplication but does not, as far as I’m aware, demand conformity.
start to read the bible!
1 Timothy 6
3. If any man teach otherwise, and consent not to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which is according to godliness;
4. He is proud, knowing nothing, but doting about questions and strifes of words, whereof cometh envy, strife, railings, evil surmisings,
5. Perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds, and destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is godliness: from such withdraw thyself.
6. But godliness with contentment is great gain.
I go away. Now you know the christians hate going to church. more and more wont, in the future as it gets worse. Your on your own. my thoughts i wont share here.
Dear Timothy,
Sorry to disappoint you but I’ve just been to church. Choral Evensong in fact. Not one word was sung or spoken that was not either scriptural nor based in scripture. The congregation was large, diverse and involved. I have no idea whether or not they were gay, straight or whatever. However, they were responding to and apparently acknowledging the word of God.
Although I can observe others I have neither title to nor knowledge of another person’s soul. Neither should you. That privilge belongs to God alone.
And if you do respond to this post please stop quoting chunks of scripture. We all know the texts and you’re being repetitive and dull. Also you are, in a literal and metaphorical sense, preaching to the converted.
Roddy
Roddy, you are quite right when you say “one man/woman’s orthodoxy is very easily regarded as another’s heresy.” This is why there is such a big division within denominations.
You say of God, “He asks supplication but does not, as far as I’m aware, demand conformity.”
Others differ, and believe that God does demand conformity. Conformity to his word, that is. Anything else counts as sin. After all, as the Shorter Catechism says “Sin is any want of conformity unto, or transgression of, the law of God”.
You think that we should use Scripture to condemn certain practices. I think that if a Christian believes that a practice is clearly condemned by the Bible as sinful, then it is fair enough for that Christian to point this out.
Dear YMB,
I think you’re not being fair or honest. What exactly should the Shorter Catechism mean to those who aren’t Presbyterians? If you wish to live your life according to a man-made set of rules that you are minded to agree with, feel free. I, for one, have never done so and don’t intend to start now. That’s maybe because I’m a mealy mouthed, weak Scottish Episcopalian. However, don’t expect me or others to buy into the 16th century instruction manual of being a Christian that you believe is a sine qua non.
Your position appears to be one of, ‘We’re the majority/loudest/most clamant so you have to agree.” That isn’t debate, it’s bullying. Stop being selective in your use of scripture. Realise how life is and always has been lived. There is more strength in intelliegent diversity than there ever has been in bovine acceptance of alleged rules.
Sorry to be appear rude but life, as I know it, is lived in the margins, not in conformity.
Roddy
Dear Roddy,
You don’t think I was being fair and honest. I disagree.
“What exactly should the Shorter Catechism mean to those who aren’t Presbyterians? “
Well, there are many who are not Presbyterians who would be inclined to agree with the portion I quoted.
“If you wish to live your life according to a man-made set of rules that you are minded to agree with, feel free.”
If you refer to the words of Christ and the Bible as man-made, then it is indeed true that one man’s orthodoxy is another man’s heresy.
“Your position appears to be one of, ‘We’re the majority/loudest/most clamant so you have to agree.””
That is not my position, and I am puzzled that you think that it is.
“Stop being selective in your use of scripture.”
What makes you say that I am selective in my use of scripture?
“Realise how life is and always has been lived.”
What makes you think that I don’t.
“There is more strength in intelliegent diversity than there ever has been in bovine acceptance of alleged rules.”
I think that there is strength in humble submission to the word of God.
Sorry, but you have left me baffled. I’m not sure what I did to offend you.
You appeared to be saying “Don’t ever quote the Bible to back up what you believe”. I think that telling a Christian never to quote the Bible to back up his or her beliefs is completely unreasonable.
YMB
Dear YMB,
Having reread my post and your response to it I agree my post sounds as if I’ve taken offense. Apologies, that was not my intention. However, you raise interesting points. Firstly as regards the authorship of scripture, secondly as to the use of scripture.
As regards authorship of scripture I think, although tell me if I’m wrong, that you believe it to be an immutable truth directly ordained by God. If so, I can accept your position. Sadly, in my view this is not a position that can be supported by analysis of fact. At the very most all that can be proved is that the bible is a collection of stories by several authors that may or may not have been inspired by God but are open to interpretation as they are products of human experience and thus not certain. Hence my orthdoxy/heresy point. You can make the point that faith repairs the deficiencies of sense (as in the Tantum Ergo) but the minute you do you acknowldege my position that there is at least doubt/ uncertainty in what you choose to believe.
In relation to the use of scripture, this flows from my point above. Many people use scripture as a drunk man uses a lamppost-more for support than illumination.
I’m being honest is stating I don’t know where the truth lies.However, using scripture as a guide rather than an instruction manual or rule book gives greater glory to God and man’s experience of God than regarding it as a sine qua non.
Dear Roddy,
As regards authorship of scripture I think, although tell me if I’m wrong, that you believe it to be an immutable truth directly ordained by God.
That is a reasonable description of my understanding.
In relation to the use of scripture, this flows from my point above. Many people use scripture as a drunk man uses a lamppost-more for support than illumination.
I believe it can be used as both. Firstly, people can use it for illumination to tell them what they should believe concerning God, and how God wants them to live. And having done that, they can use it for support when explaining to other people why they believe certain things concerning God, and how God wants them to live.
I think that using scripture for support has a long and distinguished history. The Acts of the Apostles tells us that in Thessalonica, Paul “reasoned from the Scriptures, explaining and proving that it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead.” That seems to me to be using scripture for support rather than illumination.
In the account in the gospels of the temptation of Christ, we are told that he responded to the devil by quoting scripture. Again, it seems to me that he is using scripture for support rather than illumination.
using scripture as a guide rather than an instruction manual or rule book gives greater glory to God and man’s experience of God than regarding it as a sine qua non.
This may be true, but it is certainly not self-evident, and many people would disagree with you.
YMB
Dear YMB,
Am just back from a week trying to persuade elusive salmon and trout to launch themselves onto my line. Without success. Bugger…
I think we will have to agree to disagree. Mind you, in the House of the Lord there are many mansions. As far as I’m aware there is no hierarchy amongst them. If I’m right and you wrong so be it. If the other way round, so be it. Our experience and knowledge is limited and transient.
Hi Roddy
I hope you don’t mind a response to your conversation with Young Mr Brown, particularly regarding your discussion on the authority of the Scriptures. There are a lot of doctrinal issues that we can agree to disagree on – end time prophecy, apostles in contemporary life, existence of contemporary prophets – to name a few. However, understanding Scripture as, ‘a collection of stories by several authors that may or may not have been inspired by God’ suggests an inherent uncertainty in Christ’s message of salvation. I agree that there is always an element of ‘doubt’ in everything invisible and that is because everything invisible is unseen and unprovable to others. However, faith doesn’t emanate from a heart that is counting on finding proof for it. Rather, ‘…faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.’ Hebrews 11:1
I wonder Roddy, do you consider yourself to have a living relationship with Jesus Christ. And by that, I don’t mean an understanding of Christ as presented through the history books, or an appreciation of a great teacher, or even an identification with a great prophet. No, do you know Jesus? Is he your invisible, yet real friend in time and space, now? If not, then I totally understand your position, because you have not received this faith that changes doubt into hope.
If you do know Christ, and you understand how he has become your friend, as set out throughout Scripture, then do you believe the Scriptures that endorse this? If you do, then do you think it’s possible to hold to those truths that you’ve experienced but discount other doctrinal issues, based on the assumption that Scripture was only inspired by men?
I don’t doubt that if you’ve turned from your sin and put your trust in Jesus, then you are saved, and lack of understanding of Scripture is in no particular way going to change your eternal destiny, any more than my lack of understanding will alter mine. You referred to some Christians who use a metaphorical lampost to lean against rather than illuminate God in other people’s lives. I hope that I have helped a little in this discussion. However, whether the lamp post is used for its correct function or not, it still shines.
Respect
Si