I’ve been away from Aberdeen for the last fortnight. It’s good to be back and, amongst other things, to return to blogging. This morning I read some thoughts about T F Torrance on Ted Johnson’s blog, ‘The Surprising God’. I thought I would link this post to that. I am sure you will find inspiration and much to admire in the life of Professor Torrance, great theologian and Chuch of Scotland minister. Here is what inspired me today:
Sometimes theologians are dismissed as living in the ivory towers of academia, far from the harsh realities of life. Thought of as having their head in the clouds, their theology might be dismissed as having little or no relevance in the “real” world, including the world of Christian living and ministry. However, the life of Thomas F. Torrance (arguably one of the premier theologians of the second half of the twentieth century) stands in stark contrast to any such notion.
Elmer Colyer states that Torrance’s theology arose out of the evangelical and doxological life of family and the church, including pastoral ministry and personal experience in numerous life-threatening situations, beginning with his parents as a missionary family in China, and including attempts on his life in the Middle East, and as an army chaplain on the front lines of war in Italy, ministering the gospel to wounded and dying soldiers.
Read the rest of this article here
Soli Deo Gloria
I came across this song on YouTube and instantly liked the wonderful reassurance that the words convey, the encouraging reminder that we are not alone, that God is with us. I hope and pray that as you play this video, wherever you happen to be,and whatever you happen to be facing or even enduring, that you will find the simple, repetition of the words to be a source of hope and strength. We are not alone. Christ is ever with us.
Soli Deo Gloria
Published Date: 17 September 2009By Craig BrownTHE openly gay man at the centre of a row over a Kirk presbytery’s decision to elect him to training for the ministry abandoned his application last night in an effort to prevent a split in the Church.Dmitri Ross, who was put forward as a candidate for the ministry by the Presbytery of Hamilton, said he believed his withdrawal was in the best interests of the Church. If ordained, he would have been the first Church of Scotland minister in a civil partnership to be approved since a two-year moratorium on gay appointments was agreed at the General Assembly in May.Last night, Mr Ross said: “I do not wish, and have never sought, to be a cause of division within the Church I love so dearly. Therefore, after much heartfelt deliberation, and after much prayerful consideration, I have decided to withdraw as a full-time Candidate in Training for Ministry of Word and Sacrament in the Church of Scotland.”
We are going to be singing Graham Kendrick’s beautiful song ‘How Long’ during our evening service this coming Sunday. It is a wonderful hymn that reminds us to consider the suffering of our brothers and sisters in Christ and asks for grace to honour their sacrifices in the ways in which we obey and serve Christ.
“Lord, may we, too, love you more than our own lives. Amen”
Here is Graham Kendrick singing ‘How Long’ outside the Chinese Embassy in London on 28th February 2003 in association with Release International and Christian Solidarity Worldwide:
Lord, help us to live worthy of
Our sisters and our brothers
Who love you more than their own lives
Who worship as they suffer
To embrace the scandal of the cross
Not ashamed to tell your story
To count all earthly gain as loss
To know you and your glory
How long, Lord, till you come?
How long till the earth
Is filled with your song?
How long until your justice
Shines like the sun?
How long, Lord, till you come?
How long till the earth
Is filled with your song?
How long, how long?
Soli De Gloria
The Herald has wrongly attributed the following quote to me in recent weeks and charged me with schismatic views that I do not hold. It has done this on at least two occasions. I thought that I could not possibly have said such a thing, and after a little detective work, I can now reveal the true culprit. It was none other than Harry Reid, a Herald columnist. I am surprised he has not recognised nor claimed his own handiwork. This is what he wrote in his essay in the newspaper published on 30th May 2009:
A split church? Good. BRING ON the schism! I believe that is the only logical response to the Church of Scotland’s procrastination at the recent General Assembly…
Don’t believe me? Read the quote in its context here
I hope now that Herald reporters will duly take note. I don’t ask for an apology, only accuracy.
Soli Deo Gloria
The Fellowship of Confessing Churches has posted the following response to the article that appeared in the Sunday Herald. I think you will see that it clears up the silliness that was ‘reported’ in that newspaper on Sunday:
The infamous “gagging order” that issued from the controversial General Assembly of 2009 has made communication with the press problematic. The Fellowship of Confessing Churches has been happy to comment on developments when asked and without requesting the protection of anonymity. Not all have been as candid, and recently some fabulous stories have emerged with their origins in the speculations of anonymous “church sources.” The most extraordinary of these fables thus far appeared in the Sunday Herald on 13 Sep 09.
According to this piece, our churches have formed a secret gang with politicians from Northern Ireland, presbyterians in America (from the “Presbyterian Church of America”, one of the few American denominations which actually does not exist!), and the former Chief Constable of Strathclyde Police, no less — all in order to make an audacious heist on £2 billion of assets from the Church of Scotland! Only lacking, to complete the intrigue, was the suggestion (from an un-named senior church figure, of course) that there was some gun running involved!
Perhaps the writer is confusing the Church of Scotland with the Bank of Scotland, its neighbour on the Mound? The BOS has already lost its billions. Worried readers of the Herald may now fear that the chancellor will also have to bail out the COS with public funds. Or will 121 be merged with Lloyds?
All this is so ludicrous it warrants no serious comment. It seems that the unwillingness of ministers or Church courts to make public comment to the press has forced journalists to turn their hand from reportage to fiction, crafting stories that could give the brothers Grimm a run for their money!
However, for the record, the FCC would simply re-iterate that it is no more than a fellowship of congregations within the Church of Scotland conscious of the need, in the present circumstances of public confusion about what the Church of Scotland believes and teaches, to declare our commitment to historic, orthodox Christianity. So, publicly, and on the record, we are glad to reaffirm the historic, Reformed doctrines of the Kirk.
We have no political affiliation.
We are not a lobbying organisation within the denomination (though the Special Commission has approached us for input to their process and we have co-operated as helpfully as we could).
We are committed to no unified position on campaigning or protest, far less “rebellion”.
We are simply a fellowship — of churches deeply concerned for the truth of the gospel, and for the honour of the name of Christ. We want to stand together in proclaiming the truth that alone leads to salvation. And we want to encourage one another to keep on doing so, whatever others may say or do in the face of increasingly strenuous attempts to subvert the orthodox stance and practice of our denomination.
That’s what we are. No more, no less.
And that’s Official.
We’re not shadowy ‘senior church sources’. And we are not anonymous. All our names are here on the website, and what we say, we are happy to say openly and clearly
(2 Corinthians 4:2).
Soli Deo Gloria
From today’s Aberdeen Press & Journal:
CHURCHMAN TELLS OF ‘GREAT DISMAY AND PERPLEXITY’
Kirk minister calls for probe into gay trainee
BY CAMERON BROOKS
Published: 15/09/2009
A Church of Scotland minister has called for a probe into whether a presbytery broke Kirk rules when it approved an openly gay man as a trainee clergyman.
The Rev Bill Wallace, of Banchory, a former convener of the church’s board of social responsibility, has written to the principal clerk of the General Assembly citing “great dismay and perplexity among many traditionalists”.
Hamilton Presbytery has put forward former lawyer Demetrius Ross, 42, who is in a civil partnership, for training at Glasgow University.
It comes after the General Assembly ruled in May that the ordination and induction of homosexuals into the ministry should not be considered until 2011, after an investigation is completed.
The decision was made after delegates decided that the Rev Scott Rennie, who is openly gay, could move from Brechin Cathedral to Queen’s Cross Church in Aberdeen.
Mr Wallace, who worked at Wick until last year, has asked principal clerk Finlay Macdonald if Hamilton Presbytery acted “contumaciously” – rebelliously – in light of the two-year moratorium .
The former Pulteneytown and Thrumster church minister wrote: “Since I understand Hamilton Presbytery sought advice from 121 (the Kirk’s HQ in Edinburgh) on the matter, it would appear, on the face of it, that no barrier was put in their way.
“I would be grateful if the advice given by 121 could be made public.
“I ask this, not just because many people have expressed to me their confusion and perplexity caused by this decision but also because similar situations may occur in other presbyteries.”
Many ministers thought the moratorium barred gay theology students from starting their studies.
‘Revealed: the evangelical plan to grab Kirk assets in gay clergy split’ – from the Sunday Herald
This was in the Sunday Herald. In brief response to Paul Hutcheon’s piece, which misleads rather more than it informs, in my view, it is worth reiterating that evangelicals are not campaigning against gay ministers. There is a dispute ongoing about lifestyle, but not about orientation. It is not accurate to say that evangelicals are fronted by the Fellowship of Confessing Churches. Although the number of congregations associating themselves with the aims of the FCC is growing, the FCC is an evangelical group alongside a couple of others that hope to see reformation in the Kirk. It is not the case, either, that the FCC is being supported by right wing Northern Ireland politicians. Some may have signed the online petition of some many weeks ago, but the petition was open to receive signatures from anyone. A few signatures from NI does not mean that evangelicals are seeking or receiving support from there, as the article misleadingly suggests. The anonymous ‘prophets’, those unnamed senior church sources who seem to have read the runes and who predict that evangelicals are attempting to secure as strong a financial base as possible before moving towards a schism are just wrong. Our hope and prayer is for reformation in the Kirk, not schism. It is amazing to me how frequently the theological left speaks of schism, whilst those of us praying for the reformation of the Kirk see schism as a tragic possibility but one that we fervently hope will not come to pass. When these senior figures opine as they reportedly do, I never detect any tones of sadness or sorrow when they speak of the fractious state of the Kirk. Doesn’t the broken condition of the Church of Jesus Christ break anyone’s heart any more? It appears not.
Finally, the article repeats the erroneous statement that ‘The Rev Louis Kinsey of St Columba’s in Aberdeen said last week that a schism was “the only logical response to the Church of Scotland’s procrastination at the General Assembly”. I did not say this at all. I wish reporters would do their own work and not merely copy and paste from one another.
Here’s the Sunday Herald:
A group of evangelical Christians campaigning against the ordination of gay ministers will attempt to hold onto a share of £2 billion of assets if they eventually leave the Church of Scotland, according to senior Kirk insiders.
The sources say a formal split between liberals and conservatives in the Church over homosexuality is likely to result in a protracted dispute over the ownership of parish funds, manses and other property.
The Sunday Herald can also reveal the evangelicals, fronted by the Fellowship of Confessing Churches (FCC), are being supported by right-wing politicians in Northern Ireland in their bid to stop gay people becoming ministers.
You read the rest of the article here
A senior Church of Scotland minister has demanded an investigation into whether Hamilton Presbytery acted in defiance of the Kirk’s General Assembly when it approved an openly-gay former lawyer as a trainee clergyman.
The Reverend Bill Wallace, a former convenor of the Church of Scotland’s Board of Social Responsibility, has written to the Principal Clerk of the General Assembly, citing “great dismay and perplexity among many traditionalists” at the decision.
The call for a probe follows The Herald’s revelation that 42-year-old Demetrius Ross, who is in a civil partnership, has been put forward for training.
It deepens a bitter dispute which threatens to split the Kirk. If ordained, Mr Ross would be the first openly gay minister to be approved since a two-year moratorium was agreed on gay appointments by this year’s General Assembly of the Kirk.
Read the rest of this article here
An inspiring thought for the start of the week, the story of David and Goliath, with some help from Queen.
Soli Deo Gloria
