40 mins
LETTERS
‘Radical’ Church
Radicalism and even revolution seem to be in the air according to the June issue of Life and Work. For instance Tim Bell on the Letters page suggests that, in our Church “… not everyone should be expected to conform to a consensus; we need boundary pushers, critics and satirists… We need people who are prepared to take risks and be enterprising....”
In the review of Walter Brueggemann’s book, Interrupting Silence: God’s Command To Speak Out, the author of the book is quoted as saying… “remaining silent allows the powerful to retain control” and he suggests readers ask themselves “whether they personally need to end the silence and act for justice.”
Then the Very Rev Albert Bogle in his article suggests that it is time for elders and members of congregations “to think again, to become… mavericks, to begin to agitate for change..... radical change....[to] start the local revolutions.”
While greatly encouraged by Tim Bell’s sentiments and by Walter Brueggemann’s words I ask why Albert Bogle’s demand for a “change of mfindset” should be directed at Sessions and congregations?
While that is essential if there is to be change we also need “boundary pushers, critics, satirists, risk-takers and mavericks” in the Presbyteries, Councils, Commttees and Departments of the Church.
May I suggest that we ought to be listening to what these mavericks and risk-takers have to say (for instance Google Ross Greer, Agenda, The Herald, May 25, “The Church of Scotland needs to be braver”) and ask ourselves whether we ought to stop obsessing about the relentless decline of the Church as an institution and spend more time and spiritual energy proclaiming the truly revolutionary message of Jesus from the rooftops, the street corners and the pulpits: a message desperately needed, in these bleak times, by the marginalised in our land and beyond who, like many in the gospels, are stfill disempowered, hungry and oppressed.
We may not preserve the Kirk in its current institutional form but we shall carry forward the message of Jesus.
John Milne, Uddingston, Lanarkshire
Assembly Thanks
I want to register my deep appreciation to the General Assembly and also to the Church and Society Council for backing my motion on tackling homophobic bullying and assault at a pastoral level.
I worded the motion in such a way so as to enable the participation of young people within the LGBT paradigm. Rather than doing stuff for or to them, since this issue affects young people themselves it is vitally important to involve the young people affected.
That is why I asked the General Assembly to instruct the Church and Society Council to work with the Youth Assembly, TIE (Time For Inclusive Education) and LGBT Youth Scotland, organisations with first hand experience of working with young people who have been affected by homophobia.
In this year of young people it is vitally important to empower young people so that they can be a part of developing strategies to deal with issues that affect them.
We need to be informed by our young people, those within and those outside of the Church.
When it comes to young folks who identify as LGB or T then it is doubly important to involve them in developing resources that enable Churches to effectively minister in a pastorally responsible way to those affected by homophobic bullying and assault.
This is more frequent that you might think. Homophobic hate crime is a scourge on our land.
The numbers of LGBT young folk contemplating suicide is rising and those seeking emotional, psychological, medical and pastoral support to counter the effects of homophobia is also rising.
This is an opportunity for the Church to live out the truth of Christ, to make the Gospel real.
John Nugent (Rev), Wick, Caithness
‘Planned to Death’
Oh no! not another plan to cure our fills – a bigger and better ten-year one, no less.
In AD 66 Caius Petronius wrote: “We trained hard, but it seemed that every time we were beginning to form up into teams, we would be reorganised. I was to learn later in life that we tend to meet any new situation by reorganising, and a wonderful method it can be or creating the fillusion of progress while producing confusion, inefficiency, and demoralisation.”
The Kirk has been planned to death.
Bfill Shackleton (Rev), Burnside, Glasgow The ten year plan was rejected by the General Assembly – see page 26
Excess Books
In the letters in the May issue of Life & Work Ian Gilvear was seeking a copy of the Hymnary Revised Edition, full choir version with split pages.
We are having a clear out and have come across several old hymnaries, psalters, and anthem books (and two bound volumes of Life & Work from the 19th Century), but unfortunately not what Ian was seeking.
Cartoon: Bfill McArthur
We just wish to dispose of the books, but preferably to a good home rather than to be pulped.
The inventory of the “hoard” is as follows: Church Hymnary, 3rd edition with music (not split pages), black leather; The Psalter in Metre & Church Hymnary, with music, split pages for psalms only, blue board cover, spine partly detached; Scottish Psalter & Church Hymnary Revised Edition with sol-fa, split pages for psalms only, red board cover; The Church Hymnary 1898 with music, blue board cover; The Scottish Anthem Book 1896, blue board cover; Anthem Book of the United Free Church of Scotland 1909, blue board cover and bound volumes of Life and Work (1879 to 80 and 1881-82).
Stewart Mfiller, Treasurer, Saline & Blairingone Parish Church Thank you to everybody who responded to Ian Gilvear’s letter. He now has the hymnary he was looking for.
Get our message right
It is clear to all that the Church of Scotland has seen better times. Reports from the General Assembly and articles in Life and Work tell us what we all are patently aware of, that there is a definite downturn in numbers of ministers and members and financially we are struggling. I don’t write in a spirit of criticism since, as a member of Glasgow Presbytery, I am aware of all of the valiant and dedicated effort that is put in by so many in their love for the church and their desire to make an impact for good in their communities. It is obvious in the wider church that there seems to be a growing awareness that something needs to be done to arrest the current decline and all sorts of measures are being prescribed as a panacea for a revival in our fortunes.
Top of the agenda seems to be the desire to attract more young people to our churches and that is a very worthy aim because if the church is to have a future we need more young people to commit themselves to God’s work in the Church of Scotland. But maybe young folk are more sophisticated than we give them credit for. It seems that efforts to attract them are focused on external measures only and focus upon forms of service and modes of worship.
Perhaps it has not occurred to those who formulate policy in the Church of Scotland, that maybe we need to get our message right, before we try all sorts of other gimmicks and remedies to win people back. Maybe the people of Scotland, young and older, just have a deep need to get right with God and find some real direction and eternal certainty in their lives. According to our official creed the Church of Scotland is fully equipped in its adherence to the teaching of the Old and New Testaments to deliver a powerful and life-changing message to the people of Scotland. What seems to be holding us back is a shocking lack of confidence in God’s good Word and a widespread failure to declare its message.
Alex Glen, Glasgow
Life and Work welcomes letters from readers of not more than 350 words which can be sent by post to Life and Work,121 George Street, Edinburgh, EH2 4YN or by email to magazine@lifeandwork.org
For verification purposes letters must be accompanied by the writer’s name, address and daytime telephone number. Anonymous letters wfill not be published. In exceptional circumstances the Editor wfill consider publishing a letter withholding the details of the writer, provided verification can be made. The Editor reserves the right to edit letters for space and legal reasons.
This article appears in the July 2018 Issue of Life and Work
If you would like to view other issues of Life and Work, you can see the full archive
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