31 mins
LETTERS
Confidence Needed
Having followed Albert Bogle’s articles with comments to change the way we do church, I smiled at Bill McArthur’s cartoon ‘remaining silent allows the powerful to retain control’ (Letters, July Life and Work).
May I point out that mavericks are often not encouraged in our beloved Church of Scotland.
In fact, any comment by someone who is not a ‘key’ person is called criticism, and often a sad state exists where creativity and missional initiatives are pushed aside for the more safe, social activities.
Mavericks are called a ‘thorn in the flesh’ by those who may consider themselves spiritually superior.
Maybe we are too slow to admit that many of our ideas and teaching methods need to be updated!
Perhaps the characteristic that is most lacking in our Scottish churches today is the quality of confidence.
Not the overbearing self-confidence that can easily spill over into arrogance, nor the inability to listen to other points of view, but the quiet confidence that has its roots deep in the conviction that the faith of the church and the hope of the church are fundamentally right and true.
And this is a humble confidence because it is dependant not on ourselves but on Jesus Christ – the One who is the same yesterday, today and for ever.
The Gospel is as true today as it was many years ago.
But, because our ways of thinking and living are not static, instead of talking so much about the decline of the Church, maybe we should use our energy to change our ways of expressing and communicating the truth – and a very great and very humble confidence will be needed for that.
Why wait?
Each day, every one of us is one day older, whether we like it or not.
But it is the same Gospel that should be preached – the good news of what God has done for us, once and for all in Jesus Christ.
As in the teaching world, we realise we have to take the key people with us, but obviously this is difficult in the church, as many people want to preserve the old days.
Learn from the past, but move on!
Dorothy Mackay, Aberdeen
‘Miracle’ Book
Recently I acquired a very old book, written in Latin around 1570 and printed in 1721.
The author was George Buchanan (1506-1582), a humanist, poet and dramatist of international renown.
George was Principal of St Leonard’s College, St Andrews, an early Moderator of the General Assembly (1567) and a royal tutor (James VI).
John Knox spoke highly of him in these terms:
‘That notable man, Mr George Buchquhanane, remains alive to this day, in the year of God, 1566 yeares, to the glory of God, to the gret honour of this nation and the comfort of tham that delyte in letters and vertew…’
My book An Appendix to his History of Scotland, is an English translation of three of his works.
On perusal of the delicate pages (boards detached and spine a theoretical concept), I saw an error, uncorrected by margins, over 300 years.
James IV and James V had been mixed up at Flodden. Alternative facts and fake news are nothing new!
For a book to survive for 300 years is a major miracle. Many books are damaged by readers or lost to floods, ire, and fury or intentionally or inadvertently thrown into ‘post-consumer waste streams’. In July 1683, seditious and heretical books by Knox, Buchanan and Milton were burned by Oxford University.
My ‘new’ book set me back only £75.
The year 1721 is long ago but Crown Court Kirk in Covent Garden was up and running after consecration in 1719.
A hand-written note on a board is dated 1884, the year of Dedication of the first St Columba’s in Pont Street, London.
J Michael Buchanan, London
Be Happy
Ron Ferguson considers what makes people happy (July Life and Work).
He is right – money does not always bring happiness.
Indeed good friends bring happiness.
I have found happiness was helping someone who had suffered and recovering to see them prosper.
Cartoon: Bill McArthur
But besides money, health, etc, what brings me the most happiness is just a nice stroll.
I was so lucky when I moved house in Bankfoot to find a path near the back garden, a short path by the edge of fields and a wood with commanding views to the Perthshire hills.
On a day of blue cloudless skies the hills’ majestic concerns seem to melt away to the simple beauty and in this is happiness and as stated a sense of gratitude and yes indeed, as Mr Ferguson considers a letter just to say thank you when helped by someone or wish them well.
It does mean so much.
Thomas Brown, Bankfoot, Perthshire.
Words of Luther
I would like to support the letter of Alex Glen in the July issue of
Life and Work, especially the last sentence.
Some years ago, I came across this verse, attributed to Martin Luther:
‘Feelings come and feelings go and feelings are deceiving
My warrant is the Word of God naught
Else is worth believing.
Though all my heart could feel condemned
For want of some sweet token,
There is one greater than my heart
Whose word cannot be broken.
I’ll trust in God’s unchanging Word
Till soul and body sever,
For though all things shall pass away
His Word shall stand forever.’
This verse has encouraged me in times of famine as described in Amos: 8.
Irene K Shearer, Kirkwall, Orkney
Unfailing Love
I am writing in relation to the letter by John Kussel (August Life and Work) and subsequent cartoon on “Unconditional Love”.
It may seem pedantic of me (and probably is) but the phrase
‘Unconditional Love’ is not one I subscribe to.
If Love has conditions attached then it is not Love.
The word ‘Unconditional’ is redundant.
To love like Christ may be an impossibility as we are Human all too Human.
I prefer the phrase God’s ‘unfailing love’ as he never fails us.
Jamie Knight, London
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
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This article appears in the September 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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