LETTERS

‘Fish on the other side of the boat’

Along with the challenges facing the church there are opportunities.

For almost four years now I’ve been a locum minister, even though I’m trained as a Reader. I also know from the recent Readers’ conference that very many Readers are acting as locum ministers over prolonged periods. Most of us find this very rewarding and it’s like a new career later in life.

I’m also a Community Development Worker leading a church project called Making Dundee Home. This project adds to our busy café run by the church five days per week. We’re in vacancy, but pushing above our weight as many churches and people will be doing.

There are three things I’d like to share with the wider church through Life and Work:

One, I take the view that Jesus was the first recorded Asset Based Community Worker as he sent folk out to create communities of healing and sharing. This was not charity – he made that explicit. They took nothing, but were charged with bringing healing and sharing where it would take root.

Two, perhaps all those with key leadership roles in the ministry of Christ should be trained in Asset Based Community Work and we lose the title minister and spend much less time on theology and just live the gospel.

Three, the Church of Scotland has an unequivocal commitment to parish ministry. It strikes me that we think ministry is to the church. That ministers or people in leadership roles are called to the church. Nothing could be further from the truth surely?

If the Church of Scotland is there for everyone in the parish as Christ is there for everyone then surely all those engaged in the Ministry of Christ are called to the world (the parish), not the church. The world is our parish, the community our calling.

I really believe we need to think outside the box or as Jesus said – just fish on the other side of the boat!!!

Gordon Sharp, Locum Minister and Community Development Worker, Dundee

‘Strengthen what remains’

John Hume’s letter (November issue) highlights the challenge of our national church having to make decisions regarding buildings with fewer resources of funds and people.

It is indeed worth thinking that if we say churches have to be in the ‘right places’ that this suggests that there are some which are ‘not right’. So often it is the rural areas which lose out on buildings. Uniting congregations and closing church buildings in the past has not always been carried out sensitively and John is correct to state that buildings matter spiritually as well as practically and have ‘deep layers of meaning’for people’s engagement with God. This does not always seem to be understood by those with the admittedly difficult job of Presbytery planning.

I was saddened some years ago to hear a minister state how people were ‘thirled’ to their buildings as if that was a negative and to be discouraged. Two churches were to be united because it was stated that ‘as the crow flies’ they were close (but with no easy through way).

The office bearers pointed out that no one in their congregations was a crow and so both buildings were thankfully considered to be ‘in the right place’ and therefore ‘necessary’. ‘Necessary ‘ is a curious term with less and less people attending church .

‘Strengthen what remains’ seems more Biblical.

Irene Munro (Rev), Conon Bridge, Ross-shire

Disinvestment debate

With reference to November’s letter on disinvestment by Mr Ross Greer MSP, I wish to comment as follows:

I am sure that we all admire the political achievements and indeed the charisma conveyed by Mr Greer, particularly as of one so young. It does seem to me however, that, along with many of his colleagues, both within Parliament and within the Kirk, that in their determined enthusiasm to seek the high moral ground, they lose sight of reality.

It may well be, however, that they arrive at their divestment concepts without the benefit of a sound knowledge of basic economics.

Their proposal, albeit intended as leading by example, that the Kirk divesting itself of all stocks and shares in the oil and gas industries, would somehow have a profound effect on the CO2 being deposited in our atmosphere, simply does not add up.

Our accrued investments in Shell, BP and France’s Total, although considerable, are but a drop in the ocean, or should we say a ‘blob on the dipstick’ of the financial reserves of these giant companies, therefore our withdrawal would have no effect whatsoever, on the industry’s production of oil and gas, nor indeed on our misuse or abuse of its products. In any event, our release of these stocks and shares would simply invite other corporate investors to gobble them up and so the industry would continue unimpeded.

While we remain as shareholders, along with other influential investors we have a right to sit at the table with these companies and to bring some pressure to bear on them in respect of their very considerable R&D budgets for improving or eliminating carbon emissions.

A recent science paper published by the industry reports on a proposal that redundant ocean-based wells may be converted into refineries, whereby C02 could be extracted from the atmosphere and pumped safely into the seabed, a procedure currently and naturally executed by marine flora. Further, Mr Peter Mather BP’s UK business leader, has confirmed his company’s commitment to seriously reducing emissions, with a realistically achievable target of zero, by 2050, as opposed to the impractical demands of some campaigners for this to be achieved by 2025. Shell have also announced their commitment to financing the planting of many millions of trees, sufficient they claim to absorb all of the carbon produced by their extracting of fossil fuels.

Only the industry companies themselves have the funding and necessary technology to execute such massive undertakings, but if we, the Kirk, retreat from our position as stakeholders, we lose the right to sit at their table and our voice from outside would simply then become, ‘as of one crying in the wilderness’, therefore our interests will be so much better served as ‘partners’ in our endeavours to correct the health of our planet.

Ian Cooper, Glasgow

Prison and names

Re the Rev Sheena Orr’s article about prisoners, there is one simple suggestion I wish to put forward, namely that no child should have to begin school with a risible surname.

Fellow pupils not having a successful time themselves may pick on him to be the rejected one, humiliation lasting into adulthood.

Kathleen Manning, Huntly

Joy in the darkness

Sometimes I disagree with Ron Ferguson, but mostly I do enjoy his ramblings – especially in the November edition.

I have never been to Orkney or Shetland, but have visited all but three tiny other islands of Scotland. I do wish to get there if at all possible!

His ‘Rhythms of the year’ piece was just a pure delight! Pouring with a ‘gentle breeze’ I am about to set out to go to 30 mins of STILLNESS in a local church, hat firmly tied down, not able to drive yet due to an accident, but will think of him, glasses awash but JOY in the ‘darkness’!

Patricia Chapman, Linlithgow, West Lothian

Visit us online and enjoy enhanced and up-to-date experience of the editorially independent magazine of the Church of Scotland with news, views and features.

www.lifeandwork.org

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 will not be published. In exceptional circumstances the Editor will 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.