Empire

I have recently read two books, both of which have contributed a great deal to my thinking around empire and the contemporary challenges posed by the UK's colonial past. I usually approach any such thinking from a Biblical and/or theological perspective, but these two have offered another view which helps to consider the issues. One is Sathnam Sanghera's 'Empireland' and the other is 'Africa Is Not A Country' by Dipo Faloyin. The latter is sub-titled 'Breaking Stereotypes of Modern Africa' and is a telling reminder of the wonderful diversity of that immense continent, but also of the damage done in times past when so many of its 'treasures' ewere 'taken' and brought to other places. In 'Empireland' Sanghera challenges us to look our history in the eye and recognise the impact that we havr had, and what that has done to others. Both offer lots to think about.

Royal Events

As Synod Moderator, I represented the United Reformed Church at the National Service of Thanksgiving and Dedication at St Giles’ Cathedral, Edinburgh, yesterday, Wednesday 5th July, when the Royal Honours of Scotland were presented to King Charles, with Queen Camilla and the Duke and Duchess of Rothesay also present. The service was preceded by an excellent array of music, including All in the April Evening, Ca’ the yowes, Farewell to Stromness and Loch Katrine’s Lady. During the service an appropriately inspiring sermon was preached by the Revd. Sally Foster-Fulton, Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland. She spoke of the need to listen in order to understand and of the importance of embracing different perspectives. She reminded us that diverse customs and beliefs are to be celebrated – and that we are “a saga not a short story, a symphony not a solo”, adding, “We are one global neighbourhood – intricately inter-related and completely co-dependent, woven together, like a tartan.” The Honours, the Crown Jewels of Scotland, comprise the Crown, the Sceptre and the Sword of State, this last a new sword, named the Elizabeth Sword, commissioned in 2022 and designed and crafted in Scotland. The sword was presented by Dame Katherine Grainger, the sceptre by Lady Dorrian and the crown by the Duke of Hamilton and Brandon. The diversity of Scotland was represented in blessings and greetings being offered by representatives of the Muslim, Hindu, Jewish, Buddhist and Humanist communities. The service closed with the congregation singing ‘Christ is made the sure foundation’, followed by the recognition of the presence of the Stone of Destiny or Scone, the National Anthem – and the Blessing. Following the service we were able to witness the flypast of the Red Arrows as they followed a route down the Royal Mile. The previous day, together with my wife Mary, I joined around six thousand people from different aspects of community and life within Scotland to attend the Royal Garden Party at the Palace of Holyrood. Unfortunately, it was perhaps most memorable for the amount of rain, but still enjoyable, particularly some of the music played in the gardens, possibly most strikingly for us a rendition of Highland Cathedral. A further comment from Sally Foster-Fulton’s sermon sums up these events for me – “We are all a small part of something so much bigger – this beautiful, sacred creation and everyone and everything in it.”

Awareness

Anthony De Mello’s book “Awareness” includes some interesting, and helpful, reflections around the theme of the theme of the present moment and being aware. He points out the limits of words and how are attempts to ‘capture’ things so often just do not work. For example, “if I want you to get the feel of what the flow of a river is like and I bring it to you in a bucket. The moment I put it into a bucket it has stopped flowing. The moment you put things into a concept, they stop flowing; they become static, dead. … Concepts are always frozen. Reality flows. ….. it is so difficult to translate from one language to another, because each language cuts reality up differently. The English word “home” is impossible to translate into French or Spanish. “Casa” is not quite “home”; “home” has associations that are peculiar to the English language. Every language has untranslatable words and expressions, because we’re cutting reality up and adding something or subtracting something and usage keeps changing.” (p. 122). Some interesting – and challenging – ideas!

Mindfulness

“Emphasis on the present moment is also a key tool for those of us who can spend too much of our time living either in the past or in the future: worrying, replaying or even over-celebrating what has happened, or planning what is about to happen, while never fully appreciating what is right here in front of us.” So says Tim Stead in his book “Mindfulness and Christian Spirituality: Making Space for God”, which I have recently completed reading. Stead’s indicating the value of mindfulness is a timely reminder of the value of making space. As Stead also says: “Mindfulness itself does not fix things but seeks to open up a space where things might (if appropriate) be fixed. In fact, it teaches us more about not fixing things and about learning that it is not our place to try to save ourselves. But it does teach us the skill of opening things up – bringing concerns to the surface – so that, in God’s time and in God’s way, they might be healed or restored.”

The Road to Emmaus

Denis McBride’s “The Road to Emmaus and Beyond: A Journey from Easter to Pentecost” is a great reflection based on the Luke 24 story of the two weary crest-fallen disciples making their way home from Jerusalem to Emmaus. The bottom had fallen out of their world as all their hopes had been dashed. As McBride says: “Their hopes are in the past perfect tense: it is not only the body of Jesus that has been buried, but their hope in Jesus has been entombed as well. …. Their hope that Jesus would prove to be the awaited messiah is now cancelled by their experience of what has happened to him. Their hope has been reluctantly laid down in the tomb, beside the dead body of Jesus.” However, they had a lot to learn, new insights to gain. McBride again: “Their experience of the Lord sends them out of doors, on mission. They do not stay in Emmaus to build a monument to the place where they met the Lord: their experience compels them to share it with others as good news.” But they were desperate to share what had happened. This is indeed a story of mission. “At the heart of their experience there is an imperative to mission: to hand over their experience as good news to others. They do not hoard the revelation of Christ because it is not something that has been given to them for their exclusive benefit. Seeing the Lord is a dismissal for ministry. So they do not try to build a booth to mark the spot, thereby associating the presence of the Lord with one particular place; that presence has now become part of their experience and it is their interior change which marks the spot.” So, it is good for us to note with McBride: “In that sense Emmaus is not just one place in history; Emmaus is wherever the community gather to hold holy the memory of Jesus and break bread together in his name.”

Visiting South Sudan

Imagine visiting South Sudan together with Pope Francis and the Archbishop of Canterbury. I recently was invited to a Presbytery of Clyde event at Paisley Abbey (pictured) where the guest speaker, Revd Dr Iain Greenshields, the current Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, gave the assembled company of Presbytery representatives and ecumenical and interfaith guests insights into just that. The idea began when the government of South Sudan (not Sudan, which is one of the countries that borders South Sudan) invited the Pope to visit the country on a pilgrimage for peace and unity. The Pope wanted to accept the invitation, but was also keen to model good practice in line with the invitation that had been offered. Aware that the majority Christian population included significant numbers of both Anglicans and Presbyterians, alongside Catholics, he invited the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland to join him for the visit. So, Iain told us of a fascinating trip meeting the top officials of South Sudan, alongside the Pope and the Archbishop, and with a clear opportunity, and even invitation, to speak a message of unity. He told how in their final message to the government Justin Welby and he were encouraged to repeat the Pope’s own message of service, peace and unity. A couple of interesting personal notes: my last time in Paisley Abbey was a little over 50 years ago, attending my last school service as a pupil of Paisley Grammar School; and it was good to have a brief conversation with the Abbey’s current locum minister, Revd. Jim Gibson. Jim and I were good friends and fellow classmates at the University of Glasgow’s Faculty of Divinity until we graduated – in 1977!

Brother Lawrence and Zen

“Brother Lawrence: A Christian Zen Master” is a fascinating collection of insights, bringing together the Christian tradition, by citing Brother Lawrence, and that of Buddhism, offering similar insights from a number of Buddhist teachers. The book begins with a reminder that “Zen itself is not a religion but a technique, a practice that can be applied to any religious tradition. However, it grew out of Buddhism, and it has always fit most comfortably within the Buddhist faith.” However, the book also recognises how well this fits with the way that Brother Lawrence lived. “At its heart, Brother Lawrence’s practice was simply Zen—a focus on the present moment in order to wake up, to be able to see the Light. This way of living drew not only the attention of church leaders during his day; down through the centuries, it has continued to draw the attention of those who see in Brother Lawrence’s life a way of relating to God that Christianity has often neglected. Other mystics, including Meister Eckhart and Teresa of Avila, might be able to explain this in greater detail in their writing; Brother Lawrence simply lived it.” The book adds “Zen asks us to let go of our focus on the ego, to empty ourselves of our selfish attachments, to destroy our mental constructs, and simply be present to the light. Not so very different from Christ’s call to die to ourselves so that we may be born again!” There is certainly loads of parallel wisdom from both traditions cited in this insightful book. Naturally, I identified most with the quotations (updated in language) from Brother Lawrence and the Christian tradition, but it was easy to recognise the many ways in which Buddhism offers similar messages. A final quote – “Don’t get tired of doing little things for the love of God. The size of our task matters not at all, only the love with which we do it.”

Brother Lawrence

I recently read – or reread – Brother Lawrence’s “The Practice of the Presence of God”, and enjoyed the chance to reflect on his gentle reminders of the value of just being with God and recognising that fact. As he says: “we do not always have to be in church to be with God. We may make an oratory of our heart so we can, from time to time, retire to converse with Him in meekness, humility, and love. Every one is capable of such familiar conversation with God, some more, some less. He knows what we can do.” He picks up the idea of prayer (being in the presence of God) as a holy habit. “How can we pray to Him without being with Him? How can we be with Him but in thinking of Him often? And how can we often think of Him, but by a holy habit which we should form of it?” Our relationship with God is key and developed as we spend time in God’s presence. Knowing about God is good, but not enough. We need to know God. “We must know before we can love. In order to know God, we must often think of Him. And when we come to love Him, we shall then also think of Him often, for our heart will be with our treasure.” So, Brother Lawrence encourages us – “get in the habit of often thinking of God, and forget Him the least you can.”

Thomas Merton

I recently read Robert Inchausti’s “The Way of Thomas Merton – a Prayer Journey through Lent.” The book offers fascinating and helpful insights from Thomas Merton. The book, for example, reminds us of our struggles, sometimes, to see God – “The problem is, as Merton takes such great pains to explain, God is too often hidden from us under a fog of worldly cares and abstract conceptions that keep us living in confusion as to who we are and what truly matters.” It also offers some good reflections on success – “Life does not have to be regarded as a game in which scores are kept and somebody wins. If you are too intent on winning, you will never enjoy playing. If you are too obsessed with success, you will forget how to live. If you have learned only how to be a success, your life has probably been wasted. If a university concentrates on producing successful people, it is lamentably failing in its obligation to society and to the students themselves.” “Getting what you want is no guarantee of happiness. And seeing yourself as a ‘success’ turns you into a figment of your own imagination. Those who worship success never truly succeed because they do not fathom how bearing one’s cross could be the very victory they seek. They have yet to get their minds around the basic, paradoxical Christian truism that to find oneself, one must lose oneself (John 12.24).” Merton certainly helps us see what God can do for us and this book helps us discover that. “For Merton, the Bible’s value did not derive primarily from its literary worth, although many sublime passages are contained within its pages. Nor did it derive from any explicit ideas, concepts or theories it contains, though there are plenty of those things too. Its value derives from its capacity to show us the possibility for redemption in our lives and then enact it within us.”

The United Reformed Church at 50 and a Bit

Hundreds of United Reformed Church folk, together with a good sprinkling of ecumenical guests, made their way past the Coronation-ready viewing stands facing Westminster Abbey to Methodism’s Westminster Central Hall on Saturday 15th April for the delayed celebration of the United Reformed Church’s Jubilee. The celebration of fifty years since the formation of the URC, originally scheduled for the fist Saturday of October 2022 but postponed because of transport problems, proved to be well worth the wait.

The two hour celebration was led by the Revd Fiona Bennett, Moderator of General Assembly, but also (from a Scottish perspective) minister of Augustine United Church in Edinburgh, supported by the Revd. Dr. Tessa Henry-Robinson, Moderator-Elect, and the Revd. Dr. John Bradbury, General Secretary. The service began with the singing of “Blessed City, Heavenly Salem”, also sung at the first service of the United Reformed Church in 1972. During the singing of this hymn, the Synod Moderators, or their representatives, placed a (battery) lit candle on a map of the nations, indicating our combined task as being to bring the light of Christ to the communities in which we are set. There were three – suitably short – sermons. The Revd. Dr. David Cornick, former General Secretary, spoke about unity as God’s precious gift. Victoria Turner, Tutor in World Christianity and Ecumenism at the University of Edinburgh, and so another representative from the National Synod of Scotland, also until very recently involved with URC Youth, spoke about our call to be counter-cultural people of peace. Revd. Prof. Dr. Jooseop Keum, General Secretary of the Council for World Mission, spoke on our jubilee theme of Faith, Hope and Love as the way towards life. Karen Campbell’s poem “A Table for All” took us into the celebration of Holy Communion. As the first four lines of the poem reminded us: “Come as you are, because you are welcome. Come take your place, and hear now the call, The table is spread, and the music is playing – Come take your place at the Table for All.” Perhaps the celebration, to take place in that area of Westminster just three weeks later, will be on a rather bigger scale – but we left, glad to have been there, and glad to be part of the United Reformed Church, reminded of some of what it – we – offers by the ‘postcards’ on screen before the service and printed on the worship order in which members of the URC had been asked to say why they belong. As one of these said: “Quite literally ‘God only knows’ and I presume I benefit the URC in some way. There is a sense of being part of a (slightly dysfunctional) family.” And another: “This is the home I know, the home I love and treasure.”

Lent and Easter

The onset of spring, lambs, chicks, chocolate eggs, flowers, hot cross buns …. or a crown of thorns, hammer and nails, a splintering cross, a stab in the side, a rolled away stone, a time of confusion …. I sometimes wonder as to what are the most prominent Lent and Easter images, even for those of us in the church. Christmas gets the more prominent press and popular acclaim, yet there too, many have lost the reason for the celebration; but the Good Friday and Easter Day message is at the very centre of our faith. How can we make sure that it is given that place? I have been reading Stephen Cottrell’s little book “Godforsaken”, sub-titled, “The Cross – The Greatest Hope of All”. In so many ways, the sub-title says it all, though the question remains as to whether that is how we really see it. As Cottrell comments, “more words have been written about this death than any other. This death, so Christians believe, is no mere execution, but the unfolding of God’s purposes.” Cottrell also says, “amazingly, and despite its horrors, we worship at the cross. At the cross we see God’s love and the beauty and depths of God’s love in painful detail.” We are people of hope. As I often like to say, we are ‘Easter People’. However, it is useful to note Cottrell’s reminder that, “before we can get to the resurrection, we must stand at the cross.” Standing at the cross is a good reminder of the importance of discipleship. We can, and should, celebrate the sheer wonder of God’s love, but we should also remember that God calls us to be the Body of Christ in the world in which we live. We are to be as the hands, feet, mouth, ears of Christ – and we do that by offering God’s love to those whom we encounter in practical ways. This does not need to be a matter of doing big things all the time. The little things are important and can combine to transform the society in which we live. I wonder what difference we might make if we focussed a little more on hope, if we tried a little harder to respond to others in the kind of way that we can imagine that Jesus did when he was here on earth. I wonder what Jesus wants to ask of us in being his disciples. One approach that can help our reflection on such matters is to imagine ourselves into some of the stories. What would it have been like to be one of the disciples at that upper room meal? What would it have been like to be in the Garden of Gethsemane when Jesus was arrested? What would it have been like to be part of the crowd asked by Pilate what to do? To be in the courtyard noticing Peter getting warm? To be out fishing and seeing Jesus, only you didn’t know it was him, on the beach? To be walking that road to Emmaus? All those things happen in their own way today. What do we do with the situations in which we find ourselves, the circumstances in which God places us? May the God of hope inspire, challenge and encourage you in the discipleship to which you are called!

Spiritual and Faith Development

The National Synod of Scotland of the United Reformed Church expresses its vision through a series of aspirations. These are not fixed in stone, but form a moving (and capable of being updated) vision statement. I am exploring these in turn in a series of brief articles. This piece reflects on the eighth aspiration which focusses on our commitment to spiritual and faith DEVELOPMENT. The Scottish College (Congregational and United Reformed) offers a dynamic programme for spiritual and faith DEVELOPMENT for anyone wishing to explore Christianity or particular callings in the life of the Church. URC YOUTH and URC CHILDREN are growing youth and children’s organisations within the United Reformed Church offering opportunities for learning and friendship amongst youth and children. The Synod is committed to encouraging people of all ages in faith development in all sorts of ways. This includes looking for opportunities for good intergenerational engagement, recognising that we are all part of the one family of God. We resist any suggestion that children and young people’s importance lies in their being tomorrow’s church. The important thing for the moment is that they are part of today’s church. Doing things together, across the generations, is highly valuable. However, we also recognise that there are times to engage in ways that are focussed on particular groups, such as children, young people, women, men, seniors and others. Discipleship is not limited to particular age groups. We value what everyone can offer, and leadership can be sourced from different age groups. I have valued the thoughts of Max De Pree, an American businessman who lived from 1924 to 2017. His book Leadership Jazz (1992) offer three insights that I have found helpful. First, he says: “The best leaders, like the best music, inspire us to see new possibilities.” I want to expand that to recognise that anyone can do that and to suggest that we should be looking to develop helpful models of discipleship from people of all ages. De Pree also says, “Expectations can really help people reach their potential.” I am reminded of Barnabas’ ministry of encouragement and Jesus’ call is simply that we all do what we can. My third De Pree quote is that “People who never fail have not been trying hard enough.” I find that surprisingly encouraging. I might put it another way and suggest that Jesus does not call us to be successful, nice though that may be when it happens, but to be faithful. For me, another word for development (in this context) is discipleship and finding ways of walking Jesus’ way is at the heart of what we do and are. There are many ways in which we can describe this, but I want to note the definition that Sam Wells offers in his book “Incarnational Ministry: Being with the church” (2017) – “Discipleship is first of all one’s relationship with God – a daily walk of grace, wonder, intimacy, sadness at failure, repentance, renewal, forgiveness, longing, gratitude, and companionship.” I really like that mix. It provides a great starting point from which we can look to be God’s people. Being God’s people is described, as well as anywhere, in Acts 2:47 - “They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.” Another way of describing discipleship is to talk about developing holy habits, and I have used various ways of listing what those might be. One list I like suggests five. The first is to bless. Bless somebody by doing something good for them. The second is to eat. That is about hospitality. The third is to listen, to God and to others. The fourth is to learn, whether from the Bible, or other spiritual sources. The fifth is to be sent. Where does God want us to go now? Whether it is that list or some other, developing a few holy habits can really make a difference.

Julian of Norwich

Janina Ramirez, in her little book “Julian of Norwich” offers an excellent introduction to the fascinating figure of Julian of Norwich. Julian was so much ahead of her time in so many ways, offering challenging but significant insights as to how she experienced her relationship with God. As Ramirez points out: “Julian lived through turbulent times, but her work moves beyond the politics and issues that surrounded her, in search of more eternal truths.” They were certainly challenging times – “Julian lived through the aftermath one of the most extraordinary moments in human history – the Black Death, 1348–9. The effect on the population of England was devastating, with areas of the country unable to recover to pre-plague numbers for many centuries. East Anglia was the county worst hit by the Black Death, because of the constant stream of trading ships, bringing with them infected rats and people. It is estimated that in Norwich 7,000 of the 12,000 inhabitants died.” However, Julian is a person of strong faith, but also one who is thoughtful about her understanding of God. Of particular interest is her understanding of the feminine aspects in the nature of God. As Ramirez comments: “she does not simply introduce the idea of a feminine aspect to God to create emotional impact, as earlier writers do. To her, God is equally male and female: ‘As truly as God is our father, so truly is God our mother.’” She adds: “Julian’s attitudes towards God as mother tie in with her attitudes towards sin. A mother will forgive anything a child does because of the overwhelming sense of love, born from having grown the child inside of herself. This is the love Julian can see in God.” We certainly get hints of much to learn from Julian of Norwich.

50 Years of Preaching

I can't believe I have been preaching for fifty years. Today I preached (on Abram's call to adventure for God and Nicodemus' puzzling over Jesus' cryptic comments) at Bathgate United Reformed Church (commonly known as the EU Church). It is fifty years (and a day) since I preached my first ever sermon in that same church when my Dad was minister there. Fifty years ago I preached on peace with the help of Isaiah 9 and John 14.

Caring for God's Creation

The National Synod of Scotland of the United Reformed Church expresses its vision through a series of affirmations. These are not fixed in stone, but form a moving (and capable of being updated) vision statement. I am exploring these in turn in a series of brief articles. This piece reflects on the seventh aspiration which focusses on our care for God’s CREATION. As a Synod we are committed to play our part in caring for creation. The Synod expresses its vision through a series of aspirations which describe something of our core aims. We need constantly to be rethinking these, and yet it is good for a maintain commitment to a series of core aims. I have been reflecting on how these aspirations can be part of our life, and this piece considers the seventh which focusses on our concern with and for the environment. We believe we are called to live in balance with the whole of CREATION. Many local churches participate in the Eco-Congregation scheme. Eco-Congregation Scotland provides resources to support churches in keeping climate change and environmental concern on their agendas and in their worship. It provides worship and study material and a multitude of ideas for action. Eco-Congregation awards are an optional, but important, part of the programme, encouraging churches to take seriously their environmental commitment by recognising them for doing so. This critical issue demands the attention – and comment – of today’s church. As Ian Bradley says (in “God Is Green: Christianity and the Environment”, 2020) – “if Christians fail to speak out and act on the most important issue of our time we will not only have lost an enormous missionary and pastoral opportunity but we will have failed the human race and the planet. We will also have failed the triune God.” The creation is vitally important. The Genesis 1 account of it reminds us that God was pleased with the good thing that had been done. We now have the task of looking after that creation which means that we must correct, in any way that we can, the damage that has been done to the planet. There may be much that is past repair, but that cannot be other than a stronger reason for doing all that we can, which is indeed, as Bradley identifies, part of our missionary and pastoral challenge. Alistair McIntosh (in “Riders on the Storm”, 2020) underlines the futility of panic but the equal senselessness of not addressing the climate change issue – “Climate change denial is a waste of time. But climate change alarmism is a theft of time. We have no mandate to collapse the possibilities of the future, to contract and restrict our latitude for agency and action.” Bradley further comments – “We cannot deny that the Bible portrays humans as occupying a unique place and fulfilling a key role in the working out of God’s plan for the whole of creation. Alone among all creatures, humans are fashioned in God’s own image. They are also given a commission by God to exercise dominion over the rest of creation. As we have seen, this is far from being the warrant for domination and exploitation that it has so often been taken to be but it still suggests that there is a special role and responsibility for humans vis-à-vis the rest of creation.” Our commitment to what has now long been called the ‘integrity of creation’ is a vital part of our mission planning, often defined for us in the small things we can do in terms of recycling, green travel, planting trees, energy efficiency, buying local produce and so much more.

Ash Wednesday Pilgrimage

EMU Leaders, United Reformed Church Synod Moderator, Revd. Paul Whittle, the Primus of the Scottish Episcopal Church, Bishop Mark Strange, and the Chair of the Scotland and Shetland Districts of the Methodist Church, Revd. Mark Slaney, spent Ash Wednesday in Inverness and Nairn, joining in conversation and worship, together with local folk. The EMU partnership is a particular commitment of the Episcopal, Methodist and United Reformed Churches to work together within Scotland where that is possible and helpful. Recognising we have not always taken those opportunities we made this opportunity in order to re-affirm the commitment. We started with tea, pancakes, shortbread and conversation at Inverness Methodist Church. We then made our way to Inverness Cathedral and joined in the lunch-time service for Ash Wednesday. Finally, we drove to Nairn and shared in a service at the United Reformed Church, also focussed on it being Ash Wednesday. The worship supported our conversation about the struggles and opportunities of being the church in a changing Scotland and how we can more effectively do that together, and in partnership with other Christian denominations. Being marked by ash at the Cathedral and sharing in a liturgy of confession at Nairn United Reformed Church were suitable reminders of the day on which we were meeting and also of our dependence on the generous love of God. Our conversation recognised the challenges and the difficulties but also saw the possibilities and encouraged us to remember that we are people of hope – and that we share is far more important than anything that divides us.

Peace and Justice

The National Synod of Scotland of the United Reformed Church expresses its vision through a series of affirmations. These are not fixed in stone, but form a moving (and capable of being updated) vision statement. I am exploring these in turn in a series of brief articles. This piece reflects on the sixth aspiration which focusses on our commitment to PEACE AND JUSTICE. As a Synod we are committed to building peace and justice. These are core values which direct much of who we are. Our commitment to PEACE AND JUSTICE is strong and through the Commitment for Life programme is particularly expressed through Christian Aid, Jubilee Scotland and Global Justice Now. We are a Fair Trade Church and support the work of the Scottish Churches Parliamentary Office. We look to connect with those things that make for a better society, engaging in a range of community and social actions that address key issues and particularly where more vulnerable members of society are too readily marginalised. We would support the prophetic words of the likes of Isaiah – learn to do good; seek justice, rescue the oppressed, defend the orphan, plead for the widow (Isaiah 1:17); of Amos – let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream (Amos 5:24); and of Micah – he has told you, O mortal, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God? As Jim Wallis said (in The Call to Conversion back in 1981, but stating something that remains true): “The question to be asked is not what we should give to the poor but when we will stop taking from the poor. The poor are not our problem; we are their problem. The idea that there is enough for everyone to live at our standard of living, or that we are rich because of hard work and God’s favour, or that poverty is due to the failures of the poor – all these are cruel myths devised by a system seeking to justify its theft from the poor. …. Charged to be stewards, we have instead become exploiters. Rather than treating the bounty of the earth as a gift for all of God’s children, we have wasted its resources to profit the few. The imperialism of today differs from the old colonialism in that empire is no longer based on the occupation of territory but on the control of resources.” We need to learn to be counter-cultural, concerned about others, rather than always prioritising ourselves. We need also to be concerned about all those things that contribute to people living a life that is less than it should be. This means that we cannot avoid the importance of politics, that we need to speak out on key issues, and that we need to do those small pieces of practical action that are possible for us, including, though by no means limited to, raising money for Christian Aid and purchasing fairly traded products. We also need to put the newspaper (or such other form of obtaining news that we may prefer) alongside the Bible as we do the little we can towards the wonderful Hebrew concept of ‘shalom’.

Falling Upwards

Richard Rohr’s “Falling Upwards”, recently read, offers some interesting insights as to our relationship with God. His basic premise is to divide life into two halves, the first around discovering who we are, and many never get past that, and the second around developing our relationship with God. More fundamentally, he stresses that all God wants of us is that we are ourselves – “All we can give back and all God wants from any of us is to humbly and proudly return the product that we have been given—which is ourselves!” He describes the distinction between these two elements, saying, “There is much evidence on several levels that there are at least two major tasks to human life. The first task is to build a strong “container” or identity; the second is to find the contents that the container was meant to hold.” One of the things I find particularly helpful in what Rohr says is connected to his recognition that sin is an inevitable part of the package that is us. He points out that this is not something that bothered Jesus in terms of his encounters during his earthly life. Rather, the challenge is to discover the positive elements in what is otherwise damaging. “You cannot avoid sin or mistake anyway (Romans 5:12), but if you try too fervently, it often creates even worse problems. Jesus loves to tell stories like those of the publican and the Pharisee (Luke 18:9–14) and the famous one about the prodigal son (Luke 15:11–32), in which one character does his life totally right and is, in fact, wrong; and the other who does it totally wrong ends up God’s beloved! Now deal with that!” He expands this by commenting further – “If there is such a thing as human perfection, it seems to emerge precisely from how we handle the imperfection that is everywhere, especially our own.” And he adds -“A “perfect” person ends up being one who can consciously forgive and include imperfection rather than one who thinks he or she is totally above and beyond imperfection.” But perhaps what chimes most strongly is Rohr’s reminder that “Like skaters, we move forward by actually moving from side to side.”

Co-operating with People of Other Faiths and None

The United Reformed Church's National Synod of Scotland expresses its vision through a series of affirmations. These are not fixed in stone, but form a moving (and capable of being updated) vision statement. I am exploring these in turn in a series of brief articles. This piece reflects on the fifth aspiration, which focusses on our relationship with, and commitment to, people of OTHER FAITHS AND NONE. As a Synod we are committed to all who will work with us, from any faith or from no faith. The Synod is a participant in Interfaith Scotland. Many local Churches seek to build relationships with people of OTHER FAITHS AND NONE to nurture their local communities. We place great value on our common humanity and are happy to partner with others from all backgrounds and belief bases on any matters of common concern and in whatever way might be appropriate. That said, we are especially glad to work with other people of faith and value the things that we share. We therefore support and endorse the Statement of Mutual Commitment agreed by Scottish faith leaders at the September 2022 Interfaith Pilgrimage to the island of Iona. This stated: “WE, representatives of the Scottish Religious Leaders' Forum, meeting on the holy and historic Island of Iona, mark this, the twentieth anniversary of the Forum by restating our commitment to work together. We share this land of Scotland with people of diverse cultures, religions and beliefs. We know that our lives are connected closely to the lives of others around the world and to the earth, our common home. Yet we know that in this beautiful land many live in poverty, as do millions more around the world and we recognise that our way of life and over consumption is causing environmental damage and harm to all. We also acknowledge with sadness the suffering caused by prejudice, discrimination and war and recognise that religious discord has, at times, contributed to this suffering. With all our hearts and humility; 1. We commit to continuing to build good interfaith relations and trust across Scotland and beyond 2. We also commit to working with others to actively respond to the climate crisis; • by emphasising the importance of caring for the earth highlighted in our scriptures • by doing our utmost to live sustainably and encouraging our communities to do the same • by joining with others to convince those in positions of authority and influence to act urgently to implement the agreements made at Cop26 in Glasgow in 2021 3. And finally, we commit to walk alongside and listen to local communities across Scotland and beyond that are facing many and diverse challenges, such as poverty, displacement, uncertainty and disorientation in a time of bewildering change. We share these words on the Isle of Iona, an island that is beautiful and sacred, but with a violent history, and which today is exposed to rising sea levels due to climate change. This Island stands as a metaphor for humanity, and other life on earth: vulnerable, sacred and to be cherished and loved but not abused and exploited. Inspired by this place we make this declaration.”

Ecumenical

The National Synod of Scotland expresses its vision through a series of affirmations. These are not fixed in stone, but form a moving (and capable of being updated) vision statement. I am exploring these in turn in a series of brief articles. This piece reflects on the fourth aspiration, which focusses on our ecumenical commitment and journey. As a Synod we are committed to the ecumenical journey and to continuing ecumenical co-operation. From its formation in 1972 the United Reformed Church has been committed to JOURNEY to ecumenism and is a member of the World Council of Churches and other ecumenical bodies. The Synod of Scotland works closely with ecumenical partners through the Scottish Church Leaders Forum, the Ecumenical Officers’ Meeting and the Scottish Churches Committee. We maintain links with the world church by engaging with global partners, mainly other member denominations of the Council for World Mission. Jesus prayed for his followers, those whom we would now call the Church, asking ‘that they may all be one. As you, Father, are in me and I am in you, may they also be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me’ (John 17:21). Diversity is of immense value, but should never lead to disunity. What we hold in common with other Christians is far more valuable than anything that divides us. The ecumenical journey is a complex one and the path to organic unity on which many of the mainline denominations seemed to be embarked during the 1970s, 1980s, and even into the 1990s has, for the most part, not borne the expected fruit. But, as William Countryman (writing in 1992 in The Language of Ordination) pointed out: “The unity of the church does not have to take one particular form. In the twentieth century, schemes of church union have usually stressed the consolidation of overlapping administrative units and the merging of church bureaucracies. This is perhaps not exactly what Jesus had in mind when he prayed that his followers might all be one.” Similarly, Christopher Ellis (in Together on the Way) comments that “Ecumenism is not about throwing all our treasures into a melting pot so that we end up with a uniform church.” Working together organically is one form of unity, and entirely valid, but not the only possible way for ecumenism. Models of co-operation, particularly in practical matters such as foodbanks and street pastors, and in what is often termed ‘receptive ecumenism’ which describes our recognising and valuing the gifts and contributions of others. Learning to appreciate what we can receive from each other as different church traditions has much to commend it. It is also worth exploring what we can gain from contact with the global church. We have a strong tradition of engagement with partners in world mission mainly, though not exclusively, discovered through our participation as a member denomination of the Council for World Mission. Thus, we value our contacts with other denominations in and beyond Scotland, recognising that such engagement demonstrates our unity in Christ, but also carries many benefits as we work with and pray for such partners.

Radical Welcome

The National Synod of Scotland of the United Reformed Church expresses its vision through a series of affirmations. These are not fixed in stone, but form a moving (and capable of being updated) vision statement. I am exploring these in turn in a series of brief articles. This piece reflects on the third aspiration, which focusses on the radical nature of God’s call and love. As a Synod we believe that God’s radical love includes everyone. We believe that God’s RADICAL love is for everyone regardless of age, gender, sexuality, physical and mental ability, social status, ethnicity. Young people are represented with full voting rights in our councils. We recognise that we are good at putting people into categories, and just how important it is to beyond that. We affirm the need to allow people to be themselves, and look to welcome each person and the gifts that person brings. We value the differences that enhance our communal life and we look to share, for the good of all, the experiences that we each bring because of who we are. We recall the apostle Paul’s use of the image of the body in explaining to the early church the importance of the different contributions that we each are called to make. ‘If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole body were hearing, where would the sense of smell be? But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as God chose’ (1 Corinthians 12:17-18). We recognise that, traditionally and historically, the church has not always reflected God’s radical love, and we seek, as God does, to eradicate the barriers that divide us. We remember another indicator provided by Paul, when he wrote to the Christians in the church at Galatia: ‘There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus’ (Galatians 3:28). We recognise that Paul would have used different categories if writing today, but value the concept here introduced as we make the translations into a variety of contexts. In particular, we notice that we have not always placed proper value on the contribution of children and young people. We recognise that they are part of today’s church and actively listen and watch for the insights they bring. This kind of radical inclusion of everyone seems to be an obvious gospel principle, reflecting Jesus’ unrestricted companionship for all and sundry, from the Pharisee to the prostitute, but including everyone in between and beyond. However, history and present-day practice demonstrates that it is not so easy, and we are committed to constantly exploring how we might make the ideal a reality. We recognise the need to, as Stephanie Spellers (in her book Radical Welcome) puts it, “ask the hard questions about who’s inside, who’s outside and what it would take to go beyond inclusion to mutual embrace and transformation.” One example of such questions comes in a further comment from Stephanie Spellers. “But who is The Other, the stranger, the one on the margins of your community whom God calls you to embrace and be changed by?”

Practical Mysticism

Evelyn Underhill’s “Practical Mysticism” has some interesting things to say about how we engage with the mysteries of prayer and the enrichment of contemplation. In particular, she points out that we should not pitch what we might define and the spiritual against each other. They are complementary, rather than different ways of doing things. As Underhill says, “contemplation and action are not opposites, but two interdependent forms of a life that is one–a life that rushes out to a passionate communion with the true and beautiful, only that it may draw from this direct experience of Reality a new intensity wherewith to handle the world of things; and remake it, or at least some little bit of it, “nearer to the heart’s desire.”” Contemplation is not a matter of escapism or irrelevance, but of bringing the eternal into ordinary, everyday matters, a critical part of a balance and fulfilled approach. Underhill recognises that to achieve this connection with any degree of success requires deliberate effort, but it is so worthwhile. “To “bring Eternity into Time,” the “invisible into concrete expression”; to “be to the Eternal Goodness what his own hand is to a man”–these are the plainly expressed desires of all the great mystics. One and all, they demand earnest and deliberate action, the insertion of the purified and ardent will into the world of things. The mystics are artists; and the stuff in which they work is most often human life. They want to heal the disharmony between the actual and the real: and since, in the white-hot radiance of that faith, hope, and charity which burns in them, they discern such a reconciliation to be possible, they are able to work for it with a singleness of purpose and an invincible optimism denied to other (sic) men.”

Inclusive Worship

The National Synod of Scotland of the United Reformed Church expresses its vision through a series of affirmations. I am exploring these in turn in a series of brief articles. This piece reflects on the second aspiration. As a Synod we aspire to practise inclusive worship. Our INCLUSIVE worship reflects a broad variety of sources and styles. Local churches offer weekly worship, regular celebration of Holy Communion and mark the stages of life in Baptisms, Weddings and Funerals. Worship is a key element in our following our Christian faith. It is the way in which we demonstrate just how much God means to us. Some of the best Biblical expressions of worship are to be found in the Psalms. For example: ‘Ascribe to the Lord the glory of his name; worship the Lord in holy splendour’ (Psalm 29:2); ‘I will give thanks to you, O Lord, among the peoples; I will sing praises to you among the nations’ (Psalm 57:9); ‘Make a joyful noise to God, all the earth; sing the glory of his name; give to him glorious praise’ (Psalm 66:1-2); ‘O come, let us sing to the Lord; let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation!’ (Psalm 95:1). These extracts from the psalms, along with very many others that could be cited, offer a clear indication that our worship is essentially a celebration of all that God is and that God does. Richard Foster emphasises this point (in Celebration of Discipline) commenting that “Praise brings us into worship. The psalms are the literature of worship and their most prominent feature is praise. “Praise the Lord!” is the shout that reverberates from one end of the Psalter to the other, Singing, shouting, dancing, rejoicing, adoring – all are the language of praise.” Of course, worship takes many forms. It can be exuberant and it can also be reflective and meditative, and a lot of things between those two. Particular elements in worship are the celebration of the sacraments, baptism, the mark of entry to the church, and holy communion, our following Jesus’ command to remember and God’s love for us as we share bread and wine, but also the rites of passage when we celebrate a marriage or remember a loved one at a funeral. Not all worship can be the best experience for every individual all the time; but we strive to engage in worship that fits each given context, and that therefore is inclusive, doing everything possible to be a good expression of relationship with God for those present. In public worship we give expression to our faith, mostly by singing hymns, praying, reading the Scriptures and preaching the Word, alongside the celebration of the Sacraments. However, other elements, such as reflective music, drama, dialogue and even silence, also have a part to play. We mark the Christian festivals, especially Christmas, Easter and Pentecost, but also other important moments in each year, such as Harvest and Remembrance, seeking to do so in ways that are attractive and relevant and that demonstrate the important underlying and inclusive concept that all are welcome.

It's Worth Struggling With Prayer

Martin Laird’s “A Sunlit Absence – Silence, Awareness and Contemplation” is a helpful reminder that prayer can be a struggle – and there is nothing wrong with that – though it is a struggle worth the engagement. As Laird comments: “When prayer becomes what orders our day, as something we attempt to live out of moment by moment, rather than the tail pinned blindly onto the donkey of daily life, then prayer will integrate us into itself.”

Unconditional Love

The United Reformed Church's National Synod of Scotland expresses its vision through a series of affirmations. I would like to explore these in turn, so this article reflects on the first aspiration. As a Synod we aspire to demonstrate unconditional love. We are an active Christian community which responds to the UNCONDITIONAL LOVE of God through celebrating the Christian Story in ways that bring meaning and hope to life. We seek to support each other in faith and doubt through caring. Martin Luther King, in his little book of sermons Strength to Love helps us understand what this means when he draws a clear link between love and forgiveness and with particular reference to Jesus’ exhortation that we should love our enemies, perhaps one of the most difficult standards that Jesus set. We tend rather to be people of revenge and find this call to unconditional love extremely challenging. Yet we need to take seriously our regular prayer, every time we pray the Lord’s Prayer: forgive us our sins, for we ourselves forgive everyone indebted to us (Luke 11:4). King writes: Forgiveness does not mean ignoring what has been done or putting a false label on an evil act. It means, rather, that the evil act no longer remains as a barrier to the relationship. Forgiveness is a catalyst creating the atmosphere necessary for a fresh start and a new beginning. It is the lifting of a burden or the cancelling of a debt. …. Forgiveness means reconciliation, a coming together again. Without this, no one can love their enemies. The degree to which we are able to forgive determines the degree to which we are able to love our enemies. Nobody should pretend that unconditional love is easy. However, it is a critical part of the relationship that Jesus calls us to have with each other. I think we can be helped towards this if we consider some of the many things that the New Testament urges us to do towards one another. We are, for example, to ‘love one another’ (John 15:17); to ‘bear one another’s burdens’ (Galatians 6:2); to ‘encourage one another’ (1 Thessalonians 5:11); to ‘serve one another’ (1 Peter 4:10); to ‘pray for one another’ (James 5:16); to ‘greet one another’ (Romans 16:16). There is no doubt that the Christian story is a story of unconditional love. God’s generous grace offers abundant transforming possibilities. The question becomes how we even begin to reflect that in the way in which we live. Desmond Tutu reminds us of how God models this unconditional love and how Jesus, in what he did and said, points that out. Citing the familiar parable that we usually describe as that of the prodigal son, Tutu (in Hope and Suffering) writes: The Good News is that God loves me long before I could have done anything to deserve it. God is like the father of the prodigal son, waiting anxiously for the return of his wayward son, and when he sees this feckless creature appearing on the horizon, he rushes out to meet him, embrace and kiss him, not recriminating, but asking that the fatted calf be slaughtered, a ring be placed on his finger, and the best robe be put on him; and they must rejoice in a party to celebrate because this lost one has been found, this dead one has come to life again. That’s a model for unconditional love!