Encountering God in Liturgy
Here is a question, can we find any beauty in the cross of Christ. This is the topic I'm reflecting on today. I'm trying to write a lecture that I've been asked to give at the end of the month in Prague. Its in the context of a conference looking at Liturgy and the theme is 'Beauty'. Its ionteresting to note that "Beauty" is a theme that seems to have had a bit of a renaisssance throughout a number of academic disciplines, from philosophy to science and indeed the...
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Today I visited Polmont Young Offenders Institute. I was reflecting with someone that the first time I was in Polmont must have been in the late 1960s . I remember going to play there with the Living Stones. Today I was invited to speak at the opening of the Multi-Faith Space. This is a space in the jail which traditionally would have been called the Chapel but now in an attempt to be inclusive it is known by the above name. After spending sometime with the boys Donald...
A few weeks ago an article appeared in various newspapers, including Scotland on Sunday, purporting that I was suggesting that forced church attendance could be detrimental to the spiritual growth of some young people. It was one of those articles that makes you kind of screw up your face and cringe: because it was half right and half wrong. The journalist was looking for an angle.
The implication was that I implied ministers "rabbited on" thus being critical of...
Tonight as I write my blog there are literally millions of people all over the world being sold into slavery. It has been estimated at around 27 million people. The same internet highway that allows me to communicate with you allows others to buy and sell fellow human beings. Naively, many of us thought that slavery ended with Wilberforce and his social reformers. Unfortunately, today a sophisticated network of international criminals operate at all levels buying and...
I'm waiting for Bill Campbell to arrive. Bill will be our guide for the day. He is one of the Presbytery elders taking his turn to be chauffeur to the Moderator.
We've been having an extremely encouraging time here in the Presbytery of Wigtown and Stranraer. After arriving in the Presbytery on Friday and taking part in the BBC Radio Debate and also featuring in the Wigtown Book Festival as a contributor. Saturday was a free day, it was also a day to try and get the...