Tuesday 22 December 2015
a message for Christmas
Why is Christmas important? Because we celebrate a unique birth, God's gift to us all. Because of what began when Jesus was born, your birthright is a vital, personal relationship with God: caught up in the purpose of your heavenly Father, discovering more deeply the pattern of Jesus Christ In your life, enabled and empowered by infilling presence of the Holy Spirit. May a renewal of this or an entry into such a way of living, the greatest gift anyone can receive, be yours this Christmas and into the coming New Year.
Thursday 26 November 2015
Advent Approaching
There is a pitfall that can arise in proclaiming the Christian gospel. It is the danger of speaking half the truth. What do I mean? For the chemistry of the Gospel to ignite the soul of a man or woman into effective discipleship, two vital compounds are required.
Firstly, there is the declaration of the unmerited, gratuitous love of God directed towards our lives. It is the heralding of the sheer loveliness of the love of God, come to us in the embrace of the Word of God of our humanity, in the Incarnation of Jesus Christ. Utter mercy and forgiveness wrapped round us, marinating us in the faithful, transforming love and presence of God. Carrying us through His atoning death, bearing the consequence of our sins, imputing and infusing God's righteousness into our lives. A personal realisation and experience of the love of God, made alive in us through the Holy Spirit.
Secondly, a call to respond through repentance and faith: not simply an anodyne believism, but an entering into participation in the life of Christ. Voluntarily identifying with His death and resurrection, through baptism. Embracing His practices of self-emptying, hospitality and service: a life consecrated to expressing holy love, seeking enabling and empowering by the Holy Spirit. Disciplined living, constrained by the commands of God. Lives regulated by righteousness and pursuing justice, separated from godless social and sexual practices.
Two sides of a coin. Priceless grace and costly discipleship.
Firstly, there is the declaration of the unmerited, gratuitous love of God directed towards our lives. It is the heralding of the sheer loveliness of the love of God, come to us in the embrace of the Word of God of our humanity, in the Incarnation of Jesus Christ. Utter mercy and forgiveness wrapped round us, marinating us in the faithful, transforming love and presence of God. Carrying us through His atoning death, bearing the consequence of our sins, imputing and infusing God's righteousness into our lives. A personal realisation and experience of the love of God, made alive in us through the Holy Spirit.
Secondly, a call to respond through repentance and faith: not simply an anodyne believism, but an entering into participation in the life of Christ. Voluntarily identifying with His death and resurrection, through baptism. Embracing His practices of self-emptying, hospitality and service: a life consecrated to expressing holy love, seeking enabling and empowering by the Holy Spirit. Disciplined living, constrained by the commands of God. Lives regulated by righteousness and pursuing justice, separated from godless social and sexual practices.
Two sides of a coin. Priceless grace and costly discipleship.
Enjoy the journey through Advent.
Friday 30 October 2015
Mission & Ministry Report, 2015
I want to begin by thanking you, Baptist Union of Scotland, for the privilege of serving you in this ministry. I spend much time travelling the length and breadth of our country, meeting with ministers and leadership teams. Often, I am asked, 'What is our BUofS line on ....' I would like to punctuate my written report by touching base on some of these convictions. Convictions that mark and shape our behaviour, that stand out for us. They are in our Declaration of Principle. And they are convictions that punctuate our life and witness.
Personal encounter with the Risen Jesus Christ
We believe in the unassailable authority of the Bible, guiding us in all matters of faith and behaviour: we are confronted with God's truth in the Scriptures. We meet with the full expression of that truth in Jesus Christ. A personal meeting with Jesus Christ is the birthright of every Christian. And more than that. An encounter with Jesus that leads us to long for the Holy Spirit:
“When he comes, he will prove the world to be in the wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment: about sin, because people do not believe in me; about righteousness, because I am going to the Father, where you can see me no longer; and about judgment, because the prince of this world now stands condemned.”
John 16:8-11
We are people who believe in conversion marked by repentance, entering into a life joined to God in obedience under the Lordship of Jesus Christ, our risen and living Commander & King.
Christians are to live their lives as part of Christ's community
Our society cries out for community that brings healing and hope. Where Scotland can meet with Holy people. Humble people.
People of purity. People who have purpose, because they have God's presence and power in their lives.
Scotland is tired of church that is like fallen autumn leaves, full of faded glory and the rotting compost of compromise.
Scotland needs to find a people who are genuinely consecrated to Christ. Lighting steps that lead into life. A bridge built that nurtures our nation, helping her people to move from failing futility into a future full of life and living faith.
Caring. compassionate. Cross shaped, consecrated lives. Can people in Scotland find this among us?
We need to hold to holiness and humility. Learn to to listen and be slow to speak. To invite the Peaceful Transformation team and others to help us and remind us what it is to be a healthy family: for it is no accident that the Bible teaches that Christian leadership be entrusted to those who have proven themselves faithful in caring for their own families.
Focus on mission
That it is the duty of every disciple to bear witness to the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and to take part in the evangelisation of the world.
Discipleship is the key that brings all this together. Learning to live in and lead others into 'Jesus space', where folk can 'mind the gap' because they see the gap: and want to move over from misery into meaningful lives.
Personal, moral integrity in asking the question, 'how am I, as a Christian disciple, required under God to act?'.
Against a corrupted culture of self-fulfilment and self-realisation, we need to work at being a people whose mission is a path of humility, obedience and courage under the Lordship of Jesus Christ.
Assembly, this is who we are as the Baptist Union of Scotland, in our mission and ministry. We must look to live out these convictions, that Scotland be won for Christ.
God grant us the grace to do so.
Personal encounter with the Risen Jesus Christ
We believe in the unassailable authority of the Bible, guiding us in all matters of faith and behaviour: we are confronted with God's truth in the Scriptures. We meet with the full expression of that truth in Jesus Christ. A personal meeting with Jesus Christ is the birthright of every Christian. And more than that. An encounter with Jesus that leads us to long for the Holy Spirit:
“When he comes, he will prove the world to be in the wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment: about sin, because people do not believe in me; about righteousness, because I am going to the Father, where you can see me no longer; and about judgment, because the prince of this world now stands condemned.”
John 16:8-11
We are people who believe in conversion marked by repentance, entering into a life joined to God in obedience under the Lordship of Jesus Christ, our risen and living Commander & King.
Christians are to live their lives as part of Christ's community
Our society cries out for community that brings healing and hope. Where Scotland can meet with Holy people. Humble people.
People of purity. People who have purpose, because they have God's presence and power in their lives.
Scotland is tired of church that is like fallen autumn leaves, full of faded glory and the rotting compost of compromise.
Scotland needs to find a people who are genuinely consecrated to Christ. Lighting steps that lead into life. A bridge built that nurtures our nation, helping her people to move from failing futility into a future full of life and living faith.
Caring. compassionate. Cross shaped, consecrated lives. Can people in Scotland find this among us?
We need to hold to holiness and humility. Learn to to listen and be slow to speak. To invite the Peaceful Transformation team and others to help us and remind us what it is to be a healthy family: for it is no accident that the Bible teaches that Christian leadership be entrusted to those who have proven themselves faithful in caring for their own families.
Focus on mission
That it is the duty of every disciple to bear witness to the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and to take part in the evangelisation of the world.
Discipleship is the key that brings all this together. Learning to live in and lead others into 'Jesus space', where folk can 'mind the gap' because they see the gap: and want to move over from misery into meaningful lives.
Personal, moral integrity in asking the question, 'how am I, as a Christian disciple, required under God to act?'.
Against a corrupted culture of self-fulfilment and self-realisation, we need to work at being a people whose mission is a path of humility, obedience and courage under the Lordship of Jesus Christ.
Assembly, this is who we are as the Baptist Union of Scotland, in our mission and ministry. We must look to live out these convictions, that Scotland be won for Christ.
God grant us the grace to do so.
Wednesday 11 March 2015
Jesus came to serve
My colleague, Bob baxter, has a real ministry in helping churches that have reached 'rock bottom' engage again in a new way, with the power of the good news that Jesus brings. Simple and effective. As it should be.
http://youtu.be/RtPCrMmBKKo
Thursday 5 March 2015
Pursuing the Presence
I have been hugely challenged by reading the Bible. Again. God has been shouting at me regarding the importance of Pentecostal power.
I love preaching. I reckon I have preached around two and a half thousand different sermons over the last forty years. I still love it. But I get troubled when all there is are words. And audiences. Sometimes, it doesn't surprise me that people give up on church, if that's all that they meet with and nothing else. Words, words and more words.
Because there has to be presence. The tangible presence of God. Miraculous presence that impacts people in a way that brings sometimes conviction, sometimes healing, sometimes deliverance; but always an acute awareness of church being a place where people gather in the Presence, to praise the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Easter comes close again. A path into God's presence is opened for us. Pentecostal power where what God wants now to give us, enabled by Easter, comes crashing into our lives.
Find a way to be there.
I love preaching. I reckon I have preached around two and a half thousand different sermons over the last forty years. I still love it. But I get troubled when all there is are words. And audiences. Sometimes, it doesn't surprise me that people give up on church, if that's all that they meet with and nothing else. Words, words and more words.
Because there has to be presence. The tangible presence of God. Miraculous presence that impacts people in a way that brings sometimes conviction, sometimes healing, sometimes deliverance; but always an acute awareness of church being a place where people gather in the Presence, to praise the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Easter comes close again. A path into God's presence is opened for us. Pentecostal power where what God wants now to give us, enabled by Easter, comes crashing into our lives.
Find a way to be there.
Tuesday 10 February 2015
So, here's what I see ......
One of the goals I set myself in beginning my present ministry was to visit all of the churches of our Union. I am nearly there! It is a real privilege to do this. One of the consequences is that it places me in a unique position to offer an accurate report and authentic assessment of what I witness. So here it is:
As I see it:
Our Baptist Union of Scotland, committed to being Intentionally Relational, Creatively Rooted and Unashamedly Missional, evidences a confident rejoicing in the Good News of the Kingdom of God come among us in and through the life, ministry, atoning death and resurrection victory of Jesus Christ.
Churches are seen to embrace the righteousness imputed and imparted to men and women of faith in Jesus Christ, looking to develop this both in personal pilgrimage and corporately, joined together in congregations consecrated and committed to pursuing justice and loving mercy.
Churches can be seen as looking to develop and multiply communities of disciples that demonstrate and proclaim the Good News that Jesus Christ saves; expressing the Holy Spirit's power to deliver and heal, reconcile and restore; heralding hope and inviting repentance and faith towards God our loving Father.
To this end, churches look to promote and foster teams of committed disciples, who are committed to embodying local expression of these convictions, reaching into Scotland and beyond with the love of God and an invitation to others to embark on the journey of Christian discipleship.
And two questions I would ask of every congregation:
What do you have dreams and aspirations to see happen, in and through this church?
What should we reappraise and possibly need to change, here among us, in order to help this happen?
As I see it:
Our Baptist Union of Scotland, committed to being Intentionally Relational, Creatively Rooted and Unashamedly Missional, evidences a confident rejoicing in the Good News of the Kingdom of God come among us in and through the life, ministry, atoning death and resurrection victory of Jesus Christ.
Churches are seen to embrace the righteousness imputed and imparted to men and women of faith in Jesus Christ, looking to develop this both in personal pilgrimage and corporately, joined together in congregations consecrated and committed to pursuing justice and loving mercy.
Churches can be seen as looking to develop and multiply communities of disciples that demonstrate and proclaim the Good News that Jesus Christ saves; expressing the Holy Spirit's power to deliver and heal, reconcile and restore; heralding hope and inviting repentance and faith towards God our loving Father.
To this end, churches look to promote and foster teams of committed disciples, who are committed to embodying local expression of these convictions, reaching into Scotland and beyond with the love of God and an invitation to others to embark on the journey of Christian discipleship.
And two questions I would ask of every congregation:
What do you have dreams and aspirations to see happen, in and through this church?
What should we reappraise and possibly need to change, here among us, in order to help this happen?
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