A beautiful flight from Glasgow to Orkney, looking down over the snow clad mountains and glens of Scotland. Visiting this weekend Stromness and Westray baptist churches.I am enthralled with Orkney. This is my second visit within weeks, having earlier spent a wonderful weekend with the church in Kirkwall. I am deeply attracted to these islands where community is both tangible and meaningful. Where people know on another. And where, living on an island, they can't escape from one another!On Saturday afternoon and on Sunday morning, I was in Stromness, on the south west of the mainland of Orkney. A community of 2,000 people where the leader of our Union church, James, is also the community councillor. A growing community church that has been there for 10 years. Where the church people are part of the community and where there is an integral, missional presence in the life of the community. People see how you live. People see what you do. This is witness.In the evening, I took the Ferry to Westray and visited Gavin Hunter and our church there. A community of 600 peole. Again, the same issue of life and witness. a committed community of born-again believers who are thoroughly involved and integrated into the wider community.This is a different life from life in the Central Belt. And witness takes different form. To see interviews with both James and Gavin, visit my Facebook account or YOUTUBE and my uploads under 'drjimpurves'.
