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Theology (64)
- Missing the obvious
  September 3, 2010, 19:13
  Sometimes I think I must be excruciatingly dim and I have to wonder why I ever felt I ought to respond to a call to ministry. I was reading a post on one of my…
- And so it ends
  August 20, 2010, 11:04
  Five years of university approach their end today as I head to New College to hand in my Masters dissertation. Odd to think that five years of education might…
- One down, two to go
  August 1, 2010, 21:55
  This little stint of pulpit supply has offered me a more interesting reflective opportunity than I first thought it would. As previously mentioned, I'm…
- This is not a public discussion (honest)
  June 1, 2010, 11:56
  In the spirit of not making any public statements, but encouraging discussion and understanding of the subject which cannot be named (why do I feel like we're…
- Prophetic ministry
  May 20, 2010, 10:37
  I've been catching up on some reading recently (I've not long finished The Mystery of Christ by Robert Farrar Capon and Velvet Elvis by Rob Bell) and currently…
- So what?
  May 19, 2010, 21:56
  I recently heard a sermon that got me thinking, "So what?" Well, it actually got me thinking a lot more than that, although it was primarily because I…
- Do you get it yet?
  April 23, 2010, 10:36
  I recently read Between Noon and Three by Robert Farrar Capon. It was so gripping I read it in just a few days. It's a book about the offensiveness of God's…
- Not just a...
  April 22, 2010, 08:58
  Glancing through my blog feeds this morning, this entry at caught my eye. It's a timely reminder for those in the Church of Scotland that we should not define…
- Privilege
  April 19, 2010, 17:35
  I was chatting with Nikki today at lunchtime in Rainy Hall and we covered the usual broad range of topics. I'm doing a funeral in a couple of days and I…
- Theological shift
  March 26, 2010, 20:23
  My recent musings on Emerging Church have also been getting me thinking about some of the theological underpinnings of EC and, to a degree, traditional church.…
- Inspiration and brick walls
  March 11, 2010, 10:49
  I was a conference yesterday about Emerging Church within the context of the Church of Scotland. It was both inspirational and frustrating. Some of the…
- Emerging thoughts
  March 9, 2010, 20:28
  I've been working my way through Emerging Churches, a very useful book giving a survey of what Emerging Church is all about. I came across a reflection from…
- I'm confused
  March 3, 2010, 22:41
  No surprise there then. Having spent some of this afternoon discussing Emerging Church, I got the names of a few projects to follow up on as possible…
- Another nudge in direction
  March 1, 2010, 19:59
  I had a very useful discussion last week with my academic supervisor. Very shortly I will have two research essays due and a presentation to do for what my…
- Claim-staking
  February 19, 2010, 09:42
  I was having a chat the other day with Nikki about life, the universe and blogging. I had, in the back of my mind, Scott's challenge to define my theology and…
- Contextual identity
  January 27, 2010, 11:41
  Last week I was in 121 at a seminar/conference thing organised by the Church of Scotland's Church and Society Council. The topic was "Moral Maze on Virtualisati…
- Progress
  January 18, 2010, 15:08
  I was at the evening service in my home church last night and, I must confess, didn't particularly engage with the theme of the sermon. It struck me as…
- Stories (again)
  January 4, 2010, 12:17
  Apologies up front - this is very much a 'thinking out loud' blog entry and may well descend into a bit of a rant. You have been warned! Even so, I'd appreciate…
- Challenging words
  November 25, 2009, 19:07
  The last 'proper' Barth class was today and, whilst the readings have often been heavy going, their challenge to faith and theology is very clear. There have…
- I like Barth
  November 12, 2009, 23:15
  Not Simpson (Though him as well), but Karl Barth. I'm even beginning to regret avoiding his theology for my four years as an undergrad (although the truth is…
- Differently-abled
  October 29, 2009, 09:50
  I have, for some time, been using Guidelines daily reading notes from BRF. It is a mixture of thematic and systematic readings from a variety of contributors…
- New ideas
  October 21, 2009, 20:45
  I had a very fruitful meeting with my academic supervisor today. It wasn't intended as anything other than a bit of a catch up, but it turned out to be a most…
- Hitting the ground running
  September 22, 2009, 16:53
  I was in uni for the first of my classes today. It's one I'm auditing and it was just the introductory class so nothing too strenuous. However, mild panic has…
- Blue Like Jazz
  September 11, 2009, 09:45
  I've just finished reading Blue Like Jazz by Donald Miller. It's one of these books you often find referenced in all sorts of blogs and websites. It also seems…
- Crystallising thoughts
  September 9, 2009, 17:44
  I had a meeting with my academic supervisor today and most helpful it was too. We chatted through various possible approaches to my research project and in the…
- Studies
  September 7, 2009, 21:10
  I'm coming to the conclusion that, when it comes to academic study, I'm a bit weird. I have a meeting with my academic supervisor on Wednesday and I thought…
- Are you lonesome tonight?
  June 16, 2009, 16:06
  Yesterday I moved from the apartment I was sharing in Zaventem to one in Brussels city centre. In this one, I have the place to myself so I'm not imposing on…
- That decision
  May 24, 2009, 22:41
  I've not had a chance to blog about Saturday night's session at the General Assembly, but it can't have escaped your notice that the Church of Scotland are…
- Substitution revisited
  April 21, 2009, 22:45
  About this time last year I posted some thoughts on substitutionary atonement. At the time I expressed my concern about some of the problems with it. In light…
- If you're really bored...
  April 1, 2009, 22:26
  If you're bored or struggling to get to sleep, then I've uploaded some light reading to keep you amused. I've just added my honours dissertation to the…
- I want out!
  March 14, 2009, 11:28
  This story must surely be one of the most ridiculous I've read in a while. It simply makes no sense to me at all. Or does it simply reflect the level of…
- Intimations?
  March 8, 2009, 16:12
  In my placement church there has been a bit of a move away from reading out intimations at the beginning of the service, if for no other reason than it can…
- Carry on regardless
  March 1, 2009, 16:48
  I was preaching today at my placement church and it was one of those times when you really wish it was someone else in your place. Everything started off well…
- Forgotten history
  February 5, 2009, 16:33
  I was reading a couple of articles for tomorrow's Church, Sacraments and Ministry class. The topic for this week is a cursory overview of worship in Scotland.…
- Oh what a mystery I see
  December 17, 2008, 20:10
  I've heard many conversations this advent about the 'real' Christmas story. I don't know if it's simply a fashionable trend or whether there are more people…
- Good enough
  December 10, 2008, 23:09
  I have been doing some cramming for tomorrow's exams and one of my topics was Barth's take on Providence. I came across a comment about creation and it brought…
- Getting there
  December 5, 2008, 16:44
  Barring exams on the 11th and 19th, three of my four courses for 4th year are now done. Only one course and a dissertation to do and that'll be 4th year and my…
- 3-legged stools
  November 28, 2008, 15:35
  I had a discussion the other day with Stuart, my current placement supervisor, and we were talking about 3-legged stools. It was in the context of models of…
- Unfortunate headline
  November 24, 2008, 09:04
  Maybe the headline editor wasn't quite awake when they wrote this BBC News headline and summary, but I can't help but think how awful it reads. There's an…
- Politics and religion
  November 5, 2008, 15:07
  I don't generally comment on politics, for various reasons, not least of which is that I have little time to spend following issues and arguments and so I feel…
- Dissertation
  September 25, 2008, 16:19
  OK, here it is, the proposal for my dissertation: Genesis 1:31a And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good. Despite the early…
- I'm not a luddite really
  August 22, 2008, 16:06
  Stewart is currently mulling over a discussion topic for this year's Church of Scotland National Youth Assembly. Unsurprisingly its focus is on the use of…
- Stuff (and nonsense)
  August 10, 2008, 22:41
  Another long gap between updates but my excuse this time is that I have been on holiday. and then had some catching up to do. Add to that two weddings and a…
- Another year older
  July 22, 2008, 22:29
  Well, it's been ages since I last wrote anything, so my birthday seems to be an appropriate occasion to post something. I got vouchers (Amazon and the bank…
- Labyrinth thoughts
  May 17, 2008, 23:14
  No, I don't mean the twisted and contorted way my mind works. Rather, I've been trying to put together some thoughts for the labyrinth at Crossover this year.…
- Dissertation thoughts
  April 22, 2008, 21:40
  Sometime before the end of the exam term I need to have a good idea of what my honours dissertation is going to be and also identify a possible supervisor. My…
- Last stop: Heaven
  April 4, 2008, 10:23
  Or is it? I've been reading Tom Wright's book 'Surprised by Hope' and he is very adamant that it isn't. His main contention in the book is that the main…
- Holy week services - Thursday
  March 21, 2008, 10:25
  I said I probably wouldn't blog this one as it was my own minister, but it's probably worth noting something in particular from his sermon. The sermon itself…
- Holy week services - Wednesday
  March 19, 2008, 21:18
  Chalk and cheese! Compared to last night's sermon tonight was so much better. Actually, that's not being fair - tonight's sermon was very good regardless of…
- Holy week services
  March 18, 2008, 22:30
  Warning - this may well turn into a rant (but, hey! it's my blog). For the last few years my church has combined with two others in the area to share Holy…
- Hell revisited
  March 12, 2008, 20:46
  After my last foray into hell, David Reimer kindly pointed me to an article by Tim Keller reproduced from Christianity Today. I've finally had a chance to look…
- Baptism
  March 10, 2008, 19:58
  At my recent local review I was asked for my views on a couple of specific subjects - the ordination of women and infant baptism. These are standard questions…
- Biblical interpretation and theology
  March 3, 2008, 14:53
  My two favourite subjects. I happened to be browsing the interweb and I discovered a list of 'categories' that helped identify preferred Biblical interpretation…
- Transformation
  February 25, 2008, 14:47
  Part of the discussion that kicked off the "Hell!" article made mention of Fowler's stages of faith. It sounded intriguing so I did a bit more digging and came…
- Hell!
  February 25, 2008, 11:49
  I never cease to be amazed at the discussions I end up getting sucked into. I never cease to be amazed at how easily I am distracted from my, currently…
- Books, blogs, evangelicals and US Christianity
  January 5, 2008, 16:49
  One of my tasks during this placement is to read and discuss a book from the recommended list from 121. I chose Eugene Peterson's 'Under the Unpredictable…
- Dilemma
  December 21, 2007, 22:26
  It's funny how words come back to haunt you. Just a few short weeks ago I said, "If I even hint at doing a systematics course next year, please shoot me and…
- Myths, legends and deep understanding
  December 21, 2007, 10:27
  Stewart recently posted on his blog about 'depth' in the Christian faith. Coincidentally, I had been reading some discussions across some other websites (here…
- A thought on communion
  December 2, 2007, 14:37
  Today was communion and I'm afraid I had a very mischievous thought at the way it's done at KHR. It was prompted by a particular wording of the prayer I was…
- 2 Conversations
  November 25, 2007, 14:22
  I had 2 very interesting conversations after church this morning. Each quite different, but each challenging in their own way. The first was as I was…
- Answered prayer
  November 12, 2007, 20:37
  In a manner of speaking. Managed to get my Modern Christology essay in this morning after finishing it just before midnight last night. Had a major…
- Silence is golden
  October 16, 2007, 22:48
  The Modern Christology class has moved on from Barth and this week was Rahner. What a difference in class contribution this week. The 4th year group, who did…
- More theology stuff
  October 9, 2007, 20:22
  I know I said I'd probably blog about the pastoral care course but we've just been doing some Barth today and I feel an urge to share. Actually, I got off…
- Theology stuff
  September 30, 2007, 23:05
  Well, I was this close (imagine thumb and forefinger held up really close together) to dropping Modern Christology and opting for something like Homiletics.…
Youthwork (11)
- 2 school services
  December 17, 2009, 22:17
  Yesterday evening and first thing this morning I was participating in the Christmas services for two of the local primary schools served by my placement…
- Family ministry?
  March 16, 2009, 08:24
  One of my favourite blogs, Internetmonk, recently posted a video which was a pretty good parody of too many Christian youth programmes. One of the commenters…
- I'm not a luddite really
  August 22, 2008, 16:06
  Stewart is currently mulling over a discussion topic for this year's Church of Scotland National Youth Assembly. Unsurprisingly its focus is on the use of…
- A public persona
  June 19, 2008, 15:50
  One of my tasks in looking after the Crossover web presence is to keep an eye on the Crossover Bebo page. We get a regular flow of people signing up as friends…
- Shattered!
  June 15, 2008, 21:59
  Not long back from Crossover. Although the numbers were well down this year, there was still a great atmosphere and most things went well. Interestingly,…
- Camping the easy way
  June 6, 2008, 23:07
  Next weekend is Crossover and my old youth group are going - a great mob of them too, something like 27. Anyway, I was helping out tonight and, by way of…
- School show
  June 4, 2008, 18:10
  A while ago I offered to help out at this year's school show. The main reason for doing so was that the sound quality was always a bit ropey and, having had a…
- Labyrinth thoughts
  May 17, 2008, 23:14
  No, I don't mean the twisted and contorted way my mind works. Rather, I've been trying to put together some thoughts for the labyrinth at Crossover this year.…
- Madness
  April 18, 2008, 09:35
  It's the church youth club fundraiser tonight - an overnight games marathon. 12 hours of games and mayhem and tired teenagers. What's this got to do with me…
- The gospel according to duct tape
  February 5, 2008, 20:58
  Duct tape, duck tape, gaffer tape. Call it what you will, it provided me with a 'theme' for the youth club last Friday. I had been asked to step in since the…
- Crossover
  November 29, 2007, 18:26
  Planning for Crossover 2008 is now officially underway. The dates are confirmed and the website has had a revamp (and no apologies for it looking familiar -…
Church (120)
- Nuggets to ponder
  September 2, 2010, 21:42
  Many of the sessions at conference were worthy of note and I'll probably be reflecting on some of them in due course. But here are some choice little nuggets…
- Crisis!? What crisis?
  August 25, 2010, 08:59
  Last night, BBC Scotland aired a short documentary, A Church in Crisis?, about the Church of Scotland and its current circumstances. The broadcast date marks…
- And so it ends
  August 20, 2010, 11:04
  Five years of university approach their end today as I head to New College to hand in my Masters dissertation. Odd to think that five years of education might…
- One down, two to go
  August 1, 2010, 21:55
  This little stint of pulpit supply has offered me a more interesting reflective opportunity than I first thought it would. As previously mentioned, I'm…
- Let me just repeat that.
  July 24, 2010, 21:31
  Many moons ago (well, it seems like it anyway) I agreed to do three pulpit supply dates in August. My thinking was that by the end of July my dissertation…
- How to be a clone
  June 24, 2010, 08:15
  In a stroke of good luck (sorry, blessing), Michael Patton published a list of rules all new Christians must follow. It is a very useful follow-up on my post…
- Christian clones
  June 22, 2010, 21:39
  In that amazing way that only seems to come through a sense of God at work by the Spirit, there was a consistent theme running through much of the activity and…
- Geneva reflections
  June 17, 2010, 08:51
  From the 10th to the 14th of June, I had the pleasure of spending time in Geneva with other candidates and some staff from New College. The trip was part of a…
- Glutton for punishment
  June 9, 2010, 16:01
  You'd think that starting probation in September would be enough to be going on with and that writing a dissertation on the Church of Scotland's relationship…
- 8 months gone in a flash
  May 30, 2010, 19:55
  There are times when life seems to pass by so quickly. That seems never more true than when you are on a placement. Uni term times whizz past, but they're only…
- Prophetic ministry
  May 20, 2010, 10:37
  I've been catching up on some reading recently (I've not long finished The Mystery of Christ by Robert Farrar Capon and Velvet Elvis by Rob Bell) and currently…
- Politics and religion
  May 11, 2010, 09:11
  I don't generally blog on politics. It's not a subject which particularly enthuses me - at least in the traditional sense. I have no particular love of party…
- Not just a...
  April 22, 2010, 08:58
  Glancing through my blog feeds this morning, this entry at caught my eye. It's a timely reminder for those in the Church of Scotland that we should not define…
- The good, the bad and the ugly
  April 11, 2010, 21:38
  Another conference done and dusted. This time, "Church and Society". It was the usual mixed bag although I have to say this one was, I think, biased towards…
- Theological shift
  March 26, 2010, 20:23
  My recent musings on Emerging Church have also been getting me thinking about some of the theological underpinnings of EC and, to a degree, traditional church.…
- Inspiration and brick walls
  March 11, 2010, 10:49
  I was a conference yesterday about Emerging Church within the context of the Church of Scotland. It was both inspirational and frustrating. Some of the…
- Emerging thoughts
  March 9, 2010, 20:28
  I've been working my way through Emerging Churches, a very useful book giving a survey of what Emerging Church is all about. I came across a reflection from…
- I'm confused
  March 3, 2010, 22:41
  No surprise there then. Having spent some of this afternoon discussing Emerging Church, I got the names of a few projects to follow up on as possible…
- Another nudge in direction
  March 1, 2010, 19:59
  I had a very useful discussion last week with my academic supervisor. Very shortly I will have two research essays due and a presentation to do for what my…
- Coming up for air
  February 8, 2010, 17:00
  I've not blogged much recently simply because I've been pretty busy. I know I owe Scott a post about my own theological stance but that's going to have to wait…
- Contextual identity
  January 27, 2010, 11:41
  Last week I was in 121 at a seminar/conference thing organised by the Church of Scotland's Church and Society Council. The topic was "Moral Maze on Virtualisati…
- Lack of progress
  January 20, 2010, 11:59
  I've been struggling with an essay for the last couple of weeks or so. Not that I don't know what to write or that I'm not interested in the subject, but…
- One church
  January 12, 2010, 09:12
  I've been working through some reading for my first research essay and it's starting to take shape in my head. Just need it to start taking shape on paper now.…
- Stories (again)
  January 4, 2010, 12:17
  Apologies up front - this is very much a 'thinking out loud' blog entry and may well descend into a bit of a rant. You have been warned! Even so, I'd appreciate…
- A first
  December 30, 2009, 17:19
  Today was my first solo funeral service and I was happy enough with how it went. I made (so far as I'm aware) only one verbal gaffe but it was a fairly minor…
- 2 school services
  December 17, 2009, 22:17
  Yesterday evening and first thing this morning I was participating in the Christmas services for two of the local primary schools served by my placement…
- Challenging words
  November 25, 2009, 19:07
  The last 'proper' Barth class was today and, whilst the readings have often been heavy going, their challenge to faith and theology is very clear. There have…
- From personal experience
  November 16, 2009, 09:57
  Yesterday I had the opportunity to lead the whole service in my placement church. Not a big problem - it's something I've done many times. That said, being…
- I like Barth
  November 12, 2009, 23:15
  Not Simpson (Though him as well), but Karl Barth. I'm even beginning to regret avoiding his theology for my four years as an undergrad (although the truth is…
- A dangerous act
  November 5, 2009, 20:55
  I am leading the intercessory prayers on Sunday. It's Remembrance Sunday of course and that makes intercession all the more pointed and necessary. It also adds…
- One small step...
  November 3, 2009, 20:09
  ... one not so giant leap. Today I got to participate in a funeral for the first time. It might seem odd that I haven't done so before now but the opportunit…
- Funeral insights
  October 30, 2009, 23:08
  It's been a packed day and sets the tone for the next few days in fact. This morning started off with a pre-funeral visit and it was good to be observing…
- New beginnings
  October 26, 2009, 20:11
  Yesterday was my first official Sunday at my latest placement church - Larbert East. I had snuck in the week before didn't announce who I was or why I was…
- New ideas
  October 21, 2009, 20:45
  I had a very fruitful meeting with my academic supervisor today. It wasn't intended as anything other than a bit of a catch up, but it turned out to be a most…
- Sneaking in the front door
  October 18, 2009, 15:59
  For various reasons, my first Sunday in my third placement isn't until next week. I have had a couple of very fruitful meetings with my supervisor, so I have,…
- And then there were two
  October 11, 2009, 14:33
  I visited the last of my four potential probation churches today and I'm now certain I have my two out of the four. What's no longer certain is which of the…
- Catch up
  October 1, 2009, 09:00
  It occurred to me that I hadn't blogged for a while and indeed the last one was over a week ago. But that last blog post contains the root of the lack of…
- Number three
  September 20, 2009, 13:56
  It was a visit to the third possible probation placement church today. This was my 'wild card' one but it's also the one I've been feeling drawn to. It was odd…
- Two down
  September 13, 2009, 22:53
  I visited the second of my prospective probation churches today. A little bit further afield but perfectly do-able from my home. This one was very different…
- Crystallising thoughts
  September 9, 2009, 17:44
  I had a meeting with my academic supervisor today and most helpful it was too. We chatted through various possible approaches to my research project and in the…
- Decisions
  September 6, 2009, 14:20
  It's nice to be back home after my stint in Brussels. I have a week or so before the business of university kicks in and my next placement doesn't start until…
- A day in Leuven
  August 20, 2009, 15:52
  Yesterday (Wednesday), I was visiting the university town of Leuven to grab some books from Peeter's bookshop. I also took the opportunity to have a wander…
- Restless
  August 15, 2009, 13:28
  I have about a week and a half left of my summer placement and it's paperwork time. I've been thinking over some of the 'big' things from the placement as well…
- Last laps
  August 13, 2009, 09:01
  I was going through my diary for the next wee while and realised that many of the items appearing on the horizon are after my placement in Brussels. Twelve…
- Deja vu
  August 4, 2009, 13:43
  One of the things you notice when you visit people is that you will often hear the same stories on subsequent visits. With many people you'll get a 'but I've…
- A welcome to strangers
  July 15, 2009, 10:19
  During my recent visit to the Scots International Church in Rotterdam, I was able to spend a couple of hours at one of their main projects - Mamre. Named after…
- Well, that was different
  July 12, 2009, 21:12
  Today, after the morning service, I stayed on to sit in on the afternoon service that takes place in the church hall. It's a regular event, every Sunday, but…
- Memories
  July 9, 2009, 10:29
  A topic has popped up a couple of times in conversation in the last few days - the question of 'memory' in the context of a congregation. The congregations…
- It's not all G&T
  June 27, 2009, 18:51
  Apparently the Euro parishes were, not so long ago, accused of being ex-pat social clubs who spent their time sipping G&T in the afternoon. Without a…
- A grand day out
  June 12, 2009, 14:06
  On Wednesday I had an (eventful) trip to Amsterdam to meet up with John Cowie, the minister in the Church of Scotland there. This was part of an opportunity to…
- More first impressions
  June 7, 2009, 16:29
  This morning was my first (proper) visit to St. Andrew's, Brussels. I was made very welcome and was bombarded with names that I will probably forget or get…
- I'm leaving on a jet plane...
  June 2, 2009, 08:35
  Just doing the last of my packing before heading off to the airport for my flight to Brussels. This is the first leg of my Belgian summer. The second is after…
- Gagged or not?
  May 27, 2009, 10:44
  The minutes of Monday's GA session are available online and the wording of the so-called 'gagging clause' read as follows: Instruct all Courts, Councils and…
- A plea for words
  May 26, 2009, 20:04
  Does anyone have the definitive version of Dr McPake's motion (as amended) from Saturday night at GA? I've seen so many variants of who can comment and who…
- Long grass
  May 25, 2009, 19:32
  To steal a phrase from my placement supervisor, the Church of Scotland has managed to kick the ball into the long grass again, but they're running out of long…
- That decision
  May 24, 2009, 22:41
  I've not had a chance to blog about Saturday night's session at the General Assembly, but it can't have escaped your notice that the Church of Scotland are…
- Rev. Max Headroom
  May 12, 2009, 15:53
  According to this report on the BBC, ministers are going virtual. Using video links, ministers will be able to contribute to services in vacant charges or…
- More petition thoughts
  May 8, 2009, 09:04
  Warning: (some) sarcasm/irony ahead - read with discernment. I'm wondering if Lochcarron and Skye didn't miss a trick with their overture. Or indeed, if…
- GA09 and petitions
  May 5, 2009, 10:39
  It can't have escaped your attention that there's a serious row brewing for this year's General Assembly. It concerns the Rev. Scott Rennie, an openly gay…
- Free to move
  April 19, 2009, 22:59
  I was taking the service this evening in my home church and it was a very odd experience. I've not preached there for quite a while and I was surprised at just…
- All things to all people?
  March 19, 2009, 10:02
  I'm often prompted to blog when I seem to have the same discussions coming from several sources. Tomorrow's class reading is about territorial ministry and…
- Family ministry?
  March 16, 2009, 08:24
  One of my favourite blogs, Internetmonk, recently posted a video which was a pretty good parody of too many Christian youth programmes. One of the commenters…
- I want out!
  March 14, 2009, 11:28
  This story must surely be one of the most ridiculous I've read in a while. It simply makes no sense to me at all. Or does it simply reflect the level of…
- Intimations?
  March 8, 2009, 16:12
  In my placement church there has been a bit of a move away from reading out intimations at the beginning of the service, if for no other reason than it can…
- Carry on regardless
  March 1, 2009, 16:48
  I was preaching today at my placement church and it was one of those times when you really wish it was someone else in your place. Everything started off well…
- Church membership
  February 13, 2009, 15:48
  Today's Church, Sacraments & Ministry tutorial was most frustrating. The initial discussion was on the subject of 'confirmation' and the Church of…
- Forgotten history
  February 5, 2009, 16:33
  I was reading a couple of articles for tomorrow's Church, Sacraments and Ministry class. The topic for this week is a cursory overview of worship in Scotland.…
- Bruxelles
  January 28, 2009, 22:14
  And nothing to do with sprouts. It looks as though this is where I will be spending 12 weeks of the summer. Thanks to an exceptionally generous answer to…
- Weighed down
  January 20, 2009, 10:18
  I had a visit to New College library yesterday to gather a few more books for my dissertation. I'm just glad my rucksack isn't any bigger otherwise I would…
- Church, Sacraments and Ministry
  January 15, 2009, 16:46
  This is the one and only taught course I'm doing this semester and the only class is on Friday mornings (first one tomorrow). I've been looking through the…
- Funeral thoughts
  January 13, 2009, 09:10
  Camelon has a pretty heavy funeral workload that's shared out among the three-strong ministry team. This means that I get an opportunity to see different…
- Summer placement
  January 9, 2009, 13:56
  It hasn't been finalised yet but negotiations are ongoing (and looking promising) for my summer placement. It looks likely that I'll be in one of the Euro…
- 3-legged stools
  November 28, 2008, 15:35
  I had a discussion the other day with Stuart, my current placement supervisor, and we were talking about 3-legged stools. It was in the context of models of…
- Biblical interpretation - again
  October 7, 2008, 11:10
  Yesterday's class was a whistlestop tour of the main phases of Biblical Interpretation since the first century. Interesting enough but nothing earth-shattering.…
- And today's feature is...
  October 5, 2008, 19:30
  The Incredibles! Well, plenty of clips from the film to illustrate the point that we're all pretty amazing since we're created by God, in His image and…
- 4th year begins
  September 23, 2008, 08:56
  First day back at uni yesterday. Despite the long summer break it hardly feels like I've been away. I had two classes yesterday (I have one on Friday as…
- Candidates' Conference Reflections - Disability
  September 10, 2008, 22:42
  David and Stewart have both been blogging about the Paralympics and both making similar points about the lack of coverage. I confess I haven't watched any but…
- Candidates' Conference Reflections - Presuppositions
  September 4, 2008, 23:28
  Sometimes the biggest thing that gets us into trouble, I would suggest, is presupposing a person's position on something. Despite having been gently reminded…
- Returned intact
  September 3, 2008, 18:09
  Returned about mid-afternoon, absolutely shattered. The lunchtime coffee hit has worn off and my eyes are drooping. Absolutely loads to blog about and I'll…
- Candidates' Conference
  August 27, 2008, 16:29
  On Friday morning I head of to my first Church of Scotland Candidates' Conference. This is the first of five I am required to attend as part of my training for…
- An occasion
  August 27, 2008, 10:16
  I've had to duck out of doing pulpit supply at Lanark Greyfriars a week on Sunday. But it's for a very good reason. My older daughter, along with some others…
- I'm not a luddite really
  August 22, 2008, 16:06
  Stewart is currently mulling over a discussion topic for this year's Church of Scotland National Youth Assembly. Unsurprisingly its focus is on the use of…
- Stuff (and nonsense)
  August 10, 2008, 22:41
  Another long gap between updates but my excuse this time is that I have been on holiday. and then had some catching up to do. Add to that two weddings and a…
- Shattered!
  June 15, 2008, 21:59
  Not long back from Crossover. Although the numbers were well down this year, there was still a great atmosphere and most things went well. Interestingly,…
- Law
  June 9, 2008, 20:05
  I was doing pulpit supply down in Law on Sunday. Lovely wee congregation, very welcoming and some novelties thrown in to boot. First thing I spotted was the…
- Challenging videos
  May 29, 2008, 15:09
  On my blog feeds yesterday, my attention was caught by a couple of video clips. They're of Reggie McNeal, from Fuller Theological Seminary, addressing a…
- It'll be good experience...
  May 28, 2008, 08:36
  ... or so I'm told. It would appear that I have just agreed to be convener of a presbytery vacancy procedure committee. Quite what this involves I have no…
- A sea of black
  May 9, 2008, 16:38
  I was at a funeral today. I had been asked to help out setting up the sound desk to play some cds through and mic up a singer and guitarist who were doing a…
- The man from DelMonte...
  May 7, 2008, 11:56
  ...he say YES! Apparently I'm now a candidate in training for the ministry. How scary a thought is that? Maybe need to spare a prayer for the…
- And I'm back
  May 3, 2008, 20:05
  Absolutely drained as well. Well, I think it all went reasonably well. I think I put myself across as well as I was able and if I get a negative decision I…
- Soon...
  May 2, 2008, 10:55
  ...it'll all be over. Or more likely, just starting (regardless of outcome). In a couple of hours I'm heading off to the CofS assessment conference at…
- Up for discussion
  April 20, 2008, 21:44
  Having pondered the excellent suggestions for discussion topics, I've decided to follow CB's advice and go for something that interests me and I have strong…
- More paperwork
  April 16, 2008, 15:41
  I've just received a wodge of paperwork from 121 for my looming Assessment Conference (2-3 May). One of the things I need to do for it is prepare a piece for…
- Coming up for air
  April 12, 2008, 20:59
  Deadlines have been looming again so that's why it's been a bit quiet here. Monday (14th) is the due date for the coursework portfolio for my Pastoral Care…
- A grand day out
  March 24, 2008, 17:48
  We (the girls and I) were out walking today with a group of people from the church. Nothing strenuous - just a wee wander near Airthrey Castle which sits…
- Holy week services - Thursday
  March 21, 2008, 10:25
  I said I probably wouldn't blog this one as it was my own minister, but it's probably worth noting something in particular from his sermon. The sermon itself…
- Holy week services - Wednesday
  March 19, 2008, 21:18
  Chalk and cheese! Compared to last night's sermon tonight was so much better. Actually, that's not being fair - tonight's sermon was very good regardless of…
- Holy week services
  March 18, 2008, 22:30
  Warning - this may well turn into a rant (but, hey! it's my blog). For the last few years my church has combined with two others in the area to share Holy…
- Hell revisited
  March 12, 2008, 20:46
  After my last foray into hell, David Reimer kindly pointed me to an article by Tim Keller reproduced from Christianity Today. I've finally had a chance to look…
- Baptism
  March 10, 2008, 19:58
  At my recent local review I was asked for my views on a couple of specific subjects - the ordination of women and infant baptism. These are standard questions…
- News and stuff
  March 5, 2008, 17:27
  First up, you'll notice a theme change. Having been prompted to change the comment box size, I decided to be lazy and go for a new theme. Not sure if I'm 100%…
- Biblical interpretation and theology
  March 3, 2008, 14:53
  My two favourite subjects. I happened to be browsing the interweb and I discovered a list of 'categories' that helped identify preferred Biblical interpretation…
- Lightly grilled or deep-fried?
  February 28, 2008, 20:19
  It's my local review tomorrow (Friday). This is the 'light grilling' at the end of my six month assessment placement. The outcome determines whether I will be…
- Stories
  February 19, 2008, 22:44
  I'm trying to fit in some pastoral visits before I finish up at KHR. Having had a cold the other week has meant they've piled up somewhat so I'm doing a bit of…
- Those who can, do..
  February 8, 2008, 19:09
  I'm sure you're all (note assumption of a readership here) familiar with the old adage, "those who can, do; those who can't, teach" or one of its variants…
- That's my King!
  February 7, 2008, 15:17
  A while ago, whilst searching for video clips, I came across Worship House Media which is an excellent source for all sorts of useful downloads (keep an eye…
- The gospel according to duct tape
  February 5, 2008, 20:58
  Duct tape, duck tape, gaffer tape. Call it what you will, it provided me with a 'theme' for the youth club last Friday. I had been asked to step in since the…
- Highs and lows
  January 19, 2008, 13:32
  It's been a pretty diverse week just past. On Thursday I was at the ordination and induction of a friend. It was a lovely service, full of humour and joy…
- Scripture and limericks
  January 13, 2008, 15:21
  An odd pairing you might think, but surprisingly apt - or, at least, it seemed to make sense in the shower this morning. The reading for our 'Method of reading…
- Books, blogs, evangelicals and US Christianity
  January 5, 2008, 16:49
  One of my tasks during this placement is to read and discuss a book from the recommended list from 121. I chose Eugene Peterson's 'Under the Unpredictable…
- Myths, legends and deep understanding
  December 21, 2007, 10:27
  Stewart recently posted on his blog about 'depth' in the Christian faith. Coincidentally, I had been reading some discussions across some other websites (here…
- Looking beyond the cute
  December 16, 2007, 16:06
  It was KHR's nativity play today and a very lovely service it was too. It was interesting to see that the entire service was given over to it rather than the…
- Contrasts
  December 13, 2007, 21:49
  David recently posted on a Sunday of very contrasting services and I thought I'd chip in my tuppenceworth. The morning service was largely done by Buskit, a…
- Which god?
  December 8, 2007, 22:17
  I'm currently reading some NT Wright as part of revising a block on the "Third Quest for the historical Jesus" for Modern Christology. One particular essay has…
- A thought on communion
  December 2, 2007, 14:37
  Today was communion and I'm afraid I had a very mischievous thought at the way it's done at KHR. It was prompted by a particular wording of the prayer I was…
- Crossover
  November 29, 2007, 18:26
  Planning for Crossover 2008 is now officially underway. The dates are confirmed and the website has had a revamp (and no apologies for it looking familiar -…
- 2 Conversations
  November 25, 2007, 14:22
  I had 2 very interesting conversations after church this morning. Each quite different, but each challenging in their own way. The first was as I was…
- A 'word' from God
  November 21, 2007, 17:27
  Someone of my recent acquaintance had asked if they might include me in their prayer ministry - a small group of friends who passed prayer requests to others…
- Sunday schools and children's ministry
  November 1, 2007, 19:12
  Last Sunday I was sitting in with the primary Sunday school groups and it got me thinking again about one of my bugbears when it comes to working with young…
- Move over David Bailey!
  October 4, 2007, 14:47
  I've just been perusing the latest Life and Work magazine and spotted an article on Nexus. Actually, what caught my eye was the photograph. It's one that I…
Blogging (66)
- Dishonesty
  August 23, 2010, 19:24
  On Sunday, part of my sermon had a go at unethical business practices and how we, as consumers, and as Christians, had a part to play in making ethical choices…
- Interlude
  July 19, 2010, 10:26
  It's been almost a month since I last blogged anything (and then, only briefly). I'm not on placement at the moment, so there are fewer things to reflect on in…
- How to be a clone
  June 24, 2010, 08:15
  In a stroke of good luck (sorry, blessing), Michael Patton published a list of rules all new Christians must follow. It is a very useful follow-up on my post…
- Claim-staking
  February 19, 2010, 09:42
  I was having a chat the other day with Nikki about life, the universe and blogging. I had, in the back of my mind, Scott's challenge to define my theology and…
- Bible in 5 statements
  December 22, 2009, 18:40
  Stewart has challenged me to: Summarize the Bible in five statements, the first one word long, the second two, the third three, the fourth four and the last…
- By way of explanation
  December 18, 2009, 19:40
  This blog forms part of my ongoing journalling and reflection on my training process into ministry. I generally blog about particular theological issues I'm…
- Catch up
  October 1, 2009, 09:00
  It occurred to me that I hadn't blogged for a while and indeed the last one was over a week ago. But that last blog post contains the root of the lack of…
- Be sharp
  September 4, 2009, 21:19
  Intrigued by the title, I followed a link in my WordPress dashboard to the article "How to write with a knife". It is aimed primarily at bloggers but I…
- Gagged or not?
  May 27, 2009, 10:44
  The minutes of Monday's GA session are available online and the wording of the so-called 'gagging clause' read as follows: Instruct all Courts, Councils and…
- A plea for words
  May 26, 2009, 20:04
  Does anyone have the definitive version of Dr McPake's motion (as amended) from Saturday night at GA? I've seen so many variants of who can comment and who…
- More blogging
  April 22, 2009, 21:19
  At the recent Candidates' Conference, Ministries Council outlined their revised plans for the ongoing assessment part of the training. Candidates are now…
- Yeah I know!
  January 14, 2009, 22:15
  I know I said I wasn't going to change the theme for a while, but hey! I couldn't resist this one when I saw it even though it's only a 2-column theme and I…
- Remembrance Sunday 08
  November 9, 2008, 09:00
  Once again it is the time to remember those who have fallen in conflicts both in recent memory and only open to us through the memories of others. Lest we…
- Oh no! He's changed it again!
  October 21, 2008, 15:44
  I was getting a bit 'oppressed' by the black theme and decided to lighten it up a little (for a while anyway). I've also taken the opportunity to make a few…
- It's a small world
  August 29, 2008, 08:58
  The internet makes the world a small place sometimes, especially when it comes to connections. Being a bit sad, I regularly look at the search terms used to…
- Happy blogging birthday to me!
  August 23, 2008, 10:00
  It all started a year ago... and I've stuck with it.
- I'm not a luddite really
  August 22, 2008, 16:06
  Stewart is currently mulling over a discussion topic for this year's Church of Scotland National Youth Assembly. Unsurprisingly its focus is on the use of…
- Stuff (and nonsense)
  August 10, 2008, 22:41
  Another long gap between updates but my excuse this time is that I have been on holiday. and then had some catching up to do. Add to that two weddings and a…
- Another change
  June 25, 2008, 23:47
  Having been inspired by the theme for Stewart's new blog, I had a look at others by the same person and decided I like this new one. The main reason I like it…
- Keeping occupied
  June 6, 2008, 23:28
  Apart from a small handful of pulpit supply dates, I have, once again, struggled to find gainful employment this summer. So I've decided to take a small gamble…
- Don't like heights?
  May 31, 2008, 21:21
  Then don't watch this video. As one of the commenters says, I didn't think I could hold my breath that long. I'm not generally scared of heights, but this…
- One hundred
  April 22, 2008, 21:24
  This is post number 100 apparently. That's it; nothing else to see; move along now.
- That old evangelical chestnut
  March 29, 2008, 12:34
  It's a lengthy read, but let me commend a post across at internetmonk.com. I think it presents a very well-balanced view of what, for many Christians, is a…
- More theme changes
  March 28, 2008, 11:24
  As you've no doubt noticed, the site theme has changed yet again. I like themes to be simple and relatively uncluttered without lots of graphic backgrounds.…
- Too much to read...
  March 8, 2008, 23:00
  ... and too little time to read it. Much as I've only really dipped my toe in the vast blogging pool that exists, I've quite enjoyed it. But it has a…
- News and stuff
  March 5, 2008, 17:27
  First up, you'll notice a theme change. Having been prompted to change the comment box size, I decided to be lazy and go for a new theme. Not sure if I'm 100%…
- Hell!
  February 25, 2008, 11:49
  I never cease to be amazed at the discussions I end up getting sucked into. I never cease to be amazed at how easily I am distracted from my, currently…
- Blehhhh!!!
  February 5, 2008, 21:05
  Which is simply a comment on how I'm feeling at the moment. I've been struck down with some dreadful lurgy - hacking cough, runny nose, sneezing, headache.…
- And on a lighter note...
  January 25, 2008, 09:58
  I've got a whirlwind of social activities this weekend (well, two!). Today (Friday) I'm off to a Burns Supper. It's not usually my 'thing'. I like Burns'…
- I can has street cred?
  January 20, 2008, 22:20
  For a bit of a humorous diversion, I scan ICHC. Now the family have found it and I regularly hear the girls in fits of giggles. Well, I got a mega street-cred…
- The joys of the internet
  December 18, 2007, 08:52
  At last, the true value of the internet is revealed: Amazon.co.uk: Reviews for Bic Crystal ballpoint pen If you have a lot of free time (or even just a…
- And winter arrives!
  December 8, 2007, 17:23
  The scene from my front door just after 5pm this evening: I guess this means winter has officially arrived.
- Breathing space
  November 21, 2007, 17:08
  A momentary lull has been found but looking ahead in the calendar, it'll be short-lived. At uni, there is one more teaching class and 3 revision classes to…
- We will remember them
  November 10, 2007, 21:32
  Spare a thought and a prayer for those who gave their life in wars past and present. Pray too for those affected by war. Many ask why God doesn't answer…
- Neglect
  October 24, 2007, 23:26
  I'm trying not to fall out of the habit of blogging but life's been a little busy. It seems to me that whenever I think I've got a bit of spare time, something…
- A very strange bird...
  October 5, 2007, 20:12
  There was much mirth earlier on when my daughter looked out of her bedroom window. Next door's kitten was perched on the lopped trunk of the tree that sits in…
- A wee test
  October 4, 2007, 14:20
  Just curious about what the OneNote blogging facility does with pictures. Btw - this is a photo of a painting of my younger daughter done by my older…
- How cool is this?
  October 4, 2007, 13:46
  Well, ok, it is if you're a geek at heart. I took up the bargain-priced Office package mentioned elsewhere and I'm now having a little play. I've just…
- David's blog
  September 26, 2007, 23:29
  Lured into the blogosphere, David has succumbed to temptation and started his own blog. Not sure if admitting to be a Trekkie is a good start, but he redeemed…
- Blog update
  September 25, 2007, 21:44
  The latest version of WordPress has now appeared and I've updated the site. Unfortunately, one of the sidebar widgets - the random photo - no longer works so…
- Bugs
  September 23, 2007, 16:37
  My wife is outside gardening (and I'm stuck inside studying - honest) but insisted that I come and see some wildlife. So, some piccies to prove a…
- Lectionary thoughts
  September 23, 2007, 15:15
  Following on from today's other blog entry, I was thinking about the lectionary. Today's readings from Amos, 1Timothy and Luke were kind to me. There was a…
- Every second counts...
  September 23, 2007, 14:52
  Well, I did it! I created a 15 minute sermon after a bit of judicious pruning. Could I have said more? Probably. Should I have said more? Probably not. What…
- Teenagers!!
  September 20, 2007, 14:53
  Why don't they come with an instruction manual? That's it, nothing more. Could write a proper blog entry but it'd extend to pages and pages.
- Kabooooom!!!!
  September 18, 2007, 20:28
  If you were in Edinburgh today and wondered why the One O'clock Gun sounded in the late afternoon, well it didn't - it was the sound of my brain exploding…
- It's only words
  September 17, 2007, 20:31
  Stewart's asking the question, "Have we lost the wonder of God?" Coincidentally, the reading I'm trying to do for uni is largely on this very thing. Our…
- 2nd Sunday of Placement
  September 16, 2007, 16:29
  Today was my second Sunday at KHR Grangemouth. I was delivering the children's talk and today was also communion. So, before I comment on both, I also want to…
- When is outreach not?
  September 12, 2007, 23:20
  This evening I was invited along to a meeting of the 'Outreach Group' in my placement church. Their remit or areas of involvement seem to be quite varied but…
- Swamped
  September 11, 2007, 16:00
  Well, sort of. Uni hasn't even started yet (it's still only freshers' week) and I got an email from one of my lecturers with the expected reading for the first…
- 1st Sunday of Placement
  September 9, 2007, 14:11
  Today was my first Sunday at my placement church - Kirk of the Holy Rood in Grangemouth. I was formally introduced to the congregation and participated by…
- The enthusiasm of youth
  September 8, 2007, 22:43
  We were at a concert tonight in St John's Church in Hamilton. The African Children's Choir were playing. When you hear some of the stories of their…
- Some things never change...
  September 7, 2007, 22:33
  I'm preaching the sermon at Harvest Thanksgiving in my placement church on the 23rd. The lectionary readings for that Sunday are very appropriate and I…
- Teenagers and concerts
  September 7, 2007, 09:21
  My older daughter headed off to Glasgow last night with a bunch of friends. They were going to a concert. Those of you with teenagers or older offspring are…
- Let's start at the very beginning...
  September 5, 2007, 19:50
  ... and the best place to start is with God. But I'm not going to! Well, in a way I am, but if we really started with 'God' as our subject we'd be here for a…
- Theology as a starting point
  September 5, 2007, 19:19
  Today I started writing some pages that set out my theological standpoint. It was quickly turning into a bit of an epic so I've decided to break it into…
- Wot, no blogging?
  September 4, 2007, 22:47
  Been too busy to post what I wanted today. I've been doing a bit of DIY. Why is it that simple jobs end up becoming more complex than you'd like? I know this…
- Journalling
  September 3, 2007, 20:01
  The primary reason for setting for setting up this blog is that I am required to keep a journal as part of the 'co-ordinated field assessment' phase of my…
- Mobility
  September 3, 2007, 08:51
  How sad is this? I'm sitting at home, in front of my laptop, connected to the outside world by a whizzy broadband connection, yet I'm typing this entry up on…
- What's in a name?
  August 31, 2007, 19:10
  When I chose my blog name - OrrWhat? - I had forgotten that my daughter uses that for her Bebo site. Mind you, that was at my suggestion, so, arguably, it's…
- Jigsaw moments
  August 31, 2007, 09:36
  I hate doing jigsaws.It's something deep in my psyche I reckon. I'm a bit of a control freak - ok, a lot of a control freak. But only in the sense that I…
- I fought the law...
  August 30, 2007, 20:27
  ... and Grace won. (sneaky wee Clash reference there in case you're wondering) Really a follow-on thought from yesterday's post about the Law versus Grace.…
- What I really need...
  August 30, 2007, 09:32
  I've decided that I really need a fully waterproof computer terminal installed in my shower. After all, that's where I end up having my best ideas, yet there's…
- Nexus 07
  August 29, 2007, 14:32
  Last week I was part of the crew at Nexus and, as so often happens at these things, got roped in to all sorts of stuff. The 'highlight' had to be performing…
- Downloads page added
  August 29, 2007, 10:07
  Being unable to resist the urge to tweak and twiddle, I've added a few more widgets and features to the blog. Most are for my benefit, but some are more…
- Cry freedom!
  August 28, 2007, 09:06
  Not the film, but a random title that popped into my head when I was reading my Bible study notes. Anyway, I found today's reading very challenging and not…
- For unto us a blog is born...
  August 23, 2007, 20:21
  Well, it's a blog! I keep starting these then playing with the web-scripts (more interesting than actually writing entries) then getting bored or simply not…
Life (31)
- The problem of words
  September 7, 2010, 17:00
  As someone whose job is 'words' it should mean that I am more careful than many about how they are used and, indeed, which ones I use. I can get very picky…
- Biting commentary
  August 5, 2010, 15:57
  I'm using bits of Harry Reid's book, Outside Verdict, for some of the introductory background for my dissertation. I came across this piece in which he quotes…
- Interlude
  July 19, 2010, 10:26
  It's been almost a month since I last blogged anything (and then, only briefly). I'm not on placement at the moment, so there are fewer things to reflect on in…
- Tough writing
  April 15, 2010, 14:04
  If you haven't happened upon it yet, let me recommend at eighty one. Avril writes very movingly and powerfully about her journey alongside her elderly father…
- Contextual identity
  January 27, 2010, 11:41
  Last week I was in 121 at a seminar/conference thing organised by the Church of Scotland's Church and Society Council. The topic was "Moral Maze on Virtualisati…
- Lack of progress
  January 20, 2010, 11:59
  I've been struggling with an essay for the last couple of weeks or so. Not that I don't know what to write or that I'm not interested in the subject, but…
- DEC Haiti appeal
  January 15, 2010, 15:43
  Please consider supporting the DEC Haiti Earthquake Appeal.
- Sometimes
  December 4, 2009, 11:21
  Sometimes I wonder if this whole process of training and placements and calling is worth it. Don't get me wrong. I am in no doubt about my call, or my faith,…
- Remembrance Sunday 09
  November 8, 2009, 11:00
  Once again it is the time to remember those who have fallen in conflicts both in recent memory and only open to us through the memories of others. Lest we…
- Being a tourist
  July 25, 2009, 21:18
  This is the end of my first week of holiday and it's certainly been a packed one. The weather forecast was a bit mixed for the week so we scheduled lots of…
- I'll never be in a UPA
  April 10, 2009, 16:39
  ... and other choice quotations (or should that be quotes?) from Candidates' Conference. I've been away all week at my second Candidates' Conference held at…
- I want out!
  March 14, 2009, 11:28
  This story must surely be one of the most ridiculous I've read in a while. It simply makes no sense to me at all. Or does it simply reflect the level of…
- Chilled
  January 20, 2009, 10:29
  Not as in feeling cool but rather actually feeling cold. No heating and the doors are all open since we've got the plumbers in replacing the central heating…
- Unfortunate headline
  November 24, 2008, 09:04
  Maybe the headline editor wasn't quite awake when they wrote this BBC News headline and summary, but I can't help but think how awful it reads. There's an…
- 5 Things
  November 12, 2008, 17:51
  Stewart tagged me to come up with 5 things I'd really like to do. The very first thing that popped into my head is a long-held personal ambition and that's…
- Doing it right
  November 8, 2008, 21:02
  One of those irreverent politics sites I mentioned had this photo available for captioning. It's definitely one of those Kodak moments that you couldn't stage.…
- Politics and religion
  November 5, 2008, 15:07
  I don't generally comment on politics, for various reasons, not least of which is that I have little time to spend following issues and arguments and so I feel…
- Candidates' Conference Reflections - Disability
  September 10, 2008, 22:42
  David and Stewart have both been blogging about the Paralympics and both making similar points about the lack of coverage. I confess I haven't watched any but…
- I'm not a luddite really
  August 22, 2008, 16:06
  Stewart is currently mulling over a discussion topic for this year's Church of Scotland National Youth Assembly. Unsurprisingly its focus is on the use of…
- Stuff (and nonsense)
  August 10, 2008, 22:41
  Another long gap between updates but my excuse this time is that I have been on holiday. and then had some catching up to do. Add to that two weddings and a…
- Another year older
  July 22, 2008, 22:29
  Well, it's been ages since I last wrote anything, so my birthday seems to be an appropriate occasion to post something. I got vouchers (Amazon and the bank…
- Another change
  June 25, 2008, 23:47
  Having been inspired by the theme for Stewart's new blog, I had a look at others by the same person and decided I like this new one. The main reason I like it…
- A public persona
  June 19, 2008, 15:50
  One of my tasks in looking after the Crossover web presence is to keep an eye on the Crossover Bebo page. We get a regular flow of people signing up as friends…
- Keeping occupied
  June 6, 2008, 23:28
  Apart from a small handful of pulpit supply dates, I have, once again, struggled to find gainful employment this summer. So I've decided to take a small gamble…
- Camping the easy way
  June 6, 2008, 23:07
  Next weekend is Crossover and my old youth group are going - a great mob of them too, something like 27. Anyway, I was helping out tonight and, by way of…
- Don't like heights?
  May 31, 2008, 21:21
  Then don't watch this video. As one of the commenters says, I didn't think I could hold my breath that long. I'm not generally scared of heights, but this…
- Catching up
  May 19, 2008, 15:18
  I was at the funeral of a former colleague today. John Wilson was certainly one of those people of whom you could genuinely say they were unique. I had worked…
- And so 3rd year draws to a close
  May 13, 2008, 08:53
  Yesterday was my second, and last. exam of the semester and for third year at uni. Not one of my better ones it has to be said, but I should have done enough…
- A sea of black
  May 9, 2008, 16:38
  I was at a funeral today. I had been asked to help out setting up the sound desk to play some cds through and mic up a singer and guitarist who were doing a…
- Madness
  April 18, 2008, 09:35
  It's the church youth club fundraiser tonight - an overnight games marathon. 12 hours of games and mayhem and tired teenagers. What's this got to do with me…
- Carbon offsetting
  April 3, 2008, 10:45
  I recently received an email newsletter from my web hosting company (a wee plug for NSDesign) offering to match a donation towards tree-planting as part of…
Bible (16)
- Missing the obvious
  September 3, 2010, 19:13
  Sometimes I think I must be excruciatingly dim and I have to wonder why I ever felt I ought to respond to a call to ministry. I was reading a post on one of my…
- Let me just repeat that.
  July 24, 2010, 21:31
  Many moons ago (well, it seems like it anyway) I agreed to do three pulpit supply dates in August. My thinking was that by the end of July my dissertation…
- This is not a public discussion (honest)
  June 1, 2010, 11:56
  In the spirit of not making any public statements, but encouraging discussion and understanding of the subject which cannot be named (why do I feel like we're…
- So what?
  May 19, 2010, 21:56
  I recently heard a sermon that got me thinking, "So what?" Well, it actually got me thinking a lot more than that, although it was primarily because I…
- Progress
  January 18, 2010, 15:08
  I was at the evening service in my home church last night and, I must confess, didn't particularly engage with the theme of the sermon. It struck me as…
- Stories (again)
  January 4, 2010, 12:17
  Apologies up front - this is very much a 'thinking out loud' blog entry and may well descend into a bit of a rant. You have been warned! Even so, I'd appreciate…
- Bible in 5 statements
  December 22, 2009, 18:40
  Stewart has challenged me to: Summarize the Bible in five statements, the first one word long, the second two, the third three, the fourth four and the last…
- Oooo - pretty
  November 13, 2009, 14:35
  No, not a shiny new sports car or fancy techno-toy, but a Bible. An NLT Mosaic Bible to be precise. Actually, to be even more precise, the 'deluxe' version: …
- More petition thoughts
  May 8, 2009, 09:04
  Warning: (some) sarcasm/irony ahead - read with discernment. I'm wondering if Lochcarron and Skye didn't miss a trick with their overture. Or indeed, if…
- GA09 and petitions
  May 5, 2009, 10:39
  It can't have escaped your attention that there's a serious row brewing for this year's General Assembly. It concerns the Rev. Scott Rennie, an openly gay…
- Substitution revisited
  April 21, 2009, 22:45
  About this time last year I posted some thoughts on substitutionary atonement. At the time I expressed my concern about some of the problems with it. In light…
- Carry on regardless
  March 1, 2009, 16:48
  I was preaching today at my placement church and it was one of those times when you really wish it was someone else in your place. Everything started off well…
- Confusion
  January 20, 2009, 11:22
  I've uploaded the short talk I used for my speech training session to the downloads page (and fixed the non-working downloads while there). It's called…
- Getting there
  December 5, 2008, 16:44
  Barring exams on the 11th and 19th, three of my four courses for 4th year are now done. Only one course and a dissertation to do and that'll be 4th year and my…
- A year on
  October 13, 2008, 23:36
  This time last year I was struggling with Schleiermacher. Today's Biblical Interpretation class was dealing with another chunk of Schleiermacher and shock!…
- Biblical interpretation - again
  October 7, 2008, 11:10
  Yesterday's class was a whistlestop tour of the main phases of Biblical Interpretation since the first century. Interesting enough but nothing earth-shattering.…
Faith (57)
- The problem of words
  September 7, 2010, 17:00
  As someone whose job is 'words' it should mean that I am more careful than many about how they are used and, indeed, which ones I use. I can get very picky…
- Missing the obvious
  September 3, 2010, 19:13
  Sometimes I think I must be excruciatingly dim and I have to wonder why I ever felt I ought to respond to a call to ministry. I was reading a post on one of my…
- Nuggets to ponder
  September 2, 2010, 21:42
  Many of the sessions at conference were worthy of note and I'll probably be reflecting on some of them in due course. But here are some choice little nuggets…
- Endings and beginnings
  September 2, 2010, 08:57
  Yesterday marked the last day of my final candidates' conference: today marks the beginning of probation. Endings and new beginnings are, I suppose, the…
- Crisis!? What crisis?
  August 25, 2010, 08:59
  Last night, BBC Scotland aired a short documentary, A Church in Crisis?, about the Church of Scotland and its current circumstances. The broadcast date marks…
- One down, two to go
  August 1, 2010, 21:55
  This little stint of pulpit supply has offered me a more interesting reflective opportunity than I first thought it would. As previously mentioned, I'm…
- How to be a clone
  June 24, 2010, 08:15
  In a stroke of good luck (sorry, blessing), Michael Patton published a list of rules all new Christians must follow. It is a very useful follow-up on my post…
- Christian clones
  June 22, 2010, 21:39
  In that amazing way that only seems to come through a sense of God at work by the Spirit, there was a consistent theme running through much of the activity and…
- This is not a public discussion (honest)
  June 1, 2010, 11:56
  In the spirit of not making any public statements, but encouraging discussion and understanding of the subject which cannot be named (why do I feel like we're…
- Prophetic ministry
  May 20, 2010, 10:37
  I've been catching up on some reading recently (I've not long finished The Mystery of Christ by Robert Farrar Capon and Velvet Elvis by Rob Bell) and currently…
- So what?
  May 19, 2010, 21:56
  I recently heard a sermon that got me thinking, "So what?" Well, it actually got me thinking a lot more than that, although it was primarily because I…
- Politics and religion
  May 11, 2010, 09:11
  I don't generally blog on politics. It's not a subject which particularly enthuses me - at least in the traditional sense. I have no particular love of party…
- Do you get it yet?
  April 23, 2010, 10:36
  I recently read Between Noon and Three by Robert Farrar Capon. It was so gripping I read it in just a few days. It's a book about the offensiveness of God's…
- Privilege
  April 19, 2010, 17:35
  I was chatting with Nikki today at lunchtime in Rainy Hall and we covered the usual broad range of topics. I'm doing a funeral in a couple of days and I…
- Tough writing
  April 15, 2010, 14:04
  If you haven't happened upon it yet, let me recommend at eighty one. Avril writes very movingly and powerfully about her journey alongside her elderly father…
- Theological shift
  March 26, 2010, 20:23
  My recent musings on Emerging Church have also been getting me thinking about some of the theological underpinnings of EC and, to a degree, traditional church.…
- Inspiration and brick walls
  March 11, 2010, 10:49
  I was a conference yesterday about Emerging Church within the context of the Church of Scotland. It was both inspirational and frustrating. Some of the…
- I'm confused
  March 3, 2010, 22:41
  No surprise there then. Having spent some of this afternoon discussing Emerging Church, I got the names of a few projects to follow up on as possible…
- Claim-staking
  February 19, 2010, 09:42
  I was having a chat the other day with Nikki about life, the universe and blogging. I had, in the back of my mind, Scott's challenge to define my theology and…
- Contextual identity
  January 27, 2010, 11:41
  Last week I was in 121 at a seminar/conference thing organised by the Church of Scotland's Church and Society Council. The topic was "Moral Maze on Virtualisati…
- Lack of progress
  January 20, 2010, 11:59
  I've been struggling with an essay for the last couple of weeks or so. Not that I don't know what to write or that I'm not interested in the subject, but…
- Progress
  January 18, 2010, 15:08
  I was at the evening service in my home church last night and, I must confess, didn't particularly engage with the theme of the sermon. It struck me as…
- One church
  January 12, 2010, 09:12
  I've been working through some reading for my first research essay and it's starting to take shape in my head. Just need it to start taking shape on paper now.…
- Stories (again)
  January 4, 2010, 12:17
  Apologies up front - this is very much a 'thinking out loud' blog entry and may well descend into a bit of a rant. You have been warned! Even so, I'd appreciate…
- From personal experience
  November 16, 2009, 09:57
  Yesterday I had the opportunity to lead the whole service in my placement church. Not a big problem - it's something I've done many times. That said, being…
- A dangerous act
  November 5, 2009, 20:55
  I am leading the intercessory prayers on Sunday. It's Remembrance Sunday of course and that makes intercession all the more pointed and necessary. It also adds…
- Differently-abled
  October 29, 2009, 09:50
  I have, for some time, been using Guidelines daily reading notes from BRF. It is a mixture of thematic and systematic readings from a variety of contributors…
- Sneaking in the front door
  October 18, 2009, 15:59
  For various reasons, my first Sunday in my third placement isn't until next week. I have had a couple of very fruitful meetings with my supervisor, so I have,…
- Blue Like Jazz
  September 11, 2009, 09:45
  I've just finished reading Blue Like Jazz by Donald Miller. It's one of these books you often find referenced in all sorts of blogs and websites. It also seems…
- "I don't know!"
  September 8, 2009, 10:57
  Nelu recently posted a video clip of Rev. Dr. Yvette Flunder on his blog. Go and watch it if you've not already seen it. Like Nelu, I can identify with what…
- Decisions
  September 6, 2009, 14:20
  It's nice to be back home after my stint in Brussels. I have a week or so before the business of university kicks in and my next placement doesn't start until…
- Restless
  August 15, 2009, 13:28
  I have about a week and a half left of my summer placement and it's paperwork time. I've been thinking over some of the 'big' things from the placement as well…
- Last laps
  August 13, 2009, 09:01
  I was going through my diary for the next wee while and realised that many of the items appearing on the horizon are after my placement in Brussels. Twelve…
- Deja vu
  August 4, 2009, 13:43
  One of the things you notice when you visit people is that you will often hear the same stories on subsequent visits. With many people you'll get a 'but I've…
- A welcome to strangers
  July 15, 2009, 10:19
  During my recent visit to the Scots International Church in Rotterdam, I was able to spend a couple of hours at one of their main projects - Mamre. Named after…
- It's not all G&T
  June 27, 2009, 18:51
  Apparently the Euro parishes were, not so long ago, accused of being ex-pat social clubs who spent their time sipping G&T in the afternoon. Without a…
- Are you lonesome tonight?
  June 16, 2009, 16:06
  Yesterday I moved from the apartment I was sharing in Zaventem to one in Brussels city centre. In this one, I have the place to myself so I'm not imposing on…
- More first impressions
  June 7, 2009, 16:29
  This morning was my first (proper) visit to St. Andrew's, Brussels. I was made very welcome and was bombarded with names that I will probably forget or get…
- Long grass
  May 25, 2009, 19:32
  To steal a phrase from my placement supervisor, the Church of Scotland has managed to kick the ball into the long grass again, but they're running out of long…
- That decision
  May 24, 2009, 22:41
  I've not had a chance to blog about Saturday night's session at the General Assembly, but it can't have escaped your notice that the Church of Scotland are…
- More petition thoughts
  May 8, 2009, 09:04
  Warning: (some) sarcasm/irony ahead - read with discernment. I'm wondering if Lochcarron and Skye didn't miss a trick with their overture. Or indeed, if…
- GA09 and petitions
  May 5, 2009, 10:39
  It can't have escaped your attention that there's a serious row brewing for this year's General Assembly. It concerns the Rev. Scott Rennie, an openly gay…
- Substitution revisited
  April 21, 2009, 22:45
  About this time last year I posted some thoughts on substitutionary atonement. At the time I expressed my concern about some of the problems with it. In light…
- If you're really bored...
  April 1, 2009, 22:26
  If you're bored or struggling to get to sleep, then I've uploaded some light reading to keep you amused. I've just added my honours dissertation to the…
- All things to all people?
  March 19, 2009, 10:02
  I'm often prompted to blog when I seem to have the same discussions coming from several sources. Tomorrow's class reading is about territorial ministry and…
- Family ministry?
  March 16, 2009, 08:24
  One of my favourite blogs, Internetmonk, recently posted a video which was a pretty good parody of too many Christian youth programmes. One of the commenters…
- Church membership
  February 13, 2009, 15:48
  Today's Church, Sacraments & Ministry tutorial was most frustrating. The initial discussion was on the subject of 'confirmation' and the Church of…
- Forgotten history
  February 5, 2009, 16:33
  I was reading a couple of articles for tomorrow's Church, Sacraments and Ministry class. The topic for this week is a cursory overview of worship in Scotland.…
- Ministry geek?
  January 21, 2009, 08:38
  Is there such a thing as a ministry geek? If so, I think I'm turning into one. Standing at the washhand basin this morning I was thinking about our new…
- Confusion
  January 20, 2009, 11:22
  I've uploaded the short talk I used for my speech training session to the downloads page (and fixed the non-working downloads while there). It's called…
- Looking back, looking forward
  January 5, 2009, 22:03
  I haven't blogged properly for a little while and so the beginning of a new year seems like a good place to pick it up again. But first the formalities - I…
- Oh what a mystery I see
  December 17, 2008, 20:10
  I've heard many conversations this advent about the 'real' Christmas story. I don't know if it's simply a fashionable trend or whether there are more people…
- Good enough
  December 10, 2008, 23:09
  I have been doing some cramming for tomorrow's exams and one of my topics was Barth's take on Providence. I came across a comment about creation and it brought…
- Unfortunate headline
  November 24, 2008, 09:04
  Maybe the headline editor wasn't quite awake when they wrote this BBC News headline and summary, but I can't help but think how awful it reads. There's an…
- Only probably?
  October 21, 2008, 16:43
  Professor Richard Dawkins is supporting a publicity campaign to have London buses carry ads saying that "There's probably no God". I can't help but think that…
- A year on
  October 13, 2008, 23:36
  This time last year I was struggling with Schleiermacher. Today's Biblical Interpretation class was dealing with another chunk of Schleiermacher and shock!…
- Biblical interpretation - again
  October 7, 2008, 11:10
  Yesterday's class was a whistlestop tour of the main phases of Biblical Interpretation since the first century. Interesting enough but nothing earth-shattering.…
Family (15)
- Interlude
  July 19, 2010, 10:26
  It's been almost a month since I last blogged anything (and then, only briefly). I'm not on placement at the moment, so there are fewer things to reflect on in…
- Tough writing
  April 15, 2010, 14:04
  If you haven't happened upon it yet, let me recommend at eighty one. Avril writes very movingly and powerfully about her journey alongside her elderly father…
- More tourist stuff
  July 30, 2009, 21:55
  Having got bored with Brussels (kidding!), we decided to take a daytrip to Bruge (or Brugge, depending on your preferred language). Photo album here. It's…
- Being a tourist
  July 25, 2009, 21:18
  This is the end of my first week of holiday and it's certainly been a packed one. The weather forecast was a bit mixed for the week so we scheduled lots of…
- Temporary respite
  July 2, 2009, 18:01
  I'm back home for a couple of days. I graduate tomorrow (Friday) and I'm not looking forward to being kilted and gowned if the weather is as hot and humid as…
- Are you lonesome tonight?
  June 16, 2009, 16:06
  Yesterday I moved from the apartment I was sharing in Zaventem to one in Brussels city centre. In this one, I have the place to myself so I'm not imposing on…
- Family ministry?
  March 16, 2009, 08:24
  One of my favourite blogs, Internetmonk, recently posted a video which was a pretty good parody of too many Christian youth programmes. One of the commenters…
- SQA art2008
  October 17, 2008, 21:24
  We (the family) popped down to the Scottish Parliament today to view the SQA's art exhibition. We had a particular interest because Alison's Higher Art…
- The Shack
  October 9, 2008, 11:57
  I've just finished reading The Shack. It's a book that has caused a huge stir among certain Christian groups in the US, not least because of its depiction of…
- Tomsk
  September 19, 2008, 11:00
  Our last pussy cat had to be taken to the vet this morning. He was over 18 years old and was in failing health. In the last few days he had all but given up on…
- An occasion
  August 27, 2008, 10:16
  I've had to duck out of doing pulpit supply at Lanark Greyfriars a week on Sunday. But it's for a very good reason. My older daughter, along with some others…
- Stuff (and nonsense)
  August 10, 2008, 22:41
  Another long gap between updates but my excuse this time is that I have been on holiday. and then had some catching up to do. Add to that two weddings and a…
- First contact
  July 1, 2008, 15:56
  It's amazing how succinct a teenager's texts can be when there are far more interesting things to concentrate on. In response to my text, "How was the flight?…
- Bags packed, ready to go.
  June 28, 2008, 22:02
  Not me, but both daughters. Only problem is that they have to be at Glasgow airport before 4am tomorrow, so it's a case of grabbing a few hours rest and…
- A grand day out
  March 24, 2008, 17:48
  We (the girls and I) were out walking today with a group of people from the church. Nothing strenuous - just a wee wander near Airthrey Castle which sits…
Placement (67)
- Glutton for punishment
  June 9, 2010, 16:01
  You'd think that starting probation in September would be enough to be going on with and that writing a dissertation on the Church of Scotland's relationship…
- 8 months gone in a flash
  May 30, 2010, 19:55
  There are times when life seems to pass by so quickly. That seems never more true than when you are on a placement. Uni term times whizz past, but they're only…
- Looking back
  May 4, 2010, 19:31
  At the end of this month I will have finished my third placement. This is the last one before probation (starting on the 1st September - or rather the 2nd, as…
- Tough writing
  April 15, 2010, 14:04
  If you haven't happened upon it yet, let me recommend at eighty one. Avril writes very movingly and powerfully about her journey alongside her elderly father…
- Coming up for air
  February 8, 2010, 17:00
  I've not blogged much recently simply because I've been pretty busy. I know I owe Scott a post about my own theological stance but that's going to have to wait…
- Lack of progress
  January 20, 2010, 11:59
  I've been struggling with an essay for the last couple of weeks or so. Not that I don't know what to write or that I'm not interested in the subject, but…
- Stories (again)
  January 4, 2010, 12:17
  Apologies up front - this is very much a 'thinking out loud' blog entry and may well descend into a bit of a rant. You have been warned! Even so, I'd appreciate…
- A first
  December 30, 2009, 17:19
  Today was my first solo funeral service and I was happy enough with how it went. I made (so far as I'm aware) only one verbal gaffe but it was a fairly minor…
- By way of explanation
  December 18, 2009, 19:40
  This blog forms part of my ongoing journalling and reflection on my training process into ministry. I generally blog about particular theological issues I'm…
- 2 school services
  December 17, 2009, 22:17
  Yesterday evening and first thing this morning I was participating in the Christmas services for two of the local primary schools served by my placement…
- From personal experience
  November 16, 2009, 09:57
  Yesterday I had the opportunity to lead the whole service in my placement church. Not a big problem - it's something I've done many times. That said, being…
- One small step...
  November 3, 2009, 20:09
  ... one not so giant leap. Today I got to participate in a funeral for the first time. It might seem odd that I haven't done so before now but the opportunit…
- Funeral insights
  October 30, 2009, 23:08
  It's been a packed day and sets the tone for the next few days in fact. This morning started off with a pre-funeral visit and it was good to be observing…
- New beginnings
  October 26, 2009, 20:11
  Yesterday was my first official Sunday at my latest placement church - Larbert East. I had snuck in the week before didn't announce who I was or why I was…
- Sneaking in the front door
  October 18, 2009, 15:59
  For various reasons, my first Sunday in my third placement isn't until next week. I have had a couple of very fruitful meetings with my supervisor, so I have,…
- And then there were two
  October 11, 2009, 14:33
  I visited the last of my four potential probation churches today and I'm now certain I have my two out of the four. What's no longer certain is which of the…
- Catch up
  October 1, 2009, 09:00
  It occurred to me that I hadn't blogged for a while and indeed the last one was over a week ago. But that last blog post contains the root of the lack of…
- Number three
  September 20, 2009, 13:56
  It was a visit to the third possible probation placement church today. This was my 'wild card' one but it's also the one I've been feeling drawn to. It was odd…
- Two down
  September 13, 2009, 22:53
  I visited the second of my prospective probation churches today. A little bit further afield but perfectly do-able from my home. This one was very different…
- Decisions
  September 6, 2009, 14:20
  It's nice to be back home after my stint in Brussels. I have a week or so before the business of university kicks in and my next placement doesn't start until…
- Good and bad
  August 24, 2009, 22:59
  On my way back to the apartment tonight I was thinking about the good and bad of Brussels. Nothing major, just some of the little things that have caught my…
- A day in Leuven
  August 20, 2009, 15:52
  Yesterday (Wednesday), I was visiting the university town of Leuven to grab some books from Peeter's bookshop. I also took the opportunity to have a wander…
- Restless
  August 15, 2009, 13:28
  I have about a week and a half left of my summer placement and it's paperwork time. I've been thinking over some of the 'big' things from the placement as well…
- Last laps
  August 13, 2009, 09:01
  I was going through my diary for the next wee while and realised that many of the items appearing on the horizon are after my placement in Brussels. Twelve…
- Deja vu
  August 4, 2009, 13:43
  One of the things you notice when you visit people is that you will often hear the same stories on subsequent visits. With many people you'll get a 'but I've…
- More tourist stuff
  July 30, 2009, 21:55
  Having got bored with Brussels (kidding!), we decided to take a daytrip to Bruge (or Brugge, depending on your preferred language). Photo album here. It's…
- Being a tourist
  July 25, 2009, 21:18
  This is the end of my first week of holiday and it's certainly been a packed one. The weather forecast was a bit mixed for the week so we scheduled lots of…
- Yummmm!
  July 19, 2009, 21:54
  Well, if I learn nothing else from this placement, I have learnt that I love red plantains. Can that fall into the category of self-understanding and self-aware…
- A welcome to strangers
  July 15, 2009, 10:19
  During my recent visit to the Scots International Church in Rotterdam, I was able to spend a couple of hours at one of their main projects - Mamre. Named after…
- Well, that was different
  July 12, 2009, 21:12
  Today, after the morning service, I stayed on to sit in on the afternoon service that takes place in the church hall. It's a regular event, every Sunday, but…
- Rotterdam
  July 9, 2009, 10:46
  I had a little day trip to Rotterdam yesterday, to the 'Scots International Church'. There are a couple of things I want to blog about that arose from the…
- Memories
  July 9, 2009, 10:29
  A topic has popped up a couple of times in conversation in the last few days - the question of 'memory' in the context of a congregation. The congregations…
- Temporary respite
  July 2, 2009, 18:01
  I'm back home for a couple of days. I graduate tomorrow (Friday) and I'm not looking forward to being kilted and gowned if the weather is as hot and humid as…
- It's not all G&T
  June 27, 2009, 18:51
  Apparently the Euro parishes were, not so long ago, accused of being ex-pat social clubs who spent their time sipping G&T in the afternoon. Without a…
- BBQ
  June 21, 2009, 21:44
  It's been a fairly busy week: a bunch of visits, lots of noisy tractors in Brussels, lots of walking around sightseeing (pictures here), preaching this…
- Are you lonesome tonight?
  June 16, 2009, 16:06
  Yesterday I moved from the apartment I was sharing in Zaventem to one in Brussels city centre. In this one, I have the place to myself so I'm not imposing on…
- A grand day out
  June 12, 2009, 14:06
  On Wednesday I had an (eventful) trip to Amsterdam to meet up with John Cowie, the minister in the Church of Scotland there. This was part of an opportunity to…
- Brussels bites back
  June 12, 2009, 10:22
  Having had an easy introduction to Brussels, the last couple of days have ended the 'honeymoon period'. When the Brussels transport system works, it's very…
- More first impressions
  June 7, 2009, 16:29
  This morning was my first (proper) visit to St. Andrew's, Brussels. I was made very welcome and was bombarded with names that I will probably forget or get…
- Photos from Brussels
  June 6, 2009, 19:00
  I had a quick scoot round Brussels centre today with my camera and grabbed a few photos. Can't help but think you can see all these in tourist guides anyway…
- First impressions
  June 3, 2009, 22:15
  Today was my first full day in Belgium and I'm pleased to say that the glorious sunny weather we've been having in Scotland (seriously) has followed me over…
- I'm leaving on a jet plane...
  June 2, 2009, 08:35
  Just doing the last of my packing before heading off to the airport for my flight to Brussels. This is the first leg of my Belgian summer. The second is after…
- More blogging
  April 22, 2009, 21:19
  At the recent Candidates' Conference, Ministries Council outlined their revised plans for the ongoing assessment part of the training. Candidates are now…
- Free to move
  April 19, 2009, 22:59
  I was taking the service this evening in my home church and it was a very odd experience. I've not preached there for quite a while and I was surprised at just…
- Intimations?
  March 8, 2009, 16:12
  In my placement church there has been a bit of a move away from reading out intimations at the beginning of the service, if for no other reason than it can…
- Carry on regardless
  March 1, 2009, 16:48
  I was preaching today at my placement church and it was one of those times when you really wish it was someone else in your place. Everything started off well…
- Bruxelles
  January 28, 2009, 22:14
  And nothing to do with sprouts. It looks as though this is where I will be spending 12 weeks of the summer. Thanks to an exceptionally generous answer to…
- Summer placement
  January 9, 2009, 13:56
  It hasn't been finalised yet but negotiations are ongoing (and looking promising) for my summer placement. It looks likely that I'll be in one of the Euro…
- Looking back, looking forward
  January 5, 2009, 22:03
  I haven't blogged properly for a little while and so the beginning of a new year seems like a good place to pick it up again. But first the formalities - I…
- 3-legged stools
  November 28, 2008, 15:35
  I had a discussion the other day with Stuart, my current placement supervisor, and we were talking about 3-legged stools. It was in the context of models of…
- And today's feature is...
  October 5, 2008, 19:30
  The Incredibles! Well, plenty of clips from the film to illustrate the point that we're all pretty amazing since we're created by God, in His image and…
- News and stuff
  March 5, 2008, 17:27
  First up, you'll notice a theme change. Having been prompted to change the comment box size, I decided to be lazy and go for a new theme. Not sure if I'm 100%…
- Lightly grilled or deep-fried?
  February 28, 2008, 20:19
  It's my local review tomorrow (Friday). This is the 'light grilling' at the end of my six month assessment placement. The outcome determines whether I will be…
- Stories
  February 19, 2008, 22:44
  I'm trying to fit in some pastoral visits before I finish up at KHR. Having had a cold the other week has meant they've piled up somewhat so I'm doing a bit of…
- Those who can, do..
  February 8, 2008, 19:09
  I'm sure you're all (note assumption of a readership here) familiar with the old adage, "those who can, do; those who can't, teach" or one of its variants…
- Dazed and confused
  January 24, 2008, 21:40
  Well, maybe not so much confused, but yesterday I was certainly dazed and more than a little brain-dead by late afternoon. In the morning I was on my hospital…
- Books, blogs, evangelicals and US Christianity
  January 5, 2008, 16:49
  One of my tasks during this placement is to read and discuss a book from the recommended list from 121. I chose Eugene Peterson's 'Under the Unpredictable…
- Looking beyond the cute
  December 16, 2007, 16:06
  It was KHR's nativity play today and a very lovely service it was too. It was interesting to see that the entire service was given over to it rather than the…
- Contrasts
  December 13, 2007, 21:49
  David recently posted on a Sunday of very contrasting services and I thought I'd chip in my tuppenceworth. The morning service was largely done by Buskit, a…
- A thought on communion
  December 2, 2007, 14:37
  Today was communion and I'm afraid I had a very mischievous thought at the way it's done at KHR. It was prompted by a particular wording of the prayer I was…
- 2 Conversations
  November 25, 2007, 14:22
  I had 2 very interesting conversations after church this morning. Each quite different, but each challenging in their own way. The first was as I was…
- An odd sort of day
  November 24, 2007, 20:52
  Today has been a bit of an odd day. For the last couple of days I've been putting my uni notes in order and giving some thought to the specific areas I'll…
- A 'word' from God
  November 21, 2007, 17:27
  Someone of my recent acquaintance had asked if they might include me in their prayer ministry - a small group of friends who passed prayer requests to others…
- Sunday schools and children's ministry
  November 1, 2007, 19:12
  Last Sunday I was sitting in with the primary Sunday school groups and it got me thinking again about one of my bugbears when it comes to working with young…
- Schools work
  October 4, 2007, 23:11
  I had an opportunity to tag along with David on a visit to a local primary school today. David has the enviable position of being school chaplain with…
- Adepto a motto
  September 29, 2007, 21:10
  Which, crudely translated, means 'Get a motto' (in Latin). Mottoes are the theme for my talk tomorrow and I had been hunting round the web for some ideas…
- Women!
  September 26, 2007, 22:57
  Actually, doesn't merit an exclamation. Last Sunday, I received an invitation to KHR's Women's Association dedication service. This took place this evening…
University (64)
- And so it ends
  August 20, 2010, 11:04
  Five years of university approach their end today as I head to New College to hand in my Masters dissertation. Odd to think that five years of education might…
- Interlude
  July 19, 2010, 10:26
  It's been almost a month since I last blogged anything (and then, only briefly). I'm not on placement at the moment, so there are fewer things to reflect on in…
- Geneva reflections
  June 17, 2010, 08:51
  From the 10th to the 14th of June, I had the pleasure of spending time in Geneva with other candidates and some staff from New College. The trip was part of a…
- Another nudge in direction
  March 1, 2010, 19:59
  I had a very useful discussion last week with my academic supervisor. Very shortly I will have two research essays due and a presentation to do for what my…
- Lack of progress
  January 20, 2010, 11:59
  I've been struggling with an essay for the last couple of weeks or so. Not that I don't know what to write or that I'm not interested in the subject, but…
- One church
  January 12, 2010, 09:12
  I've been working through some reading for my first research essay and it's starting to take shape in my head. Just need it to start taking shape on paper now.…
- Challenging words
  November 25, 2009, 19:07
  The last 'proper' Barth class was today and, whilst the readings have often been heavy going, their challenge to faith and theology is very clear. There have…
- I like Barth
  November 12, 2009, 23:15
  Not Simpson (Though him as well), but Karl Barth. I'm even beginning to regret avoiding his theology for my four years as an undergrad (although the truth is…
- New ideas
  October 21, 2009, 20:45
  I had a very fruitful meeting with my academic supervisor today. It wasn't intended as anything other than a bit of a catch up, but it turned out to be a most…
- Catch up
  October 1, 2009, 09:00
  It occurred to me that I hadn't blogged for a while and indeed the last one was over a week ago. But that last blog post contains the root of the lack of…
- Hitting the ground running
  September 22, 2009, 16:53
  I was in uni for the first of my classes today. It's one I'm auditing and it was just the introductory class so nothing too strenuous. However, mild panic has…
- I'm official
  September 15, 2009, 14:14
  I'm now officially a postgrad - and I only had to queue for about an hour into the bargain. I thought I was being smart too. I decided to go in for registration…
- Crystallising thoughts
  September 9, 2009, 17:44
  I had a meeting with my academic supervisor today and most helpful it was too. We chatted through various possible approaches to my research project and in the…
- Studies
  September 7, 2009, 21:10
  I'm coming to the conclusion that, when it comes to academic study, I'm a bit weird. I have a meeting with my academic supervisor on Wednesday and I thought…
- My Alma Mater
  August 14, 2009, 16:00
  During the second semester of 4th year at New College, a promo video was being made. The final result can be viewed on YouTube. I can be caught briefly during…
- Kilted and hooded and wet
  July 5, 2009, 19:44
  Graduation day started off lovely and dry and turned into a major washout when the rain came tipping down in time for the end of the ceremony. But apart from…
- Temporary respite
  July 2, 2009, 18:01
  I'm back home for a couple of days. I graduate tomorrow (Friday) and I'm not looking forward to being kilted and gowned if the weather is as hot and humid as…
- It's official!
  June 22, 2009, 18:27
  I have just received (and accepted) an unconditional offer from Edinburgh Uni to do a Masters by Research after the summer. Now to start reading up on…
- Loadsa reading!
  June 18, 2009, 14:39
  Is what I'll be doing after the summer. The arrival of a new member of staff at New College means that there will now be someone available to supervise my…
- 2:1
  June 10, 2009, 07:03
  Degree awards have now been published (although I'm still waiting for the final marks), but I have been awarded a 2:1. Or to give it its proper title,…
- A glimmer of light
  June 2, 2009, 08:39
  I've recently had an email from the uni about my application to do a research masters. My latest plea seems to have had some effect and the other good news is…
- Heart v. head
  May 20, 2009, 16:34
  As mulled over elsewhere, I'm still caught in a dilemma about whether to stick it out for a research masters. The uni haven't totally ruled out the possibility…
- And that's it!
  May 14, 2009, 16:54
  Final BD exam was this morning. And it was OK, not great, but not too horrible. And thus ends my degree programme. Results are supposedly due around the 4th of…
- A slight change of plan
  May 12, 2009, 13:53
  I had an email from the uni last night about my Masters application. For various reasons, they'd like to encourage me to consider a taught masters rather than…
- If you're really bored...
  April 1, 2009, 22:26
  If you're bored or struggling to get to sleep, then I've uploaded some light reading to keep you amused. I've just added my honours dissertation to the…
- O happy day!
  April 1, 2009, 19:22
  I dropped off my dissertation today, all nicely bound, with its tidy acetate front and card backing. Near the limit of the word count and that was only…
- End of an era
  March 21, 2009, 21:20
  Yesterday was my last lecture at New College. I have one more (optional) revision class and a 2-hour exam (and the minor matter of a dissertation to finish)…
- Weighed down
  January 20, 2009, 10:18
  I had a visit to New College library yesterday to gather a few more books for my dissertation. I'm just glad my rucksack isn't any bigger otherwise I would…
- Church, Sacraments and Ministry
  January 15, 2009, 16:46
  This is the one and only taught course I'm doing this semester and the only class is on Friday mornings (first one tomorrow). I've been looking through the…
- Looking back, looking forward
  January 5, 2009, 22:03
  I haven't blogged properly for a little while and so the beginning of a new year seems like a good place to pick it up again. But first the formalities - I…
- The fat lady is clearing her throat
  December 19, 2008, 22:00
  That title is not meant to be sexist or fattist (honest) but rather a reference to my third exam being finished thereby leaving only one more exam for my…
- Time to breathe again
  December 12, 2008, 09:30
  Two exams down, one to go - and that's not until the 19th. Yesterday morning was Biblical Interpretation. It wasn't too bad and I ended up answering…
- Getting there
  December 5, 2008, 16:44
  Barring exams on the 11th and 19th, three of my four courses for 4th year are now done. Only one course and a dissertation to do and that'll be 4th year and my…
- 14000 to go
  November 21, 2008, 10:12
  Words that is. 2 essays and 1 dissertation and that's it for my BD. I console myself with the thought that it's only about 6 sermons worth and that doesn't…
- A year on
  October 13, 2008, 23:36
  This time last year I was struggling with Schleiermacher. Today's Biblical Interpretation class was dealing with another chunk of Schleiermacher and shock!…
- Biblical interpretation - again
  October 7, 2008, 11:10
  Yesterday's class was a whistlestop tour of the main phases of Biblical Interpretation since the first century. Interesting enough but nothing earth-shattering.…
- A higher level of ignorance
  October 2, 2008, 14:45
  I was skimming through an old Terry Pratchett book (Equal Rites if you must know) and came across a piece of dialogue which I loved. It's between two wizards…
- Dissertation
  September 25, 2008, 16:19
  OK, here it is, the proposal for my dissertation: Genesis 1:31a And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good. Despite the early…
- 4th year begins
  September 23, 2008, 08:56
  First day back at uni yesterday. Despite the long summer break it hardly feels like I've been away. I had two classes yesterday (I have one on Friday as…
- Registered again
  September 18, 2008, 18:32
  Well, that's me registered for another year at New College. This is 4th year. I'll not say final year as I'm expected to do a postrgrad year for the CofS…
- Candidates' Conference
  August 27, 2008, 16:29
  On Friday morning I head of to my first Church of Scotland Candidates' Conference. This is the first of five I am required to attend as part of my training for…
- Exam results
  June 5, 2008, 21:32
  Last semester's exam results are now out. I've managed 3 'B's which is quite fine by me. That's 'B's for all of last year's subjects (although I'm still…
- And so 3rd year draws to a close
  May 13, 2008, 08:53
  Yesterday was my second, and last. exam of the semester and for third year at uni. Not one of my better ones it has to be said, but I should have done enough…
- Dissertation thoughts
  April 22, 2008, 21:40
  Sometime before the end of the exam term I need to have a good idea of what my honours dissertation is going to be and also identify a possible supervisor. My…
- Coming up for air
  April 12, 2008, 20:59
  Deadlines have been looming again so that's why it's been a bit quiet here. Monday (14th) is the due date for the coursework portfolio for my Pastoral Care…
- Dissertation dilemmas
  March 28, 2008, 17:38
  Some time over the next few weeks I'm supposed to come up with some ideas for my dissertation for next year. I'm really struggling to narrow things down…
- Baptism
  March 10, 2008, 19:58
  At my recent local review I was asked for my views on a couple of specific subjects - the ordination of women and infant baptism. These are standard questions…
- Steady as she goes
  February 5, 2008, 20:25
  Provisional exam results were posted at the end of last week and I'm quite happy with them. All 'B's - one high, one mid, one low - which has been pretty much…
- Dazed and confused
  January 24, 2008, 21:40
  Well, maybe not so much confused, but yesterday I was certainly dazed and more than a little brain-dead by late afternoon. In the morning I was on my hospital…
- Scripture and limericks
  January 13, 2008, 15:21
  An odd pairing you might think, but surprisingly apt - or, at least, it seemed to make sense in the shower this morning. The reading for our 'Method of reading…
- 3 Subjects
  January 10, 2008, 20:57
  The first week of the second semester of third year is now underway and I have been to classes for all three of my subjects. Actually, I only have two classes…
- Dilemma
  December 21, 2007, 22:26
  It's funny how words come back to haunt you. Just a few short weeks ago I said, "If I even hint at doing a systematics course next year, please shoot me and…
- Myths, legends and deep understanding
  December 21, 2007, 10:27
  Stewart recently posted on his blog about 'depth' in the Christian faith. Coincidentally, I had been reading some discussions across some other websites (here…
- And it's all over
  December 11, 2007, 20:44
  Last exam today and that's another semester done. Should be an ok mark for this one too barring one really, really stupid mistake. I had been reading…
- Another one bites the dust
  December 10, 2007, 15:29
  Well, that's Modern Christology done and dusted. Entirely predictable questions, but that's never been the issue - it's the answers that are the problem. So,…
- 1 down 2 to go
  December 6, 2007, 19:18
  First exam done today - The Making of Christian Orthodoxy 325-451. Questions were OK, pretty much what had been hinted at and I was able to comfortably…
- Woot!
  November 15, 2007, 22:43
  I have just completed my last assignment for this semester at uni. I need lots of big cheesy grin smileys Like this one Of course, all I need to do now…
- Answered prayer
  November 12, 2007, 20:37
  In a manner of speaking. Managed to get my Modern Christology essay in this morning after finishing it just before midnight last night. Had a major…
- Under pressure
  November 1, 2007, 18:32
  Remember those re-arranged classes and assignments? Well, one of my other courses has rearranged its classes and guess what? My assignment for that one…
- Neglect
  October 24, 2007, 23:26
  I'm trying not to fall out of the habit of blogging but life's been a little busy. It seems to me that whenever I think I've got a bit of spare time, something…
- Silence is golden
  October 16, 2007, 22:48
  The Modern Christology class has moved on from Barth and this week was Rahner. What a difference in class contribution this week. The 4th year group, who did…
- More theology stuff
  October 9, 2007, 20:22
  I know I said I'd probably blog about the pastoral care course but we've just been doing some Barth today and I feel an urge to share. Actually, I got off…
- Bargain!
  October 2, 2007, 22:23
  Got a uni email today pointing me to a Microsoft bargain - MS Office 2007 Ultimate Edition for £39. So, never one to pass up a bargain, it's currently…
- Theology stuff
  September 30, 2007, 23:05
  Well, I was this close (imagine thumb and forefinger held up really close together) to dropping Modern Christology and opting for something like Homiletics.…
Christianity (89)
- The problem of words
  September 7, 2010, 17:00
  As someone whose job is 'words' it should mean that I am more careful than many about how they are used and, indeed, which ones I use. I can get very picky…
- Missing the obvious
  September 3, 2010, 19:13
  Sometimes I think I must be excruciatingly dim and I have to wonder why I ever felt I ought to respond to a call to ministry. I was reading a post on one of my…
- Nuggets to ponder
  September 2, 2010, 21:42
  Many of the sessions at conference were worthy of note and I'll probably be reflecting on some of them in due course. But here are some choice little nuggets…
- Crisis!? What crisis?
  August 25, 2010, 08:59
  Last night, BBC Scotland aired a short documentary, A Church in Crisis?, about the Church of Scotland and its current circumstances. The broadcast date marks…
- How to be a clone
  June 24, 2010, 08:15
  In a stroke of good luck (sorry, blessing), Michael Patton published a list of rules all new Christians must follow. It is a very useful follow-up on my post…
- Christian clones
  June 22, 2010, 21:39
  In that amazing way that only seems to come through a sense of God at work by the Spirit, there was a consistent theme running through much of the activity and…
- Geneva reflections
  June 17, 2010, 08:51
  From the 10th to the 14th of June, I had the pleasure of spending time in Geneva with other candidates and some staff from New College. The trip was part of a…
- This is not a public discussion (honest)
  June 1, 2010, 11:56
  In the spirit of not making any public statements, but encouraging discussion and understanding of the subject which cannot be named (why do I feel like we're…
- Prophetic ministry
  May 20, 2010, 10:37
  I've been catching up on some reading recently (I've not long finished The Mystery of Christ by Robert Farrar Capon and Velvet Elvis by Rob Bell) and currently…
- So what?
  May 19, 2010, 21:56
  I recently heard a sermon that got me thinking, "So what?" Well, it actually got me thinking a lot more than that, although it was primarily because I…
- Not just a...
  April 22, 2010, 08:58
  Glancing through my blog feeds this morning, this entry at caught my eye. It's a timely reminder for those in the Church of Scotland that we should not define…
- Privilege
  April 19, 2010, 17:35
  I was chatting with Nikki today at lunchtime in Rainy Hall and we covered the usual broad range of topics. I'm doing a funeral in a couple of days and I…
- Tough writing
  April 15, 2010, 14:04
  If you haven't happened upon it yet, let me recommend at eighty one. Avril writes very movingly and powerfully about her journey alongside her elderly father…
- Theological shift
  March 26, 2010, 20:23
  My recent musings on Emerging Church have also been getting me thinking about some of the theological underpinnings of EC and, to a degree, traditional church.…
- Inspiration and brick walls
  March 11, 2010, 10:49
  I was a conference yesterday about Emerging Church within the context of the Church of Scotland. It was both inspirational and frustrating. Some of the…
- Emerging thoughts
  March 9, 2010, 20:28
  I've been working my way through Emerging Churches, a very useful book giving a survey of what Emerging Church is all about. I came across a reflection from…
- I'm confused
  March 3, 2010, 22:41
  No surprise there then. Having spent some of this afternoon discussing Emerging Church, I got the names of a few projects to follow up on as possible…
- Contextual identity
  January 27, 2010, 11:41
  Last week I was in 121 at a seminar/conference thing organised by the Church of Scotland's Church and Society Council. The topic was "Moral Maze on Virtualisati…
- Progress
  January 18, 2010, 15:08
  I was at the evening service in my home church last night and, I must confess, didn't particularly engage with the theme of the sermon. It struck me as…
- One church
  January 12, 2010, 09:12
  I've been working through some reading for my first research essay and it's starting to take shape in my head. Just need it to start taking shape on paper now.…
- Oooo - pretty
  November 13, 2009, 14:35
  No, not a shiny new sports car or fancy techno-toy, but a Bible. An NLT Mosaic Bible to be precise. Actually, to be even more precise, the 'deluxe' version: …
- A dangerous act
  November 5, 2009, 20:55
  I am leading the intercessory prayers on Sunday. It's Remembrance Sunday of course and that makes intercession all the more pointed and necessary. It also adds…
- One small step...
  November 3, 2009, 20:09
  ... one not so giant leap. Today I got to participate in a funeral for the first time. It might seem odd that I haven't done so before now but the opportunit…
- Differently-abled
  October 29, 2009, 09:50
  I have, for some time, been using Guidelines daily reading notes from BRF. It is a mixture of thematic and systematic readings from a variety of contributors…
- New ideas
  October 21, 2009, 20:45
  I had a very fruitful meeting with my academic supervisor today. It wasn't intended as anything other than a bit of a catch up, but it turned out to be a most…
- Sneaking in the front door
  October 18, 2009, 15:59
  For various reasons, my first Sunday in my third placement isn't until next week. I have had a couple of very fruitful meetings with my supervisor, so I have,…
- Blue Like Jazz
  September 11, 2009, 09:45
  I've just finished reading Blue Like Jazz by Donald Miller. It's one of these books you often find referenced in all sorts of blogs and websites. It also seems…
- Crystallising thoughts
  September 9, 2009, 17:44
  I had a meeting with my academic supervisor today and most helpful it was too. We chatted through various possible approaches to my research project and in the…
- "I don't know!"
  September 8, 2009, 10:57
  Nelu recently posted a video clip of Rev. Dr. Yvette Flunder on his blog. Go and watch it if you've not already seen it. Like Nelu, I can identify with what…
- A time to laugh
  August 30, 2009, 23:41
  There is a time for everything... ... a time to weep and a time to laugh. It would seem that the task of training for ministry is a serious one - and none…
- A welcome to strangers
  July 15, 2009, 10:19
  During my recent visit to the Scots International Church in Rotterdam, I was able to spend a couple of hours at one of their main projects - Mamre. Named after…
- Well, that was different
  July 12, 2009, 21:12
  Today, after the morning service, I stayed on to sit in on the afternoon service that takes place in the church hall. It's a regular event, every Sunday, but…
- Are you lonesome tonight?
  June 16, 2009, 16:06
  Yesterday I moved from the apartment I was sharing in Zaventem to one in Brussels city centre. In this one, I have the place to myself so I'm not imposing on…
- More first impressions
  June 7, 2009, 16:29
  This morning was my first (proper) visit to St. Andrew's, Brussels. I was made very welcome and was bombarded with names that I will probably forget or get…
- Long grass
  May 25, 2009, 19:32
  To steal a phrase from my placement supervisor, the Church of Scotland has managed to kick the ball into the long grass again, but they're running out of long…
- That decision
  May 24, 2009, 22:41
  I've not had a chance to blog about Saturday night's session at the General Assembly, but it can't have escaped your notice that the Church of Scotland are…
- GA09 and petitions
  May 5, 2009, 10:39
  It can't have escaped your attention that there's a serious row brewing for this year's General Assembly. It concerns the Rev. Scott Rennie, an openly gay…
- Substitution revisited
  April 21, 2009, 22:45
  About this time last year I posted some thoughts on substitutionary atonement. At the time I expressed my concern about some of the problems with it. In light…
- I'll never be in a UPA
  April 10, 2009, 16:39
  ... and other choice quotations (or should that be quotes?) from Candidates' Conference. I've been away all week at my second Candidates' Conference held at…
- If you're really bored...
  April 1, 2009, 22:26
  If you're bored or struggling to get to sleep, then I've uploaded some light reading to keep you amused. I've just added my honours dissertation to the…
- All things to all people?
  March 19, 2009, 10:02
  I'm often prompted to blog when I seem to have the same discussions coming from several sources. Tomorrow's class reading is about territorial ministry and…
- Family ministry?
  March 16, 2009, 08:24
  One of my favourite blogs, Internetmonk, recently posted a video which was a pretty good parody of too many Christian youth programmes. One of the commenters…
- I want out!
  March 14, 2009, 11:28
  This story must surely be one of the most ridiculous I've read in a while. It simply makes no sense to me at all. Or does it simply reflect the level of…
- Carry on regardless
  March 1, 2009, 16:48
  I was preaching today at my placement church and it was one of those times when you really wish it was someone else in your place. Everything started off well…
- Forgotten history
  February 5, 2009, 16:33
  I was reading a couple of articles for tomorrow's Church, Sacraments and Ministry class. The topic for this week is a cursory overview of worship in Scotland.…
- Ministry geek?
  January 21, 2009, 08:38
  Is there such a thing as a ministry geek? If so, I think I'm turning into one. Standing at the washhand basin this morning I was thinking about our new…
- Confusion
  January 20, 2009, 11:22
  I've uploaded the short talk I used for my speech training session to the downloads page (and fixed the non-working downloads while there). It's called…
- Church, Sacraments and Ministry
  January 15, 2009, 16:46
  This is the one and only taught course I'm doing this semester and the only class is on Friday mornings (first one tomorrow). I've been looking through the…
- Merry Christmas
  December 24, 2008, 21:50
  Why are you reading this instead of celebrating Christmas? Well, since you're here, thanks for dropping in and may I wish you a very Merry Christmas. May…
- Oh what a mystery I see
  December 17, 2008, 20:10
  I've heard many conversations this advent about the 'real' Christmas story. I don't know if it's simply a fashionable trend or whether there are more people…
- Good enough
  December 10, 2008, 23:09
  I have been doing some cramming for tomorrow's exams and one of my topics was Barth's take on Providence. I came across a comment about creation and it brought…
- 3-legged stools
  November 28, 2008, 15:35
  I had a discussion the other day with Stuart, my current placement supervisor, and we were talking about 3-legged stools. It was in the context of models of…
- Unfortunate headline
  November 24, 2008, 09:04
  Maybe the headline editor wasn't quite awake when they wrote this BBC News headline and summary, but I can't help but think how awful it reads. There's an…
- Only probably?
  October 21, 2008, 16:43
  Professor Richard Dawkins is supporting a publicity campaign to have London buses carry ads saying that "There's probably no God". I can't help but think that…
- The Shack
  October 9, 2008, 11:57
  I've just finished reading The Shack. It's a book that has caused a huge stir among certain Christian groups in the US, not least because of its depiction of…
- Biblical interpretation - again
  October 7, 2008, 11:10
  Yesterday's class was a whistlestop tour of the main phases of Biblical Interpretation since the first century. Interesting enough but nothing earth-shattering.…
- A higher level of ignorance
  October 2, 2008, 14:45
  I was skimming through an old Terry Pratchett book (Equal Rites if you must know) and came across a piece of dialogue which I loved. It's between two wizards…
- Dissertation
  September 25, 2008, 16:19
  OK, here it is, the proposal for my dissertation: Genesis 1:31a And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good. Despite the early…
- Candidates' Conference Reflections - Presuppositions
  September 4, 2008, 23:28
  Sometimes the biggest thing that gets us into trouble, I would suggest, is presupposing a person's position on something. Despite having been gently reminded…
- It's a small world
  August 29, 2008, 08:58
  The internet makes the world a small place sometimes, especially when it comes to connections. Being a bit sad, I regularly look at the search terms used to…
- I'm not a luddite really
  August 22, 2008, 16:06
  Stewart is currently mulling over a discussion topic for this year's Church of Scotland National Youth Assembly. Unsurprisingly its focus is on the use of…
- Bags packed, ready to go.
  June 28, 2008, 22:02
  Not me, but both daughters. Only problem is that they have to be at Glasgow airport before 4am tomorrow, so it's a case of grabbing a few hours rest and…
- A public persona
  June 19, 2008, 15:50
  One of my tasks in looking after the Crossover web presence is to keep an eye on the Crossover Bebo page. We get a regular flow of people signing up as friends…
- Shattered!
  June 15, 2008, 21:59
  Not long back from Crossover. Although the numbers were well down this year, there was still a great atmosphere and most things went well. Interestingly,…
- Challenging videos
  May 29, 2008, 15:09
  On my blog feeds yesterday, my attention was caught by a couple of video clips. They're of Reggie McNeal, from Fuller Theological Seminary, addressing a…
- Labyrinth thoughts
  May 17, 2008, 23:14
  No, I don't mean the twisted and contorted way my mind works. Rather, I've been trying to put together some thoughts for the labyrinth at Crossover this year.…
- A sea of black
  May 9, 2008, 16:38
  I was at a funeral today. I had been asked to help out setting up the sound desk to play some cds through and mic up a singer and guitarist who were doing a…
- Dissertation thoughts
  April 22, 2008, 21:40
  Sometime before the end of the exam term I need to have a good idea of what my honours dissertation is going to be and also identify a possible supervisor. My…
- Last stop: Heaven
  April 4, 2008, 10:23
  Or is it? I've been reading Tom Wright's book 'Surprised by Hope' and he is very adamant that it isn't. His main contention in the book is that the main…
- What really happened at Sodom and Gomorrah
  March 31, 2008, 10:23
  Interesting story today on a science/tech site I read. An Assyrian clay tablet lurking in a museum has been long-recognised as an astronomer's 'observation…
- A light in the darkness
  March 29, 2008, 12:51
  I'm churning over some sermon ideas at the moment (pulpit supply in my home church on the evening of the 13th of April) and, following through a particular…
- That old evangelical chestnut
  March 29, 2008, 12:34
  It's a lengthy read, but let me commend a post across at internetmonk.com. I think it presents a very well-balanced view of what, for many Christians, is a…
- Holy week services - Thursday
  March 21, 2008, 10:25
  I said I probably wouldn't blog this one as it was my own minister, but it's probably worth noting something in particular from his sermon. The sermon itself…
- Holy week services - Wednesday
  March 19, 2008, 21:18
  Chalk and cheese! Compared to last night's sermon tonight was so much better. Actually, that's not being fair - tonight's sermon was very good regardless of…
- Holy week services
  March 18, 2008, 22:30
  Warning - this may well turn into a rant (but, hey! it's my blog). For the last few years my church has combined with two others in the area to share Holy…
- Hell revisited
  March 12, 2008, 20:46
  After my last foray into hell, David Reimer kindly pointed me to an article by Tim Keller reproduced from Christianity Today. I've finally had a chance to look…
- Baptism
  March 10, 2008, 19:58
  At my recent local review I was asked for my views on a couple of specific subjects - the ordination of women and infant baptism. These are standard questions…
- Biblical interpretation and theology
  March 3, 2008, 14:53
  My two favourite subjects. I happened to be browsing the interweb and I discovered a list of 'categories' that helped identify preferred Biblical interpretation…
- Transformation
  February 25, 2008, 14:47
  Part of the discussion that kicked off the "Hell!" article made mention of Fowler's stages of faith. It sounded intriguing so I did a bit more digging and came…
- Hell!
  February 25, 2008, 11:49
  I never cease to be amazed at the discussions I end up getting sucked into. I never cease to be amazed at how easily I am distracted from my, currently…
- Those who can, do..
  February 8, 2008, 19:09
  I'm sure you're all (note assumption of a readership here) familiar with the old adage, "those who can, do; those who can't, teach" or one of its variants…
- That's my King!
  February 7, 2008, 15:17
  A while ago, whilst searching for video clips, I came across Worship House Media which is an excellent source for all sorts of useful downloads (keep an eye…
- What's perfect?
  January 21, 2008, 22:22
  It looks as though my soap box this semester is going to be the different methods of approaching scripture. I've just been reading about form criticism and…
- Highs and lows
  January 19, 2008, 13:32
  It's been a pretty diverse week just past. On Thursday I was at the ordination and induction of a friend. It was a lovely service, full of humour and joy…
- Books, blogs, evangelicals and US Christianity
  January 5, 2008, 16:49
  One of my tasks during this placement is to read and discuss a book from the recommended list from 121. I chose Eugene Peterson's 'Under the Unpredictable…
- Myths, legends and deep understanding
  December 21, 2007, 10:27
  Stewart recently posted on his blog about 'depth' in the Christian faith. Coincidentally, I had been reading some discussions across some other websites (here…
- Contrasts
  December 13, 2007, 21:49
  David recently posted on a Sunday of very contrasting services and I thought I'd chip in my tuppenceworth. The morning service was largely done by Buskit, a…
- Which god?
  December 8, 2007, 22:17
  I'm currently reading some NT Wright as part of revising a block on the "Third Quest for the historical Jesus" for Modern Christology. One particular essay has…
- Christianophobia
  December 4, 2007, 13:54
  Interesting to see someone in government speaking out against the 'pc' brigade. BBC NEWS | Politics | Christianophobia warning from MP And along the same…
Politics (3)
- Politics and religion
  May 11, 2010, 09:11
  I don't generally blog on politics. It's not a subject which particularly enthuses me - at least in the traditional sense. I have no particular love of party…
- Switch off!
  March 27, 2009, 22:04
  Join the Earth Hour campaign by switching your lights off for 1 hour on the 28th of March at 8.30pm
- Doing it right
  November 8, 2008, 21:02
  One of those irreverent politics sites I mentioned had this photo available for captioning. It's definitely one of those Kodak moments that you couldn't stage.…
Internet (7)
- Contextual identity
  January 27, 2010, 11:41
  Last week I was in 121 at a seminar/conference thing organised by the Church of Scotland's Church and Society Council. The topic was "Moral Maze on Virtualisati…
- It's a small world
  August 29, 2008, 08:58
  The internet makes the world a small place sometimes, especially when it comes to connections. Being a bit sad, I regularly look at the search terms used to…
- I'm not a luddite really
  August 22, 2008, 16:06
  Stewart is currently mulling over a discussion topic for this year's Church of Scotland National Youth Assembly. Unsurprisingly its focus is on the use of…
- Another change
  June 25, 2008, 23:47
  Having been inspired by the theme for Stewart's new blog, I had a look at others by the same person and decided I like this new one. The main reason I like it…
- And so 3rd year draws to a close
  May 13, 2008, 08:53
  Yesterday was my second, and last. exam of the semester and for third year at uni. Not one of my better ones it has to be said, but I should have done enough…
- Too much to read...
  March 8, 2008, 23:00
  ... and too little time to read it. Much as I've only really dipped my toe in the vast blogging pool that exists, I've quite enjoyed it. But it has a…
- The joys of the internet
  December 18, 2007, 08:52
  At last, the true value of the internet is revealed: Amazon.co.uk: Reviews for Bic Crystal ballpoint pen If you have a lot of free time (or even just a…
Humour (1)
- How to be a clone
  June 24, 2010, 08:15
  In a stroke of good luck (sorry, blessing), Michael Patton published a list of rules all new Christians must follow. It is a very useful follow-up on my post…
Health (2)
- Tough writing
  April 15, 2010, 14:04
  If you haven't happened upon it yet, let me recommend at eighty one. Avril writes very movingly and powerfully about her journey alongside her elderly father…
- Madness
  April 18, 2008, 09:35
  It's the church youth club fundraiser tonight - an overnight games marathon. 12 hours of games and mayhem and tired teenagers. What's this got to do with me…
Ethics (19)
- Biting commentary
  August 5, 2010, 15:57
  I'm using bits of Harry Reid's book, Outside Verdict, for some of the introductory background for my dissertation. I came across this piece in which he quotes…
- This is not a public discussion (honest)
  June 1, 2010, 11:56
  In the spirit of not making any public statements, but encouraging discussion and understanding of the subject which cannot be named (why do I feel like we're…
- Prophetic ministry
  May 20, 2010, 10:37
  I've been catching up on some reading recently (I've not long finished The Mystery of Christ by Robert Farrar Capon and Velvet Elvis by Rob Bell) and currently…
- Politics and religion
  May 11, 2010, 09:11
  I don't generally blog on politics. It's not a subject which particularly enthuses me - at least in the traditional sense. I have no particular love of party…
- Privilege
  April 19, 2010, 17:35
  I was chatting with Nikki today at lunchtime in Rainy Hall and we covered the usual broad range of topics. I'm doing a funeral in a couple of days and I…
- Tough writing
  April 15, 2010, 14:04
  If you haven't happened upon it yet, let me recommend at eighty one. Avril writes very movingly and powerfully about her journey alongside her elderly father…
- Contextual identity
  January 27, 2010, 11:41
  Last week I was in 121 at a seminar/conference thing organised by the Church of Scotland's Church and Society Council. The topic was "Moral Maze on Virtualisati…
- Differently-abled
  October 29, 2009, 09:50
  I have, for some time, been using Guidelines daily reading notes from BRF. It is a mixture of thematic and systematic readings from a variety of contributors…
- A welcome to strangers
  July 15, 2009, 10:19
  During my recent visit to the Scots International Church in Rotterdam, I was able to spend a couple of hours at one of their main projects - Mamre. Named after…
- That decision
  May 24, 2009, 22:41
  I've not had a chance to blog about Saturday night's session at the General Assembly, but it can't have escaped your notice that the Church of Scotland are…
- More petition thoughts
  May 8, 2009, 09:04
  Warning: (some) sarcasm/irony ahead - read with discernment. I'm wondering if Lochcarron and Skye didn't miss a trick with their overture. Or indeed, if…
- GA09 and petitions
  May 5, 2009, 10:39
  It can't have escaped your attention that there's a serious row brewing for this year's General Assembly. It concerns the Rev. Scott Rennie, an openly gay…
- Switch off!
  March 27, 2009, 22:04
  Join the Earth Hour campaign by switching your lights off for 1 hour on the 28th of March at 8.30pm
- Politics and religion
  November 5, 2008, 15:07
  I don't generally comment on politics, for various reasons, not least of which is that I have little time to spend following issues and arguments and so I feel…
- Candidates' Conference Reflections - Disability
  September 10, 2008, 22:42
  David and Stewart have both been blogging about the Paralympics and both making similar points about the lack of coverage. I confess I haven't watched any but…
- Candidates' Conference Reflections - Presuppositions
  September 4, 2008, 23:28
  Sometimes the biggest thing that gets us into trouble, I would suggest, is presupposing a person's position on something. Despite having been gently reminded…
- I'm not a luddite really
  August 22, 2008, 16:06
  Stewart is currently mulling over a discussion topic for this year's Church of Scotland National Youth Assembly. Unsurprisingly its focus is on the use of…
- A public persona
  June 19, 2008, 15:50
  One of my tasks in looking after the Crossover web presence is to keep an eye on the Crossover Bebo page. We get a regular flow of people signing up as friends…
- Carbon offsetting
  April 3, 2008, 10:45
  I recently received an email newsletter from my web hosting company (a wee plug for NSDesign) offering to match a donation towards tree-planting as part of…
Books (7)
- Prophetic ministry
  May 20, 2010, 10:37
  I've been catching up on some reading recently (I've not long finished The Mystery of Christ by Robert Farrar Capon and Velvet Elvis by Rob Bell) and currently…
- Do you get it yet?
  April 23, 2010, 10:36
  I recently read Between Noon and Three by Robert Farrar Capon. It was so gripping I read it in just a few days. It's a book about the offensiveness of God's…
- Blue Like Jazz
  September 11, 2009, 09:45
  I've just finished reading Blue Like Jazz by Donald Miller. It's one of these books you often find referenced in all sorts of blogs and websites. It also seems…
- The Shack
  October 9, 2008, 11:57
  I've just finished reading The Shack. It's a book that has caused a huge stir among certain Christian groups in the US, not least because of its depiction of…
- A higher level of ignorance
  October 2, 2008, 14:45
  I was skimming through an old Terry Pratchett book (Equal Rites if you must know) and came across a piece of dialogue which I loved. It's between two wizards…
- Another year older
  July 22, 2008, 22:29
  Well, it's been ages since I last wrote anything, so my birthday seems to be an appropriate occasion to post something. I got vouchers (Amazon and the bank…
- Last stop: Heaven
  April 4, 2008, 10:23
  Or is it? I've been reading Tom Wright's book 'Surprised by Hope' and he is very adamant that it isn't. His main contention in the book is that the main…
Travel (22)
- Geneva reflections
  June 17, 2010, 08:51
  From the 10th to the 14th of June, I had the pleasure of spending time in Geneva with other candidates and some staff from New College. The trip was part of a…
- Good and bad
  August 24, 2009, 22:59
  On my way back to the apartment tonight I was thinking about the good and bad of Brussels. Nothing major, just some of the little things that have caught my…
- A day in Leuven
  August 20, 2009, 15:52
  Yesterday (Wednesday), I was visiting the university town of Leuven to grab some books from Peeter's bookshop. I also took the opportunity to have a wander…
- Caption competition
  July 30, 2009, 22:13
  No prizes, but this photo has to be worthy of a caption, surely?
- More tourist stuff
  July 30, 2009, 21:55
  Having got bored with Brussels (kidding!), we decided to take a daytrip to Bruge (or Brugge, depending on your preferred language). Photo album here. It's…
- Being a tourist
  July 25, 2009, 21:18
  This is the end of my first week of holiday and it's certainly been a packed one. The weather forecast was a bit mixed for the week so we scheduled lots of…
- Yummmm!
  July 19, 2009, 21:54
  Well, if I learn nothing else from this placement, I have learnt that I love red plantains. Can that fall into the category of self-understanding and self-aware…
- Well, that was different
  July 12, 2009, 21:12
  Today, after the morning service, I stayed on to sit in on the afternoon service that takes place in the church hall. It's a regular event, every Sunday, but…
- Rotterdam
  July 9, 2009, 10:46
  I had a little day trip to Rotterdam yesterday, to the 'Scots International Church'. There are a couple of things I want to blog about that arose from the…
- Temporary respite
  July 2, 2009, 18:01
  I'm back home for a couple of days. I graduate tomorrow (Friday) and I'm not looking forward to being kilted and gowned if the weather is as hot and humid as…
- It's not all G&T
  June 27, 2009, 18:51
  Apparently the Euro parishes were, not so long ago, accused of being ex-pat social clubs who spent their time sipping G&T in the afternoon. Without a…
- BBQ
  June 21, 2009, 21:44
  It's been a fairly busy week: a bunch of visits, lots of noisy tractors in Brussels, lots of walking around sightseeing (pictures here), preaching this…
- Are you lonesome tonight?
  June 16, 2009, 16:06
  Yesterday I moved from the apartment I was sharing in Zaventem to one in Brussels city centre. In this one, I have the place to myself so I'm not imposing on…
- A grand day out
  June 12, 2009, 14:06
  On Wednesday I had an (eventful) trip to Amsterdam to meet up with John Cowie, the minister in the Church of Scotland there. This was part of an opportunity to…
- Brussels bites back
  June 12, 2009, 10:22
  Having had an easy introduction to Brussels, the last couple of days have ended the 'honeymoon period'. When the Brussels transport system works, it's very…
- Photos from Brussels
  June 6, 2009, 19:00
  I had a quick scoot round Brussels centre today with my camera and grabbed a few photos. Can't help but think you can see all these in tourist guides anyway…
- First impressions
  June 3, 2009, 22:15
  Today was my first full day in Belgium and I'm pleased to say that the glorious sunny weather we've been having in Scotland (seriously) has followed me over…
- I'm leaving on a jet plane...
  June 2, 2009, 08:35
  Just doing the last of my packing before heading off to the airport for my flight to Brussels. This is the first leg of my Belgian summer. The second is after…
- Bruxelles
  January 28, 2009, 22:14
  And nothing to do with sprouts. It looks as though this is where I will be spending 12 weeks of the summer. Thanks to an exceptionally generous answer to…
- Summer placement
  January 9, 2009, 13:56
  It hasn't been finalised yet but negotiations are ongoing (and looking promising) for my summer placement. It looks likely that I'll be in one of the Euro…
- First contact
  July 1, 2008, 15:56
  It's amazing how succinct a teenager's texts can be when there are far more interesting things to concentrate on. In response to my text, "How was the flight?…
- Bags packed, ready to go.
  June 28, 2008, 22:02
  Not me, but both daughters. Only problem is that they have to be at Glasgow airport before 4am tomorrow, so it's a case of grabbing a few hours rest and…
Candidates' Conference (9)
- Nuggets to ponder
  September 2, 2010, 21:42
  Many of the sessions at conference were worthy of note and I'll probably be reflecting on some of them in due course. But here are some choice little nuggets…
- Endings and beginnings
  September 2, 2010, 08:57
  Yesterday marked the last day of my final candidates' conference: today marks the beginning of probation. Endings and new beginnings are, I suppose, the…
- The good, the bad and the ugly
  April 11, 2010, 21:38
  Another conference done and dusted. This time, "Church and Society". It was the usual mixed bag although I have to say this one was, I think, biased towards…
- 2 school services
  December 17, 2009, 22:17
  Yesterday evening and first thing this morning I was participating in the Christmas services for two of the local primary schools served by my placement…
- A time to laugh
  August 30, 2009, 23:41
  There is a time for everything... ... a time to weep and a time to laugh. It would seem that the task of training for ministry is a serious one - and none…
- More blogging
  April 22, 2009, 21:19
  At the recent Candidates' Conference, Ministries Council outlined their revised plans for the ongoing assessment part of the training. Candidates are now…
- I'll never be in a UPA
  April 10, 2009, 16:39
  ... and other choice quotations (or should that be quotes?) from Candidates' Conference. I've been away all week at my second Candidates' Conference held at…
- Candidates' Conference Reflections - Disability
  September 10, 2008, 22:42
  David and Stewart have both been blogging about the Paralympics and both making similar points about the lack of coverage. I confess I haven't watched any but…
- Candidates' Conference Reflections - Presuppositions
  September 4, 2008, 23:28
  Sometimes the biggest thing that gets us into trouble, I would suggest, is presupposing a person's position on something. Despite having been gently reminded…
Photos (2)
- A day in Leuven
  August 20, 2009, 15:52
  Yesterday (Wednesday), I was visiting the university town of Leuven to grab some books from Peeter's bookshop. I also took the opportunity to have a wander…
- Caption competition
  July 30, 2009, 22:13
  No prizes, but this photo has to be worthy of a caption, surely?
Probation (1)
- Endings and beginnings
  September 2, 2010, 08:57
  Yesterday marked the last day of my final candidates' conference: today marks the beginning of probation. Endings and new beginnings are, I suppose, the…
Society (2)
- The problem of words
  September 7, 2010, 17:00
  As someone whose job is 'words' it should mean that I am more careful than many about how they are used and, indeed, which ones I use. I can get very picky…
- Crisis!? What crisis?
  August 25, 2010, 08:59
  Last night, BBC Scotland aired a short documentary, A Church in Crisis?, about the Church of Scotland and its current circumstances. The broadcast date marks…

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