I had a bad tumble last night - the same day as Elizabeth took delivery of our new tumble drier at Ebenezer! At least I was not hung out to dry. During my next Street Pastor shift in Hilton, just as the night was finishing, we returned to base through a play area to engage …
Author: Donald
Questions and answers in church and congregational life
In his first epistle to the Corinthians Paul deals with some congregational issues and in 1Cor 14:35 he says about wives: "if they will learn anything, let them ask their husbands at home, because it is a shame for women to speak in the church." This strongly suggests that husbands were asking questions in congregations …
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Presbyteries or Church Courts?
It is very common to hear people speak about church courts. However Kirk Sessions, Presbyteries, Synods and General Assemblies become church courts for specific cases. This legal terminology is now so common that people fail to see that ecclesiastical assemblies are for the mutual support and oversight of the people of God. It is no …
Self-examination
"Self-examination is asking oneself the right questions and following them through until one arrives at the right answers." Bias We are biassed in our own favour, so we must call in the help of heaven by prayer and ask God "Examine me, O Lord, and test me; purify the motives of my conscience and my …
A theological dictionary
I have decided to begin an online theological dictionary with definitions of biblical and theological terms. It will probably include and develop into short articles on these and other themes. Much confusion is created in Christian fellowship meetings by failure to define one's terms. Thus people speak at cross-purposes and confusion develops instead of edification …
Latest Street Pastor initiative
Following today's morning session with the trainee Tain Street Pastors, in the afternoon the Inverness Street Pastors prepared for a new initiative which is a first of its kind in the UK. We have been asked by various bodies to begin day time shifts in Inverness. This is testimony to the good work and welcome …
Street Pastors in Tain and early experiences
I have just the attended another Street Pastor training day today. In the morning we met with a group of new trainees who hope to launch Street Pastors in Tain shortly, and who had come to Inverness for training. It may be of interest to note some questions that Street Pastors encounter in their first …
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Pride
Pride was the first sin, originating in the devil 1Tim 3:6. It is closely allied to independence - the desire to be independent of God. This was the devil's first temptation of man Gen 3:5. Sin is a separating force and results in death Jas 1:15. The essence of death is separation. Spiritual death is …
Christian behaviour
Many Christians can reel off the five points of Calvinism, but what are the five points of Christian behaviour? They do not exist, because it is more likely to be 505, or 5005. There are systematic theologies galore, but there is no systematic theology on Christian behaviour. There are books on Christian behaviour, but no …
Degrees of freedom
In statistics, they speak of degrees of freedom. Our body illustrates degrees of freedom. Our feet need to be stable for our foundation and so the joints of our feet are stable and fixed with little movement. The ankle has a little more movement. Our knees have more movement in one plane, and less movement …
Donald's Thoughts 