We are living in interesting and significant times, with a number of notable anniversaries co-inciding. 31st October 2017 is the 500th anniversary of the Protestant Reformation and the 100th anniversary of the Balfour Declaration. Martin Luther unwittingly commenced the Protestant Reformation when he posted his 95 Theses for discussion on the door of the Castle …
Category: Biography
To see ourselves as others see us
I have just received this birthday card from one of my younger sisters: Or to use the language of our Scottish bard, Robert 'Rabbi' Burns, in his poem To A Louse: On Seeing One On A Lady's Bonnet, At Church, 1786. "O wad some Power the giftie gie us To see oursels as ithers see …
Another pioneer dies – leaving an honourable, global and on-going legacy
On the day of John Glenn's funeral, another pioneer died. John Glenn, the first American astronaut to orbit the Earth, restored American prestige in 1962 when it seemed that the Soviet Union was moving ahead in the space race. A lesser known pioneer died today, aged 96 years old. However, his name is known to …
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Hogmanay and a Happy New Year
We brought in the New Year with our growing family. Since the children have left home a few years ago, Elizabeth and I have become accustomed to watching their lives from a distance. However, there are happy reunions when they make their occasional and seasonal return to Ebenezer, and this Hogmanay was one of them. …
Mrs James Boyd
Yesterday, Debbie Fisher became Mrs James Boyd. It was a delightful occasion and Elizabeth and I are very pleased for James and Debbie. The first Mrs James Boyd, the first of many loves in my life, was married on 5/1/51 and passed away on 10/11/10. The last major function she attended was the marriage of …
Two significant deaths
There have been two significant deaths in the past three months - Christopher Hitchens and Steve Jobs. I feel sorry for Christopher Hitchens, an intelligent atheist, who died yesterday. He had a powerful intellect, like Richard Dawkins, but this is nothing if one is spiritually blind. The smallest child can see the sun which a …
Patrick Hamilton
482 years ago today Patrick Hamilton was burned to death in front of the gate of St Salvator’s College, St Andrews, on 29/2/1528 for preaching the doctrines of the Bible. He was the first martyr of the Scottish Reformation, which reintroduced the Gospel of God’s free salvation to sinners through faith in the Lord Jesus …
Calvin’s Anniversary
Today is the 500th anniversary of John Calvin's birth (10/7/1509-27/5/1564). Not many people appreciate how indebted they are to him and to the galaxy of other Reformers such as Martin Luther and John Knox. There has been little media coverage of the event, so I thought I would record the event as my first blog …
