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May 2019

It is still Easter!

I know that chocolate eggs have finally disappeared off the shelves and you can now buy a rabbit in a pet shop but it is still Easter. Traditionally in liturgical calendars, the celebration of Easter continues for 50 days of joy and celebration until we raise the roof as we rejoice on the day of Pentecost. The 50 days of Easter prepare us for the challenges of the year ahead. They are a constant reminder that we live in the days of resurrection hope, a new Kingdom has begun, and although we do not experience it in its fullness; it is our longing. Easter is a focused 50 day reminder of what we long to live in all year round, as the old hymn says “this child can face uncertain days because he lives.” Indeed, the uncertainty of the future is made steadfast and secure by the constant reminder that Jesus lives and has sent his Spirit to guide us day by day.

It is still Easter!

My personal testimony, at this moment in time, is of the comfort, security and hopefulness of the Spirit leading and guiding Ruth and I into something that is a new, and as yet unknown, area of service for us in the coming year. Therefore at the recent Baptist Union of Scotland Trustee Board meeting I invited the Trustees of our Union to begin the process of seeking a new General Director.

The past 9 years have been quite remarkable and I have experienced an amazing partnership in the gospel throughout our Union. This has been a role of great privilege and has without doubt had a deeply positive impact upon my own faith and my understanding of the mission and ministry of the church. In years to come, I will look back on this time as significantly formative for me and rejoice in all that the Lord has done through this uniquely shared ministry period.

Whilst I rejoice in what the Lord has done, I also recognise that deep challenges remain for the church in Western Europe and the Baptist churches in Scotland are in no way exempt from these. However, in this Easter season we also acknowledge the great opportunities that abound for us as Union seeking to live in the power of the resurrection. With a strong foundation and a willingness to face uncertainty faithfully we will discover new pathways, forged in actions of self-denial that lead to resurrection celebration.

Rev Alan DonaldsonGeneral Director

Our engagement with the Easter story in believers Baptism calls us to a life of change, a transformed and transformative life, as Walter Brueggemann calls it “a way other than our own”. As a Union of churches this is the way of life we have committed ourselves to in the ‘now and not yet’ of the Kingdom of God. We therefore trust in the leading of our risen Saviour, through his Spirit, to guide each of our churches into this new way of living and new ways of presenting the gospel message in the changing cultures of our nation. We also trust afresh in the faithfulness of God together in this time of searching for a new General Director; a time of not knowing for all of us and for those who will consider if this is an area of Christian service for them.

Our Council will meet on the 9th May to begin the process of searching for a new General Director. Join us in prayer for them that as they approach this task in faith, trusting they will meet with and be strengthened by the risen Jesus as his Spirit guides them to the person called to fulfil this deeply rewarding and significant role among us.

Cathcart Baptist Church have recently begun a variety of new ministries among which is their ‘Ministry of Small Things’, an attentive ministry which intentionally notices others. Ian has given his permission for this story to be shared.

The ‘bothy breakfast’ idea began life on a pastoral visit to Ian who was sharing his annotated and scribbled-on book which he used while climbing all 282 of Scotland’s Munro mountains at the turn of the century. Ian’s health is difficult at present and celebrating his previous achievements was pastorally significant. With Ian’s permission a breakfast event was planned to gather and share photos, alongside his scribbles and annotations of the stories of climbing with friends.

Contact was made with those who had walked with Ian and were willing to take part and share stories and photographs. A visual presentation of the annotations, photos and scribbles in the book accompanied the story telling at the ‘bothy breakfast’ as we sat around our own camp fire, surrounded by miscellaneous walking gear, with Ian taking a full part. After a traditional breakfast and a brilliantly worked quiz on the Munros, we finished up with a glorious video from the climber Cameron McNeish walking across a mountain and speaking direct to Ian, capturing the awe and thankfulness, the blessing and companionship of Munro-ists and walkers.

This was a joyful, special, funny and catalytic celebration – it felt like the start of something as well as the valuing of what has been achieved. When we started planning we anticipated a few gathered together across a table looking at photos and telling stories – we must have had around 50 people there, circled around the storytellers. Even the preparations were memorable and companionable. The photo above shows a few of us unveiling a banner in Ian’s honour on the summit of a misty Ben Narnain in preparation for the breakfast event.

A deeper reflection on the event is available from www.scottishbaptist.com/news

Bothy Breakfast – Ministry of Small Things

Living Springs in the BordersOn the evening of Sunday 24th March, Peebles, Galashiels, Hawick and Selkirk Baptist Churches came together to celebrate the BUS Tri-Jubilee: 150 years of Baptist ministry in Scotland! We met to worship the God of Life; to look back briefly and say “Thank you Lord!” but primarily to look forward, to intercede for fruitful years ahead. Our Border towns are bound together by rivers: Teviot Water and the Ettrick, flow into the Tweed. Our relationships are birthed way back by living springs coursing through the souls of men and women brought together in Jesus. It seems more than right then, to echo Achsa’s request of her father Caleb, “Give me also Springs of Water,” to pray for living connections, Holy Spirit life, bubbling to the surface in the hearts of our neighbours who have yet to meet Jesus.

Our General Director, Alan Donaldson, gave us some insight into alarming trends in the nation, where the church’s significant contribution to the fabric and social wellbeing of our society is being dismissed and our voice marginalised at the highest levels. As a nation, we are not merely drifting. We are steering the course with our backs to God.

We worshipped. We prayed for ourselves, for our nation and our neighbours...and also for the victims of Cyclone Idai in Mozambique, Zimbabwe and Malawi. We signed the Prayer Baton scroll and we shared fellowship, just like “the good old days” when Borders churches regularly met together. Here’s looking forward to a further 4 scheduled prayer gatherings: Galashiels 26th May, Kelso 7th July, Hawick 1st September and Peebles 3rd November.

Brian TalbotSelkirk Baptist Church

Lord God, water the gospel seed we have sown in our communities and the seed we will yet sow, for eternal life. “Make roadways through the wilderness; rivers in

the desert!”

Date Time Region Venue

Sun 5th May 6.15pm Shetland Lerwick BC

Sun 9th June 7pm East Fife Leven BC

Sun 9th June 7:30pm West Fife Viewfield BC, Dunfermline

Sun 23rd June 7pm Central Albert Halls, Stirling

Sun 18th Aug 6.30pm Renfrewshire Greenock BC

Sat 31st Aug 1pm South West Milestone Christian Fellowship, Girvan (The Big BBQ!)

Sun 29th Sept 6.30pm Highlands Alness BC

Fri 4th October 7.30pm Glasgow Bearsden BC

Regional Prayer GatheringsAs part of our 150th anniversary celebrations we are encouraging our churches to hold regional prayer gatherings throughout the year. A number of gatherings have already taken place. A National Team member will attend each gathering, where possible, bringing the Prayer Baton as it travels around the country. So far, the following regional prayer gatherings have been confirmed:

At the end of March the Baptists of Caithness joined with other Christians in Thurso to celebrate the 150th Anniversary of the founding of the Baptist Union of Scotland. The evening began with a brief reflection led by Rev Alan Donaldson on the vision that lay behind the founding of the Baptist Union of Scotland in 1869 and how as a union of churches we have known God’s faithfulness over the last 150 years. It was also an evening in which the congregation was encouraged to pray that God would pour out again springs of living water for the spiritual refreshing of our nation. It was an encouragement to see Christians coming together to celebrate 150 years of Baptist witness in Scotland, and to pray for the needs of our local churches and the nation.

150th Anniversary Celebrations in Thurso

Headphone CultureYou see them everywhere! They can either be hardly noticeable or they can look like two massive Krispy Kremes on the side of someone’s head. Headphones are everywhere! Every now and again I sit on a bus or train and try and do two things: 1) don’t look at my phone and 2) don’t listen to something. (usually the two go hand in hand). Sometimes I manage what seems to be the impossible and sit in stillness just being!

This isn’t just a young person thing, I know of one 70 year old who spends the majority of the day wearing massive noise cancelling headphones listening to the radio.

But what are people listening too?

68.1 billion individual music tracks were streamed in 2017. There are roughly 6 million people in the UK listen to Podcasts on a weekly basis (this is growing rapidly). People are plugged in and consuming content at incredible rates.

There are many reasons why many of us might be concerned about these rising trends. Where

is stillness and contemplation? Is it even good for you physically or emotionally to be processing information and noise continually? These are all great questions and worthy of deep reflection and study. But not in this article!

So, Alpha (one of the BUS interns) and I have decided to see what all the fuss is about and have started an experimental podcast called ‘Headphone Culture’.

What is it? Well, for about 25 minutes we chat about life, faith and, of course, random stuff. The dynamic is me trying to understand the culture of those in their early 20’s. I discover why Memes exist. I learn about Sub Reddits and also why I ruin social media for young people!

We are not sure what we are doing, but we laugh a lot trying to work it all out.

The Headphone Culture Podcast will soon be found on all formats and of course we will tweet, post and Instagram when new episodes go out.

Join in with us some time. Or alternatively unplug your headphones and just be still and know His presence with you!

Ali LaingNext Generation Development Coordinator

scottishbaptist.comKeep up to date with the latest news and events on our website

The Baptist Union of Scotland Ltd is a charitable company limited by guarantee registered in Scotland

Registered Office: 48 Speirs Wharf, Glasgow, G4 9TH Company Number: SC620266

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