Blog on the Learig

  1 October 2026 James Hutton, the Scottish geologist,   wrote the   ‘Theory of the Earth’ and published it in 1788. In it, he argued that the age of the earth was incalculable. ‘With respect to human observation, this world was neither a beginning nor an end.’ It wasn’t eternal – just unknowable! This observation wasn’t without controversy. Until then, the Church had worked out a date for the dawn of creation – 23 October 4004BC. Amazingly enough, that’s six thousand and twenty-two years ago this month! Who is celebrating? Actually, the Bible says nothing about the date of creation. However, scholars analysed the text and deduced that the earth was about six thousand years old. From this, they were able to give dates to other major Biblical events. Hutton’s controversial observations seemed to question the veracity of the Bible. But history has vindicated him. The Scotsman was right. With major scientific advances, the earth is now considered to be 4.6 billion ye...

  30 September 2026 Professor Peter Fonagy has just completed a review into mental health, ADHD and autism among young people. He declared that Generation Z was not a snowflake generation and concluded that it was ‘harder to be young’ today! He said that the problem needed to be tackled across the whole of society. He blamed cuts in youth services over the past decade leading to fewer places for young people to mix and develop a sense of belonging. ‘We need to have opportunities for them to participate, because participating in things … maintains good mental health’. We have been good at providing warm spaces for older people. Why not belonging places for young people? At the same time, there is increasing evidence to say that Generation Z is interested in religion. A recent set of interviews by Theos revealed several interesting things about their views. Christianity was appealing because it offered an alternative to modern society. It was no longer the dominant force in s...

  29 September 2026 As a child growing up in Ardrishaig, we participated in the Harvest Thanksgiving. The local grocer prepared little trays of fruit – apples, oranges, grapes and pears. They were covered in cellophane and we presented them in the kirk. As a child, this was an awesome event. In our church, it was the only procession in which children participated. We walked down the aisle in a long line and handed our gifts to the minister. Throughout forty years of ministry, the children in my kirks did the same. The gifts and the recipients changed from local people to institutions and then charities with fruit being replaced with toiletries and woollen hats and gloves. But the Harvest Thanksgiving Procession remained. There was another at the Christmas Gift Service and a third during our celebrations of Palm Sunday. The only other procession was the Great Entry when the elders brought in the bread and the wine. As a minister receiving the children’s gifts was just as a...

  28 September 2026 Like Jesus, Hildegard used beautiful pictures to describe God’s world. Once she said that she was like a feather. On its own the feather falls to the ground. It’s lifeless. But the wind picks up the feather, makes it rise up into the sky and gives it life! On her own, Hildegard could do nothing but with God’s Spirit, she was full of life. She grew herbs, healed the sick, wrote books, preached sermons, composed music. A feather! Nine hundred years ago, Hildegard of Bingen described herself as a feather, ‘a feather on the breath of God’.

  27 September 2026 On the nine hundredth anniversary of Hildegard’s birth (1998), a recording of her plainsong reached the Top Twenty in the Classical Music Charts. Her music was one of three things which encouraged a renascence in her life and work. The fact that she was such a gifted woman inspired  those who valued the ministry of women. Her theology resonated within the contemporary world. She emphasised the goodness of creation and the importance of living in harmony with God, the world and all that it contains. The image of light   predominates. Darkness has befallen us because of the Fall. Our true condition is to live in the light and reflect the radiance of God’s light. ‘But God has created human beings to be full of light so that they could see the radiance of pure ether and hear the songs of the angels.’ she wrote. ‘He had clothed them in such radiance that they shone with the splendour of it.’ Another important image is greenness. She called her herbs...

  26 September 2026 As well as running two monasteries, going on preaching tours, writing and illustrating books, engaging with the abbot, emperor and pope, Hildegard also wrote about seventy-seven songs and set them to music.   Love Gives herself to all things, Most excellent in the depths, And above the stars Cherishing all: For the High King She has given The kiss of peace. This is her ‘Antiphon for Divine Love’. The music she wrote for the words was based on the plainsong which was sung in the monastery. God’s praises were not only to be made with the voice but with a variety of instruments. The outer song was not only praise in itself but an opportunity to tune   the inner life to praise God too! Surprisingly enough, much of Hildegard’s understanding of music has been gleaned from a letter which she wrote to the clergy of Mainz. In 1178, she had given permission for a nobleman to be buried in the monastery grounds. Although he had been excommuni...