1 October 2025 Ofsted, the Office for Standards in Education, Children’s Services and Skills, relates to England and not to Scotland. The equivalent in Scotland is Education Scotland. Both bodies keep an eye on the quality of education in their respective countries. Baroness Spielman was the Chair of the Ofsted Board from 2017 until 2023. Recently, she raised some concerns about schools becoming ‘therapeutic institutions’ instead of focusing on academic work and providing extra-curricular activities. ‘If schools have reconceived themselves as therapeutic institutions and are looking for things to be wrong with the child, they’ll probably find some.’ she said. ‘And we’ll stay in this sort of negative spiral of unintentionally encouraging children to find things to be unhappy about.’ She went on to talk about adolescents. ‘Adolescence is a period of massive psychological adjustment … but you have to experience the lumps and bumps to be a resilient adult. The d...
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30 September 2025 Sometimes professional interventions in crises which affect people within the community are unhelpful, at least in the beginning. There is such a focus on people being victims and becoming traumatised by things which are a natural part of living in an uncertain and unpredictable world. Instead of seeking professional help in the first instance, it is more natural for people who have suffered a tragedy of one kind or another to examine their own personal resources and then the resources inherent within their family circle and their circle of friends. This extends, of course, to the church where people may access not only the resources of their fellow members and, in particular, their parish minister and district elder but also, and most importantly, the spiritual resources available through their relationship with God. I don’t know whether it is the internet’s ability to connect us with such a disparate array of people and opinion that we ha...
29 September 2025 As a child, I was privileged to live nearby St. Columba’s Cave in Ellery. We visited it and remembered it as an awesome place. When Columba sailed from Ireland to Scotland, he landed on Kintyre before sailing on to Iona and his missionary endeavours in the West Highlands. William McTaggart, one of Scotland’s most celebrated landscape artists from the nineteenth century, was born on Kintyre. Some of his famous landscapes are really seascapes where the waves come alive. You can smell the salt, feel the breeze and almost touch the water with your hands. In the National Gallery of Scotland there are some McTaggarts. Recently, I saw ‘The Coming of Saint Columba’. It celebrates that historic sixth century moment when Columba and his monks arrived on Kintyre. The painting has three distinctive features. Firstly, it is infused with morning light. This is the start of a new day, a new age, the age of Christianity. It is the Spring, the season of growth and...
28 September 2025 Growing old involves letting go. There is a grace in acknowledging this. People find it difficult. Moses had to let go after leading the people through the desert and Simeon was happy to let go when he held the Christchild in his arms. Farmers have to let go as they grow older. They are stewards of the land. It does not really belong to them but to their family – those who have gone before them and those who are coming after them. In order to secure the development of the farm and its land, they need to let go so that their sons may secure its future. This takes us right to the heart of the hereditary principle. Those who inherit large estates are responsible for its future development and security. As they age, people lose touch with the contemporary outlook on life and need to hand over to those who belong to succeeding generations. In the final film relating to the Granthams at Downton Abbey, this theme is explored. Lord Grantham is aging. His daughte...
27 September 2025 ‘You don’t want to hurt the people you love, but if you have to hurt them to become yourself, to have the life you desire - then that’s what you’ll do.’ These words were spoken in the context of a discussion between two female friends one of whom has had an affair with the other’s husband. There are two things that jar. The first is the acceptance that hurting people is justified in the pursuit of a more desirable life. The second is that a fulfilled life is one in which we become ourselves. What are the criteria for a more desirable life? How do we know when we have become ourselves? ‘To have the life you desire’ sounds like something you can actually get. The dominant characteristic of this way of living is desire. It belongs to the heart and can lead us into all sorts of difficulties. I may desire more cake but if I get it will it fulfil me? The tenth commandment makes sense of desire when it says, ‘Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s house, t...
26 September 2025 Even people who do not have a Christian faith and those who do not believe in God admire the Bible as an extraordinary literary achievement and compendium of wisdom, gleaned over two millennia and established in our world as a best seller over the past two millennia. When I was a child and many more children attended a Sunday School, the Biblical tales were told and retold to children so that they became ingrained within us. We remembered them in our minds and they began to shape the way we lived our lives. And so when Daniel was punished for praying to God, we took the tale home with us, opened our bedroom window, looked East and began to pray as Daniel had done much to the consternation of the neighbours looking out of their windows behind our council house! The importance of these Biblical stories cannot be underestimated. They inspired great art and without this knowledge much artistic endeavour is a complete mystery. They inspired musicians, story-t...
25 September 2025 ‘For to those who have, more will be given, and they will have an abundance; but from those who have nothing, even what they have will be taken away.’ (St. Matthew 13;12) were spoken by Jesus to the disciples after he had shared the ‘Parable of the Sower’ with the crowd. The disciples had asked him after he had finished speaking to the crowd, ‘Why do you speak to them in parables?’ To this, Jesus answered, ‘To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given.’ As a result of this, not only will more be expected of the disciples but they will gain more as a consequence of their privileged position. This verse is also to be found towards the end of the ‘Parable of the Talents’ (St. Mattew 25;29) to account for the ones who invested wisely compared to the third who did not invest at all. It is easily seen that the old adage, ‘The rich get richer, the poor get poorer.’ can be seen as a consequence of this ...
24 September 2025 Because I love porridge and cook it every day, I was interested to go to the cinema to see a recent documentary about the World Porridge Making Championship which is held annually in Carrbridge in the Highlands. The film was called, ‘The Golden Spurtle’ and directed by the Australian, Constantine Costi. It featured the Chieftan, Charlie Miller, and a committee of older volunteers who were responsible for the organisation of the event in the modest but pretty Village Hall. People took pride in playing their part not least the group of dish-washers responsible for cleaning the contestants dirty porridge pots! Charlie Miller had a charming personality, open, honest and down-to-earth. At one point, he is having an argument with a woman on the committee about the location of the gas rings on the tables. In his frustration, he declares, ‘I don’t have time to argue with you. We’ll do it your way!’ The contestants came from all over the world - a young Au...
23 September 2025 Kurt Godel was a brilliant mathematician. In the thirties, he revealed a fundamental truth about mathematics. Any attempt to construct a mathematics using a finite number of axioms will be incomplete. Godel proved that in that system there will be things which can never be proved nor disproved. Because of the rise in Nazism, he made his escape to the United States of America. He had already done some work at Princeton University and was able to return there. He remained there for the rest of his life famously befriending Albert Einstein. In her book, ‘A Little History of Mathematics’, Snezana Lawrence, writes about the time when Kurt Godel decided to become an American citizen in 1947. He was sponsored by Albert Einstein who accompanied his friend to the interview. ‘The judge happened to ask Godel if he thought something like the Nazi dictatorship could ever happen in a place like America.’ writes Lawrence. ‘Godel had already confided to Einstein ...
22 September 2025 When Keir Starmer handed over the King’s invitation to President Trump following his encounter with President Zelensky, I was not very happy. In fact, I wrote to the Prime Minister and complained about the invitation. It did no good. The state visit went ahead last week and by all accounts it was a success. The King was very hospitable and Trump seemed to be very pleased with his reception so much so that the following day, things went well with his meeting with the Prime Minister. The well-established routines of the monarchy are suited to this type of soft diplomacy where the emphasis is not on politics per se but nurturing good relations between heads of state so that the relationship between the nations may be reframed in this personal way. The King is suffering from cancer and despite continued treatment is not letting his illness get in the way of his royal duties. This, more than the welcome he extended to Trump is to be commended. But what I like...
21 September 2025 The standing stones at Callanish on the Island of Lewis predate Stonehenge and the construction of the pyramids in Egypt. They are very old. The central stone circle comprises thirteen stones and were constructed around 2900 BC. The settlement of stones was built in stages. The cruciform pattern of stones emanating from the circle was added around 2450BC and a cairn placed in the stone circle. No one really knows why they were built. There are plenty of unsubstantiated guesses. Around 1000BC, the stones began to be covered by layers of black peat and almost completely disappeared. In the nineteenth century, the tips of a few stones were seen peeping through the peat bog. In 1857, they were excavated. 2m of peat were removed to reveal the ancient stones! The mystery lies in how these huge stones were transported to the site and for what purpose they were used. They connect us to a past stretching over five millennia. As such they ...
20 September 2025 In our Church Hymnary (Fourth Edition), there is a metrical version of the ‘Canticle of the Sun’ which was written by St. Francis. In it, we sing about ‘bright brother son’ and ‘clear sister moon’. We know that the use of these fraternal terms is a metaphor for our closeness to the natural world. Like us, the sun and the moon were created by God and he holds them in his embrace just as he holds us. In the fourth verse, we sing, ‘Dear mother earth, who day by day, unfolds God’s blessings on our way’. Here St. Francis views the earth as a mother bringing to birth fruits and flowers to show forth God’s glory. In his letter to the Romans, St. Paul writes, ‘Ever since the creation of the world God’s eternal power and divine nature, invisible though they are, have been understood and seen through the things he has made.’ Whilst the creation is distinct from the creator, we can see something of the Creator in what he has made. This is different from view...
19 September 2025 Whilst Christianity remains the largest religious group in Scotland, numbers have fallen dramatically from 54% of the population in 2011 to 38.8% in 2022. The biggest change has been the rise in people declaring that they are not affiliated to any religion. This number has grown from 27.5% in 2001 to 51.1% in 2022! Analysing these figures reveals a decrease in religious affiliation across all age groups. It is particularly marked amongst younger people and men but it has become a national characteristic. Most people in Scotland do not subscribe to any religion. There has been a shift away from organised religion. The increases in the number of Muslims and Hindus are small but they are rising e.g. Muslims have risen from 0.3% of the population in 2011 to 1.4% in 2022. Interestingly, a new category was introduced in 2022 – Pagans. The number of people affiliated with paganism was 0.4% of the population. This is higher than the number of Jews at 0.1%...
18 September 2025 Some of our Scottish proverbs resonate within the Gospel. ’Only measure yer shadow wi a high sun.’ Don’t be big-headed. There’s a lot about humility and denying self in the Word of God! ‘Be the thing ye would be ca’d.’ To be admired you must be admirable. There’s no use saying one thing and doing another. Integrity is the name of the game. ‘A helpin’ haun helps twa.’ Helping another helps improve yourself too. It’s the secret of the Gospel. In giving, we receive immeasurably more. It’s the fulfilment of all ministry. ‘Love’s wan e’e and ower deaf.’ Love is almost blind and a bit deaf. It’s characterised by a gentle and forgiving acceptance of faults not least because we have many too!
17 September 2025 It is no longer fashionable to talk about work in terms of vocation. When do you hear it said, ‘I have a vocation to be a teacher.’ or ‘I have a vocation to be a nurse.’ or ‘I have a vocation to be a computer programmer.’ It is hoped that some people still say, ‘I have a vocation to be a minister.’ The understanding of work as a vocation or a calling from God came from those who professed a Christian faith. They saw their work as a response to their faith in God and what they had prayerfully discerned as his will for them. Seeing work as vocation not only meant fulfilling all that was required of you but sometimes going beyond the requirements of your contract and travelling the extra mile. Nowadays, this would be anathema to an alert workforce. Either you were likely to damage your health or usurp the responsibility of another or … It is very fulfilling to think that work is done in response to the love of God in Christ and the way of Him ...
16 September 2025 Someone told a friend that the best ministers were extroverts. Some of the best ministers may be extroverts but I do not think it could be said categorically that the best ministers are extroverts. I suspect most of our ministers are not extroverts. My mother used to say, ‘Ministers are just frustrated actors!’ I imagine she viewed the minister in the pulpit and argued from there. It is widely acknowledged that many of the best actors are introverts and for good reason. They can more easily forget themselves and enter into another role. If my mother’s observation is true then by this route, we come to the opposite conclusion that the best ministers are like the best actors introverts! I think there are three reasons why this may be the truer assessment of the ministry. Firstly, the heroic leader is no longer a fashionable model of leadership. The skills required for good leadership are to be found in the ability to know and understand your people, to lis...
15 September 2025 For over a year now, I have been working as the Facilitator in the North Fife Cluster. During 2025, we have organised a series of rotational services amongst three of the charges which are set to unite together in due course. They have taken place in four different church buildings. In addition, we have organised a service for the whole cluster. This includes a new charge which has been the successful union of two congregations and has since called a minister. The theme of the service is ‘A Festival of Psalms’. The inspiration came from the 375 th anniversary of the Scottish Psalter (1650). Eight people from the four charges have been working together to organise the service. It includes metrical psalm singing as well as the singing of psalms in a contemporary style. A choir is being formed from the various charges and one of their anthems is the setting of Psalm 23 to the Vicar of Dibley! There is going to be a dramatization of one of the...
14 September 2025 Mary-Catherine and I saw the musical ‘Fiddler on the Roof’ when we were students at Edinburgh University. She loved it and it remained a firm favourite. Last week we saw it again on our forty-fifth wedding anniversary. Although it wasn’t such a successful production as the one featuring Topol, the Israeli actor and singer who made the part of Tevye his own, the songs were familiar and the story as true as it was then for it was all about family life and that resonates with us all. The opening song is about tradition. It is very important because it gives life balance, as Tevye says. When we follow traditional patterns of life and living, we know where we are within our family and community. It benefits from common consent and the wisdom of our forebears. This philosophy is challenged by Tevye’s five daughters and, in particular, the three who get married in the show. Each one challenges the tradition. The first challenges the concept...
13 September 2025 St. John Chrysostom wrote his famous ‘On the Priesthood’ as if he were carrying out a dialogue with his friend Basil. He has already been ordained but John is still considering it. He plays a Devil’s Advocate considering why it would be unwise to become a priest. For example, he fears the criticism of other people. ‘Everyone wants to judge the priest, not as one clothed in flesh, not as one possessing a human nature, but as an angel, exempt from the frailty of others.’ And he goes on to ask his friend, ‘Are you, then, sending me forth to such a terrible war?’ In this way, John uses a literary technique to expose a myth about ministers. They are not angels but human beings, nay, frail human beings whose faults and failings should not come as a surprise to anyone least of all John Chrysostom. For this very reason it is a great honour to be called to this ministry. ‘Anyone who considers how much it means to be able, in is humanity, still entangled in flesh ...