17 May 2026 – From My Diary 1996

I took eight members of the Bible Class to the Youth Night at the General Assembly Hall. The Youth Adviser organised buses and fares were paid by the Presbytery.  There were a thousand young people packed into the Hall. The speaker was Bart Campolo, son of Tony, who  was  certainly engaging.

The last time I had been at a Youth Night, his father was the speaker. ‘It doesn’t matter whether you believe the right things,’ he said, ‘Have you given yourself to Christ and his suffering world?’ You could hear a pin drop. ‘The Word is certainly not dead.’ I wrote.

The Moderator spoke to the young people in buckles and tights. How he managed to do it with dignity, I don’t know. But the young people afforded him the greatest respect. Looking back, could we command such a spectacle? The Moderator would be less formally dressed and now Bart Campolo is an atheist!

At our Pentecost worship for all ages, the Session Clerk read Acts 2 from Lorimer’s Scots translation of the New Testament. ‘It was brilliantly and enthusiastically read.’ I wrote. ‘The sound of the Scots tongue was most refreshing, uplifting and beautiful. It touched our hearts.’

The congregational picnic followed in the grounds of the University. It was interrupted by drizzle which became  steadily heavier. But the show went on. Consequently, there was much more interaction with the adults, huddling together under the trees and the children reacted as if there was no rain at all!

The leader of the games did an entertaining job encouraging adults to participate too. I noticed a determined effort from a female gynaecologist who was neck and neck in the egg and spoon race with  a male Bank Manager! Who won? The organiser of the coffee morning. She now has 19 bakers, 16 servers and two men!