travelling together

It was encouraging and exciting to listen to the Baptist Union of Scotland Council grapple with the issue of what it means to belong to one another. To participate in a 24 hour process of listening, reflecting, challenging and resolving that this is “our” Union, was a great privilege. Many people shared what they believed it meant for them to belong and what they would want others joining our union to participate in years to come as well as listening to scriptural patterns revealed by the New Testament Churches.

Christmas Sunday and nativity plays were happening all over the country. They rarely portray accurately the true Christmas story and generally contain a huge number of factual errors. Donkeys seem to play a major role, 3 wise men and camels get a regular mention and in this particular rendition of the story, a multitude of stars fill the sky rather than a multitude of the heavenly host. But I don’t mind the artistic licence and the guesswork that goes into re-imagining a story that we only have a few paragraphs about.

I’ve been surprised over the weekend at how a series of events converged to make me ask this question.  It began with a conversation about Donald McCallum on a visit to the Step Out team in Wigtown. Stephen McGarva and I talked of the influence of Donald on our lives and ministry and a conversation closed with the comment, “they don’t make them like that any more.”

At the same time, tributes to John Stott began to cross my desk, a man whose writing has greatly influenced evangelical thinking and preaching in our nation and whose lifestyle demonstrated a whole life commitment to the call of God.

Despite being amongst the most hated people by the Top Gear team, I am still happy to admit that I own a caravan. I agree with them that they can be a bit of pain on the road but I thoroughly enjoy the freedom they bring and the low cost holidays we have enjoyed as a family for several years.

Last week we had one of those family holidays down by Stoke on Trent. Beautiful countryside, quiet roads for cycling, country walks for the dog and a nearby theme park for the teenagers. It’s hardly surprising to note that the site was quiet during the week and got busy at the weekends. Busy with people who at this time of year start to go away almost every weekend. Finish work on Friday, often a bit earlier than during the rest of the week, hitch up the caravan and the escape to the country until Sunday morning. Then pack up the van and drive home in time to get ready for Monday.