New Series - Singing the Songs of Jesus

We have recently begun a new sermon series on Sunday mornings on Psalms 18-24, with Stephen previously having preached on the first 17 psalms (as well as 89 and 107) during evening services.

As we come to the Psalms, it is helpful to remember that they are ultimately The Songs of Jesus - breathed out by the Spirit of Christ, they speak about him, were sung by him on earth, and he still speaks through them today.

As O. Palmer Robertson asserts in his recent book on the psalms: ‘To understand these psalms in their fullest significance for the individual, they must first be appreciated for their role in speaking for God’s anointed servant, the messianic king’.

In his sermon on Psalm 18, Stephen noted that the Psalms actually shed light on the New Testament - a point made in the video clip below by Rev. Kenneth Stewart, who is currently our minister in Glasgow:

Therefore to focus largely on the situation of the human author of the Psalms is to miss the point. As Andrew Bonar comments on Psalm 18: ‘David’s circumstances, that made him suitable to be the vehicle of this divine communication, have moulded the language; but we are not to carry the allusion to his history too far’. Or in the words of Henry Law: ‘David soon disappears. Jesus Himself strides forth’. This is true whether the psalm is quoted in the New Testament and applied to Jesus or not. As Charles Spurgeon comments on Psalm 20: ‘It needs but a moment's reflection to perceive that this hymn of prayer is prophetical of our Lord Jesus’.

This point is well argued (contrary to some modern voices such as Don Carson and even the great Old Testament commentator Dale Ralph Davis) in a 2012 talk by Union Theological College Professor Michael McClenahan, summarised and linked to here.

Agnew Parkrun: a pastor's reflections!

A couple of weeks ago, I completed my first ever Parkrun. With friends elsewhere having Parkrun as a regular part of their Saturday morning routine, I was delighted to see it come to Stranraer’s Agnew Park in December. If you’re not familiar with it, the basic principle of Parkrun is a weekly, free, timed, 5k race that anyone can take part in – serious runners, children, pram-pushing parents, walkers and everyone in between. It doesn’t matter how fast you are, it doesn’t matter what you wear, all that matters is taking part. A tail walker stays at the back of the field and ensures no-one else will finish last. And for those who would rather not walk or run, there are plenty of opportunities to volunteer.

Having started with 13 runners in 2004, Parkrun is now a worldwide phenomenon with over 3 million Parkrunners across 20 countries. Average finish times are increasing as time goes on, which actually delights the organisers as it shows that Parkrun is achieving its aim of including people of all abilities. The Agnew Parkrun is growing almost every week, and participation recently hit three figures for the first time.

Aside from the obvious benefits – good for your health, getting people out of the house, building relationships in the community – Parkrun also boosts host towns in less obvious ways. For example, Parkrun ‘tourists’ try to complete as many different Parkruns as possible, and I know from talking to a local B&B owner that we’ve already had people coming to stay a night in Stranraer specifically to take part in it. Many Parkrunners also choose to get a coffee together afterwards, which further boosts the local economy.

As a pastor, I find Parkrun to be a good illustration of what the church should be like (though at times fails to be). For a start, it’s not just for those who look the part. Just as Parkrun isn’t just for those who look like runners, church isn’t just for those who have their lives together. Some of those who have begun worshipping with us recently are asked ‘What are you doing going to church?!’ And yet Jesus said ‘Those who are well have no need of a doctor, but those who are sick’. He came not for those who think they’re righteous, but those who know that they aren’t.

Similarly, just as Parkrun aims to cater for those of all shapes and sizes and backgrounds, so the Apostle Paul hailed Christianity as breaking down the barriers we tend to erect, and was able to remind some early Christians: ‘there is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave no free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus’.

In fact, excited as I am to be involved in Parkrun, I’m far more excited to be part of the church of Jesus Christ. Parkrun is ‘an international family of over 3 million Parkrunners’ – the church is an international family of 2.3 billion. In fact, contrary to what we might expect, the explosive growth of Christianity is forecast to increase to include 32 percent of the world’s population by 2060, while atheists, agnostics and those of no religion will have decreased from 16 percent to 13 percent. As for the opportunity to get involved in serving others, I would have to respectfully disagree with Parkrun founder Paul Sinton-Hewitt’s suggestion that it is ‘probably the largest provider of volunteer opportunities on the planet’. I can think of a much larger one, which has spread to far more than 20 countries! And while Parkrun’s ability to help build community spirit is commendable, only the church can truly ‘break down the dividing wall of hostility’ and turn people who are naturally at odds with each other into brothers and sisters in Christ.

Parkrun has rightly been lauded for its health benefits and is even prescribed by GPs. Public sports bodies pump millions of pounds a year into grassroots sport, but haven’t come close to a success story as huge as Parkrun, despite the fact it has a small budget and only a couple of dozen staff.

I think the Apostle Paul would also have approved of Parkrun. He often used running illustrations to describe the Christian faith and said that ‘physical training is of some value’. Yet he went on to say that ‘godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come’. There’s no time like the present to start running.

Published in the Stranraer & Wigtownshire Free Press, 30th January 2020

The Moon is Always Round

Stephen recently wrote the following for Gentle Reformation, a blog (mostly) written by American and Irish RP ministers:

How would you go about explaining to a 3-year-old that the baby sister he’s been excitedly looking forward to meeting isn’t going to be coming home? That at 39 weeks she’s died in her mother’s womb?

It’s a heart-breaking question to even consider. But it’s one that Westminster Seminary Professor Jonathan Gibson had to face when his daughter Leila was stillborn in March 2016.

When his son Ben asked ‘Why, Daddy?’, Gibson replied ‘I don’t know why. But the moon is always round’. He was referring back to a simple little catechism he had devised for his son a few months before:

Q. Ben, what shape is the moon tonight?
A. The moon is a crescent moon, or a half-moon, or a gibbous moon, or a full moon.

Q. What shape is the moon always?
A. The moon is always round.

Q. What does that mean?
A. God is always good.

Little did his father know how important that catechism would soon become in his son’s young life. It became their way of discussing what had happened to Leila. Today Ben has a picture of the moon above his bed. Five simple words curve below it: ‘The moon is always round’.

That phrase is also the title of a newly-released, beautifully illustrated children’s book, written by Gibson. It tells the story of Leila’s death and what followed from Ben’s perspective, and is simple enough for a two-year old to understand – but profound enough to move an adult to tears.

If you’ve ever wondered if there was a book you could give a family in a similar situation (believers or unbelievers), I can’t think of anything better.

I’m sure it’s a book Gibson never wanted to have to write. But in God’s providence it’s a beautiful, tear-stained gift to the church.

The moon is always round – even when you can’t see all of it. And God is always good – even on days when you can’t see it.

“For the LORD is good;

his steadfast love endures forever,

and his faithfulness to all generations” – Psalm 100:5

Introducing James and Katie!

The Frasers are planning to move to Stranraer at the end of the month, so we asked them to introduce themselves. Please pray for them as they prepare to move!

“I'm James Fraser and I'm married to Katie: we have 2 sons, Thomas (2) and Luke (5 months). I am originally from Inverness and Katie is from Glasgow. We currently live in Stepps, just outside Glasgow, and we are members of the RP church there. We are planning on moving to Stranraer at the end of January and hope to attend the RP church. Two of the Christian GPs in Stranraer wrote an open letter last year, outlining the GP crisis in Stranraer and urging prayer over the matter. This letter arrived partway through my GP training, which is coming to an end. After visiting and after prayerful consideration, it became more and more apparent that a move to Stranraer would be the right thing to do, both to help the GP staffing issue and to hopefully be of use to the congregation. I have accepted a job at the Lochnaw practice and I am due to start in February. We are very much looking forward to the move and to joining the church when we arrive!”

The Big Picture for Small-Town Churches

On Sunday evening, Rev. Kyle Borg of Winchester RP Church in Kansas spoke at a special event entitled ‘The Big Picture for Small-Town Churches’. We were glad to be joined by a good number from other churches in the area. Rev. Stephen Steele (Stranraer RPC) led the meeting, with Pastor Daniel Sturgeon (Stranraer Baptist Church) doing the Bible reading before handing over to our guest speaker. You can listen to the talk below:

The Big Picture for Small Town Churches

Kyle Borg

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In the morning, Kyle preached on 1 Corinthians 2v5 under the theme ‘The Resting Place of Faith’. You can listen to it here.

Update: Here’s a write up of Sunday evening’s event in the local paper: