A Country Wedding

We are now in Dunblane at the World Mission Council Meeting after having had 10 days in St Andrews. We moved to a rented self-catering house there at the beginning of last week for the wedding, though we have had a number of trips in and out of Edinburgh for medical appointments, picking up and seeing off family and friends at the airport including Ruairidh Fiona and Lucy from Zambia

Our celebrations really started on Friday afternoon with a braai (BBQ) for over 40 guests 'frae a' the airts' who had arrived early and were staying in St Andrews. From our family's point of view it was wonderful to have four generations gathered together under the one roof. Saturday dawned, a beautiful day, the house a buzzing hive, with cosmetics and costumes galore.

St Salvator's was the venue for the marriage ceremony, filled with guests from near and far; all the way from Zambia, India, Canada, Switzerland, Denmark, France and even as was said, 'exotic Dunfermline'. We talk about globalisation and living in a global village, Kirsten and Stuart's wedding was living proof of that; a global wedding with a global family and friends. It was special too, that the Minister officiating was James Walker, the brother and brother-in-law of Donald and Judith, who have strong Zambian connections and have just been called to St Columba's in Mutare where we worshipped when we were working in Zimbabwe.

After the wedding breakfast, toasts and speeches, the reception continued with a ceilidh till midnight. Photos of the wedding can be viewed on line at: www.alastairstephen.co.uk then go to Online Albums

Church of Scotland General Assembly

After seven days of meeting, the General Assembly closed on Wednesday last week. It was a good time listening to the debates and meeting up with friends from all over the country. As the Church continues to share and spread the Gospel throughout the world, it is amazing the diverse interests, concerns and needs that this brings to light as people speak and we hear often prophetically about passions shared or pain that we attempt to understand and address.

All this feedback and information is living proof of Paul's metaphor in Romans 12 that in Christ we form one body belonging to each other all with different gifts depending on the grace given us with the further development of that in 1 Cor 12 that we are made up of many parts and as a body there should be no division but we need to show equal concern for each other in each of our own joy, pain and sorrow.

Business started appropriately with the Scottish Bible Society and we heard how the Word of God shapes lives here and overseas, contributing to the work of the Church: we have a vested interest here as Ida's mother worked for the Bible Society for many years.

Friday was another interesting day with the 'Third Article Declaratory' being debated concerning parish-based ministry bringing the ordinances of religion to people nationwide. It was interesting and sobering in the World Mission Council Report to hear from minority-status Christians who suffer for the faith. There were deliverences to raise awareness of this amongst elected politicians from Holyrood, Westminister and Brussels. Another echo of 'If one part suffers........' This was also mirrored at home by the work of Crossreach which includes counselling, addiction help, assisting prisoner families and the care provided for the young the old and the infirm of all ages, - the frail and the rejected.

Morning Service at St Giles' Cathedral was followed later in the day by a special service marking the 450th Anniversary of the Scottish Reformation. A wonderful time of reflection on the influence of the reformation on education and on wider Scottish society. It was a medley of Psalms, Prayer and other Scripture cleverly interwoven with monologues, dramatisations and presentations on the theme.

The overall message similar to that delivered from George MacLeod celebrating the 400th and resonating from 16th century - A Reformed Church is forever to be reformed. In other words to make God alive and relevant for people today. Interesting too that there is no longer the same contraversy over the morality over the possession of nuclear weapons. The Church's position on them and Trident is thankfully unequivocally clear.

Monday was good with a report from the Children's Assembly, not just the future Church but part of the Church here and now. A reform of the Presbyteries is envisaged to make them more responsive and better able to deal with the changing needs of the Church. The Guild and their support of HIV and Aids at home and beyond. Ida spoke here wanting to raise awareness of the impact of HIV and AIDS locally at Mwandi and asking the Church to advocate on their behalf to continue to make a difference to the lives of many living people worldwide with this disease.

We heard the report from the Armed Forces Chaplains who look after the spiritual needs of members of the armed forces and their families wherever they are serving. Not an easy job. There is also need of a ministry for forces personnel once they retire to help them adjust back to civilian life again. Safeguarding children and other vulnerable people and the safe inclusion of sex offenders in Congregations came in the report 'For such is the Kingdom of Heaven.'

The Assembly closed on Wednesday with amongst others the Iona Community Board Report, again another area of personal interest to us, Ida's father helped to roof the Abbey just after the War. It was good to read of the good work being done countering sectarianism and working with young offenders.

Finally, another highlight for us was the address by Mona Siddiqui.

Looking back on all this, the Church at this Assembly has identified its task as not only to get out there and talk about Jesus but also to be someone to speak for the poor, those who are marginalised socially, politically, economically, educationally and medically and in doing this it needs to engage in effective advocacy in partnership with civil society and other faith communities.