Here we are talking about structures again. However the right structures can give to everyone a sense of freedom as well as security. I just wish the way we ordered Church in the Church of Scotland released us into freedom and community. Too much of our structures are centred around business meetings rather than the love feast. we celebrate business more than we celebrate the eucharist. It is this image of a business structure that has shaped the identity of the church of Scotland for the past few hundred years. Now there is definately nothing wrong with being business like and well structured but often in the midst of all this we have forgotton what our business is. Remember Jesus reminded his parents that his first priority was to be about his Father’s business. When we think about it the Father’s business is that we should make disciples.

We need to ask ourselves why we have allowed the structures of business to become the main focus of our identity rather than the vision to make disciples. I have often thought that perhaps it is because we have lost confidence as a Church and and as indiiduals in the truth of the Gospel. this in turn makes us less willing to share with others something we might doubt. However we are not short on our loyality to the structures of an organisation that at one time had put in place to ensure the pastoral support required for discipleship. Could it be that we maintain the structures out of loyality, going through the motions of faith without the conviction of faith.

We even name our church through our structure. We call ourselves Presbyterians. Wil Storrar, draws our attention to the fact that the church has orientated towards this business effeciency model because of the influence of Weber’s “rational bureaucratic” type modern organisation.

I’ve been thinking about the role of leadership , in the light of Nehemiah and especially, when an organisation, like St Andrew’s is in the middle of restructuring.

One of the differences between the church leader today and Nehemiah’s time is that we have the encouragement of the scriptures and perhaps a greater awareness of what it means to be ” The One and the Many in Christ” In other words the teaching found in 1 Corinthians 12 under pins and helps to illuminate the story of partnership and purpose that is told in the story of Nehemiah’s reconstruction.

So our calling as the church is literally to be the one and the many in Christ. This is an important aspect of our identity, because as a church community we take on many roles. I think this is what Paul means when he says,” I have become all things to all men that I might win some” It doesn’t mean that we stand for nothing and fall for anything. On the contrary, it means that we take on the role of our Lord and learn to ” weep with those who are weeping and laugh with those who are laughing” Its about the church understanding its mission in the world. This means that we must always be approachable even to those who have different “plausibility structures” to ours. The fascinating thing is that a whole philosophy of servanthood has grown up even in the business world. Have a look at this web page also

All we do must be motivated by a desire to bring glory to God through our service to others. This for me emphasises more and more the role of the church as servant and discipleship maker, such was the life that Jesus chose to live. We as a church cannot become greater than our master. However we have a dilemma. In our structures we have lost the role of credible servant and succumbed to the role of professional managerial speak. We manage the church but are we serving each other and the world ?

Tonight we had another meeting of our structural meeting. As we talked about being good managers of our structure we were also reminded that we were a community centred around love and grace. Meeting targets might be important but missing the main target of servanthood would render us as the scripture says, “no more than noisy bells and clanging cymbols” We must be careful that we don’t forget what it means to love the world and love our neighbour, as we seek to manage the church. Next post I’ll have a a think about the changes that we might do well to consider at a regional level in church administration and structure.

It won’t belong before the children are all back at school. On Monday our Holiday Club for children starts. The theme is very topical this year, we are looking at the Olympics. you know what it could get complicated. Like thousands of others throughout the UK we are using Scripture Union Holiday Club material. So what will make our Holiday Club unique, apart from the brilliant children who will attend and the superb quality of leaders? What will make our club stand out is the fantastic job that the design team have made in decorating the church hall. It is truly something else. Quite amazing! It is a work of art.

The Olympics s a great theme to use at this time to explain to children the importance of nations living together in peace. It also highlights the merit in human beings striving to be the best in their aea of sport. However we will be helping the children understand that winning at any cost can turn you into a loser. Winning is about doing the right thing. Now sometimes when you do the right thing you lose. But you know what sometimes losing is a form of winning. See what I mean it does get complicated. Anyway we’ll keep it to that level with the kids.

We are told that the ancient Greeks were highly competitive individuals and believed strongly in the concept of “agon”, or “competition” or “contest”. Greeks wanted to bethe best in all aspects of life. The greatest honour of all time was to win a victory at Olympia. It was important that the prize eceived had no material value. Tus the olive wreath given to the victory illustrates the point. You competed for the honour. All this makes the ever increasing habit of cheating so repugnant to the ideals of the games. the games were also closely connected to the worship of the gods and departed heroes. sometimes the games where known as funeral games. Homer in his epic poem, The Iliad refers to the games in these terms. They also had sexual undertones, being used as gatherings to promote the fertility cults of the day. The power god Zeus was the god most worshipped at the games.

In many ways the games are a bit of a contradiction. They have become an important political weapon to promote economic wealth. Many of the athletes taking part are professional and see the games as a means of developing their careers. For the Olympics the age of innocence is long gone if they ever represented it in the first place. Yet I think there is a spark of an ideal worth holding on to and maybe one day it will light a true Olympic torch in the world. Did Jesus not say He was the Light of the World. He’s brighter than any Olympic torch!

You never know who is hanging around the church. Especially if the church is St Andrew’s Bo’ness.

It could be a group of teenagers preparing for the Children’s Holiday Club. You might even meet the phantom gardeners who turn up unannounced and have turned a wilderness into a garden.

If you stay long enough you are bound to catch up with some young musicians hanging about waiting to rehearse. Then there might be a suspicious bunch of old guys that could talk the hind legs of a donkey making as much noise as the Rolling Stones on a good day! You could be excused for mistaking them for the “Last of the Summer Wine”

Then there are the people who drop in for a chat, for a coffee, or to be part of a planning group. And just in case you are looking for a bit of culture there is the piper who turns up to rehearse in the church because his neighbours have a contract out on his life.

Of course there are the members of staff who work in the middle of all this, who feed off this. One of them will no doubt be writing a proposal for a grant to fund some aspect of the church’s outreach, another will be talking on the phone to a parent looking for advice, another will be up dating the sermons on the web page, while another is editing the latest video commission. Meanwhile if it is a Wednesday the morning service will have finished and a faithful group of praying people will be interceding for us all while we’re at work ,in Edinburgh, Glasgow, or at home. The phone will ring and it is Captain Thacker from India checking up on some aspect of our partnership. Or it might be Willie from the Vine Trust looking for me.

So who ever said church life is boring? They need to spend a week with St Andrew and you know what they will meet a whole lot of saints they never knew existed. Truly anything can happen here, and nothing should ever be a surprise. Oh and one more thing the place is a lot quieter now that Erica Bonnar is on her Soul Touch Trip.

Talking with the script writer

I went to see the movie “Mamma Mia” last night. I really didn’t know what
it was all about. I thought it was the story of ABBA, instead it was
really a Chic flick. I realised I should have taken a rain check when
I had the opportunity. So all I could do was to slip lower down in the
seat, as the film progressed. Two guys at the front of a cinema full
of women! Mamma Mia? One thing I was right about there is an ABBA
connection. The whole two hours is full of wall to wall ABBA hits.
I never liked them the first time round. However I must
confess in my old age I think some of their songs are better 30 years
on. Anyway when the lights went up there we were, ( my nephew and I ), in the midst of a cinema
full of women singing ” Thank You For The Music” We were cringing as we left. However they really did enjoy it. So who am I to argue.

Let’s face it the stage show has sold over 30 million tickets, and no doubt the movie will net a few million more. So I’m going to keep my critical voice silent. If anything is was a fun movie. But you know what there was a serious side to the whole plot, (which wasn’t very good). Its all about the past catching up with you. In the clip above Donna is trying to forget her past but she is being tempted to have another look. Going back in time is never a good idea. And that is the message of the song Meryl Streep sings so powerfully when she gives an amazing performance of The Winner takes it all

We went for a walk through the Queen Elizabeth Forrest Park the other day starting at Kinlochard. It was a brillant day for walking, the sun was out but there was also a breeze blowing. We walked for about three hours. At one part of the walk we reached a summit which gave us an magnificent view looking over to Ben View.  We felt truly refreshed and aware of God’s  finger prints everywhere. A few hours later we were exhausted but back in Callander. We had a great meal at a wee cafe called “The Butt and Ben” they were selling authentic Scottish quicene. It was great to get a big plate of mince and tatties.

On the way back we walked through the centre of the town. At heart of the town is a converted Church building, which has been turned into an attraction centre to highlight the life of Rob Roy McGregor. After having admired the creation for the past few hours, I was brought back to the reality of life in the 21st Century. There is little place in the centre of our lives for God.  Scotland  today is all about tourism. So here in the heart of the Trossachs is a church building now dedicated to the admiration of a rather dubious folk hero - depending of course on whose side of the Union you support. However some things never change it was closed!  A great tourist attraction.

Its hard not to be reminded of the imprint past generations have left on the earth, when visiting Orkney. The islands are full of ancient historical sites. Today we visited the Rings of Brodgar. Here is an ancient place where men and women in the ancient mists of time sought to find God. This reaching out to God shows a humility and an intelligence that somehow has by passed many in our self absorbed world. We have now progressed so far that we are even more moral than God. Well, I sometimes feel that, when I hear some of the “politically correct speak” that comes from all kinds of sources in our society. We have grown out of the humility that stands in awe of the God of Creation. The prevailing view in the Western World today is, we have the right, the power, and the moral understanding to create our own world, and make our own moral laws. I often wonder what the outcome will be for future generations.

What will be the marks that we will leave behind, and how will these impact on future lives? Since so much of what we produce is ephemeral what will we leave that is lasting and good ? When it comes to media will they have the computers to read what we write? What will be the lasting legacy? Will it be huge coffins filled with nuclear waste? Will it be a world devoid of rain forests?

Here in Orkney we can see some of the marks that Neolithic man has left. Stones still standing reminding us of their search for God. Yet today archeologists are still discovering more and more about these very sophisticated people. As I walked around the site at Skara Brae and also Broch of Gurness, I was reminded of what I’ve seen in the past when visiting Machu Picchu.

I know the buildings are not exactly the same but there is something that echoes a similarity, at least in my mind.The Inca people centuries later were still trying to find a connection with God through stones and the sun. However it is also a reminder to us that we too are leaving a mark as we pass through this amazing world. Have a look at some of the pictures that I’ve left on the gallery this evening for those of you who have time to view them. GALLERY

One thing that I will always remember about the Carberry Festival is sharing a late night fish supper with John Bell, and the outstanding contribution that Adrian and Bridget Plass made to the Festivals over the years.One other thing I want to mention yet I’m not sure why, the picture of the crown of thorns which hangs in the Chapel hallway. I think John also added so much to those first few festivals. Maybe the crown of thorns speaks of themes and teaching that was not afraid to face suffering and pain head on.All of us who attended and shared ourselves discovered that the so called theological differences we all expressed, didn’t in the end divide us. Instead living together in community for a week or two made us aware of the important things that united us.Of course since those days the Carberry Festival has changed and different people have been in charge yet it would seem that the same spirit of community and companionship is still alive and well among those who regularly attend. I was privileged to perform at this the last festival as one who performed at the first. Iain Jamieson and myself had an enjoyable evening singing some of our old and new songs.I think one of the most moving experiences for me this weekend, was when we were all invited to bring closure to the Festival by burying the past in order to look forward to perhaps a different kind of event that might grow out of the experience of Carberry.If you’ve attended the Carberry Festival why not use this blog to record some of your memorable experiences.The picture above just reminds me of what it was like to stand at the back of the Chapel and look in or an event that could be musical, dramatic , or indeed worshipful. The picture below is the spot where we hope Jock Stein will be able to plant a tree to commemorate the influence of the Festival on the lives of so many people. If you have time visit my picture gallery highlighting the weekend. GALLERYLet me know what you think, should a new `Festival be born out of the old one? Here is a demo recording of a song Iain , Stephen and I performed on last Friday. I think it is very relevant to the thinking that Neil shared with us as he spoke of the power of a seed to be planted in the ground and in the end to bear much fruit. Maggie’s song reminds us of the power that comes through suffering and faith.

 Carberry Towers has been an influential retreat centre in the life of the church in Scotland for the past 50 years for most of these years it has been administered by the Church of Scotland. Over the past two or three years it has been administered by new Trust which is seeking to take the centre into a different type of usage.  From June 20-22 a group of people returned to say farewell to the venue which has been the home to a unique Christian  Arts Festival for the past 20 years. The festival was known as the Carberry Festival.  Over the past 20 years this festival has be instrumental in shaping and forming many ministries throughout Scotland. Literally hundreds of people have been supported and encouraged in their Christian walk through the ministry of this place. I hope that the focus of being Christ centred will continue with its new role.   Anyway I was part of a group of people who were at Carberry this weekend to say farewell to the festival and to seek guidance for the future of the vibrant community that has now grown up around the Carberry Festival.  As I prayed in the Chapel looking out onto the lawn. The ten foot cross in the lawn which has been such a focus of prayer and reflection, can no longer be seen with the same clarity. It has faded in to the background as the trees surrounding it has swamped its stark powerful image. All this got me thinking that it is a picture of the church or the gospel in today’s society. The cross is welcome to be there as long as it blends into the background . A group of creative artists worked around the cross to create an amazing river flowing from the cross. It really was an amazing piece of art and it spoke volumes to everyone. There is a river of life that flows fro the cross seeking to fill all of us up with the power and compassion of God.  If you walked closer to the cross you would have notice the beautiful silver thread that ran from the cross right down the river. Here is a  close up picture of the cross. I came away from the weekend grateful to god that I had been associated with such amazing group of people over the past 20 years. So what of the future? Well That is something everyone has now got to think about.

 Do you know something I think it is about six years since we’ve played a gig in public so I’m looking forward to remembering all my words. Vagabond Shoes was the title of a song we wrote a few years ago. It was all about what it was like being a disciple of  Jesus. You had to put up with a lot. You were always out on the road. I guess you felt like a band of brothers. Playing in the Bogle Band was a of a similar experience. Sometimes you feel this bond, I think its all about voices harmonising and feeling and share the same space.Here is a fascinating and spooky fact I have never noticed before. My father was called James so I am James’ son. For over 21 years I’ve written songs with a “Jamieson” who happens to have the same birthday as my father,  and whose mother thinks we have the same  personality streaks.  Now tomorrow night my son will join the Bogle Jamieson partnership to perform at the Carberry Festival and guess what he has James in his name as well. I’m really looking forward to getting the chance to sing  again some of the songs we’ve written the  new ones as well as  the  old ones.  I think its going to be a really good night. We thought we’d base the set around swapping songs, one generation of song writers talking to another and telling the stories about the songs. So if your reading this get down to Carberry tonight for 8.30pm and enjoy what I can only describe, what will be a unique experience. I ‘ll try and get some pics to post on the blog tomorrow. Oh one thing more i think it will be a really good gig because I’m looking out some old footage of the band and also some video clips to compliment the songs. I’m glad that Rae Manger who I collaborate with when making these video clips, will also be around to give the techie support. And a big thanks to Craig Hannah an ex Bogle Band member who was down at carberry with Stephen tonight rigging up the PA. The picture above was poster from a Bogle Band Concert way back since I don’t have a current pic of the band this will do.