The Big Question

From The Editor

Follow the Editor on Twitter @LifeWorkEditor SEPTEMBER is

PRAYER

Photo: iStock Creating God, between the stars and

LETTERS

The Love of God

Forward in faith

As the Church of Scotland Guild launches its new three-year partnership with six innovative projects, Jackie Macadam profiles three of the six projects to benefit from the Guild’s financial and spiritual support in the first of a two-part series

Ask for help and be present

The Very Rev Albert Bogle highlights the need to ‘Be Present’ in worship

Being God’s rod and staff

Lord Wallace reflects on the 20th anniversary of 9/11, reflecting on the place of God in tragedy

‘God has been guiding me’

Jackie Macadam learns about the faith and work of Dundee-based Parish Nurse Barbara MacFarlane

‘God has not grown tired of us’

The Rev Dr Liam Fraser outlines the background and basis for his new book, Mission in Contemporary Scotland.

A phone call can mean a lot

Dr Sally Bonnar, a retired consultant psychiatrist, tells Jackie Macadam about the potential impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on mental health

‘A broken commitment’

Keith and Ida Waddell, Church of Scotland Mission Partners in Zambia, outline the reality of the controversial decision to cut the UK’s International Aid Budget

Sentamu appointed as next Christian Aid chair

Lynne McNeil reports on the appointment of the

The Big Picture

Below: Cliff walk, Dunbar by Jane Cooper

An Argyll village church

John R Hume reflects on a personal memory with a small historic church in Argyll

The big C, God and me

Jennifer Bisset reflects on how a cancer diagnosis has impacted her faith

Sisters stronger together

Val Brown, Community Relations and Fundraising Manager with Christian Aid Scotland, introduces this year’s harvest campaign

CHURCH CRITICISES ‘MORAL FAILURE’ OF AID CUTS

The Church of Scotland has described the decision

CHURCH REACTS TO ISLAMOPHOBIA REPORT

Racism is a sin and society must work

GUILD GATHERING ONLINE

The Church of Scotland Guild’s Annual Gathering, which

MODERATOR BACKS GLOBAL VACCINE CAMPAIGN

The Moderator of the General Assembly has backed

PRAYERS FOR PEACE ON SOUTH SUDAN ANNIVERSARY

The Church of Scotland has joined with ecumenical

£1M REFURBISHMENT COMPLETE

An historic Angus church has undergone a £1m

PORTRAIT MARKS ANNIVERSARY

The Rev Alan Sorensen, minister of Wellpark Mid

CALENDAR

Portpatrick Guild has produced a calendar of local

ECUMENICAL FAREWELL

The Border Kirk Carlisle marked the final service

RETIREMENT

The Rev Alex MacPherson retired on June 30,

300,000 STEPS

The ‘two Phyls’ – Phyllis Strachan and Phyllis

LONG SERVICE

Six elders at St Andrew’s East Church, Glasgow

Football tournament honours elder

Thomas Baldwin highlights a schools and family inter-church event in East Kilbride in memory of a senior Church of Scotland elder

WCC AWARD

WORLD NEWS The World Council of Churches (WCC)

CUBA PRAYER REQUEST

The Presbyterian-Reformed Church in Cuba issued an urgent

AMERICAN CHURCHES IN REPARATIONS CALL

The Presbyterian Church (USA) Office of Public Witness

REGISTERS

MINISTRIES Compiled by Faith Nurture DEATHS Rev Douglas

The role of the table

The Very Rev Dr Derek Browning reflects on the importance of gathering to eat at a table and the message of Mark 14:12-25

REVIEWS

THIS IS GOD’S WORLD Songs of praise and

CROSSWORDS

September 2021 Crossword – Compiled by Jeannie Holland

Anger and poison

The Very Rev Dr John Chalmers considers the symbolism and deep meaning within the work of poet and painter William Blake