Church In A Changing Culture

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As I climbed the steps of my former church building, I paused.  There was a sense of familiarity – for five years I had entered through these doors almost every Sunday to join others in worship – but it also felt incredibly surreal, because now the fragrant aroma of garlic and herbs was drifting from the building, and inside people had gathered not to worship but to eat.  My former church was now a pizza restaurant.

That one incident says a lot about being a Christian in Scotland today.

Scotland is a country with a rich Christian heritage.  It was once known as the “land of the book” and it sent many missionaries to spread the Gospel in other countries – people such as David Livingstone, Mary Slessor, and Eric Liddell.  Church buildings are everywhere in Scotland’s cities, and even the city mottos reflect this history…

…But if that was the past, the present is very different. 

Join me at Gracefully Truthful to read the rest of this post. It was a privilege to be invited to write it as part of their series entitled “Nations,” looking at people’s different experiences of church across the world and seeking to learn from one another.

It was also a huge responsibility to feel that I am representing my country in this, and obviously this post is just my personal perspective, but it was interesting to reflect on the church in Scotland.

And, in case you’re wondering, despite the slightly gloomy beginning to the post, I do firmly believe there is hope for the church in Scotland. Join me at Gracefully Truthful to discover why!

Just a quick note to my regular readers: my posting here will probably be sporadic for at least the next month or so. As some form of normal life begins to resume, it looks like the next four or five weeks are going to be incredibly busy. I hope to post from time to time, but probably won’t be posting as much as usual until towards the end of June.