Midweek Message: Accents

Matthew 26:73 After a little while, those standing there went up to Peter and said, "Surely you are one of them, for your accent gives you away."

 Recently I went to my local bank to deposit a check. As usual, the young bank teller asked me to say a few words. “I just love listening to your accent,” she said. I smiled. If I had been given a dollar for every time that I’ve heard those words since coming to the United States, I might have owned the bank by now!

 Accents are dead giveaways about where people originate. In the United States, there are many different accents and I like to try to guess which region, state, or city people come from whenever I meet them for the first time. If the Scottish accent is likeable to the American ear, it’s also true that most Scots like to hear American accents. I guess it all has to do with common genes and historical roots.

 When the disciple Peter was confronted by a group outside the High Priest’s house where Jesus was being interrogated, his accent betrayed him to the crowd. He must have spoken with a rustic Galilean accent which was easily recognized by the city slickers of Jerusalem. He tried to hide in the courtyard, but each time he spoke, his accent revealed his origins. The fact that Jesus had begun His ministry in Galilee meant it was very likely that Peter had traveled with Him. No matter what the Big Fisherman tried to do to conceal his attachment to Christ, his accent gave him away. Sadly, the accusations all became too much for Peter and he eventually swore that he never knew Jesus. It was the lowest moment of his ministry with Christ.

 After the Resurrection, Jesus restored Peter’s faith by forgiving him first and then giving him a life-long mission to spread the Gospel. In this way, Peter’s accent would be used by God for many years and in many different places, offering hope, grace, and love to people who never personally knew Christ, but who needed to hear that they could also be forgiven, and then given the same opportunity to share God’s love through the words and ways of Jesus.

Point to ponder: What things do I say or do that positively accentuate my faith to those around me?

Prayer: Lord Jesus, speak to our hearts and open our lives to Your bidding. Guide our thoughts and grant us the right words to say which will encourage and attract others to Your Way, Truth, and Life. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

June 24 devotional - Bannockburn Day

Psalm 60:12    With God we will gain the victory, and He will trample down our enemies.

Today is Bannockburn Day in Scotland. On the 24^th June 1314, the Scots defeated the invading English army at a place called Bannockburn and firmly established their independence. Robert the Bruce was the King of Scots and his fearless leadership won the battle for the outnumbered Scots. Bruce was the military leader who followed in the footsteps of William Wallace (Braveheart).

For ten years after the execution of William Wallace, Robert the Bruce labored hard at getting the Scots ready to win their independence. Just like George Washington centuries later, Bruce lost minor skirmishes but when it came to the one crucial battle of the War for Scottish Independence, he outwitted the English forces at Bannockburn and won the day. Ever since then, the Scots have celebrated the battle and their independence.

On the deciding day of the two-day battle, the outnumbered Scots advanced on the English but before they commenced fighting, the whole army knelt in prayer. Edward II, the English king, was reported to have been surprised by this and mockingly said, "They pray for mercy!"

"For mercy, yes," one of his attendants replied, "But from God, not you. These men will conquer or die."

It seems strange to ask God for providence and mercy on the battlefield, and yet when men are faced with the prospect of death in war, prayer is what they often resort to. In Western history, the winning of battles actually helped to expand Christianity. A victory was often interpreted as God’s favor through Christ, no matter how bloodthirsty or gory the battle might have been.

These days, we pray for the safety of our troops and still ask for God’s blessing and guidance in the midst of our wars. We look for justice and peace more than overwhelming victory and the complete annihilation of our enemies. We want Christ’s peace to be truly promoted, as opposed to that militaristic religious righteousness which only festers future divisions and engenders wasteful wars.

Prayer:                        Lord God, we thank You for the liberty and independence that we experience in our lives today. Sadly, we recognize that much of our freedoms were given to us through the battles that our people fought in the past and by the lives that were laid down in defense of our nation. Help us not to take our liberties for granted and remind us to pray for wisdom for our leaders and safety for our troops. In Christ’s Name, we humbly pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. If you would like to comment on John’s message, please send him an email to pastor@erinpresbyterian.org.

Today’s image is of a statue of Robert the Bruce on the field of Bannockburn. You can read more about the battle at the following link: http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Battle_of_Bannockburn

Fisher Folk Faith - Mark 1:17

Mark 1:17       “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.” (NIV)

            For the first nine years of my ministry, I was privileged to serve in a Scottish fishing village called Dunure. It was situated on the West coast of Scotland, overlooking the Firth of Clyde, which is the waterway to the Irish Sea. It’s a picturesque village with an old ruined castle that once owned by the powerful Kennedy clan. Quite recently, Season 3 of the popular Outlander television series has just been filmed down at Dunure harbor.

            The fishermen and their families taught me a lot about faith and ministry. They were very supportive but were also willing to let me know when I made mistakes. Their hard work and determination gave me many insights into courage and endurance; their faith and family ties helped me to understand the strength of being a community in both good and adverse times.

            When Jesus called the fishermen to be His first disciples, I think He knew that their tenacity and loyalty, as well as their candid and honest outlook on life, would bless His ministry and continue His mission long after He was gone. Christ may have given them a new calling to find, fish, and gather people to God’s Kingdom, but their own skills and determination would ensure the future successes of the Christian faith. In fact, we are indebted to those Galilean fishermen for the faith we embrace today, just as I am indebted to the Dunure fisher-folk for teaching me many lessons about life and ministry which I still practice years later.

Point to ponder

Who taught me about the Christian faith? What lessons of theirs do I still practice today?

Prayer:            Lord Jesus, we thank You for the calling of the disciples and especially the fisher-folk who supported and encouraged You throughout Your ministry. We also praise You for the success of their mission to the larger world and the blessings of faith that are now ours today. Grant us opportunities to share our Christian beliefs with other people in our own lives. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

Today’s image is one of John’s crayon drawings of Dunure. If you would like to view a larger version, please click this link: Dunure.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. The church website can be read at this link: www.erinpresbyterian.org.