Priority Areas - really getting it right

Harvey Cox, the eminent American academic and theologian visited Scotland recently.

Whilst he was here he was introduced to the Priority Areas work of the Church of Scotland and Bridging the Gap, a project I am deeply involved with in my day job as a parish minister in the Gorbals.

Harvey has written back to us on his journey home to Harvard, and he said:

“I think that even though many of those involved are not aware of it, the priorities areas project is on the frontier of a new and welcome stage in Christian history and in the maturing ministry of the church. The Church of Scotland, unlike many other denominations, is really getting this one right. I know full well how discouraging it can be at times for the people involved, but I came back convinced that the program is bodying forth a fuller vision of what the Church should be. If Bridging the Gap is not a sacramental token of what the Kingdom of God is, then I do not know what would be."

Wow. Praise from the praise worthy is praise indeed.

When we’re up tae oor oxters in work, meetings, committees, preparing sermons, worrying about finances and roof metal theft, this is inspiring and uplifting.

I have written this post not to blow the trumpet for Bridging the Gap on its own, but to share the inspiration and uplift with everyone else involved in our Priority Areas work, and to share with the whole Church of Scotland that it is at the cutting edge