Author: John Stuart

When I ministered in Scotland, I served one of the most beautiful parishes in the country. Every morning, I would head out along the coast road to the village of Dunure, passing by many farms, fields, and forests. At the … Read more

I've met a couple of people who lived to be more than a hundred years old. One of them was a lady whose family were west coast of Scotland fishermen. She lived with her 75-year-old daughter, who treated her mother … Read more

As I'm writing this, I'm listening to Don McLean's song, "American Pie." It's being streamed over the internet from Radio Scotland and I'm reliving part of my past, remembering when the song first came out. Lots of theories have been … Read more

Over the past couple of years, we've concentrated at the church on building up our young families. We've helped young mothers through the wonderful MOPS (Mothers of Pre-Schoolers) program. We've remodelled the church to include a new Family Centre. We … Read more

My dad was an agnostic for most of his adult life. When I decided to become a preacher, he hit the roof. He thought I was wasting my life and talents, and he would have preferred that I had chosen … Read more

When I was a seminary student, I was assigned to various churches throughout the year. This was to give me hands-on experience in pastoral ministry, effectiveness, and leadership. I can remember being attached to a highly successful church, whose minister … Read more

Every day, I used to have the pleasure of driving nine miles along the coast road between Maybole and Dunure, in the west of Scotland. The scenery was outstanding — a mixture of patchwork fields, rolling hills, and always the … Read more

When I have the time, I love making chess sets. Over the years, I have moulded, modelled, and painted several different sets, which include soldiers from the Civil War, elves and goblins from Tolkien's books, and a medieval Scottish set … Read more

Some of my earliest memories are of visiting Doctor Wilson's surgery in Springburn, Glasgow, where I grew up. The outside window had a plain sign depicting the surgery hours, with two tall glass bottles (one red, the other blue) at … Read more

Many years ago, when I was a preacher in Scotland, two young women appeared at the manse door on a stormy winter's night. Both were slightly inebriated and had come to make a special request. One of them was a … Read more