Scotland Tour Group Shots with audio from archeologist at Vindolanda

I really enjoy setting up group shots of the families on the tour with the various sites we visit. It's lots of fun later to see the whole (some of these images are of smaller sub-groups) tour group to see themselves (I'm rarely in these, being the one behind the camera). Hope you all enjoy this montage of all of you.

Enjoy a virtual Crown & Covenant Tour 2011 in pictures

This video is made up mostly of images that I took while leading the tour with my wife Cheryl (who actually does all the hard important work that makes these tours so much fun--good food, good accommodations,good fellowship--the real experience). The audio is from our first day at Glasgow HighKirk. 

And here's another angle on the tour, this video made up of pictures taken by various participants who decided for good of for ill to turn their lens toward me while I was yawping away at various sites on the tour.

DAY 1: Glasgow High Kirk (Cathedral), St. George's Tron; Necropolis

Absolutely beautiful, blue sky, warm sun day. Three of our folks had mechanical problems and had to return to Philly; they arrive, Lord willing, via Manchester tomorrow evening; 'The mind of man plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps.'

Then we visited St. George's Tron where Sinclair Ferguson preached, and Eric Alexander, and where William Phillips now ministers. We learned more about the crisis in the Kirk.

At Fenwick Kirk, built in 1643, we met with Rev. Geoff Redmayne, who told us all about the church, William Guthrie's ministry and military leadership.

Wonderful dinner at Fenwick Hotel, and good fellowship with the young people on the tour. Read Psalm 93, Calvin's favorite, on Jesus reigning over the nations and all things, including tyrants who attempt to usurp the Crown rights of the Redeemer in his Kirk. This is going well! Thanks be to God.

And Cheryl in the jougs. Definition: jougs pl n (Scot. history) an iron ring, fastened by a chain to a wall, post, or tree, in which an offender was held by the neck; common in Scotland.

Crisis in the Church of Scotland

We enjoyed sweet fellowship with the saints at Loudoun Parish Church in Newmilns, Ayrshire yesterday. David Randall preached from Jeremiah 25 and II Kings 25 in the morning, and from John 18, Jesus in Gethsemane in the evening worship service. Christ was honored and the gospel was proclaimed in this pulpit, but alas, not so throughout most of the Church of Scotland. The clerk of the Kirk session read a statement to the congregation regarding the CS's approval of homosexual ministers. Last week there was a meeting of 700 ministers and eleders at St. George's Tron Church in Glasgow, where Sinclair Ferguson used to preach, and where William Phillips pastors today. The Tron is probably the second largest congregation in the CS, the first, Gilcomston South, Aberdeem, already declaring its withdrawal from the denomination. We had supper after evening worship last night with the McCallums and the Steels, Angus Steel an elder at Loudoun Church. Long and passionate discussion of what constitutes an apostate church, why more ministers did not recognize that the CS was moving away from the authority of Scripture when women were approved for ordination more than two decades ago, and what should be the course of action for confessing churches today.

Here is the link to St. George's Tron Church audio files on various speeches delivered at the landmark meeting last week: http://www.thetron.org/media/listen3.php?&Submit=Search&filter=Ministers+and+Elders+Meeting&q=high&sort=bible