After the Conference.

The CPA Annual Conference, 2011, is ended and, by now, even the furthest-travelled delegates should be safely back home.  Indeed, many of them will probably have already completed a shift on duty!

It was, by any standard of measurement, a successful conference.  More than a hundred delegates gathered from every part of the UK - the south-west of England; the City of London; the Midlands; Wales; N.Ireland; Scotland (of course!); and many other Forces.  All united in a common love for, and allegiance to, the Lord Jesus.

My own parts, as stated in the previous post, were preaching at the Saturday evening Praise Service - which was open to the local inhabitants of Kincardine and Tulliallan (and a number were in attendance); and being involved in the brief Act of Remembrance at the Scottish Police War Memorial.

The theme of the Conference was "Certainty in uncertain times", and my message on Saturday was based on Psalm 46.  It's a psalm that speaks of God in three different ways: as our Refuge, in the midst of chaos - the One in Whom we may find shelter; as our Help in the midst of the culture and society in which we live - the One Who acts on our behalf; and as our Confidence, in the midst of the nations - the One in Whom we may have implicit trust.  He is, indeed, for His people, our Certainty in uncertain times.  We also listened to the personal testimonies of two officers - a reminder that we all come to a saving knowledge of the Lord Jesus in different ways, because salvation is a deeply personal experience.  I hope to be able to add a recording of my message to my audio blog at revcbross.blogspot.com so do check from time to time!!

At the brief service on Sunday, we remembered not only those who had died on military service in the two World Wars but also, by name, those serving officers who had died since the beginning of last year - including PC Ronan Kerr of the Police Service of Northern Ireland murdered, just over a week ago, when a bomb exploded underneath his car as he set off to report for duty.  Although simple, that service - the first of its kind at a CPA Conference - seemed to be appreciated by all of those who were in attendance.

Regretfully, I was unable to attend the other sessions, but the reports that I have heard were all very good, and there was certainly a great sense of fellowship.  Please continue to support your own local officers in what is a demanding, difficult and, sometimes, demoralising job.  Believe me, they deserve that support!

Christian Police Association Annual Conference

This year, the CPA Annual Conference is being held in Scotland - at the Scottish Police College in Tulliallan.  If I recall correctly, this is the first time that it has been held north of the border - and if not, then it is certainly the first time for a very long time!

The CPA is the oldest Force Support organisation within the Police Force(s).  It was founded in 1883 by Catherine Gurney - who also founded the Police Convalescent Homes (Rehabilitation Centres) in Reading, Bershire; Harrogate,N.Yorkshire; and Auchterarder, Pethshire.  She also founded police orphanages and schools, and travelled abroad to continue her work and thus make the CPA a truly international organisation.  Little wonder that she was eventually awarded the OBE - a much more worthy recipient than the majority of those who receive such awards today!

Tomorrow evening, I have the privilege - in my dual capacity as a member of the CPA and a Force Chaplain - of ministering at the worship service (which is also open to the general public) to be hosted by Tulliallan and Kincardine Parish Church, where my friend, Rev Ken Donald, is the minister.  On Sunday morning, I will also (D.V.) be officiating at a wreath-laying ceremony at the War memorial at the College.

I share all of this to do two things.  First of all to emphasise the fact that there are many disciples of Jesus within our Police Forces, throughout the United Kingdom.  Indeed, I know of at least three Chief Constables who are members of the CPA!  They, and many others, have found that it is perfectly possible to be a committed  follower of Jesus, the Christ, within the Police Service.

The other reason is to encourage those of my readers who, themselves, are disciples of Jesus, to pray for our police officers and civilian staff.  Indeed, the CPA has an initiative that gives specific ideas as to how you might pray for your local officers.

For example, you might wish to contact your local police station and find out the names of the Community/Neighbourhood Police Team.  If you are within the Strathclyde Force area, you will be able to access that information online - although movement of officers means that it might not always be totally accurate!  Other Forces may have the same information on their websites.  You could then pray for those officers, by name, perhaps on a "rota" - so many each day.

You might also listen to local radio and television news, and take note of any items involving the police that should be the subjects of prayer.  Logging on to the website of your local Force and navigate to the news/appeals page, where you may find out about local situations over which you could pray.

If anyone would like to have a copy of the Pray4YourPolice card, please leave a comment to that effect (it will not be published!) together with an e-mail address and I will happily scan both sides and forward it to you.

I feel tremendously privileged to have had this door of opportunity opened to me, as I seek to serve the officers and civilian staff within my own Division.  It would be good if many others were to join with me in my most important duty - to pray for them, on a daily basis!

The listening PM!!!

I am so proud of my Prime Minister!  How brave of him to announce, with regard to changes in the NHS in England, that he and the Coalition Government are going to listen to the people who are most involved.  Well done, sir!  You deserve the congratulations.

However, now that you have set such a worthwhile precedent, may one expect the announcement of further listening exercises?  If the Prime Minister is short of ideas, I would suggest that he consult the people who are most involved concerning our continuing membership of the discredited, disastrous, debacle that is known as the European Union!  Since the people who are most involved are in that particular case, the British people as a whole and, especially, the hard-pressed tax-payer, this would require a referendum.  I await the announcement.

May I also suggest to the Prime Minister that he withdraw the £650 million grant that he has made - without, to the best of my knowledge, any consultation with Parliament, let alone the taxpayer who is funding it - to the nuclear weapon holding, and space exploring, nation of Pakistan?  This is the country in which Section 295c of the Penal Code allows minority groups to be targeted if they say, or are even falsely alleged to have said, something considered to be uncomplimentary about the Islamic prophet, Muhammad.  Yet the P.M. doesn't even lay down conditions to go along with his beneficence.  I am all for supporting those in genuine need - but it should be genuine!

The PM might also consider listening to those who are, currently, of pensionable age.  He might explain to them the rationale behind the proposed introduction of a straightforward single State Pension being awarded only to "new" pensioners - while the existing ones have to continue to go through the minefield of form-filling in order to obtain that for which they have given a lifetime's work.  Surely, if "we are all in this together", then all should be treated equally!

Finally, the PM might consider the unwelcome ramifications of the Human Rights Act, 1998.  Did he not actually promise a new British Bill of Rights?  When is he going to deliver on that promise.  If he is concerned about the withdrawal of support from his Coalition partners, I would suggest that he has nothing about which to worry.  They've had almost a year of ministerial cars, and the other perks of being in government.  Oh, they'll shout a bit, and insist that they are not in favour.  But does he honestly think that they will do anything to bring down the government?  As is often asked, "Do turkeys vote for Christmas?"

So come on, Mr Cameron.  make me - and, I suspect, a lot of other people - even more proud of you.   And please start with that referendum on our continuing membership of the EU!

A "secular" Bible!

There I was, casually listening to the closing minutes of this morning's "Today" programme on BBC Radio 4.  Suddenly, my ears pricked up as John Humphrys, the presenter, announced that the well-known atheist, and humanist philosopher, A.C.Grayling had just had published a "secular Bible".  That sounded like an oxymoron, and my attention was guaranteed.

It's true! The official title of the volume is "The Good Book: A Secular Bible".  Mr Humprys (himself, at best, an agnostic) read a few verses from the King James (Authorised) Version of the real Bible, and Mr Grayling then read the "equivalent" passage from his own book.  Both of them had the good grace to agree that the language of the KJV was much more majestic.

However, it's not the language of any particular version of the Bible that is important - it's the message; and it never changes.  Dr Giles Fraser, a regular contributor to the daily "Thought for the Day", and Canon Chancellor of St Paul's Cathedral was at hand to debate with Mr Grayling.  However, I was rather disappointed as he seemed to think that humour was the best defence of the written Word of God!

Mr Grayling's book, according to Bloomsbury, the publishers, draws "... on the wisdom of 2,500 years of contemplative non-religious writing on all that it means to be human – from the origins of the universe to small matters of courtesy and kindness in everyday life – A. C. Grayling, Britain’s most popular and widely read philosopher, has created a secular bible.  Designed to be read as narrative and also to be dipped into for inspiration, encouragement and consolation, The Good Book offers a thoughtful, non-religious alternative to the many people who do not follow one of the world’s great religions. Instead, going back to traditions older than Christianity, and far richer and more various, including the non-theistic philosophical and literary schools of the great civilisations of both West and East, from the Greek philosophy of classical antiquity and its contemporaneous Confucian, Mencian and Mohist schools in China, down through classical Rome, the flourishing of Indian and Arab worlds, the European Renaissance and Enlightenment, the worldwide scientific discoveries of the 19th and 20th centuries to the present, Grayling collects, edits, rearranges and organises the collective secular wisdom of the world in one highly readable volume.
Contents: Genesis; Proverbs; Histories; Songs; Wisdom; Acts; The Lawgiver; Lamentations; Concord; Consolations; Sages; The Good; Parables." 

However, what Mr Grayling apparently fails utterly to do is to deal with the condition of mankind.  I was so disappointed that Dr Fraser failed to make any mention of the root problem of mankind - that which we call sin!  Sin, according to my memory of the Shorter Catechism, "... is any transgression of, or want of conformity to, the Law of God."  That covers both sins of commission, and of omission.  Of course we may learn from the great philosophers of the past.  One of Mr Grayling's favourites would appear to be the Greek, Seneca - a contemporary of the apostle Paul.  I recall, as an undergraduate, doing some essay work on Seneca  - and discovering that his thinking was so close to that of the New Testament, that I wondered if he had, in fact, like Paul, become a follower of the Way (Who is Jesus)!  Perhaps Mr Grayling should do some deeper research into Seneca's writings!

This newly-published volume may have been named "the Good Book" - but it will not explain the sinfulness of mankind; it will not point me to the only sufficient remedy for sin; it will not show me a God Who loves me so much that, in the Persona of the Son, He was willing to suffer death for me. 

I don't believe that it was mere coincidence that, when I went up to my study for my time of private devotions, the little book that I am currently using had, for today "The Wisdom in God's Word"!  Here is the opening paragraph: "We treasure Scripture.  It's God's inspired Word, and it teaches us the way to true life in this world, and eternal life in the world to come.  Indeed, it is the source of a wisdom that goes beyond that of the wisest philosophers (I Corinthians 1:20).  Bu this fact is rarely acknowledged in pour culture." 

"... a wisdom that goes beyond that of the wisest philosophers."  And that even includes A.C.Grayling.  I think that I'll stick with the original Bible - not just the "Good Book", but the "Best"!

It's easy to spend other people's money!

I am no enemy of the Scottish National Party.  In previous elections, I have occasionally supported them with my vote, and believe that, given the constraints that are automatically laid upon a minority government, they have performed well during their four years in office.  Indeed, as I look at the possible alternatives (another LibLab coalition!), I sincerely hope that they gain sufficient seats on May 5th to be able to form a strong government for the next five years.

However, I don't believe that the party has done itself any good with the reported spending of more than £53,000 of taxpayers' (and, even with a very modest pension, I am still included in that group!) money, by endeavouring to block a Freedom of Information request regarding financial details of the party's local income tax policy - intended to be an alternative to Council Tax.  It is reported in today's Herald newspaper that Scottish Information Commissioner, Kevin Dunion, incurred the bulk of the legal costs after the Government attempted to take him to court - arguing  that the original FOI request was invalid, and that Mr Dunion did not have a right to view the documents.

The First Minister, Alex Salmond, eventually moved away from the court threat, after which the commissioner backed the newspaper and ordered disclosure of the information.  However, as if all of that wasn't bad enough, the newspaper also reports that it was confirmed, last week, that the Scottish Government intends to dispute this decision in the Court of Session - leading to further expense for the hard-pressed taxpayer!

Perhaps, in such cases, when it is a particular Party's policies that are involved, it should be the responsibility of the Party to meet any costs.  As it is, there appears to be a bottomless crock from which governments, and political parties, and politicians, have granted themselves the right to withdraw any required (whether, or not, genuinely necessary!) funds.  I, and my fellow-taxpayers, keep the crock filled up - the politicians empty it.

Aye, it's easy to spend other people's money - but is it always morally defensible?