Lost in the Snow

On December 28th 1908 Postman Robert Cunningham set off from Ballantrae in blizzard conditions to deliver the mail to the surrounding hamlets and farmhouses. On his way home, he took a detour over the moor as snow had blocked the usual road. He never made it back, and his body was found two days later, lying on his empty mail sack and covered by the snow. He was 27. The following year, a cross was erected in his memory.

 It reminds me of the story of another young man lost in the snow. The parents of a boy in the Highlands died when he was very young and, as he had no one to care for him, he went to live with his grandfather, who was a shepherd. His grandfather told him many of the stories in the Bible, especially stories about shepherds. He told him about how Moses and David had been shepherds, and how Jesus is described in the Bible as ‘the Good Shepherd’ who laid down his life for the sheep.

 The boy had never learned to read, so his grandfather taught him a simple way to remember the first five words of Psalm 23 – ‘The Lord is my shepherd’. He took the boy's left hand, and as he said each word he would point to a finger. Soon the boy could say the words himself, holding each finger as he did so. The grandfather noticed that the boy seemed to take special pleasure in the fourth word, ‘my’, and held his fourth finger tightly.

 As the boy grew older, he was able to take the sheep out by himself to find pasture. Late one afternoon, however, the old man became worried. The weather was bitterly cold and it had been snowing for some time.

 The snowstorm turned into a blizzard and the old man put on his coat and hat and raced out of the house in search of the boy. However, the fierce winds and blinding snow made it impossible. He would soon lose all sense of direction, and his old and weary body was unable to go further.

 With a heavy heart he returned to his little cottage and slumped down on the chair in front of the fire.  Nothing could be done until the blizzard stopped. He prayed that God would watch over the boy. He thought of the things he had tried to teach him, and hoped that he would not forget them. A long and restless night lay ahead.

 By morning, the snow had stopped, so the old man wasted no time. He went to where he thought the lad might be sheltering. Suddenly, in the distance, he saw a mound in the snow. His heart sank as he raced towards it. Desperately he pushed the snow away and there he saw the little shepherd lad frozen to death. The old man wept sadly as he looked at the little body.

 As he continued to brush the snow away, he noticed that the boy’s hands were clasped in a strange way. His right hand was firmly gripping the fourth finger of the left hand. The old man remembered how he had taught him to say: ‘The Lord is my Shepherd’ by holding a finger for each word. There was no doubt that the finger the lad was holding stood for the word ‘my’.

 The old grandfather lifted up his eyes and thanked God that the little shepherd boy had known that the ‘Good Shepherd’ was his Shepherd.

 Psalm 23 is still a much-loved psalm today, and often sung at funerals. But the story of the shepherd boy makes me wonder – how many people can truly say that the Lord is ‘my’ Shepherd?

 Sadly I suspect that at many funerals, those words are not true of the deceased or many of those present – perhaps not even of the minister.

 But ultimately, in the face of death, having the Lord as our shepherd is the only thing that matters. The Bible teaches, in another famous chapter, that ‘All we like sheep have gone astray’. It goes on to say that ‘we have turned – every one – to our own way’. And yet the tremendous good news, prophesied 700 years before the cross, is that ‘the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all’ (Isaiah 53:6).

And so if Jesus is our Shepherd, he will guide us safely home, to heaven itself. The shepherd boy didn’t have much – but he had the one thing that really mattered. 

Published in the Stranraer & Wigtownshire Free Press, 12th June 2025

Harry & Mary Jane: 6 weeks in Stranraer

Harry and Mary Jane Ward, an elder and his wife from the Shawnee (Kansas) RP Church were with us for 6 weeks from late April through to the end of May. While they were here, they were involved in all aspects of church life. Harry led a weekly Bible study and did some practical work around the church. Mary Jane continued to teach the second Sabbath School class which had been begun when Rita Lyon was with us.

On their final Lord’s Day with us, they were presented with a clock, the background of which is a map of the local area. We are very grateful for their willingness to come and their investment in our lives.

Living between D-Day and VE Day

Today marks 80 years since VE Day. There have been and will be street parties, proclamations, RAF flypasts and more. Eighty years have passed since the moment when, eight days after Adolf Hitler’s suicide, his successor authorised Germany’s surrender. And on this eightieth anniversary, I want to suggest two lessons we might draw from it.  

The first one comes from Prime Minister Winston Churchill’s speech to the House of Commons eighty years ago today. He noted that after the end of WWI, the House ‘did not feel inclined for debate or business, but desired to offer thanks to Almighty God’. Churchill then moved:

‘That this House do now attend at the Church of St. Margaret, Westminster, to give humble and reverent thanks to Almighty God for our deliverance from the threat of German domination’.

Those who lived through those terrible days knew that God had sustained them, and that nothing would be more fitting on the day of victory than to acknowledge their thanks to him. If that is not our own first reaction eighty years on, I would suggest that it is not a change for the better.

There is however another lesson that we can take, or at least an illustration that we can draw, from VE Day. And that is that it came almost a year after D-Day. D-Day was the military name given to the Allied invasion of France on 6 June 1944. It was the largest seaborne invasion in history. The operation began the liberation of France, and the rest of Western Europe, and laid the foundations of the Allied victory on the Western Front.

And yet as incredible as that victory was, it would be almost another year until VE Day. For eleven months, the fighting would continue, and many more would die. D-Day guaranteed that VE Day would eventually happen. But much conflict lay in between.

Christians have often used this as an illustration of the time in which we are now living. Jesus’ death on the cross was D-Day. On it, he won a decisive victory over Satan, sin and death.

And yet the war is not over. One day, VE Day will dawn and Jesus will return. But until that day, the battles will continue. Suffering will still be a reality. We will still face temptation. And yet in the midst of that, it helps to know that VE Day is coming. In fact, D-Day guarantees that VE Day will happen. Jesus’ victory on the cross guarantees that one day he will return.

This also helps us respond when people use the reality of suffering to try and disprove God’s existence. For one thing, the Bible is clear that suffering was not part of the world as God originally made it. Suffering and death feel so wrong to us because they weren’t part of God’s original plan.

On top of that, the D-Day/VE Day illustration helps answer the question: ‘Why doesn’t God DO something about suffering?’ The answer is that he has. He sent his Son to earth. Jesus’ miracles are also described in the Bible as ‘signs’. They’re not things that we’re meant to try and recreate, as some well-meaning Christians suppose. Rather, they’re signs pointing to the world as it once was – and one day will be again. They’re little glimpses of the ‘new heavens and new earth’ (2 Peter 3:13) breaking into this broken world.

And so as we mark the eightieth anniversary of VE Day today. We’re thankful for those who fought – many of whom sacrificed their lives. We honour those remaining veterans. But may we not forget to give, as Churchill put it, ‘humble and reverent thanks to Almighty God’ for the deliverance granted then, and the peace we enjoy today.

For those interested in finding out more about Christianity, the gap between D-Day and VE Day helps explain how Christians look at the world today. Suffering and temptation are an ongoing reality. Battles will be lost. And yet ultimate victory is guaranteed because of what happened at the cross.

At the beginning of the twentieth century, there was much optimism about human progress. This was shattered by two world wars. It would be hard to read about those conflicts and to deny that ‘good’ and ‘evil’ are objective realities. And yet according to the Bible, ‘no-one is good but God alone’. So how can we be ready for Jesus’ return on the ultimate VE Day? Only by responding rightly to D-Day, and the victory won for us then.

Published in the Stranraer & Wigtownshire Free Press, 8th May 2025

A Reflection on Three Months in Stranraer

Bob and Rita Lyon have recently returned home to Kansas after being with us for three months (February to April). Below are some of Bob’s reflections on their time here. We hope it will be useful for others considering doing something similar, and also provide a window into congregational life.

When we arrived in Stranraer, Scotland, we came with no specific expectations—only a desire to settle in, become part of the congregation, and help wherever we could. Our intention was simple: to quietly support the church by bolstering its numbers, contributing where needed, offering encouragement, and not to be a burden.

From the very beginning, we were warmly welcomed, accepted, and loved by the congregation. It was a joy to find how easily relationships formed with so many individuals. The church felt like home far quicker than we imagined. In joining the daily rhythms of this faithful body, we quickly saw the depth of commitment and effort poured in by the two elder families, the Steeles and the Frasers. Their leadership carries the full weight of responsibility for the congregation, and their dedication is tireless, though it often stretches them thin. If in any small way we were able to ease that burden—through helping with child care, offering friendship, or simply being present—we are deeply thankful for the opportunity.

The church is made up of a mix of individuals, many of whom are single and elderly. It was clear that visits, invitations, and personal attention meant a great deal to them. Small gestures of care seemed to go a long way, and we were blessed in return with rich conversations and shared moments of faith.

Throughout our time there, we were entrusted with a variety of responsibilities. We led adult Bible studies and children’s Sabbath School classes, participated in Bible distributions, visited schools, and assisted with infrastructure projects. We helped with congregational meals, and intentionally built relationships within the community—whether with local shopkeepers or individuals who had once been connected to the church. In these simple tasks, we saw the Lord open doors to extend the visibility and reach of the church within Stranraer.

We also had the privilege of coordinating two others who joined us for a 10-day short-term trip. With their help, we completed a number of physical projects on the church building and parsonage—an encouraging example of how even short visits can leave a lasting impact when guided by a shared vision.

Though we came to serve, we were the ones who were blessed—again and again. We had no particular gifts or expertise to offer, only a willingness to be present and available. And yet, God multiplied those small efforts. The experience deepened our walk with the Lord and taught us much about the beauty of quiet faithfulness, perseverance, and love lived out in community.

Spending three months in Stranraer felt like a good amount of time to truly integrate into the life of the church and to develop meaningful relationships. It was a joy and a privilege to work alongside the Steeles and Frasers, to share in their labor, and to witness the fruit of their long-term commitment.

We are deeply grateful for the time we were able to spend with the church in Stranraer. It was a wonderful season—one marked by service, growth, and genuine fellowship. We leave thankful, encouraged, and hopeful for the ongoing ministry in that part of Scotland.

Milestone Birthdays Celebrated!

Members and friends of the Reformed Presbyterian Church recently celebrated three significant birthdays: a 70th, 80th and 90th! A lunch was held at the Bay House on Saturday 5th April to celebrate these significant milestones reached by Bob Lyon, Robert Dabner, and Margaret Clark. Bob, from Kansas, but in Stranraer for three months along with his wife Rita, reached the age of ‘threescore and ten’ in March. Robert completed his eighth decade in January, and Margaret, turned 90 at the end of December. The congregation’s minister, Rev. Stephen Steele, spoke of his gratitude for each of them. The memorable lunch ended with the cutting of a cake and the viewing of some old pictures that Robert had digitised for the occasion.

Published in the Stranraer & Wigtownshire Free Press, 17 April 2025