It is unfortunate that Scripture has been used to stop the advances of Science. God is both within Scripture and within Science. However God is also outside the achievements of science. Science is never likely to determine the attributes of God or indeed prove that all matter exists without God and that matter is all that exists. Although science has successfully identified fraudulent spirituality, true spirituality is still a mystery to scientific research.

It is hard to remain comfortable with something we don't understand, and science holds out the hope of understanding. Perhaps this is why we prefer the authority of science to the authority of Jesus.

Despite its failings, it is the evangelical church that has been stronger on the authority of Jesus, while the liberal church has focussed on the teachings of Jesus, particular with regard to the poor. I am quite convinced that God wants to bang the evangelical and liberal heads together, but the doctrinal and theological differences are large, and there is much stubbornness on both sides, preventing this happening.

There are signs of hope within the Church of Scotland. One of the key recommendations in the Church Without Walls report is that each church should decide to follow one of the gospels for a year. St Cuthbert's are setting up such a course and are planning to make it available to congregational members of the other West End Churches. Rather than do distant learning, it is better to come close to Jesus and feel the power and authority of his servant leadership.

Finally, if we start building up our confidence in the authority of Jesus will this not cause offence? Or bring us into conflict with people of other faiths?

In October 1965, during the Vatican Council, Pope Paul V1 issued a declaration called Nostra Aetate. This dealt with the relation of the church to non-Christian religions. This states that:

The Catholic Church rejects nothing that is true and holy in these religions. She regards with sincere reverence those ways of conduct and of life, those precepts and teachings which, though differing in many aspects from the ones she holds and sets forth, nonetheless often reflect a ray of that Truth which enlightens all men. Indeed, she proclaims, and ever must proclaim Christ "the way, the truth, and the life" (John 14:6), in whom men may find the fullness of religious life, in whom God has reconciled all things to Himself.

Without Jesus' authority, the church becomes weaker. Without Jesus' teaching, the church has nothing to say. Without the church, society will lose hope in its future.

Bruce Crerar, July 2002