IN COMPANY WITH JOHN BELL
Saturday 24th September 2022
10.30am – 4.00pm
HILLSBOROUGH PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
Rev Dr John Bell is a well known Scottish hymn writer and Church of Scotland minister, he’s a member of the Iona Community and a frequent broadcaster. He often presents programmes on the BBC majoring on contemporary religious songs from various parts of the world. John is no stranger in Ireland and has made many visits to lecture and speak at a variety of events.
Since 2021 John has been a patron of the Open Table Network, an ecumenical community for LGBT people and their allies.
“What we sing is what we end up believing.”
John Bell
There will be two sessions one in the morning and one in the afternoon, which will cover two different but relevant themes:
Programme
10.30am Arrival with tea/coffee
11.00am – 12.30pm ‘The Divine Bias in Favour of Diversity’
12.30pm – 2.00pm Lunch break
We encourage you to bring lunch with you and we will provide tea/coffee or you may wish to lunch in the village or nearby. There are quite a few convenient options close to the church.
2.00pm – 3.30pm ‘Belief Shaped Not By Sermons’
3.30pm – 3.45pm Closing plenary session
Session topics in detail….
THE DIVINE BIAS IN FAVOUR OF DIVERSITY
From Genesis One to the Tower of Babel to the Ten Commandments and the Gifts of the Spirit, there runs a golden thread which celebrates that God delights in diversity.
But how does this sit with churches which seek not just unity but uniformity? And what light can this shine on how we deal with vexatious issues which beleaguer the Body of Christ? Such things will be the stuff of our deliberations.
BELIEF SHAPED NOT BY SERMONS
The song of the church was in Reformation times so important that only Psalms were sung. They came with the endorsement of Jesus and their purpose was more to shape spirituality than give people a good feeling.
Times have changed, yet what we sing – though preachers might deny it – has as much significance in shaping our belief as sermons.
This session, in which there will be plenty of singing, does not require vocal dexterity.
Photo: Philip King – philipkingphotography.co.uk
Venue: Hillsborough Presbyterian Church, Hillsborough Co. Down