Moderator tells Church members - 'Remember who you are'
Published on 25 May 2023
The Moderator of the General Assembly has issued a rallying call to Church of Scotland members and urged them to "remember who you are".
Rt Rev Sally Foster-Fulton said they all belonged to the body of Christ and encouraged them to work together for a better world.
Reflecting on the General Assembly week, she said: "What a beautiful mix of ‘blink and you've missed it' moments and motions, counter-motions, amended amendments that made the mind boggle.
"What a beautiful mix of ideas and energy, insight and innovation and inspiration.
"What a beautiful mix of God's creative love – minds, bodies, spirits, cultures, traditions, wisdom gathered from all over God's world, waiting to work together."
Body of Christ
Mrs Foster-Fulton said people had assembled in Edinburgh to consider how the Church of Scotland should, could and will play its part in something so much-bigger.
"We have discerned and decided together," she added.
"Not ‘rock, paper, scissors', hope we got it right, but wrestling and reflecting and praying together to determine the direction we will walk in together.
"I leave you with the same comfort, challenge, call that we began with - ‘remember who you are.'
"The body of Christ, eyes that see the world as good, who see every other human beings as stand-ins for God.
"Who see a beautiful world, yes, with broken bits, but beautiful.
"God's created world that needs all the love we can muster and we can muster so much love.
"The body of Christ – hands that aren't afraid to get dirty or reach out or work for a better world they may never live to see.
"The body of Christ - feet that walk the extra mile and the one after that and one after that and one after that, ones that slow down and wait and feet that are in it for the long haul.
"And feet that dance too because there is so much to be joyful about.
"The body of Christ - here to hold up a sister who's struggling or sit with a brother who's afraid.
"With a heart hot with compassion and a voice that cannot, simply will not be silent when people are shoved or subtly nudged into the margins, people get cornered there by greed dressed up as ‘the way things are.'
"Don't let it fool you."
Responding to challenges brought the Church's way, Mrs Foster-Fulton responded: "Bring them on.
"This body can and will walk a new road together.
"Look around you, we already are."