Letters From Alistair Begg

Dear Friend

Warmest Christian greetings as summer days recede and autumn beckons. It has been a real privilege and delight to have welcomed so many who took me up on my invitation to come and see us. Those visits provided our church family with an insight into the reach of the program as well as an opportunity to show hospitality to our visitors. It is safe to say that our guests were not surprised by what took place. They found it reassuring that “seeing the monkey in his natural habitat” was as expected. The main things were plain, and the Word of God was doing the work of God by the Spirit of God, thanks be to God!

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Dear Friend,

As I drove to my study last week, a thought popped into my head. You will not be surprised when I tell you that it was a line from one of William Cowper’s lesser-known hymns: “Sometimes a light surprises the Christian while he sings.” I wonder, do you find that happening from time to time when you are part of a worshiping congregation? Familiar words suddenly are suffused with heavenly light, as if Jesus the worship leader drew near to say, “These words are most wonderfully true and relevant to you.” I cherish such moments when we get a tiny glimpse of what it will be to join with that great multitude in declaring, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!”

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Dear Friend,

Allow me to begin by inviting you to join me in praying for a man who, although we have never met, has made an impact on my life since I was a teenager. The lyrics and melodies of Paul Simon have contributed significantly to the soundtrack of my life. I borrowed from one of his songs to try to convince the girl living three thousand miles away that I loved her: “My mind’s distracted and diffused, my thoughts are many miles away; they lie with you when you’re asleep and kiss you when you start the day.” It worked!

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Could you write the story of how you came to faith in Jesus in a hundred words or less?

I well remember when I was given that assignment. It was at the University of Aberystwyth in Wales. An American couple, who were in due course to become my in-laws, sponsored my attendance at an institute of biblical studies under the auspices of Campus Crusade for Christ (now CRU). I must confess that my initial response was somewhat negative: Why does there have to be a word count? Ought we not just tell our story without such pressure? But then I realized the purpose of the exercise was to encourage us to be able to share our faith in a form that was easy to understand.

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Twenty-three years ago, encouraged by my colleague Jeff Mills, we began a conference with the goal of helping pastors to keep on in Gospel ministry. Sensing that we needed to give the conference a name, we settled on Basics. Our thinking was both simple and straightforward: rather than setting unrealistic or unattainable goals, we would focus on the fundamentals of being servants of the Word. Around that time, I had read a book which analyzed the success of various companies and was struck by the observation that despite the unique aspects of each company, what was true of them all was their ability to “do the basics well most of the time.” 

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When you listen to music, do you focus on the melody or the lyrics? Certain people are able to carry the tune and remember the words, but my limited research suggests most are either words or music people. Here in Cleveland, we are able to enjoy one of the best orchestras in the world and find our spirits lifted by Vivaldi’s Four Seasons or moved to tears by Mahler’s Symphony No. 5. Music is a powerful gift from God. It is impossible to imagine a world without it. The apostle Paul urges his readers to encourage each other by singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs.

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"There is no ideal place in which to serve God, save in the place in which He sets you down."

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In Revelation, we are given a vision of a vast crowd too great to count which is made up of people from all nations, provinces, and languages, and together they are crying out with a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!” This is a picture to keep in mind always, and especially when in our Gospel endeavors it is a “day of small things” (Zech. 4:10). I remind myself as I encourage our congregation to read and watch the news through the lens of Scripture. Graeme Goldsworthy puts it well: “Scripture as God’s word must interpret history and culture, not the other way round.” 

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I have written previously about the way in which the “turn of the year” evokes strong memories of my previous life in Scotland. Why this should be true of this time of year more than any other is hard to say. Perhaps it is because of the song sung around the world, “Auld Lang Syne.” It begins with a rhetorical question: Should old relationships be forgotten? The answer is clearly no.

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Warmest Christmas Greetings!

It is a privilege for me to receive so many letters—even if at the same time, I bemoan the fact that I am able to respond to so few of them. Perhaps one day, when I am no longer in the pulpit, it will be possible for me just to enjoy corresponding with you!

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