How delighted and honoured I am at being invited to write this foreword to your studies on the Gospel of Luke.

I think it is a marvellous decision you have made to concentrate on one Gospel for a year. This was one of the hopes of the General Assembly this year in adopting the report entitled "Church Without Walls", where just such a suggestion was proposed.

I am certain that from the congregation's study of the Gospel of Luke many positive results will flow. Luke's Gospel is well-known for its clear emphasis on the good news for the poor and it also highlights the important place of women among the followers of Jesus. Other valuable insights too will be gained from your studies.

In the aftermath of the catastrophe of September the 11th, and of the immense events which have followed, the place of faith in the life of individuals and of society has emerged with a new importance.

I pray that your studies on the Gospel of Luke will be rewarded by a deepening of your own faith, and by a confidence to explain it so that others may be attracted to the light of the Gospel.

John Millar
Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland