“Dear Fruitful Vines,

One never knows in God’s mercy and kindness what a simple appeal to a Biblical passage can produce. As I was pondering my last encouragement to you all, I pondered Psalm 128. Verse 3 says, “Thy wife shall be as a fruitful vine by the sides of thine house.” I thought, “You know, instead of saying, ‘Dear pregnant moms,’ maybe, ‘Fruitful Vines,’ instead.” Now “pregnant moms” is a lovely term to me. Nevertheless, from the encouraging replies I received regarding the term Fruitful Vines, it will now be the address of choice!

This also pointed out to me again the importance of words and, especially in our society, of image. You dear sisters have to stand in the checkout lines of Wal-Mart and other stores all the time. Glaring at you are rows of magazines that virtually shout at you, “The Hollywood Harlots are the standard of beauty. You have to look like this, and display that, or you are not beautiful.”

Don’t listen to this. Reject it. Replace this lie with God’s truth.

Some of you mentioned waddling. Some of you mentioned that vines are thin. I was amused. Yet, I was also pierced to my very soul. Our society has made body-sculpting surgeons rich and constantly shoves its artificial, nip-and-tuck, silicone and Botox standard of beauty in your face. Let me tell you something: waddling, as your body bears the children God gave you, is holy. The changes, the aches, the pains, the swelling, the stretch marks, and all the rest-these are all beautiful in the eyes of the Lord and to any man who has his biblical wits about him. It is stunning beauty to see women submitting to the often painful changes that bearing the Lord’s children brings. Being fruitful and multiplying brings glory to the Lord Jesus Christ and is the holy act of bringing God’s elect into this world. Through virgin’s womb, our beloved Savior entered this world. Mary did the most holy waddling that has ever graced the planet. It was not the sultry, sensual sashay of seduction. It was the humble, load-bearing, groaning, aching waddle of the salvation of all God’s elect for all eternity.

Waddle on,groan on, swell up to the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ: you are displaying a true and holy beauty to your God and to anyone who has eyes to see.

My beloved wife used to say in her last trimester, “I feel like a beached whale.” I wish I had told her a million times and more, “But you are beautiful to me and to the Lord.” She was then and she is now the delight of my eyes. Dear Vines, there is a beauty in your fulfilling the eternal purpose of God to which all the airbrushed, surgically enhanced bodies on this planet will never compare. Your self-effacing sacrifice displays the glory of your Lord.

Waddle, swell, and groan to glory of your Savior. He knows true beauty when he sees it...”

Special thanks to Jeff Pollard for letting us publish this precious pastoral letter of encouragement to ladies, sent to the families of his congregation. Jeff is the author of Christian Modesty and the Public Undressing of America, and has been a regular teacher at Vision Forum Ministries conferences on Unity Between Church and Home sponsored by the National Center for Family Integrated Churches, where he has delivered important messages on Church Discipline, Legalism and a host of other subjects.

Posted by Doug Phillips on July 23, 2008 | Permalink

Report from the Defending the Truth Conference in Branson, Missouri

Approximately two thousand Christians came as families for an historic joint conference between Answers in Genesis, Vision Forum Ministries, and Voddie Baucham Ministries in Branson, Missouri last week. The event, which was filmed by Vision Forum Ministries, included messages on Creation, culture, Christian apologetics, and family reformation. Special music provided by Buddy Davis contributed to the joyful spirit of the event, which also included film clips provided by Answers in Genesis and Vision Forum Ministries, including several episodes of the Everyday News Network and a brief “behind the scenes” documentary look at the Jonathan Park Creation Radio Drama.

Both in the context of my work for the Institute for Creation Research as adjunct professor of apologetics, and on the home school conference trail, it has been my privilege to cross paths with Ken Ham, and sometimes serve with him as a speaker, but this was the first jointly sponsored event between Answers in Genesis and Vision Forum Ministries. In a day and age when an ungodly territoriality and other Satanically-inspired confusion deceptions are often used as wedges to prevent ministries from working with each other—thus diminishing the effective witness of the Body of Christ—it was a blessing for those in attendance to see the spirit of unity and agreement between the three speakers and their ministries. Many individuals commented that the event was the best they had ever attended, and that they particularly appreciated the way in which the speakers brought different styles of communication to present a unified and harmonious message.

Ken Ham served as MC of the event and also brought pointed, humorous and thoughtful messages on the subjects of “Genesis and the Secularization of America,” Learning How to Think Biblically,” “The Ten Most Asked Questions About Creation, Evolution and Genesis,” and “How to Reach Today’s World With the Gospel.”

My good friend Dr. Voddie Baucham brought powerful messages on the nature of the “Culture War,” on “Why Believe the Bible,” on “Life’s Ultimate Questions,” on “Biblical Manhood,” and on “The Person of Christ.” He kept the audience riveted in their seats as he exposited the Word of God and presented a practical defense of Christian orthodoxy. His personal stories and practical wisdom generated both side-splitting laughter at times and tears of compassionate understanding at other moments.

My own messages included “A Family Vision of Victory,” “Jerusalem and Athens: The Battle for Christian Culture,” “The Devolution of Law,” and “Taking Every Frame Captive.” I closed my part of the event Friday night with “The Promise: The Power and Blessings of the Fifth Commandment” in which I presented more than twenty Scriptures that address the imperative of honorable speech, conduct, and behavior within the Christian family and society as a whole. Most gratifying to me were the many testimonies I received after the message from young men and women, and even adults, who were so impacted by the Scriptures presented that they desired to change course altogether and become men and women of honor. May the Lord be praised.

It was a special blessing to share the podium over the course of the week with men who share broad agreement on fundamentals. All three speakers shared a commitment to presuppositional apologetics, the sovereignty of God, and the literal/historical/grammatical approach to Genesis.

These theological commitments, combined with a shared passion for the Christian family, served as a clarion cry by each of the speakers for believers to return to the Scripture. Many were affected by this clear and uncompromising message, and we pray that the Gospel seeds that were sown will continue to bear fruit.

Another great benefit of an event like this is that it gives ministry leaders like Voddie, Ken, and myself the important time to fellowship as friends and servants of the Lord, and our time together on this occasion was extremely fruitful, for which I thank God.

Vision Forum Ministries videotaped the event and is considering producing and releasing the messages to the general public. Stay tuned for more information when it becomes available.

Special thanks to all of our friends from around America who shared their vacation with Ken and Mally, the Phillips family, and the Baucham family. We are truly grateful to each and every one of you.

Posted by Doug Phillips on July 22, 2008 | Permalink

Dear Mr. Phillips and Family,

My husband asked me to email you to express our appreciation and the blessing that your talks were to our family. We began our marriage 16 years ago with the choices to live biblically, but we didn’t realize how “wet” we were and we are still making biblical changes to our lives. Thank you for not “tiptoeing” around the scriptural issues that are so often ignored during our day. You have challenged both of us to be more outspoken in a charitable manner to our Christian friends. You see, we do not have a community of homeschool friends that we associate with, so our homeschooling, family oriented worship and church, commitment to courship, etc. is very strange to some of them. Sometimes I long for friends whom we can be more similar to, but we realize that God has put us with these believers for a reason...We would also love to pray for any needs that Vision Forum has..Thanks again for your encouragement to our family.

Jeff and Judy C.

Posted by Doug Phillips on July 22, 2008 | Permalink

There is an alarming rise in effeminacy amongst young men in our nation. And the increase has nothing to do with genetics. The issue is moral, cultural, and, most importantly, theological. The collective social conscience of the meaning of Christian manhood is quickly becoming the stuff of story books. The abandonment of teaching on family orthopraxy from the pulpit, and the exchange of fundamental moral issues for short-term political victories by too many Christians who are engaged in culture wars, has created an environment where there is precious little practical difference between the way the church and the world view manhood and womanhood.

The fact is that our boys are confused because their fathers are confused. The gender-blending of the last twenty-five years is reaping an alarming toll on men, and if things don’t change, the worst may be yet to come.

The answer to the problem of effeminacy in boys and leaderless men is not going into the forest and beating a drum. Nor is the answer found in psychologically driven behavior modification theory.

Christian manhood must prevail. But for it to prevail we need a generation of men and women more concerned with the biblical vision of manhood than the contemporary view presented in the government schools, on MTV, and in too many pulpits across America. And we need men and women willing to stand —sometimes alone— against the wave of androgyny and social confusion.

The good news is that feminism in women and male effeminacy are self-defeating. They cannot be sustained. They are ultimately doomed to destruction. But along the way to their own self-annihilation, they can leave a devastating toll in the lives of our sons and daughters. They can wreak havoc on an entire culture. And this is where things stand now.

History is behind Christian manhood, which is why it must be studied both theologically and historically. In this message, Why Christian Manhood Must Prevail, I explain the issue and seek to encourage fathers and mothers who aspire to raise their sons to stand against the tide of effeminacy and embrace a vision of noble manhood.

Why Christian Manhood Must Prevail is available for the rest of this month to everyone who supports the ministry of Vision Forum with a tax-deductible donation of any amount. For more information visit the Vision Forum Ministries website.

Posted by Doug Phillips on July 21, 2008 | Permalink

Posted by Doug Phillips on July 21, 2008 | Permalink

Whether it was by counsel of others, or of Queen Mary’s own desire, we know not, but the Queen spake with John Knox at Holyrood and had long reasoning with him, none being present except the Lord James Stewart, while two gentlewoman stood in the other end of the house.^[1]

The Queen accused John Knox that he had raised a part of her subjects against her mother and against herself; that he had written a book against her just authority—she meant the treatise against the Regiment of Women—which she should cause the most learned in Europe to write against; that he was the cause of great sedition and great slaughter in England; and that it was said to her, that all which he did was by necromancy.

To the which the said John answered:

“Madam, may it please Your Majesty patiently to hear my simple answers? First, if to teach the Truth of God in sincerity, if to rebuke Idolatry and to will a people to worship God according to His Word, be to raise subjects against their Princes, then can I not be excused; for it hath pleased God of His Mercy to make me one among many to disclose unto this Realm the vanity of the Papistical Religion, and the deceit, pride, and tyranny of that Roman Antichrist. But, Madam, if the true knowledge of God and His right worshipping be the chief causes, that must move men from their heart to obey their just Princes, as it is most certain they are, wherein can I be reprehended? I am surely persuaded that Your Grace has had and presently has, as unfeigned obedience of such as profess Jesus Christ within this Realm, as ever your father or other progenitors had of those that were called Bishops.

“And touching that Book which seemeth so highly to offend Your Majesty, it is most certain that I wrote it, and I am content that all the learned of the world judge of it. I hear that an Englishman hath written against it, but I have not read him. If he hath sufficiently [dis]proved my reasons, and established his contrary propositions with as evident testimonies as I have done mine, I shall not be obstinate, but shall confess my error and ignorance. But this hour I have thought, and yet think, myself alone to be more able to sustain the things affirmed in my work, than any ten in Europe shall be able to confute it.”

Queen Mary: “Yet think then that I have no just authority?”

John Knox: “Please, Your Majesty, learned men in all ages have had their judgments free. They have most commonly disagreed from the common judgment of the world. Such also have they published, both with pen and tongue, and yet, notwithstanding, they themselves have lived in common society with others, and have borne patiently with the errors and imperfections which they could not amend. Plato, the philosopher, wrote his book of The Commonwealth, in the which he damneth many that then were maintained in the world, and requireth many things to be reformed. Yet, he lived under such policies as then were universally received, without further troubling of any estate. Even so, Madam, am I content to do in unrightness of heart, and with testimony of a good conscience. I have communicated my judgment to the world. If the Realm finds no inconvenience from the government of a woman, that which they approve shall I not further disallow than within my own breast, but shall be as well content to live under Your Grace as Paul was to live under Nero. My hope is, that so long as ye defile not your hands with the blood of the Saints of God, neither I nor that book shall either hurt you or your authority. In very deed, Madam, that book was written most especially against that wicked Jezebel of England [Queen Mary Tudor].”

Queen Mary: “But ye speak of women in general?”

John Knox: “Most true, Madam. Yet it appeareth to me that wisdom should persuade Your Grace, never to raise trouble for that, which to this day hath not troubled Your Majesty, neither in person nor yet in authority. Of late years many things which before were holden stable have been called in doubt; yea, they have been plainly impugned. Yet, Madam, I am assured that neither Protestant nor Papist shall be able to prove, that any such question was at any time moved in public or in secret. Now, Madam, if I had intended to have troubled your estate, because ye are a woman, I might have chosen a time more convenient for that purpose, than I can do now, when your own presence is within the Realm.

“But now, Madam, shortly to answer to the other two accusations. I heartily praise my God through Jesus Christ, if Satan, the enemy of mankind, and the wicked of the world have no other crimes to lay to my charge, than such as the very world itself knoweth be most false and vain. In England I was resident the space of five years. The places were Berwick, where I abode two years; so long in Newcastle; and a year in London. Now, Madam, if in any of these places, during the time that I was there, any man shall be able to prove that there was either battle, sedition, or mutiny, I shall confess that I myself was the malefactor and the shedder of the blood. I shame not, Madam, to affirm, that God so blessed my weak labors, that in Berwick — where commonly before there used to be slaughter by reason of quarrels among soldiers — there was as great quietness, all the time that I remained there, as there is this day in Edinburgh. And where they slander me of magic, necromancy, or of any other art forbidden of God, I have witnesses, besides my own conscience — all congregations that ever heard me — to what I spake both against such arts and against those that use such impiety.”

Queen Mary: “But ye have taught the people to receive another religion than their Princes can allow. How can that doctrine be of God, seeing that God commandeth subjects to obey their Princes?”

John Knox: “Madam, as right religion took neither original strength nor authority from worldly princes, but from the Eternal God alone, so are not subjects bound to frame their religion according to the appetites of their princes. Princes are oft the most ignorant of all others in God’s true religion as we may read in the Histories, as well as before the death of Christ Jesus as after. If all the seed of Abraham should have been of the religion of Pharaoh, to whom they were long subjects, I pray you, Madam, what religion should there have been in the world? Or, if all men in the days of the Apostles should have been of the religion of the Roman Emperors, what religion should there have been upon the face of the earth? Daniel and his fellows were subjects to Nebuchadnezzar and unto Darius, and yet, Madam, they would not be of their religion; for the three children said, ‘We make it known unto thee, O King, they will not worship thy Gods.’ Daniel did pray publicly unto his God against the express commandment of the King. And so, Madam, ye may perceive that subjects are not bound to the religion of their princes, although they are commanded to give them obedience.”

Queen Mary: “Yea, but none of these men raised the sword against their princes.”

John Knox: “Yet, Madam, ye can not deny that they resisted, for those that obey not the commandments that are given, in some sort resist.”

Queen Mary: “But yet, they resisted not by the sword?”

John Knox: “God, Madam, had not given them the power and the means.”

Queen Mary: “Think ye that subjects, having the power, may resist their princes?”

John Knox: “If their princes exceed their bounds, Madam, no doubt they may be resisted, even by power. For there is no greater honour, nor greater obedience, to be given to kings or princes, than God hath commanded to be given unto father and mother. But the father may be stricken with a frenzy, in which he would slay his children. If the children arise, join themselves together, apprehend the father, take the sword from him, bind his hands, and keep him in prison till his frenzy be overpast — think ye, Madam, with princes that would murder the children of God that are subjects unto them. Their blind zeal is nothing but a very mad frenzy, and therefore, to take the sword from them, to bind their hands, and to cast them into prison, till they be brought to a sober mind, is no disobedience against princes, but just obedience, because it agreeth with the will of God.”

At these words, the Queen stood as it were amazed, more than the quarter of an hour. Her countenance altered, so that Lord James began to entreat her and to demand, “What hath offended you, Madam?”

At length she said to John Knox: “Well then, I perceive that my subjects shall obey you, and not me. They shall do what they list, and not what I command; and so I must be subject to them, and not they to me.”

John Knox: “God forbid that ever I take upon me to command any to obey me, or to set subjects at liberty to do what pleaseth them! My travail is that both princes and subjects obey God. Think not, Madam, that wrong is done you, when you are willed to be subject to God. It is He that subjects peoples under princes, and causes obedience to be given unto them. Yea, God craves of Kings that they be foster-fathers to His Church, and commands Queens to be nurses to His people. This subjection, Madam, unto God, and unto His troubled Church, is the greatest dignity that flesh can get upon the face of the earth; for it shall carry them to everlasting glory.”

Queen Mary: “Yea, but ye are not the Kirk that I will nourish. I will defend the Kirk of Rome; for it is, I think, the true Kirk of God.”

John Knox: “Your will, Madam, is no reason; neither doth your thought make that Roman harlot to be the true and immaculate spouse of Jesus Christ. Wonder not, Madam, that I call Rome an harlot; for that Church is altogether polluted with all kind of spiritual fornication, as well in doctrine as in manners. Yea, Madam, I offer myself to prove, that the Church of the Jews which crucified Christ Jesus, was not so far degenerate from the ordinances which God gave by Moses and Aaron unto His people, when they manifestly denied the Son of God, as the Church of Rome is declined, and more than five hundred years hath declined, from the purity of that religion which the Apostles taught and planted.”

Queen Mary: “My conscience is not so.”

John Knox: “Conscience, Madam, requireth knowledge; and I fear that right knowledge, ye have none.”

Queen Mary: “But I hath both heard and read.”

John Knox: “So, Madam, did the Jews who crucified Christ Jesus read both the Law and the Prophets, and heard the same interpreted after this manner. Have ye heard any teach, but such as the Pope and Cardinals have allowed? Ye may be assured that such will speak nothing to offend their own estate.”

Queen Mary: “Ye interpret the Scriptures in one manner, and they in another. Whom shall I believe? Who shall be judge?”

John Knox: “You shall believe God, that plainly speaketh in His Word; and further than the Word teacheth you, ye shall believe neither the one nor the other. The Word of God is plain in itself. If there appear any obscurity in one place, the Holy Ghost, who is never contrarious to Himself, explaineth the same more clearly in other places; so that there can remain no doubt, but unto such as obstinately will remain ignorant.

“Take one of the chief points, Madam, which this day is in controversy betwixt the Papists and us. The Papists have boldly affirmed that the Mass is the ordinance of God, and the institution of Jesus Christ, and a sacrifice for the sin of the quick and the dead. We deny both the one and the other. We affirm that the Mass, as it is now used, is nothing but the invention of man, and, therefore, is an abomination before God, and no sacrifice that ever the Lord commanded. Now, Madam, who shall judge betwixt us two thus contending? It is no reason that either of the parties be further believed, than they are able to prove their affirmatives by the plain words of the Book of God, and we shall give then the plea granted. What our Master Jesus Christ did, we know that by His Evangelists; what the priest doeth at his Mass, the world seeth. Now, doth not the Word of God plainly assure us, that Christ Jesus neither said Mass, nor yet commanded Mass to be said, at His Last Supper, seeing that no such thing as their Mass is made mention of within the whole Scriptures?”

Queen Mary: “You are [too hard] for me, but if they were here whom I have heard, they would answer you.”

John Knox: “Madam, would to God that the learnedest Papist in Europe, and he that ye would best believe, were present with Your Grace to sustain the argument; and that ye would patiently abide to hear the matter reasoned to the end! Then, I doubt not, Madam, by ye should hear the vanity of the Papistical Religion, and how small ground is hath within the Word of God.”

Queen Mary: “Well, ye may perchance get that sooner than ye believe.”

John Knox: “Assuredly, if ever I get that in my life, I get it sooner than I believe. The ignorant Papists can not patiently reason, and the learned and crafty Papist will never come in your audience, Madam, to have the ground of their religion searched out. They know that they are never able to sustain an argument, except fire and sword and their own law be judges.”

Queen Mary: “So say you; but I can[not] believe that.”

John Knox: “It hath been so to this day. How oft have the Papists in this and other Realms been required to come to conference, and yet could it never be obtained, unless themselves were admitted as Judges. Therefore, Madam, I must say again that they dare never dispute, but when they themselves are both judge and party. Whensoever ye shall let me see the contrary, I shall grant myself to have deceived in that point.”

With this, the Queen was called upon to dinner...

Posted by Doug Phillips on July 19, 2008 | Permalink

Posted by Doug Phillips on July 18, 2008 | Permalink

We praise the Lord for the hundreds of families joining us in Branson this week for an historic conference on practical Christian apologetics with Answers in Genesis and Ken Ham, Vision Forum Ministries, and my dear friend, Dr. Voddie Baucham. Reports to follow.

The event began on Tuesday night with opening messages from Ken Ham and myself. First, Buddy Davis delighted the audience with Scripture story songs for the whole family. Ken presented a masterful defense of the basic issues pertaining to defending the historical, literal understanding of Genesis and its practical relevancy for all of life. My talk was entitled “A Family Vision of Victory,” and outlined the necessity of returning to a biblical model for family life, of the importance of recapturing biblical manhood and womanhood, of the wisdom of training sons and daughters to be a prepared for a life of courageous spiritual combat for Christ in the 21st century, and of the call for a multi-generational vision.

Posted by Doug Phillips on July 17, 2008 | Permalink

“Behold our trouble and apparent destruction, and stay the sword of thy vengeance before it devours us...Let not thy enemies rejoice at our destruction, but look now to the honour of thy own name, O Lord; and let thy gospel be preached with boldness in this realm. If thy justice must perish, then punish our bodies with the rod of thy mercy. But, O Lord, let us never revolt, nor turn back to idolatry again. Mitigate the hearts of those who persecute us; and let us not faint under the cross of our Saviour, but assist us with the Holy Ghost, even to the end.”

Excerpted from Knox’s “Public Confession following the Death of Edward VI, 1553.” Recorded in Selected Writings of John Knox (Dallas, TX: Presbyterian Heritage Publications, 1995), p. 100.

Posted by Doug Phillips on July 17, 2008 | Permalink

The Patty Family

The Fox Family

The Allen girls

Blair Brown and Liberty Phillips

The Daming Family

Our young men testing their combat readiness

Dr. Hammer with his two treasures

Posted by Doug Phillips on July 16, 2008 | Permalink

We sang at Bannockburn and Stirling. We sang at Culloden. We sang in the moors and the glens, on the steam trains, in castles and churches, on boats and by the beautiful lochs of Scotland. We sang hymns and psalms. We sang war songs, love songs, whaling songs, sea chanties, and songs of bravery, nobility, and valor. We did all of this because of the blessing of being accompanied by Charlie Zahm, America’s premiere balladeer of Celtic, Scottish, and Maritime music.

And it was glorious!

Here is a note we received today from one of our Faith and Freedom Tour families:

Our family was so blessed by the Scotland tour. Once in a lifetime!!

Our experience, as I know it was for everyone, was so enhanced by the singing of Charlie Zahm. We’ve ordered EVERY :-) CD he offers!!

Today (just picked up our mail) our home all day has been filled with his music and song.

It has been such a blessing to recall his songs, music, and our Scotland adventure. It’s sorta like we’ve extended our trip a while longer. We’d often stop whatever we were doing and just stand, reflect, recall, and praise God for what we experienced in Scotland.

Thanks you Charlie — for taking a “Once in a Lifetime” experience and making it “Once in an Eternity!”.

God Bless Charlie Zahm.

Posted by Doug Phillips on July 15, 2008 | Permalink

The 2008 Scotland Faith and Freedom Tour in Front of John Knox’s St Giles Church

“[S]ometimes God defers or prolongs to grant our petitions, for the exercise and trial of our faith, and not that he sleeps or is absent from us at any time, but that with more gladness we might receive that which, with long expectation, we have [awaited]; that thereby we, assured of his eternal providence (so far as the infirmity of our corrupt and most weak nature will permit), doubt not but that his merciful hand shall relieve us in most urgent necessity and extreme tribulation.”[i]

[i] Excerpted from “A Treatise on Prayer, or, A Confession, and Declaration of Prayers added Thereto, by John Knox, Minister of Christ’s Most Holy Evangel, Upon the Death of that Most Virtuous and Most Famous King, Edward VI, 1553.” Recorded in Selected Writings of John Knox (Dallas, TX: Presbyterian Heritage Publications, 1995), p. 73.

Posted by Doug Phillips on July 15, 2008 | Permalink

Posted by Doug Phillips on July 15, 2008 | Permalink

Posted by Doug Phillips on July 15, 2008 | Permalink

“Ceres Highland Games One of Best Ever”

THIS year’s Ceres Highland Games has been hailed as one of the most successful in its recent history, with a huge crowd and a line-up of competitors from as far afield as Canada.

In the absence of chieftain Sir Menzies Campbell, who was unable to attend due to illness, president Grant Robertson took on a dual role this year, donning the red Robertson tartan to open the day’s proceedings.

Held in its traditional venue of Bow Butts, in the heart of the village, the event attracted a large turnout of spectators that included more than 100 Americans, who were taking in a trip to Ceres Games as part of a bus tour of Scotland.

As well as offering spectacular entertainment, the event also has great historical significance as it is the oldest free games in Scotland, having been established in 1314 in honour of the local men who fought at Bannockburn.

With the exception of the war years, it’s been held every year since. This year’s games had all the traditional ingredients, including Highland dancing, piping, cycling and athletics, with the City of St Andrews Pipe Band helping to create its unique atmosphere.

As always, the heavy events proved particularly popular, with competitors arriving from all over Scotland and the north of England and even from Canada.

The US contingent were so impressed that they even tried their hand at throwing the famous Ceres Stane once the serious competition had ended.

Mr Robertson said: “Games day was a great success, with the largest crowd for many a year.

“My thanks must go to the hard-working games committee as well as the girls of the village who sold programmes and collected donations.

“Not only is Ceres home to the oldest Highland games, but it’s also been described as the prettiest village in Scotland, so we have much to be proud of.”

Posted by Doug Phillips on July 15, 2008 | Permalink