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A Skinny Fairtrade Latte in the Food Court of Life

  • Baptist Assembly 2025

    Two days in the vicinity of West Bromwich with several hundred Baptists.  And it was a good two days.

    The highlights...

    As always, it's about catching up with people I haven't seen for a long time, sharing joys, sharing sadness, sharing food, sharing laughter, sharing grumbles.  This year, as an experiment, we were at a venue where we could all sit down together to eat... there were challenges of long queues (though not if you had special dietary needs - result!) but these enabled conversations.  It was good to see so many people sample Caribbean food (even if I couldn't due to intolerances) and we were well served indeed.

    The focus on Mission was good, and the stories engaging.  Did I discover anything new - no, I didn't, but probably others did.  It will be interesting to see how the theme develops over the next couple of years, as my main criticism would be that it was all a bit simplistic and lacked nuance (apart from one speaker).

    Of course the In Memoriam is special, and every year there are more and more names of people I know... this year notably Rev David Baker, my predecessor at 'Dibley' and Rev Dr Brian Haymes, who retired just a couple of miles from where I am now.  This year the ages of the people weren't included - which felt like a miss, not a major one, but I find it interesting.  Still gives me pause that one day I'll be on that list...

    And the joy of the Handshakes - this year again seeing people who I interviewed for training, some as much as a decade ago, fully fledged and flourishing.

    A special mention must go to Lynn Green for her closing address, which was full of hope and encouragement... that almost two-thirds of Baptist churches, of all kinds, are stable or growing, and that the age profile is, generally, lowering, feels good.  I loved her emphasis that there is room for for all shapes and sizes of Baptist churches, and that we should encourage one another... My interpretation of this is: yes, small, traditional, liberal, affirming, Baptist churches, you matter, are loved and have something special to bring to this crazy, mixed up family!

    The Grumbles

    These are perennial - I suspect that the organisers can spot my feedback form a mile off!

    The sung worship is too loud and too samey... and some of the language and theology is questionable... I was especially struck that we sang one lovely song with a verse praying for refugees in boats, and then a few minutes later singing that our praises are water to drown our enemies... erm didn't Jesus say something about loving enemies and praying for those who persecute us.  Looking around the auditorium, the level of active singing wasn't great, which is sad, because when Assembly sings, it really sings! 

    Some more thought needs to be given to trauma informed practice - one speaker gave a content warning, another who ought to have done didn't (possibly didn't even realise they should have), and there was what felt like a scramble to rally Regional Ministers (who may or may not have been equipped) to offer to listen to and pray with anyone affected.   Hopefully we can learn from this and do even better next time - it's important to hear these stories, but we need to make it as safe as we can for all who participate.

    And then I just wish more people would go and get involved... it's all to easy to say 'the date doesn't suit me' or 'the theme isn't interesting' or 'it's too far away' (I was the person who took sixteen hours on several trains to get there one year!) or 'I don't like the music' (I don't usually!) or whatever.  This is our family.  These are our siblings.  I am the annoying maiden aunt who brings sucky sweets, the stroppy cow who critiques the language... if there is space for me, there is space for you!

    It was good to be there - and I have registered my interest for next year already.

     

  • A Hymn in Honour of Benjamin Keach

    Benjamin Keach was the main protagonist for the singing of hymns among early Baptists. He was also a writer of appalling doggerel, which possibly set back his cause, but which seems to find continued expression to this day.  Here, in his honour, is a hymn 'inspired' by some contemporary worship songs that I actively dislike or find offensive because of poor or ill-conceived theology.  Enjoy!  And apologies if I just destroyed your favourite.

    To the tune Winchester Old (While Shepherds watched) or other 8686 (Most of Keach's songs are in this metre)

     

    Ten thousand reasons why these are

    The days of my lighthouse

    Our praises shake the bowels of hell

    The devil cr*ps himself.

     

    I love the sound his robe does make

    As he walks in the room -

    More intimate than a lover

    His praises make me swoon.

     

    My praises are a raging flood

    To drown my enemies -

    But that’s okay because I know

    God’s love runs after me.

     

    I’ve got a lion in my lungs-

    And a frog in my throat:

    I wish that all these song lyrics

    Were nothing but a joke.

     

    (C) Stroppy Cow Worship 2025

     

  • Baa baa minister sheep....

    This morning I helped with our new, monthly, Messy Sunday School - it was great fun, with five children all busily making badges, decorating biscuits, making a collage and learning about Jesus the Good Shepherd.  Sometimes it's nice to get out of the 'pulpit' and into the 'classroom'

    The photo is my decorated 'sheep' biscuit... I never new you could get 'edible eyes' for cake decorating!  Every day is a (Sunday) school day!!

  • Rabbit Holes...

    Today I enjoyed some lovely rabbit holes researching assorted bits of information relating to the Vicar School.

    In the chapel there is a wonderful tapestry that I have long admired (and lament the reality that it is now mostly hidden behind a rather large projection screen. Next to the tapestry is a small, almost eroded dedication plaque, just a few centimetres in either direction...

    plaque lkc.jpg

    By photographing it, zooming in (a lot) and studying it closely, I was able to discern what it said...

    TWO CITIES

    THE EMBROIDERED PANEL IN THIS CHAPEL
    WAS DESIGNED AND MADE BY RENATE MELINSKY IN 1978
    AND PAID FOR WITH MONEY GIVEN
    IN MEMORY OF
    DAVID HALDEN

    With a little bit of digging, I discovered that Renate Melinsky entered the UK via kindertransport,and her husband, Canon Hugh Melinsky, was the great grandson of a rabbi tortured in the 1905 pogrom.  Their connection to the 'vicar school' was the Church of England's Northern Ordination Course which was based here in Manchester for many years.

    I don't know, and can't find anything to help me identify, the two cities (or the person in whose memory it was created)... is it Manchester and Mirfield? Or is it somehow linked to the vision of Revelation?  And does it matter?

    An enjoyable diversion this evening, and one that, for me anyway, made a few connections.

     

      

  • Practice makes...

    I love Rutter's arrangement of the Aaronic blessing, and I am enjoying learning the alto part to sing along with our 'Occasional Choir' for Pentecost.  My ability to sight read is reasonably good, but my ability to pitch is not, so I am very grateful for note-bashing videos (what did people do before such things existed?) and also for backing tracks that allow my test out my singing with a little more of challenge.

    I think I have nearly sussed the 'Amens' (probably the most challenging rhythmically since all four parts are very different) but still wobble off key in the middle.

    It's fun giving it a go, and I am grateful that people are willing to give it a go.

    Goodall's Psalm 23 next...?!