A Skinny Fairtrade Latte in the Food Court of Life

We never got the talk on 'rightly handling the word of truth' as the speaker felt led to concentrate on other aspects of what he had prepared.  This is a shame, because I'd like to have known how he understood this term given some of what he said.  It all started so well, affirming the need for ongoing study and reflection on the part of preachers - but only so long as they read the right stuff, it seems.  After denouncing liberalism and feminism as 'dangerous' he pronounced vegetarianism as demonic based on his reading of 1 Timothy 4:1 - 3.  You need a KJV to be able to reach this conclusion - although I reckon you could argue that it is actually unmarried vegetarians who would demon-inspired.

What utter twaddle!  The Greek word means (in contemporary parlance) 'foodstuffs' - which the KJV translates as 'meat' because 'meat' meant food in those days.  What saddens me almost as much as this dangerous mishandling of scripture is that the same speaker was happy to throw in Greek words willy nilly when they suited his purposes.  Given that elsewhere in the Bible, we are called to respect other people's views on what they can and cannot eat (e.g. Paul on food offered to idols) and that many have argued that the pre-fall people were vegetarian, taking one English translation of one verse as a basis for denouncing a whole group of people seems contrary to his (correct) statement that we need to see the bigger picture of scripture.

It is really easy to criticise someone else, and I know I have been as guilty as any of dodgey exegesis and partial (in every sense) preaching.  I just hope I have the commonsense not to make pronouncements that are so easily knocked down.

The speaker obviously had a deep love of the letters to Timothy - something I share (perhaps surprisingly as a female of the species!); I just wish some of the encouragements that Paul gives to young preachers/ministers/evangelists could have been drawn out to balance the warnings.

A couple of weeks ago the loo at Dibley manse began to leak - not a pleasant experience, but after four days we finally got a plumber who fixed it.  The carpet (who in their right mind puts carpet in bathrooms?) was not exactly pleasant by this time, so the good people agreed to pay for it to be replaced with vinyl, and that I could redecorate the room (which was last done for my predecessor's predecessor).  The ceiling in said room was papered and in several places the paper was hanging down rather unattractively.  Before I opted to rip it off (which took under 2 minutes) I checked with the person who last decorated the room why he had papered it - evidently to hide some staining where the damp "used" to come in; the ceiling itself was, he assured me, sound.  Well, sound in so far as it didn't cave in on top of me, but it looks like a map of a drought parched river, with great cracks and an uneven surface, to say nothing of patches of copydex, superglue and goodness knows what where someone had tried to stick the paper back up.  The corner where the 'damp used to come in' was palpably wet...  Another call to the property team, I'll be so popular, I don't think!

But isn't it a parable of church life?  Or even personal discipleship?  The 'papering over the cracks' metaphor is widely used in many walks of life, and I guess Jesus' comment about whitewashed tombs is, in some ways, broadly similar.  I also wonder how much patching up we do with the wrong kind of glue, how much we cover up stains without dealing with what causes them, how easily our carefully constructed facades could be ripped down?

I have the paint etc all lined up to refresh this room, but first it needs the rot to be addressed.  All this takes time and is costly.  The quick fix is simply to re-paper the ceiling, and leave the problem for someone else to discover, something I concede may be the option we go for - I wonder how often we fall into the same trap in dicipleship and mission?  Building on sand or rock?

Tomorrow's plans to do some painting have now gone out of the window, but hopefully in the longer term it will prove worth the wait...

At our minister's conference we were told the news that Eddie Askew had died in hospital in Nottingham (one of our number is a hospital chaplain there).  His role in The Leprosy Mission and his paintings and meditations were recalled, then we prayed for his family.

The good people of Dibley, like many other Baptist churches, have faithfully supported TLM for many years, and will be saddened by this news.

Well done, good and faithful servant; rest in peace.

I'm sure you know the old, corny, joke about 'worry' which ends up with the line - and if you go to hell you'll be so busy shaking hands with your friends you won't have time to worry. It's a lousy theology of hell, but it came in handy over the last couple of days!  Not because they were hell or even hellish, but because, from some of what was said, it could be deduced many of us are booked in there...

Being on a conference planning team is a big responsiblilty, and I know how much thought and time people put into making it happen.  It is also quite tiring as you have to, at least to an extent, 'work' while you're there.  And, inevitably people share with you how they have found it.

Just before I left today, someone came to chat to me.  He told me he had found the event difficult, one speaker had been difficult to engage with, the other patronising.  Yet, he observed, 'this is my family' in a way that church is not - this disparate group of ministers formed for him a community where he felt loved and supported, and that was worth the struggle.

My own reflection is that many people found it a bruising event; whilst a few lapped up everything, each guest speaker managed to alienate and wound at least some of the delegates.  These wounded folk were incredibly gracious as they shared their feelings with me, assuring me that they did not blame or hold responsible those who had booked these speakers.  Yet, I know that some of them went home nursing bruises that will take some time to heal.

There were some good moments in the event - largely those led by our own folk.  Our retiring Regional Minister spoke with his customary humour and wisdom - a real reminder why he is so deeply loved and respected.  Our Missioner, approaching his own retirement spoke of the importance of mission - OK, his style is a tad prosaic, and I might see mission a bit more widely than he does, but he was 'bang on' in what he said.  Our BMS rep showed us some material on the Israel/Lebanon situation which was humbling and challenging as well as informative.  The only frustration was that the discussion groups he used only lasted 5 minutes.

The Quiet Room seems to have been well appreciated - and we had some helpful suggestions for ideas to enhance it further.  One of the things that struck me, as I was packing it up and bringing it home, was how the threads we had chosen for the 'foci' seemed to engage some of the needs of some those who used the room - a place to take their pain to God, to use psalms of lament or 'Prayers for Impossible Days' or to annoint themselves for healing or service.  Often I wonder about the depth of my spirituality (i.e. do I have any at all!) - that some people found a need met by this room, offered me some reassurance too.

The closing communion service was a very special part of the event - a tad sacramental for my taste, granted, but a space to make peace, find release and be encouraged to go out again.  The closing song of blessing was one of my favourites - and the words are below; I am uncertain of origin or copyright, apologies.  I first encountered this song on a CD I have of Dartmoor Prison Worship group/choir.  There is something incredibly profound about accepting this blessing, prayed over you by a lifer who after the recording will return to his cell...

Dartmoor Prison Worship Band

© Daybreak Music Ltd

May your life in this world be a happy one

May the sun be warm and may the skies be blue

May the storm that comes your way

Clear the air for a brighter day

May the saints and the saviour watch over you.

As you make your way through this old world of ours

As you see the beauty of the morning dew

As you smell the summer flowers; as you pass away the hours

May the saints and the saviour watch over you.

May your life in this world be a happy one…

(Instrumental bridge)

As you spend your life with friends and family

As you feel the warmth of love they have for you

As you see the wars and hate that others radiate

May the saints and the saviour watch over you.

So, may your life in this world be a happy one

May the sun be warm and may the skies be blue

May the storm that comes your way

Clear the air for a brighter day

May the saints and the saviour watch over you.

May your life in this world be a happy one…

... spoken in jest.  As stolen from the ASBO Jesus site...  Enjoy!  And thanks to Jon Birch for posting it in the first place -check out his site for more great cartoons, see sidebar.

I have just been playing that lovely 'hunt the hymn' game ready for the service a week on Sunday at which we will be rededicating and recomissioning those of our folk directly involved in outreach activities.  Naively, I decided to use the subject indexes in Mission Praise and Songs of Fellowship and the contents pages in Baptist Praise and Worship and (shock horror) Baptist Hymnbook to try to find things that fit the theme of mission.  Just as well as I had a few ideas up front - it's not a popular heading in newer books.

Mission Praise had an 'evangelism and mission' section in its thematic indexes which included some great mission hymns and songs; the dreaded green book has a section on 'witness and worldwide mission' - including a few treasures that have fallen from favour over the years.  The least bad heading in BPW was 'witnessing' and SOF has 'proclamation and evangelism,' though again, each of these include some superb material.  Only Common Ground has a thematic entry specifcially titled 'mission.'

What strikes me most is that categorising of hymns and songs seems to have shifted a lot in the last few decades to be very much centred on 'me and Jesus' (or even, in some cases, separate themed sections for 'me and God the Father', 'me and Jesus' and 'me and the Holy Spirit') - yes I know the grammar is bad, but I think it often so ego-centric that the bad grammar is the more honest ordering.  The work and purpose of the church has somehow got itself relegated to section D4 or some such.

It will be interesting to see how the next generation of hymn resources (I guess they may not be real, paper books by then) goes about categorising its songs and what that actually says about how the church sees itself.

In the meantime, it is looking as though it will be to golden oldies that I turn, such as this from the Overseas Mission Fellowship: -

Facing a task unfinished,

That drives us to our knees,

A need that, undiminished,

Rebukes our slothful ease.

We who rejoice to know Thee,

Renew before Thy throne

The solemn pledge we owe Thee,

To go and make Thee known.

...

O Father who sustained them,

O Spirit who inspired,

Saviour, whose love constrained them

To toil with zeal untired

From cowardice defend us,

From lethargy awake!

Forth on thine errands send us,

To labour for Thy sake.

Frank Houghton (c) Overseas Missionary Fellowship

And in case you want to use it, it is in Mission Praise Combined (and so, presumably, Complete with or without supplement)

Last night I attended the licensing service for one of my former colleagues who has just moved to another parish, which in reality means he now serves the other side of the same parish boundary.  It was the first time I'd attended such a service and, whilst I was pleased and privileged to be there, it only brought out the non-conformist in me all the more!

Apart from the fancy dress, processions and pompous language (which even the Bishop made jokes about) there were aspects of the whole procedure I found challenging.  I had often wondered quite why early Baptists had such a problem with the swearing of oaths because it isn't really part of my experience (apart from when I did jury service) - last night as I listened to these 'clerks in holy orders' swearing all manner of oaths, I began to understand.

I found the presence of so many local dignitaries and the welcome by the MP (who clearly was not in Bournemouth, something the Bishop commented upon) a little bizarre.  Not because I have problems with civic representation but because the whole thing suddenly became a state ceremony somehow.  I don't know if this is typical.

After the service I had a chat to our remaining priest (who retires early next year, so the whole rigmarole will happen again...).  I commented on the oath of allegiance to the crown - and was corrected, no, not to the corwn, but to the Queen (and her heirs and successors) as head of the Church of England.  He then said, he'd have problems swearing allegiance to her most likely successor who wants to be 'defender of faiths,' something he saw as contra to being head of a Christian church, but which to me seems entirely in keeping with early Baptist thought.  Interesting.

Even the buffet seemed somehow Anglican!  Tiny smoked salmon or cucumber sandwiches with the crusts cut off, cherry tomatoes cut in half and plates of bought cakes (I mean, whatever happened to good old chapel ham sandwiches, slabs of fruit cake or Victoria sandwiches?).   Even the small talk was dominated by people trying to catch the eye of the Bishop (who clearly had the misfortune to be christened Bishop, since that's what they all call him... can you imagine calling Jonathan Edwards 'General Secretary'....?!).

I was glad to be there, and the service was not without its lighter moments - not least watching the Bishop try not to collapse into giggles as the choir masacred an anthem.  Indeed, it was so bad that one of the sopranos began laughing when she failed by miles to hit the top note.  That said, I was reminded of the story told of a priest who despaired of their congregation's singing, it was so bad.  One night, said priest dreamed of being in heaven, where God was giving a guided tour.  As they walked around, the strains of an amazing choir were heard, and the priest commented upon it.  God took the priest to a door and opened it so that they could see and hear the choir properly... Imagine the surprsie on the priest's face on seeing that the choir was none other than their own congregation...

Which all goes to show that God isn't too fussed about pointy hats, slabs of cake or creaky voices; it's what's behind it all that matters.  But I'm still clear why I am not an Anglican!!

Last night I heard about a Sunday School teacher who was teaching on the 'how many times must I forgive' theme to a group of youngish children at a local Anglican church.  Part of their pattern of worship is that the children bring in to the service what they have made/coloured to show the congregation.

As the priest patiently waited at the front, a long piece of string was carriedinto the church, eventually stretching the entire length of the aisle.  On it the children had strung 490 hand-painted pieces of pasta.

This for me is a very graphic and powerful illustration of 70x7, and if it isn't in a book somehwere, it should be.

Firstly, the love that went in to counting out 490 pieces of macaroni/penne and painting them different colours sothat the exercise would be more pleasurable for the children.

Then the patience and collaboration of the children to string so many 'beads of forgiveness' together.

Lastly, the sight of this 'rosary of reconciliation' stretching for - I guess - around 50 feet would be an amazing way of visualising what Jesus meant.  

As a symbol of what forgiveness involves - creativity, love, patience, generosity and enormity (not the right word but I can't think of a better one) - this is the one of the best I've come across.

I have had an amusing few minutes choosing CDs to put in the box to take to Swanwick for the quiet room (Do you play music in a quiet room?  Discuss.).  Will my Eternal Forest CD be too 'New Age' for some folk?  Will Psalms for the Soul or Peaceful Spirits - 25 Gregorian Chants be deemed too liturgical?  Is Karl Jenkins' Armed Man or Garth Hewitt/Paul Field's Dalit Drum too radical?  Or The Best Worship Songs in the World Ever Since We Did The Last Version Volume 63.75 (I exagerate only everso slightly) too noisy? What does help other ministers to chill out, to unwind, to reflect, to meditate, to pray?

In the end I have a stack of two dozen as eclectic, catholic and ecumencial as I am - including some 'secular' stuff and some from the world church.

My own favourites include Karl Jenkins' Armed Man, (did you know the first public perfomance was the day before 9/11?) some Taize, Barber's Adagio for Strings and an early recording by Libera.  The Gregorian chant is wonderful, but 25 tracks is too much all at once, and a few Rutter compilations are always good value, as are some organ pieces.  I also have a few instrumental versions of contemporary worship songs which manage to lose some of the aggressive triumphalism that sung versions can become.  I guess it depends what mood I'm in what I choose to listen to.

I know I'm not going to please everyone with what I offer, and frankly I'm not going to try, I just hope that somewhere in amongst it all is something someone finds helpful and restful.

The old adage - if you want something done, ask a busy person.  Well at the moment, that person seems to be me!  And despite my recollection of half decent clip art of this cliche, the thing on the left is the best I could find today.  Ah well.

Today I have been wearing my "Ministers' Conference Treasurer" hat which, for some mysterious reason, means I make the name badges and juggle the bedroom allocations around to accommodate all the last minute changes - and in a manner that will not trouble those who maintain ministerial disicpline!!

In the allied role of "Ministers' Conference Committee Member" I have been gathering together things for the 'quiet room' which I am co-organising.  My dining table is now hidden by the various objects I will be transporting to Swanwick and back again.

In my role as 'local minister with a vaguely creative streak' I am doing final preprations for the all age interactive worship I am leading at the Association Day in two weeks time.  It has caused amusement to people who've called into Dibley manse to see all the props stacked up in my living room. 

Last week I was at a national committee meeting where I am Association rep, in a couple of weeks I have another where I am a ministerial rep. In between I have to do some interviewing wearing my school governor hat.  Somewhere in amongst all this I am meant to sort out my work proposal for my research for 2007-8 and organise all the Christmas services for Dibley Churches Together.

Most of the time these hats can be worn one at a time then put away for a month or three.  At the moment several have landed all at once.  It is both a pleasure and a privilege to be invited to take on these various roles - they give me lots of interest, keep me out of mischief and bring tremendous rewards.  At the same time, there is always the danger that I'll drop the lot...

So, if you happen to meet me in the next week or two and I seem particularly hassled and scratchy, it could be because I am concentrating totally on keeping all these hats in the air at once...