Last week someone asked me what I thought was the one sentence statement of Baptist self-definition, the golden thread that runs through our story.  I struggled - and in the end said we are better at saying what we're not...

We're not related to or descended from Anabaptists (much)

We're not Arminian (much)

We're not... etc etc  (much)

Today at the end of the service someone took me to task over using the word 'evangelical' in last week's sermon - assuring me that we're not evangelical, we're Baptists.  Trying to explain what I think evangelical means, and that it not did preclude or supersede her Baptistness, or more importantly that of her husband, who, she was glad to note, had not heard me say the word, was not easy, she just didn't get it.  Baptists defined as not evangelical - well that's a first!

So, if we were to try to say what we are, in one short, snappy phrase of the ilk of 'one true church' (which of course we are, just no one else realises it yet ;-) ) what might it be?

Somehow, typing this brought to mind the wonderful article in this week's Baptist Times (yes, those words can go in the same sentence!) about one person's experience of moving from an RC to a Baptist church.  With immense grace and gentle humour, some of our less attractive attributes were laid alongside our good ones.  What also struck me was the profound change in our attitude in recent years - or at least in that of the BT.  When I first started reading said publication around ten years ago I cannot imagine that it would have carried an article like this; that it does is definitely a sign of growing maturity in our attitudes and outlook.  For ten years I have steadfastly resisted writing a 'letter to the editor' over one or other articles or attitude that has annoyed me, this week I was very tempted to write one in praise, perhaps I should have done.  (But as we all look to see has written what anyway...).

Perhaps we should describe ourselves as 'growing in grace ... albeit rather slowly'