Anyone who ever visits the Ship of Fools website will be au fait with the idea of Mystery Worshippers - people who go 'undercover' to worship at other churches and then write reports on what they experience.  Whilst delightfully tongue in cheek, these reports are also very insightful and do get used by people thinking of visiting the churches concerned (hard to believe it is more than four years now since I read the one on the Gathering Place).

This summer, as part of my sabbatical, I have identified a number of Glasgow Baptist churches I want to visit, kind of incognito (many of the ministers should know who I am, but otherwise I am generally only a name they prayed for when I was undergoing cnacer treatment and have probably forgotten about).  So before I head off this morning, I guess I ought to think up some questions - or topics -I want to think about!

• There has to be something about welcome - what is said, how it is said and how it feels.
• Something about how easy or difficult it is to know what is going on - when to stand/sit, what to do, etc.
• Something about the liturgical process - do we gather, praise, confess, listen, intercede, scatter, etc.
• Something purely practical, logistical - space to sit and put my stuff, comfort of seat, can I see and hear, can I understand
• Do I actually feel I have been in worship?  Not 'was it warm and fuzzy' or 'still and relaxing' or 'vibrant and energising' but 'did I in some way, however tiny, sense I was in the presence of God'?
• And maybe a few flippant things - such as how does the coffee and cake compare with ours?!  And maybe the Ship of Fools 'what felt like heaven' and 'what felt like the other place'!!

Report Numero Uno will be made later today... see if you can guess where I've been!