For this morning's service I had prepared a Bible Quiz on the theme of 'journeys'... and promptly began with a question to which I had got the wrong answer!  Much gentle hilarity followed, and all was well.  Sharing this on a social media site created more hilarity among - and confessions from - other ministers and teachers, with some amusing anecdotes.

This afternoon I began the Christian Aid Music Quiz which was given out at church this morning, and had only two questions left to do by the time I went to church this evening - within ten minutes of coming home, the answers had popped into my head and it was complete.

Who knew I was better on pop music than Bible knowledge?!  Not really, but it certainly made me chuckle.

One of the hymns we used this morning, in its orginal form, has three eight-line verses.  By the wonder of modern technology, it managed to morph itself into four six-line verses.  The tune selected fitted the mood perfectly, but slightly altered the sense of the hymn.  Whilst I quite liked the carry over from verse to verse, the original is easier to follow...

Such enchantment, sudden strangeness,

Power and love, by God, distilled;

Then they recognise his presence,

By his words their fears are stilled.

'Peace be with you', Simon Peter,

John, you need not be afraid;

'Peace be with you', doubting Thomas,

Don't be anxious or dismayed.

In the garden he saw Mary,

Talked with her, unrecognised;

Naming her drew back the curtain,

Opened tear-stained, blinded eyes.

Others walking to Emmaus

Talked, depressed, their sadness showed,

Till at last, their journey ended,

Broken bread their Lord disclosed.

Fishing, from a boat, some saw him,

They had trawled, had felt forlorn;

Recognition added savour

To their breakfast at the dawn.

As we go about our business

Bring enchantment to our lives;

Open eyes that we might know the

Love from which our peace derives.

Andrew E Pratt (born 1948) © 2000 Stainer & Bell Ltd

Later today I am due to have a conversation with someone who wants to learn more about church membership.  This is exiciting!

By pure fluke  - or by Holy Spirit timing - or whatever, I came across this blogpost a few minutes age, which stresses the community/corporate nature of 'being a Christian'.  Drawing on Pauline body imagery, it rightly recognises the absurdity - and impossibility - of any body part living in splendid isolation.  The writer is not saying that there a 'personal response' is unecessary, what he is saying, I think, is that this not enough and, in fact, that the natural (and necessary) consequence is to connect in to a local expression of the Body of Christ... something Baptists have traditionally done by Baptism, and continue to do by both Baptisms and Profession of Faith membership.

Worth a read, whether or not you agree!