This morning instead of one full length sermon, we had three 'sermonettes' all on the same passage from John 4 and the encounter between Jesus and a Samaritan woman.

Sermonette 1 was broadly expository under the heading, 'A Growing Realisation'

Sermonette 2 was narrative, from the perpsective of the woman, 'He told me everything I did'

Semonette 3 was thematic, thinking about preconceptions and overcoming boundaries, ' Strangers and Friends'

An option was offered by someone else - to go off site, into the real world and reflect on the passage privately in that palce, making connections that arose naturally.

Overall, I think it went OK.

This morning we sang one of my all time favourite hymns - We limit not the truth of God - to what, to me, is the "wrong" tune, even if for everyone else it iwas the "correct" tune!!  Both are good tunes, both have energy and drive, and either works well.

A bit of checking... I first learned the hymn from Congregational Praise, which has as its set tune 'Ellacombe' (the "right" tune in my view).  Both Baptist Hymn Book and Baptist Praise and Worship have it set to 'Petersham' (the "right" tune for everyone else).  So there we go.

I enjoyed singing the 'old' words complete with 'darkling forefathers' and 'Petersham' is a perfectly fine tune, to which I'd happily sing it again, even if my first loyalty will always be to 'Ellacombe'!!. 

I am mildly amused at my own unconscious presuppositions about hymn tunes, and how that relates to 'sermonette' 3 this morning.  Ah well, they do say you should preach the sermon you need to hear yourself!!