Epiphany, that lovely mysterious word that gets muddled up with a celebration of strange, exotic visitors to a toddler Christ, but actually speaks of 'coming upon,' of new insights, of fresh experiences of God's presence.  I could have done with a bit of that today, but then worship is not, as I occasionally remind people, about what we get out of it, but about what we offer to God.

Two services, one a leaving service for a minister from our cluster, the other the monthly joint gathering with D+1.

I think I knew how the first was going to be when I was handed an order of service on the way in.  A quick glance down the hymns/songs revealed that some of my unfavourites were there.  Still, it isn't about my pleasure, I thought, it's about worshipping God and giving thanks for a long, successful ministry.  The sermon was dizzying, there's no other word for it - the speaker's testimony, some thoughts on holistic mission, some tributes to the minister and then an altar call complete with 'if this you please stand up.'  It wasn't, in my view, the time of place for the altar call, if only because this had not been agreed with the church ahead of time.  Still, it wasn't about what I liked or thought appropriate, it was about worshipping God, listening for God, responding to God.  Overall, it was a happy event, a packed church and a warm atmosphere.  It was good to catch up with a few friends (who like certain songs as little as I do) and share news of our respective churches.

The second service was a more positive experience - eventually.  After 45 minutes of being alternately irritated by 'suffering is a lovely gift' type hymns and Ecclesiastes at its gloomiest, there were glimpses of hope.  But it really brought home to me the dangers of 'hit and run' preaching because I was so glad some of my folk weren't there to sing of how good it is to be suffering in this life so that we like the next all the more.  I also had to smile when we used new and exciting Mission Praise  to sing two fairly old hymns.  On a normal Sunday I would have thoroughly enjoyed the sermon, skillfully crafted and connecting past, present and future, but not today, not when I have to care for many hurting people with uncertain futures.  The gloom motif was perhaps too strong, the communion not quite the space to 'be' that I would have valued, but overall I was reminded that there is hope even on dark days.

So I am back home not having had a sense of epiphany, indeed having had a few extra issues dropped on me, but knowing that the truth is not about feelings or experiences but in the assurances I offered, as I shared pastoral news, that God's steadfast love never ceases and that God's mercies are renewed daily.

Finally, in need of some humour, here are some of the 'baddest' lines from hymns/songs in the two services.  I leave it as a exercise to reader to discern their origins!

• 'And from his mouth there comes a sound...' (really!)
• 'My lover's breath is sweetest wine/I am his prize and he is mine'  (bear in mind this is written by males!)
• 'Lord, you know that you are welcome here' (Gee, says God, that's nice, it's my creation anyway...)
• 'These are the days of....' (oh no they aren't!)
• 'And the hearts of men are beating with the throbs of deep desire' (to the pure, dear reader, to the pure) (you need Mission Praise for this one!  This verse is omited in BPW for some inexplicable reason!!)

Sensible people do not get up before 8 a.m. on Sundays, not even if they are ministers.  Denominations that think God is impressed by ridiculously early services have, in my view, misunderstood.  But today I was up and ready go by a little after seven and have just finished an essay outline in prose which, by the wonder of technology is already in Manchester and Birmingham.  It may or may not make a lot of sense, though secretly I was quite pleased with it.  I mean, a couple of ten line paragraphs and more than a dozen footnotes for 1200 words, who would not be impressed?!

Lots to do to make it a useful piece of work but for now I am happy!  Now then - lunch and two services to go...

Today I has planned to start work on my essay outline, then life got in the way - sorry Sean, it will happen!

I spent a few minutes with an elderly lady who is at the 'end of life' and then, on a whim, went to visit in hospital the woman for whom we were praying last night.  Literally minutes after I arrived she was called into see the consultant to hear her test results - which were the sort no one should face alone.  Confidentiality means I can't post any more details, but I suspect I will be seeing the inside of part of the LRI fairly regularly over the next few weeks/months.

Every now and then these whims come into my head - and more often than not they are right.  So how does God do that?  And how often do I not hear because I'm too busy being busy?

It's an odd role this one, but there is an amazing sense of privilege when these moments arise.

Tonight we had a special prayer meeting, called at the request of one of our members in response to a massive pastoral issue that has just emerged.  By the time I got to the meeting two more equally massive, similar issues had also broken: it's going to be a busy, and not exactly happy, few weeks.

At the start I invited people to pray aloud, not to fear gaps or silence, but also said that if it all felt too uncomfortable at any point we could have a break.  The truth is, most of our prayer meetings are the very worst kind - tortured silence and/or Catriona's soliloquy.  Tonight was different.  We sustained about 40 minutes of open prayer and almost everyone offered at least one spoken prayer.  The prayers were intelligent and thoughtful, shaped by Christian hope, but balanced by honest realism.  I was well proud of my people!

So what made the difference?  We are really quite good at public intercessions but dreadful at open prayer.  I think the big difference was that people could see the point of what they were doing.  This wasn't a dutiful prayer meeting with no concrete focus, nor one to 'seek the mind of Christ' over this or that issue (though it might be good if we did that now and then); instead it was some people who knew their own vulnerability and helplessness in pretty ghastly situations seeking support and strength from God as they in turn seek to support and strengthen those who must face these things daily.

Where two or three are gathered, whether in a conflict situation (Matthew 18) or a time of struggle or crisis, there the Shekina glory of God is to be found.  And that is when the prayer meeting becomes prayer.

Well, apparently we aren't buying enough NIVs, so Hodder and Stoughton have gone for a radical (?) new cover design by Unreal.

Here's what Unreal are reported as saying about it....

'Our concept was to bring the inside to the outside,' says [Brian] Eagle [designer]. 'Typography is the best way to express the new look - nothing photographic, as that would be leading people in a different direction. We came up against quite a few obstacles such as which type of cross to use, but we interviewed vicars and researched this with various parts of the Christian community, and thought about different approaches.'

http://www.designweek.co.uk/Articles/137051/Unreal%20redesign%20to%20help%20publisher%20bash%20Bible%20market.html

 

Instantly I found myself recalling saying 22 of the Gospel of Thomas - about which I once wrote an essay -

Jesus saw some infants at the breast. He said to his disciples: These little ones at the breast are like those who enter into the kingdom. They said to him: If we then be children, shall we enter the kingdom? Jesus said to them: When you make the two one, and when you make the inside as the outside, and the outside as the inside, and the upper side as the lower; and when you make the male and the female into a single one, that the male be not male and the female female; when you make eyes in the place of an eye, and a hand in place of a hand, and a foot in place of a foot, an image in place of an image, then shall you enter [the kingdom].

http://www.goodnewsinc.net/othbooks/thomas.html
 

So there you have it!  Gnostic influences in Bible cover design; love it!