Baptist Assembly in Scotland - like Baptist Assembly in England, and I'm sure in Wales - is always a mix of bane and blessing, interesting and irritating, engaging and exhausting.  And, as ever, I try to focus in my public reflections on what struck me in a positive way.

Two things especially stuck with me, one from Rev Dr John Upton of BWA and the other from Rev Ian MacCauley, a Glasgow minister, and to which I've added the odd thought of my own.

John Upon, focussing on the Ezekiel vision of the valley of dry bones and the events of Pentecost, began with the illustration of hearing a late night radio interview with his favourite gospel singer, a softly spoken woman whose singing voice is rich and powerful.  Asked by the interview how this could be so, she evidently replied "It's the Spirit o' God, honey, it's the Spirit o' God".  What really struck me, though, was the link made between the question from God "can these bones live?" - to which Ezekiel has no useful answer.... "I don't know" - and the heart cries of hurting, marginalised or victmised people.... "Can I ever live....?"  "Will I ever be free...?" or whatever it might be.  Humanly we are powerless to help - but God calls us to 'prophesy to the breath/wind'...

I found myself pondering whether the "cry of dereliction" of Jesus on the cross is, in fact, a hinge-point where his heart cry, fearing he has been abandoned, is simultaneously the voice of God substituted for all who feel abandoned... "can these bones live?  is there hope?  am I truly worthless and abandoned?"

This seemed to link backwards to the previous evening which included a call to vulnerability, based on the John 21 account of Jesus resurrection appearance to his followers.  "Show me your scars, then I will believe" was reread as a call to vulnerability, openness, authenticity... the idea that unless or until we are honest and open about our struggles, willing to reveal our 'scars', people have no reason to believe us when we say faith makes a difference.  No room for faux happiness, happy vacuous Christianity.  On the contrary, it is brokenness, our scars, our willingness to admit when we mess up or fall short, that gives us credibility.

Now, I'm not sure that that is what anyone else heard, but it doesn't worry me in the slightest, because the Spirit o' God, honey, the Spirit o' God blows where it will... maybe it simply resonated with, and authenticated, my own endeavours to open and honest (with appropriate boundaries), something which seems to connect with at least some people, some of the time.