Scripture Union have just published a set of books which tell "the 10 most iconic stories from the Bible'" - the 'Must Know Stories.'   What intrigues me is how they decided which 10 to include - and why.  Some would be in my top 10, others probably wouldn't.  I am intrigued, and more than a tad disappointed, that the cover picture on three of the four features apples and snakes - could we not have had something that expresses God's love and creativity rather than human sin and finitiude (the fourth book, the second aimed at 5-8's has Noah's ark on the cover).

So here's their top ten - what would you change?

1. The birth of Jesus
2. Jesus' death & resurrection
3. Adam & Eve/creation
4. The good Samaritan
5. The 10 Commandments
6. The prodigal son
7. Noah's ark
8. David & Goliath
9. Daniel in the lion's den
10. Feeding the 5000

I hope they don't appear in this order - the Bible is confusing enough anyway but if we begin with Jesus (a good place, I'd agree) and then move all over the place in time then we might be causing as much confusion as we overcome.

I'm not seeting out to knock the books - I'm sure they are a great resource for people who know how to use them, just not sure these are my top 10 stories or the order I'd tell them.

Another one hit my inbox this morning.  Because of careless forwarding, I now have the email addresses of around 200 people I've never heard of and mine has been sent to a similar number.

This one, perporting to be a missing child, has been around several months, some have been going around for years.  Such emails are malicious and prey on people of good will who innocently pass them on.  At the same time poeple may be mssing real pleas for help becuase they have grown cynical.

So, I bcc-ed a reply to the fifty or so people in the tranche of which I was a part asking them to check www.hoax-slayer.com or something similar before they pass emails on, suggesting that they use 'bcc' rather than 'to' and that they strip out addresses before forwarding messages.  Hopefully these people will now think for 2 minutes before they pass on messages rather than wasting 2 minutes forwarding hoaxes...

Of course, by the time I'd checked and replied, the sender had sent me more spam mail...!  Grrr.

Way back when (almost five years ago) after what seemed yet another kick in the teeth during the ministerial settlement process a friend of mine said "make like the Psalmists and shout at God."  So, today when I am feeling the weight of all that is happening in this little corner of the world, here is my Psalm of Anguish, posted not (I hope) from vanity or self pity but because (a) it helps me (catharsis) and (b) I suspect there are others who feel much the same sometimes...

A Psalm of Anguish

I don’t know what to do, O God,

I don’t know what to do!

In the night I wake with anxious thoughts

By day I drown under issues and events

How much more, O God?

How much more?

This little church, these folk you love

(You do love them, don’t you?)

So battered, so bemused,

So exhausted, deflated, berated…

Hold them in your arms

Shelter them beneath your wings.

How is it of you, O Lord,

To allow such pain, such anger?

How many feet will beat a path to my door

To weep, to shout, to seek answers?

“What kind of a God would do this?”

“Is there even a God?”

Each broken one for whom Christ died

Each wounded soul longing for embrace

And my only answer “I don’t know,

Yet still I believe, I trust”

Is that enough, O Lord?

Is that enough?

To bless and live

To curse and die

To tomorrow

Or to be bound with bitterness

In the now

Lord, I cannot understand,

It is all too much for me to comprehend.

Yet I will choose blessing:

Your servant will refuse discouragement and defeat.

I will follow you, wherever you lead –

Even a valley dark as death,

Even waters that flood over my head,

Even to a precipice where I stand and tremble.

God is my refuge and strength

An ever present help within the struggle,

Therefore I will defy fear

Though the ground give way under my feet.

The steadfast love of God never ceases,

God's mercies never end

They are renewed every morning

So great is God’s faithfulness.

I am no wiser, O Lord,

As to why,

But I choose to trust:

Choose to believe

Choose to hope

Choose to live.

Today has been very mixed - but ended with a really positive planning meeting for the Good Friday outreach event.

So here's the plan...

We have booked the Community Centre which comprises two fairly big halls and a lounge area.  In one hall we will have children's activities staffed by a team of about 8 mature women who do this every year and must not be crossed!  They are good workers and even managed to meet us half way on plans for the day, so I am relieved.  In the second hall we will have 8 installations to help people focus creatively on aspects of the Easter narrative - from help yourself communion, to video of crucifixion, to a powerpoint sequence, to a prayer wall, to anointing with scented oil...  In the lounge we will serve refreshments and then, towards the end of the morning, invite everyone to gather for a 15 minute mini-service with two songs, a reading a quick input and a prayer.

It was a really positive meeting, and most folk who came are excited about the possibiltiy of reaching folk who don't otherwise come to church.  There are a few grumbles that it's not a 'proper' service but rather a space to 'be.' However, as I pointed out this is a churches togther initiative, and betwwen all three traditions we have the sum total of one minister available - me.  So this is about as good as it's going to get - and it is good because there are around a dozen people willing to make it good.

This morning I am preparing material for GB Young Leaders training on Saturday - and this year I've landed faith issues as the Chaplain is on maternity 'leave'.  In the middle of one of the suggested activities - quite a good one - came the throw away line "explain the Gospel to the girls."  I guess the writer has in mind the ABC or Turn-Take-Trust-Thank models.  But it made me smile - if the gospel really could be explained in 2 minutes surely we'd all have done it by now...