I'm sure you know the old, corny, joke about 'worry' which ends up with the line - and if you go to hell you'll be so busy shaking hands with your friends you won't have time to worry. It's a lousy theology of hell, but it came in handy over the last couple of days!  Not because they were hell or even hellish, but because, from some of what was said, it could be deduced many of us are booked in there...

Being on a conference planning team is a big responsiblilty, and I know how much thought and time people put into making it happen.  It is also quite tiring as you have to, at least to an extent, 'work' while you're there.  And, inevitably people share with you how they have found it.

Just before I left today, someone came to chat to me.  He told me he had found the event difficult, one speaker had been difficult to engage with, the other patronising.  Yet, he observed, 'this is my family' in a way that church is not - this disparate group of ministers formed for him a community where he felt loved and supported, and that was worth the struggle.

My own reflection is that many people found it a bruising event; whilst a few lapped up everything, each guest speaker managed to alienate and wound at least some of the delegates.  These wounded folk were incredibly gracious as they shared their feelings with me, assuring me that they did not blame or hold responsible those who had booked these speakers.  Yet, I know that some of them went home nursing bruises that will take some time to heal.

There were some good moments in the event - largely those led by our own folk.  Our retiring Regional Minister spoke with his customary humour and wisdom - a real reminder why he is so deeply loved and respected.  Our Missioner, approaching his own retirement spoke of the importance of mission - OK, his style is a tad prosaic, and I might see mission a bit more widely than he does, but he was 'bang on' in what he said.  Our BMS rep showed us some material on the Israel/Lebanon situation which was humbling and challenging as well as informative.  The only frustration was that the discussion groups he used only lasted 5 minutes.

The Quiet Room seems to have been well appreciated - and we had some helpful suggestions for ideas to enhance it further.  One of the things that struck me, as I was packing it up and bringing it home, was how the threads we had chosen for the 'foci' seemed to engage some of the needs of some those who used the room - a place to take their pain to God, to use psalms of lament or 'Prayers for Impossible Days' or to annoint themselves for healing or service.  Often I wonder about the depth of my spirituality (i.e. do I have any at all!) - that some people found a need met by this room, offered me some reassurance too.

The closing communion service was a very special part of the event - a tad sacramental for my taste, granted, but a space to make peace, find release and be encouraged to go out again.  The closing song of blessing was one of my favourites - and the words are below; I am uncertain of origin or copyright, apologies.  I first encountered this song on a CD I have of Dartmoor Prison Worship group/choir.  There is something incredibly profound about accepting this blessing, prayed over you by a lifer who after the recording will return to his cell...

Dartmoor Prison Worship Band

© Daybreak Music Ltd

May your life in this world be a happy one

May the sun be warm and may the skies be blue

May the storm that comes your way

Clear the air for a brighter day

May the saints and the saviour watch over you.

As you make your way through this old world of ours

As you see the beauty of the morning dew

As you smell the summer flowers; as you pass away the hours

May the saints and the saviour watch over you.

May your life in this world be a happy one…

(Instrumental bridge)

As you spend your life with friends and family

As you feel the warmth of love they have for you

As you see the wars and hate that others radiate

May the saints and the saviour watch over you.

So, may your life in this world be a happy one

May the sun be warm and may the skies be blue

May the storm that comes your way

Clear the air for a brighter day

May the saints and the saviour watch over you.

May your life in this world be a happy one…

... spoken in jest.  As stolen from the ASBO Jesus site...  Enjoy!  And thanks to Jon Birch for posting it in the first place -check out his site for more great cartoons, see sidebar.

I have just been playing that lovely 'hunt the hymn' game ready for the service a week on Sunday at which we will be rededicating and recomissioning those of our folk directly involved in outreach activities.  Naively, I decided to use the subject indexes in Mission Praise and Songs of Fellowship and the contents pages in Baptist Praise and Worship and (shock horror) Baptist Hymnbook to try to find things that fit the theme of mission.  Just as well as I had a few ideas up front - it's not a popular heading in newer books.

Mission Praise had an 'evangelism and mission' section in its thematic indexes which included some great mission hymns and songs; the dreaded green book has a section on 'witness and worldwide mission' - including a few treasures that have fallen from favour over the years.  The least bad heading in BPW was 'witnessing' and SOF has 'proclamation and evangelism,' though again, each of these include some superb material.  Only Common Ground has a thematic entry specifcially titled 'mission.'

What strikes me most is that categorising of hymns and songs seems to have shifted a lot in the last few decades to be very much centred on 'me and Jesus' (or even, in some cases, separate themed sections for 'me and God the Father', 'me and Jesus' and 'me and the Holy Spirit') - yes I know the grammar is bad, but I think it often so ego-centric that the bad grammar is the more honest ordering.  The work and purpose of the church has somehow got itself relegated to section D4 or some such.

It will be interesting to see how the next generation of hymn resources (I guess they may not be real, paper books by then) goes about categorising its songs and what that actually says about how the church sees itself.

In the meantime, it is looking as though it will be to golden oldies that I turn, such as this from the Overseas Mission Fellowship: -

Facing a task unfinished,

That drives us to our knees,

A need that, undiminished,

Rebukes our slothful ease.

We who rejoice to know Thee,

Renew before Thy throne

The solemn pledge we owe Thee,

To go and make Thee known.

...

O Father who sustained them,

O Spirit who inspired,

Saviour, whose love constrained them

To toil with zeal untired

From cowardice defend us,

From lethargy awake!

Forth on thine errands send us,

To labour for Thy sake.

Frank Houghton (c) Overseas Missionary Fellowship

And in case you want to use it, it is in Mission Praise Combined (and so, presumably, Complete with or without supplement)

Last night I attended the licensing service for one of my former colleagues who has just moved to another parish, which in reality means he now serves the other side of the same parish boundary.  It was the first time I'd attended such a service and, whilst I was pleased and privileged to be there, it only brought out the non-conformist in me all the more!

Apart from the fancy dress, processions and pompous language (which even the Bishop made jokes about) there were aspects of the whole procedure I found challenging.  I had often wondered quite why early Baptists had such a problem with the swearing of oaths because it isn't really part of my experience (apart from when I did jury service) - last night as I listened to these 'clerks in holy orders' swearing all manner of oaths, I began to understand.

I found the presence of so many local dignitaries and the welcome by the MP (who clearly was not in Bournemouth, something the Bishop commented upon) a little bizarre.  Not because I have problems with civic representation but because the whole thing suddenly became a state ceremony somehow.  I don't know if this is typical.

After the service I had a chat to our remaining priest (who retires early next year, so the whole rigmarole will happen again...).  I commented on the oath of allegiance to the crown - and was corrected, no, not to the corwn, but to the Queen (and her heirs and successors) as head of the Church of England.  He then said, he'd have problems swearing allegiance to her most likely successor who wants to be 'defender of faiths,' something he saw as contra to being head of a Christian church, but which to me seems entirely in keeping with early Baptist thought.  Interesting.

Even the buffet seemed somehow Anglican!  Tiny smoked salmon or cucumber sandwiches with the crusts cut off, cherry tomatoes cut in half and plates of bought cakes (I mean, whatever happened to good old chapel ham sandwiches, slabs of fruit cake or Victoria sandwiches?).   Even the small talk was dominated by people trying to catch the eye of the Bishop (who clearly had the misfortune to be christened Bishop, since that's what they all call him... can you imagine calling Jonathan Edwards 'General Secretary'....?!).

I was glad to be there, and the service was not without its lighter moments - not least watching the Bishop try not to collapse into giggles as the choir masacred an anthem.  Indeed, it was so bad that one of the sopranos began laughing when she failed by miles to hit the top note.  That said, I was reminded of the story told of a priest who despaired of their congregation's singing, it was so bad.  One night, said priest dreamed of being in heaven, where God was giving a guided tour.  As they walked around, the strains of an amazing choir were heard, and the priest commented upon it.  God took the priest to a door and opened it so that they could see and hear the choir properly... Imagine the surprsie on the priest's face on seeing that the choir was none other than their own congregation...

Which all goes to show that God isn't too fussed about pointy hats, slabs of cake or creaky voices; it's what's behind it all that matters.  But I'm still clear why I am not an Anglican!!

Last night I heard about a Sunday School teacher who was teaching on the 'how many times must I forgive' theme to a group of youngish children at a local Anglican church.  Part of their pattern of worship is that the children bring in to the service what they have made/coloured to show the congregation.

As the priest patiently waited at the front, a long piece of string was carriedinto the church, eventually stretching the entire length of the aisle.  On it the children had strung 490 hand-painted pieces of pasta.

This for me is a very graphic and powerful illustration of 70x7, and if it isn't in a book somehwere, it should be.

Firstly, the love that went in to counting out 490 pieces of macaroni/penne and painting them different colours sothat the exercise would be more pleasurable for the children.

Then the patience and collaboration of the children to string so many 'beads of forgiveness' together.

Lastly, the sight of this 'rosary of reconciliation' stretching for - I guess - around 50 feet would be an amazing way of visualising what Jesus meant.  

As a symbol of what forgiveness involves - creativity, love, patience, generosity and enormity (not the right word but I can't think of a better one) - this is the one of the best I've come across.