Yesterday the baptistery at Railway Town Baptist Church was opened up ahead of Sunday's service.  It is very generously sized, especially as it is the original Victorian.  It passes under the pulpit, and there is a rear door - through a cupboard - into what was once upon a time a corridor leading to meeting rooms (now opened up into a single decent sized space).

On Sunday it will be full of - hopefully warm - water ready for two people to be Baptised.  This is an exciting and wonderful occasion, and I for one am looking forward to it.  More photos to follow in due course.

Yesterday in college chapel, we were invited to reflect on the words of Revelation 21 in conjunction with a piece of writing I first came across when I lived in Leicestershire, and which I shared in worship very early in my time in Glasgow.  It was interesting to see a photo of a place I have walked countless times, and from where I even recorded a reflection on St Mungo.  It was joyful to see people hear it for the first time - and that our one true Scot among the students read it for us.  It bears another sharing...

The New Glasgow

I saw a vision - it was last Thursday at eleven o'clock in the morning:

I was standing on the Necropolis, looking down over the city;

and the cold blue winter sky broke open above my head

and the Spirit of God breathed on my eyes

and my eyes were opened.

I saw Glasgow, the holy city, coming down out of heaven;

shining like a rare jewel, sparkling like ‘clear water in the eye of the sun’;

and all the sickness was gone from the city,

there were no more suburbs and schemes;

no difference between Bearsden and Drumchapel.

I saw the Clyde running with the water of life,

as bright as crystal,

as clear as glass,

            the children of Glasgow swimming in it.

And the Spirit showed me the tree of life

growing on Glasgow Green.

I looked out and there were no more homeless people,

 no more women working the streets,

no more needles up the closes,

HIV and AIDS were things of the past,

there were no more racist attacks,

no more gay bashing,

no more rapists,

no more stabbings,

no more Protestants and Catholics,

no more IRA graffiti, no more Orange marches,

because there was no more hate!

And I saw women walking safe at nights,

saw the men were full of passion and gentleness,

that none of the children were ever abused,

because the people's sex was full of justice and of joy.

I saw an old woman throw back her head

and laugh like a young girl;

and when the sky closed back, her laughter rang in my head

for days and days

and would not go away.

This is what I saw, looking over the Gallowgate,

Looking up from the city of death;

And I knew then that there would be a day of resurrection,

And I believe

that there will be a day of resurrection.

 Doug Gay

I took this photo back in 2020, at a time when everyone's biggest concern was the severe winter storms that were bringing high winds and flooding.  It was week one of what would become the 'sabbatical that never was' and I was walking the Whithorn Way, a very poorly defined pilgrimage route in the south west of Scotland.  Walking up hill on a metalled path, I saw this chalked message.  I liked it then, and I like it still.

The importance of stopping 'to smell the roses' or to admire the view.  The value of pausing even in the midst of busyness to enjoy the moment.  And, I'd suggest, the need to do so even - or maybe especially - when it is dull or stormy.

The psalmist says God says, 'stop what you are doing and focus on me' or words to that effect.  Take a break, admire the view, and find yourself drawn to one in whom it has its origin... sounds like a good idea to me!  

I'm looking forward to a five-week Zoom Lent Course using the 'York Course' material from 2022.  I like that's quite 'open' theologically and that it invites authenticity and honesty from participants.  What's more of a challenge is that it's CD based (lots of listening to recordings) and all the voices sound remarkably educated and erudite.  It will be an interesting, and gently challenging, experiment, and I am thrilled that around ten people hope to be part of it - that's as big a group as I'd ever want in a Zoom conversational gathering.

Here's the outline from the blurby stuff... (I still need to work on the unquestioned male language for God!)

SESSION 1: The best picture of God
God’s favour is not dependent on anything we are or anything we do. His acceptance is unconditional. If we want to know what God ‘looks like’, we simply need to look at one another.

SESSION 2: Neither Jew nor Gentile
In Christ, God is telling us the most important thing about himself: he leaves no-one out. Being willing to include everybody is the only rule for those who want to be with Jesus. God is love and, in Christ, humanity is one.

SESSION 3: Neither male nor female
The most profound human difference is that created by our gendered bodies. But even this important difference is superficial compared to the deepest and truest identity of each one of us; through Christ we see that we are all children of God; all heirs to the kingdom of heaven.

SESSION 4: Neither slave nor free
Our world is grossly, torturously unequal, and before Christ came, no-one expected or looked for anything different. Jesus scandalized those around him by acting as though every human being mattered. We are to follow him to the margins.

SESSION 5: What is a Christian?
Jesus did not come to found a religion: he came to give people life. When he wanted his followers to understand his identity and purpose, he didn’t give them a theory or explain an idea, he shared a meal with them.

For those interested in what I do at College, this term I am working with a colleague to facilitate a series of sessions around self-care, support networks and strategies for coping with the demands of ministry.  It's so important, and the denominations have got better over the years, but there is such a long way still to go.  In the end, it's down to the ministers themselves to make connections, build relationships and seek support - if we can equip these students to do this just a little better, we will have done something good!