Regular readers will probably have spotted that of late I don't seem to have much to say... it goes like that sometimes.  At the same time, people are kind enough to keep returning and reading, some even valuing the mundane and ordinary as a sign of authenticity.  Anyway, after yesterday's great fun service I am still rather sleepy, so the morning so far has been work-from-home doing my tax return and attending to a few admin tasks.

Tax return... one of those task I always love to get out of the way.  One that is actually the work of a few minutes once I've gathered all the relevant data in one place, because the software I use is just SO easy.  Pay Mintaplan (or someone similar) and then spend the year collating how many coffees and biscuits I give/purchase for how many people all in the interests of saving a few coppers?  Nah.  Amazon for most of my book ordering means a quick flip through the list to tot up what I spent.  P11D and P60.  Pension statement (or pay slips).  Done.  And this year for the first time ever it seems I actually hit 'break even' rather the +/- £100 of past years.  I am remarkably happy!  I'd definitely recommend TaxCalc (Acorah software) which I've used for several years.  I started using it as it was one of the few that had 'minister of religion' pages; perhaps by now some free ones have them, but for ~£30 I reckon it's good value.

PAYG this morning was the parable of the Good Samaritan, so very familiar and much of the approach stuff I've done before.  But even so, a new-to-me insight ocurred.  The man asking the question 'who is my neighbour' I have always heard as being 'how wide does this stretch?' but PAYG suggested he was asking 'how narrowly may I define this'.  It could be semantics, but these feel like different questions... the first essentially 'who may I count as 'in'?' and the latter 'who may I count as 'out'?'  Perhaps it is the fact I've always heard this as 'how wide' rather than 'how narrow' that shapes my attitdues on inclusion and exclusion, that I am more exercised by 'how can I be more inclusive whilst still true to my core convictions' rather than 'how will my convictions be compromised if I don't exclude on the grounds of x, y or z'.  Does that make sense?

So, the new work pattern continues... not without it's challenges, because having worked hard on Sunday I am tired on Mondays and have a late finish ahead of me.  Allowing myself to lie-in a little (as much as a moggy will permit anyway) and take sme space at the start of the day is the sensible way forward... Rather than seeing Monday as a very long work day, better to try to cultivate it as a 'late shift' that starts in the afternoon and gives me the morning for myself.  And then to overcome the guilt at not being 'productive' when the rest of the world is busy!

This morning's service seemed to go really well - the place was packed out, despite several people being away on holiday or unwell.  Everyone joined in, and there did seem to be plenty of laughter and generosity abounding as we shared together.  It felt, to me, like a proper All Age Service in that, at no stage did did we split into adults and children doing differently.  There was no sermon, but a snappy little reflection read from the Operation Agri book with about two minutes from me added on the end.  We sang in Spanish and English.  Some of us multi-tasked a syncopated percussion rhythm against a syncopated Samba rhythm song!  (And one of us operated the PowerPoint at the same time!).  The children enthusiastically entered into the activities - as did the adults if truth be told - and managed to be really still and quiet in the appropriate places.  We shared tortillas for communion as that seemed more fitting than a loaf, and imagined oursleves in the upper room with Jesus.

I had fun... and now I am bushed!  Good bushed.  Spent and happy - the way a minister dreams of feeling on a Sunday afternoom!

Tomorrow is our harvest service, when we will be collecting non-perishable foodstuffs for Glasgow City Mission and money for operation Agri's 'Fit for Life' project in Nicaragua.  It will be one of my 'marmite' services, lots of Spanish language stuff, lots of interaction, lots of multi-media, oh and a newish twist on an old hymn and one old one as it is traditionally sung , that should ensure Ioffend everbody equally! ;-)

There are numerous contemporary versions of this old harvest hymn, but I opted for this one written by friends in inner city Manchester:

Here in the modern city,

We have no fields to plough;

Our food is grown by others

And comes we know not how;

And yet we want to offer

Our harvest praise today,

For still in God’s creation

We have our part to play.

       All good gifts around us

       are sent from heaven above;

       then thank the Lord,

       O thank the Lord,

       for all his love.

We place our trust in money,

And in the welfare state;

But these we know are human

So justice has to wait;

The harvest is unequal

And some, they have no bread.

O help us to keep working

‘til all your folk are fed.

So at this time of harvest

Our grateful thanks we sing;

The first fruits of our labours,

Our lives an offering.

Let’s plant the seed of justice

And work that it might grow,

Until God’s love eternal,

On earth its fruit shall grow.

From Crumbs of Hope ©  Clare McBeath  & Tim Presswood

Now, just a small matter of sorting the props...

The United Reformed Church is celebrating its 40th birthday this year.  As a child of nine, I recall the sign changing on the village chapel from D***** Congregational Church to D***** United Reformed Church.  It was another three years before I began to worship regularly there, and that particular URC retains a special place in my heart.  It was there I learned about congregational governance, the importance of membership and communal discernment... attributes that resonated deep with my inner being.  Although I would in time come to specifically Baptist convictions rather than Congregational/URC ones, we have much common heritage... indeed that little URC/Congregational church in D began life as a Baptist 'plant'.

Roberta Rominger, for whom I have deep repsect, has listed "fifteen things to love" about the URC.  They are interesting to look at, and some made my chuckle a little - especially that in their forty year history they have been ordaining women for ninety five!!!  (Baptists and Congregationalists can legitimately make the claim; the URC can more legitmately claim that from its foundation it has ordained women...).  A longer list of forty items can be found here. 

It's perhaps as well that as Baptists we have not set out to identify 400 things we love about our tradition!!

Recently I made an attempt to preach on 'responsible words in an age of instant messaging'... it was not entirely successful, though it did prompt quite a lot of response, which is maybe no bad thing.  For a more sophisticated, considered and measured approach, take a peek at this from Steve Holmes and look forward to what else he has to say on the topic.