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.

... and red duffle coats, is now declared open!

Hard to believe that my precious red coat is entering its third winter, hopefully (viz 'filled with hope', not 'oh I hope it will') defying the dark and cold, literal and metaphorical.

Thank you God for the promise of another winter, and the indefatigable hope of Christ within it.

I have just reviewed and updated my blogroll (list of blogs I read).  I have taken off a number that are defunct (though a few near defunct ones remain for now) and added some fresh ones.  The reality is that I follow a lot of blogs either by RSS feed or bookmarking, far more than I ever list here.  Most of the listed ones are by people/groups whose work is, or was, in, or associated with, church.  If you haven't explored any of them before, why not take a look - you might find something that appeals to you too!

If you are a blogger whose link I have removed, it doesn't mean I've stopped reading your stuff, just a matter of trying to keep the list reasonably lively and interesting!  OK... someone take the spade away from me now...

Today's PAYG was the well known incident where Jesus' disciples were squabbling about greatness and Jesus took a small child, set 'it' amidst them and said - you need to become like one of these.  For two millennia since then, churches have had a complex relationship with children, so much so that I feel a bit tentative posting, and know even as I type this could be misunderstood or misinterpreted.  So, a reminder of the disclaimer stuff - my blog, my mess ups. 

How do we make churches a place where children discover their inate spirituality and grow in faith?  How do we do this in a way that is helpful for as many peple of all ages as possible?  How do we truly value everyone equally?  I have a suspicion if I knew the answer to that, I could be a very materially wealthy woman! 

Sometimes it seems easier to work out what we are getting 'wrong' or what is not really helpful than the converse.  Something which, I think, is made more complicated by the fact that the church is out of kilter with a society where childhood has become almost a cult in its own right over the last century or so.  Thank goodness children are now protected by law from exploitation and abuse; that they are educated, inoculated and given top class health-care.  Thank goodness that catch-nets are there for those whose parents cannot cope.  But there is flip side... we have become so cautious that children are denied the simple pleasures that even my generation took for granted, we have teachers fearful of chastising poor behaviour, we have expectations that every (or almost every) aspect of life is totally child-friendly/accessible and so on.  If I am honest, I am not quite sure that if Jesus was in the same situation today, at least in Britain, that it would be a child who symbolised the 'least' in society.  Not that I'm quite sure who it would be instead - possibly a single, homeless, adult male as, top my knowledge, they have the least 'rights' under UK law.

None of this means that in churches we can get away with ignoring or marginalising children; au contraire, we must work harder to wlecome and encourage them.  But it also means that we have to beware the risk of marginalising some other part of society in the process... people with hidden disabilities perhaps, or people with mental health issues, or single adults in their thirties and forties, or whatever it is.  Part of nurturing children - and adults - is help each come to understand that society is so much bigger than 'me'.

Jesus took a worthless individual and set 'it' amidst the crowd... unless you become like this, you have no place in my kingdom.

Children - in

People with disabilities - in

People with mental health issue - in

People who don't conform to societal stereotypes - in

Whoever I perceive as worthless - in

So, here I am - trying to work it out, failing miserably, risking being misheard... but willing to hear Jesus challenging me in my attitudes, my exclusions, my evaluations.

Jesus Christ, Son of the living God, have mercy on me, a sinner.