I love HymnQuest, I type in the theme or a keyword and it shows me hymns and songs that fit the bill.  Little plug - if your church doesn't already use it, consider buying it, it's fab.

Anyway, this morning I'm starting to look for hymns/songs on the 'outrageous generosity' theme.  So, after looking up generosity as a theme, which was a bit disappointing, nothing very exciting popped up, I used 'outrageous' as a key word and found several hymns/songs I don't know which seemed to connect:

'All will be well' - how to embrace this madness, by Bill Thomas, speaks of outrageous hope

As Christ's body we move forward, by Jill Boyce-Tillman, speaks of outrageous liberty

Come let us enter in now,  by Mike Busbee, Louise Fellingham and Nathan Fellingham, speaks of outrageous grace

Outrageous love, that dares to breach, by Andrew Pratt, speaks (obviously!) of outrageous love

There's a lot of pain, but a lot more healing, by Godfrey Birtill, speaks of outrageous grace

There were three others which used the word 'outrageous' but they didn't quite fit as the use was more conventional!

God's outrageous love and grace gives us outrageous liberty and hope... wow, that's a sermon in a sentence!

These songs/hymns reflect the full breadth of the theolgical spectrum and many different traditions, but each hints at the outrageous generosity of God.

Will I be using any of them?  Probably not, but I've enjoyed reading them.

Here's Bill Thomas' little hymn anyway:

1  'All will be well' - how to embrace this madness
    when earth itself is broken and in pain?
    When daily living overflows with sadness,
    such optimism surely is in vain?

2  For even Jesus (God!) was not protected
    from anguish, torture, and a robber's grave.
    If God's self-revelation is rejected,
    how can we trust that there is power to save?

3  Yet pain and grief can never be victorious,
    despite the grip of doom and stench of hell:
    for Christ is raised from death, ascended, glorious,
    to give outrageous hope: 'all will be well'.

     Bill Thomas (born 1961) © 2001 Stainer & Bell Ltd

Working from home today, on the basis that, with this cold, if I had a 'real' job I would stay home to avoid passing it on to others.

A quick look at HymnQuest turned up this hymn by Percy Dearmer for All Saints Day:

1  Unknown and unrewarded,
    Their very names have died -
    Thy true church through the ages,
    The remnant by thy side:
    These pure in heart did see thee;
    From dross of self refined,
    They spent their lives for others,
    Courageous, peaceful, kind.

2  For many learn the doctrine,
    And lose it in their rules,
    And many drown thy Gospel
    In clamour of the schools;
    But thy true saints have found thee
    In all things as thou art;
    These followed thine example,
    The orthodox in heart.

3  Wise were they all, and simple,
    And meek, and strong, and sane,
    Beloved and loving were they,
    With laughter in their train;
    They turned from fame and riches
    A happier way to choose,
    They understood thy kingdom,
    They welcomed thy good news.

4  O why so few that follow?
    And why are we so far?
    Their gracious way is easy:
    Our dullness makes the bar.
    O king of saints, inspire us
    The love of self to slay,
    Till, all our ranks advancing,
    We throng the narrow way!

    Percy Dearmer (1867-1936)

I rather like it... and verse 2 seems to echo some of the ideas about 'outrageous generosity' that gospel can be obstructed by 'right' theology... I guess what the liberation theologians would allude to as the tension of ortho-doxy and ortho-praxis.  The phrase 'orthodox in heart' seems a helpful one as we negotiate our way in a complex and confusing world.

Anyway, as we remember saints official or unofficial, it's good to pause and see where we each fit into the story

'You should be wise as serpents and innocent as doves'

OK, so what does that really mean?  Is it actually possible to be trully savvy, astute, intuitive, thoughtful and wise whilst at the same time being gentle, vulnerable, open-hearted, positive thinking and innocent?

Which is our more natural leaning, and why?

Does 'wisdom' have the potential to slide into cynicism and mistrust, the erection of barriers, of a seige mentality that refuses to take risks?

Does 'innocence' have the potential to slide into gullibility, foolhardiness, abdication of critical faculties, of an attitude that risks all in a foolish way?

How do we respond when our tendency to one or other proves unhelpful?

I wonder, gentle readers, which is your greater tendency - suspicion or gullibility, defensiveness or openness, self-protection or vulnerability?

This post is not a response to one 'event' or 'issue' just me wondering 'out loud' where and when I lean too far to one or other extreme, and why.

Wise AND innocent... that's a tough call!

Archdruid Eileen links this song and wonders about it.  It is, after all, written by a man and takes the 'Jesus is my boyfriend' motif to a whole new level, imo

Carl Beech reflects on his unepxected evening in a gay bar - unexpected as he hadn't realised it was - and asks 'what is good news for a gay person'.  Inevitably, like all of us, he has presuppositions and ideas what that means, and it's hardly a new question, but it is a valid one.

Just wonder what might have happened had he offered them the song, which comes from the Vineyard expression of Christianity...

Sorry, just feeling far too michievous this morning.  (save me a seat near the fire...)

Sniffle, snuffle, sneeze, splutter... I have a 'post Assembly cold' the product of the outrageous generosity of those who attended whilst suffering from colds, the outrageous generosity of a warm hot venue, the inevitable consequences of people gathered together in close proximity given each of the above, and the fact that, like it or not, my resistance to infection is still compromised.

Setting that aside, cos it's not really what it was all about, what are my first thoughts?

Baptist Assembly in Scotland is very male.  This observation was made to me by guest speakers who had travelled from England.  Although some laudable efforts were made to have male and female speakers, and a small attempt was made at moving beyond all Caucasian leaders, the reality is it is a very male event - even with half the delegates being female.  I could - and inwardly do - harumph that the on-screen biblical texts were in NIVi (good) but the readers all used the NIV'e' (bad). I could  - and inwardly do - bemoan the poverty of prayer language where God was exclusively described as Father - scripturally justified, but woefully inadequate.  I could become a moaning Minnie, but it doesn't achieve much.  Instead I will endeavour to model better practice, and encourage others to do likewise.

Baptist Assembly in Scotland is less brash than its southern counterpart.  This observation was made by a friend who'd travelled up to take part in closing worship.  That's true.  By its very nature, it is smaller, more homely, and becomes almost a hybrid between what English/Welsh readers would know as an Association Day and an Assembly.  One southern friend observed that it felt more relaxed, less highly scripted, but I am not entirely sure that's so, I think they happened to present in a session where a couple of mavericks were at play.  Another southern friend, after an opening session that was explicitly theological rather than specifically motivational, observed that you wouldn't get that much theology in an 'English' Assembly.  That may be true, but I think it was a new departure in a Scottish one too.

Baptist Assembly in Scotland is very like Baptist Assembly in England.  Despite differences of size and culture, there is an awful lot that is the same.  There are opportunities to catch up with folk we haven't seen for yonks, and to meet new people who may become friends.  There are inspiring and challenging speakers.  There is opportunity for worship and learning.  There are 'business' matters to be attended to - from approval of reports and accounts, to debate and decisions on diverse issues.

Last night a couple of my C of S colleagues said wryly, 'so, how was Assembly' assuming that their experiences of their Assembly would be echoed.  I can honestly say that overall it was a very good Assembly, I was inspired and I was challenged.  There were parts that disappointed, in different ways, and I'm really not convinced that when the time came for the rubber to hit the road on showing 'outrageous generosity' we managed.  However, generosity demands that we do not dwell on the negatives but celebrate the positives, and work to do and be Good News.

Some of my southern readers will be surprised to find no comments yet on hymnody.  It seems that 'that song' has finally been consigned to its rightful place in the dustbin of Assembly repertoire (at least for now).  There was a pretty good blend of traditional hymns (even if the musical arrangements left a bit to be desired sometimes) and newer worship songs.  I say newer, since many took me back to my student days thirty years ago!  If I have a criticism, it was what my college essay markers used to term an 'over-dependence' on Matt Redmann (c) 2011 material.  Some of Matt's material is fabulous, I'm not so sure this was his best, just his latest.

Still trying to process all the stuff - and have decided to make a change to the advertised programme for next Sunday in order that I can share some reflections with my congregation.  So our revised title will be Outrageous Generosity?

Sniffle, snuffle, clear throat....