Yesterday's Bible notes began a short series on the beginning of Genesis written by a Rabbi.  This almost inevitably ensures a less familiar exploration of the text, which cannot be a bad thing.

She began by observing that in the Bible (Hebrew Scriptures) the book of Beginnings (Genesis) begins in Hebrew with the letter B (or Bet(h)), the second letter of the Hebrew alphabet.  This, she asserts, serves as a reminder that the Beginning of Creation was not the first thing, a reminder that before any thing (anything) God is and God does.  Creation as we know it is only ever secondary to God's creativity.

This made me think of the Alpha and Omega (this blog editor doesn't support Greek characters, sorry) attribution to Christ in, for example, Revelation.  The idea that God in some sense brackets or contains everything else.

It also got me playing around with words beginning with 'B' in English that might be reflected upon in this way...

B for Beginning

B for Bible

B for Big Bang

All of these are secondary to God, to God's Word, to God's Breath/Spirit - which seems to put creationists and evolutionists alike firmly where they belong, as secondary to God, the source of all that is.

It also made me think about my title 'something beginning with 'B'' which can be a really bad pun...

Some thing (creation) starts with 'B' for beginning.  Maybe there is the potential for a link to the prologue to the fourth Gospel... through Him all things were made that were made, without Him no thing was made....

Not sure this makes a whole deal of sense, but it gave me something to mull over last night.  I glimpse, with my limited perception, that some thing starts with 'B'...

Last night we had some visitors to our evening worship.  Asking how they'd found us they simply replied they'd typed 'Baptist Church, Glasgow' into their favoured search engine and up we popped as the first recognisable Baptist church (our 'mummy' was first but she calls herself by another name so we are the first that can be recongised as a church).

So there you have it, we are top of the clicks!  (And yes, this makes a useful distraction from my sermon on mammon!!)

Now here is a good hymn!  Not a catchy, toe-tapping tune (though fits many a decent one being 8787D) and not a sexy theme (though an important one).

The writer, Martin Leckebusch, grew up very close to Dibley and has been writing hymns since he was a teenager.  What I especially admire is that he tackles less common themes such as this one on tithing/stewardship.  I know Martin calls by here from time to time, so 'hello' if you spot this and thank you for providing another much needed hymn, which we will sing at the Gathering Place next Sunday...

Long ago you taught your people:

'Part of what you reap is mine-

From your cattle, bring the firstborn;

Tithe the crops of field and vine.'

Though beneath the law's restrictions

We are not compelled to live,

As we reap our monthly harvest,

Make us eager, Lord, to give.

What a way of life you showed us

Through the Son you gladly gave:

Never snared by earthly treasure,

Buried in a borrowed grave-

Yet to all he freely offered

Riches of the deepest kind:

Let us live with his example

Firmly fixed in heart and mind.

In the lifestyle of the Spirit

Giving has a central part;

Teach us, Lord, this grace of sharing

With a cheerful, loving heart-

Not a tiresome obligation,

Not a barren legal due,

But an overflow of worship:

All we have belongs to you!

Martin E Leckebusch (born 1962) © 2000 Kevin Mayhew Ltd

One of the many joys of worship at the Gathering Place is the quality of the music.  We are blessed with a gifted choir ably led by an excellent pianist and musical arranger.  Occasionally we have an ensemble of other instrumentalists who bring an extra dimension to the music.

As we move into Lent the choir-leader mentioned the tradition, in his words, of 'Miserable Lent Anthems' and how we might accommodate these in the proposed preaching schedule which isn't especially Lent-like (stewardship, Fairtrade and the nurture of children in the church).  In a flippant email exchange, he observed that one miserable Lent anthem entitled me to three Graham Kendrick songs.  All of which made me wonder what an appropriate exchange rate for hymns/songs/anthems/psalms might be?

Just in case anyone wonders, "that song" requires all of the following first....

20 Lenten anthems, the more miserable the better

10 Benjamin Keach doggerel

Dibley's very own "Earthly Praises"

All of which *should* ensure I never have to sing it! ;-)

Ooops - My online order for Fairtrade Fortnight material included in inadvertent 'click' on the box for the Welsh Language 'Little Book of Swaps' and I now have 100 of said items gracing my office.  As I have two Welsh speakers in my church, I will hold onto a couple for them - and rapidly order some English ones for the rest of us - but if any reader can make use of the Welsh ones please leave me a comment and I'll get them posted off to you.  In the meantime, I just await delivery of my inflatable banana and inflatable coffee cup...!