Today we took church to the sheltered housing complex.  Granted a significant few church folk we absent, being away on holiday or attending to major family issues, but all in all, including guests, forty of us managed to fit into the lounge, three times adding a new front row in the process and then having a 'behind the speaker' row because there was nowhere else to fit chairs in what is a rather oddly shaped room.  A couple of folk joined us part way through the service and one arrived just in time for tea - innocently enough, and was thrilled to be given a plate of sandwiches.

About 15 of those present were from our lunch club and, apart from one, have no other church connection.  It was touching, though not surprising given the hymn choices, that many of them felt safe enough to weep a little during some of the singing.  It was also great that a couple of them steadfastly stood for all the hymns when even my own folk remained seated.  It was pure joy to see them enjoying fellowship with chapel folk.

At the end of the event I was asked by my retired - but still keeping the books for 3 months - treasurer if there were any expenses to be met. I was thrilled to be able to say no, that everything had been given (wow, what a change from four years ago!) but actually here is some money one or two of the guests had insisted on giving it us as a thank you for their tea.

It was a day of hard work.  No sane minister loads their car with chapel crockery, plated sandwich teas and folding chairs to go out to lead worship.  Few congregations have folk who will up sticks and go to a different venue in lieu of their ordinary service.  And I guess there are few folk in sheltered housing who leave worship with tomorrow's tea plated and ready to put in the fridge.  It was good, and it made my soul sing.

This morning in a moment of madness, I decided to start writing my paper for the BHS Conference/University of Manchester.  I have about 500 words, none of which I like very much (though the quotes are good!) but at least it's a start.  I particularly like three articles by Henry Wheeler Robinson in early editions of Baptist Quarterly that say stuff I want to say, only better, and 80 years ago.  The good thing is it gives me a peg to hang my arguments on of 'renewing the vision'

Here is a lovely bit from BQ 2 p112, which ends a discussion on the importance of denominational history

"Other values of denominational history... I must not dwell upon - the correction of sweeping generalizations, repeated from book to book, the illumination of the general historical background of the age, the way in which some incident of the past becomes a symbol and apt expressing of permanent truth, like John Robinson's famous word about the more light and truth from the Bible.  But I think the responsibility lies on all who are concerned for the study of our denominational history to convince men of the value of that study by their own use of it, in something more than a merely antiquarian interest."

H Wheeler Robinson The Value of Denominational History, Baptist Quarterly 2 (1924-25):100-112

In highly technical speak 'Yay!' 

If the BHS can convince people of the value of studying denominational history by the use to which it is put - in more than merely antiquarian ways but instead as a resource to aid theological reflection on the health of the church - then this vision will not simply be renewed but revitalised.  And if I can actually manage to say this in a non-boring way in my paper, I will be well pleased!

All you Mr Men/Little Miss lovers simply must check this one out - it's fantastic!

... this blog is not a good place to look for Shrek, Donkey or Eeyore despite what the 'serach terms' aggregator would suggest.  One post on one service using these characters a good while back, and ever since people have come looking.  So: I don't have Eeyore!  I don't have Shrek!  I don't have Donkey!  I have nothing against them, you just won't find them here.  And just maybe Google will now give enough of these words to save you a wasted trip...  Good hunting elsewhere.

This Sunday (Low Sunday) we are taking the show on the road to a local sheltered housing complex.  A couple of folk are coming round to my house in the morning to make up 50 plated sandwich teas, then in the afternoon we descend en masse to the lounge of the complex for our songs of praise type service.  The 'talk,' such as it is, is taking the theme 'lost and found' and will spring out of the parables of lost sheep and lost coins.  The idea effectively is that maybe we feel as insignificant, or even as lost, as said item/animal but that we are of inestimable worth to God.  I think that this fits for folk who have had to give up their own home to live in a sheltered complex and some of whom have no family nearby. I am hoping it will give folk a bit of a lift - a little 'high' - from the flatness of the post bank holiday humdrum.  I'm not over enamoured with their choice of hymns, they are, on the whole, a bit gloom laden, but at least they have chosen them.  Let's just hope they arrive to sing them and that the church folk don't decide to take the day off...