revmusings

Enter a hospital room, a side room as the very elderly patient has had a nasty bug, to be greeted with:

'Hi, you're an answer to prayer ...I need to go to the toilet' pointing to the commode in the corner of the room!


or later to someone else:


What have you given up for Lent?:

Bible Study!

Today the issue of infant baptism has hit the headlines with the news that John Hunt who was baptised in the parish church of St Jude with St Aidan in Thornton Heath in south-east London but now, 50 years later, he stands outside and regards its brick facade without much affection.

Mr Hunt has become the pioneer in a rejuvenated campaign for a way of cancelling baptisms given to children too young to decide for themselves whether they wanted this formal initiation into Christianity.

However, baptism is proving a difficult thing to undo.

The local Anglican diocese, Southwark, refused to amend the baptismal roll as Mr Hunt had wanted, on the grounds that it was a historical record.

In the face of resistance from the Church, the National Seecular society has come up with a document of its own.

The "Certificate of Debaptism" has a deliberately home-made look, with its mock-official decoration and quasi-official language.

Sitting on a bench in the grounds of St Jude's Church, John Hunt intoned the opening lines.

"I, John Geoffrey Hunt, having been subjected to the rite of Christian baptism in infancy... hereby publicly revoke any implications of that rite. I reject all its creeds and other such superstitions in particular the perfidious belief that any baby needs to be cleansed of original sin."

The society's president, Terry Sanderson, says the certificate is not designed to be taken too seriously, and he suggests displaying it in the loo.

However, he says, it has now been downloaded more that 60,000 times, and has taken on a life of its own.

"The debaptism certificate started out as a kind of satirical comment on the idea that you could be enrolled in a church before you could talk, but it seems to have taken off from there.

"People are beginning to take it seriously.

BBC website http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7941817.stm

On Radio another person claims that infant baptism is an abuse of human rights.

As a Baptist I have some sympathy (despite being christened myself before I saw the light and realised that Baptism as a believer was God's command - my humble view!)) and would prefer to see babies dedicated and for them to choose Baptism as a believer when they are able to choose for themselves.

This may be a storm in a teacup but if were to be taken to the courts it might prove very difficult for most mainstream denominations. But it also raises all sorts of questions of what it is legitmate for parents to do - what clothes they wear, food they eat, hobbies they are introduced to at an eary age, taking them to Sunday school or Madrassa or no faith at all etc, etc.

Sorry for the dearth of posts but its been a hectic few weeks and I am off again tomorrow for a few days. I have had time to ponder, as I have waited for babies and trains to arrive, that question: Who am I?

Last week I became a grandmother again: so now I have been a daughter, step daughter, half sister, step sister. wife, mother and grandmother in my 51 years. Tomorrow I will be married to someone who is 60 (say it fast and it doesn't hit as hard!) I am also a friend, aquaintance, neighbour and colleague.

As someone reflected to me this week how we are known changes in time: I used to be known as someone's daughter, then someone's wife, then someone's mum and now nana but now my other half is often known as my husband!

Recently I have had to explain who I am, what I do, what my priorities in life are, my faith, my hopes for the future- I have been asked to do things I would never have imagined just 4 years ago by people who see things in me I don't.

And all of this is wrapped up in who God made me to be, who God calls me to be, and who God equips me to be - this God who loves me just as I am yet is always drawing me forwards, encouraging and challanging who I am at every turn, moving me out of my comfort zones.

Time and time again I return to two verses that God has given me over the years:

Jeremiah 29:11:

For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

Psalm 121:

I lift up my eyes to the mountains—
where does my help come from?

My help comes from the LORD,
the Maker of heaven and earth.

He will not let your foot slip—
he who watches over you will not slumber;

indeed, he who watches over Israel
will neither slumber nor sleep.

The LORD watches over you—
the LORD is your shade at your right hand;

the sun will not harm you by day,
nor the moon by night.

The LORD will keep you from all harm—
he will watch over your life;

the LORD will watch over your coming and going
both now and forevermore.

When did Baptists stop believing in Baptism as the mode of entry to the Church?

Had a great weekend away - saw Oliver with an amazing Rowan Atkinson as Fagin. Then a day spent with family and friends which was a real delight. Then off to Amsterdam for a few days - had a great time, musuems with wonderful paintings, a church in an attic (Catholic as they were banned in the Reformation), the moving Anne Frank House, a canal trip, and flea and tuilp markets. Food was interesting and expensive! We had Indonesian, Argentinian, Japanses and fusion European - virtually no Dutch food to be had at all (we avioded English and very, very expensive curry)

It was also interesting to see English as the second and in some cases main language - there were translations into German and Spanish but virtually no French!

The real eyeopener was, of course, the Red Light district and the official 'Coffee Shops' where cannabis is freely and legally avaiable. (we also saw cannabis lollipops) We inevitably got into a discussion about the moral rightness of the legalisation of prostitution and cannabis. Its kept it clean, safe, and easily accesible. Crime rate is lower and the women are safe, medically cared for (which means the punters are also safer) and the government makes money from it! Clearly there were many groups there just for one or other or both but there seemed no trouble associated with either and those dreamy people passing by were much less threatening than a bunch of drunks.

There are pros and cons on both sides of the argument and I certainly didn't like seeing women displaying themselves in windows (even if she was filing her nails and looking bored) but its was better than seeing them on streeets corners, vulnerable to abusive pimps and violent punters. I also suspoect that if we started again it is tobacco we would ban not cannabis!

As Fagin says: I think I need to think it out again!

....a grandson is born. Dexter James finally arrived at 8.06pm weighing in at 9lb 5oz. Mother and baby doing well. Nana is nursing all the nail marks in her hands and arms but is very happy!

Thanks for the prayers.