Saturday 27 August 2011

Hymn for today

Today’s hymn by Fanny J Crosby features a tune written by Phoebe Knapp and brings together the same team that wrote Blessed Assurance. The tune can be heard at Cyberhymnal.

 

Behold Me standing at the door,
And hear Me pleading evermore,
With gentle voice: oh, heart of sin,
May I come in? May I come in?

Refrain

Behold Me standing at the door,
And hear Me pleading evermore:
Say, weary heart, oppressed with sin,
May I come in? May I come in?

I bore the cruel thorns for thee,
I waited long and patiently;
Say, weary heart, oppressed with sin,
May I come in? May I come in?

Refrain

I would not plead with thee in vain;
Remember all My grief and pain;
I died to ransom thee from sin:
May I come in? May I come in?

Refrain

I bring thee joy from Heav’n above,
I bring thee pardon, peace, and love:
Say, weary heart, oppressed with sin,
May I come in? May I come in?

Refrain

Monday 22 August 2011

Vestry Prayers year ‘B’

Just a reminder that the book of vestry prayers for year ‘B’ is now available direct from me. There is a prayer for each Sunday to tie in with the readings for that Sunday as detailed in the Revised Common Lectionary.

The book is available for £5 plus £1 post and packing and you can obtain a copy by getting in touch with me by email and I will give you full details. My email is ipsouthall@supanet.com

Sunday 14 August 2011

Hymn for Today

This week’s selection Fanny J Crosby. Hear the tune at Cyberhymnal

O what a blessing, how can I express it?
Out of the fullness of rapture I sing,
Now by the Father received and adopted,
I am a child and an heir of a King.

Refrain

I am adopted, O wonderful love,
Heir to a heritage purchased above;
Tell it, my soul, and joyfully sing,
I am a child and an heir of a King.

O what a Father, how tenderly gracious,
O what a Savior to make me His care;
Tho’ I have slighted, rejected, and grieved Him,
Still He permits me His kingdom to share.

Refrain

O the unsearchable riches He giveth,
Riches increasing from day unto day;
Treasures in value all others excelling,
Treasures that never will rust nor decay.

Refrain

When I have finished the work He appoints me,
When I have ended my journey below,
Then to my Father and Jesus my Savior,
Home to a beautiful palace I go.

Refrain

Friday 12 August 2011

Pleasant surprise

There was a knock on my door last evening at about 7-30p.m. and I thought it might be my Muslim neighbour bringing me some food (an almost daily happening) but it was a stranger. He asked if I was Mr Southall and I said yes I was and he said I have brought you this and gave me a hardback copy of the New International Bible which was a free gift I had qualified for by completing ten bible quizzes.
I had expected to receive the Bible through the post so it was a pleasant surprise to receive it by personal delivery and we chatted for a while and although I didn't know the man we had some mutual acquaintances.
If you might be interested in this either for yourself or to encourage people you know to engage with the Bible more the quizzes can be found at www.freebible.org.uk

Thursday 11 August 2011

Early Christmas Present?

I know its too early to mention Christmas but I will try not to do it again before December 1st after this post.

In our circuit we tend to use the readings from revised common lectionary quite a bit and as some readers may know the lectionary year starts on the first Sunday in Advent each year and runs to the Sunday before Advent the following year. The year that begins on 27th November 2011 is Year ‘B’ and I thought this might be a good chance to remind people about the book of vestry prayers I wrote specifically for year ‘B’.

Quite a number of the churches in our circuit use the book whatever year it is because they say the prayers are more modern than some of the collections of vestry prayers and are easy to read and consequently say.

Perhaps you are a steward who sometimes finds it difficult to pray with the preacher or perhaps you know a steward who might find this book helpful – if you would like to get a copy they are available for just £5 plus £1 post and packing. If you would like further details just email me at ipsouthall@supanet.com and I will let you have full details.

Sunday 7 August 2011

Hymn for Today

Another hymn from the pen of Fanny J Crosby

All the way my Saviour leads me;
What have I to ask beside?
Can I doubt His tender mercy,
Who through life has been my Guide?
Heav’nly peace, divinest comfort,
Here by faith in Him to dwell!
For I know, whate’er befall me,
Jesus doeth all things well;
For I know, whate’er befall me,
Jesus doeth all things well.

All the way my Saviour leads me,
Cheers each winding path I tread;
Gives me grace for every trial,
Feeds me with the living Bread.
Though my weary steps may falter,
And my soul athirst may be,
Gushing from the Rock before me,
Lo! A spring of joy I see;
Gushing from the Rock before me,
Lo! A spring of joy I see.

All the way my Saviour leads me
O the fullness of His love!
Perfect rest to me is promised
In my Father’s house above.
When my spirit, clothed immortal,
Wings its flight to realms of day
This my song through endless ages—
Jesus led me all the way;
This my song through endless ages—
Jesus led me all the way.

Saturday 6 August 2011

A challenge to meet have I.

Our district synod is meeting in Walsall in September and I asked if we were having a bookshop as I though it might be a good opportunity to have my book of vestry prayers for year B of the revised common lectionary on sale (Year B starts the first Sunday in Advent 2011). I was at coffee morning at Pleck Methodist Church this morning and one of the circuit stewards said that there would be a bookstall and they would be willing to sell copies of the book.

That was fair enough but then one of the folk from Pleck said what happened to the other two years of prayers which I had said I was going to write. I said I hadn’t got round to it and she said I really ought to. She does have a point as most of the churches in our circuit use the book when I am preaching and often comment on how useful they find it. So the challenge now is to write prayers for Year C to publish middle of next year so they can go on sale around September.

I will keep you updated on progress here – I am four chapters into a follow up to my other book about my childhood so I may need to do a bit of work on both – hope I don’t get confused.

Taken to task

Well its been an interesting week over on Facebook where I pasted a similar post to the one below about CRB checks and ended up being accused of using base language, going against Methodist Church policy and being the devil incarnate.

All I did was raise the questions I had raised here and then entered into a discussion on their with a number of people. I was accused of undermining the safeguarding process and ended up feeling insulted so after allowing time for an apology from the person (it didn’t come) I pulled the post to avoid the possibility of me slipping into the kind of language I had been accused of using.

I was and still am at a loss to understand how people can so badly misunderstand and misrepresent what one has said. I am not opposed to safeguarding and recognise the need for some sort of process to enable us to ensure vulnerable people are protected but what I have and will continue to argue against is the blind faith that some people place in the CRB system as the be all and end all of safeguarding. It is one tool with in my opinion lots of issues that I detailed in my previous post – when I can be convinced that my worries have no basis in fact then I might too be able to adopt the view that CRB is marvellous, until then I shall try to avoid the people over on Facebook that I got into debate with.