Well, we are migrating soon; the website that is. And this blog, instead of being a link found through the website, will be fully integrated into the new one. And that may even mean we can cope with comments. But don't hold your breath, just in case.
There may be other changes on the blog - we hope that others may get involved in writing, and that it may be more of a community effort, rather than simply my voice.
That's something we are trying to achieve in various contexts within our life together; exploring ways of hearing more than one voice. We already do it to some degree when we meet on a Sunday; we hear different voices in the readings, and sometimes in the prayers. We join together in responses. We listen as people lead us through music.
But there is room in our worship for many more voices - taking part in ways already established, and in finding new ways of sharing. It is a significant part of Baptist identity that we hear the voice of God for us in each others speaking. And so it is important that we learn to speak together.
And that of course, means that we need to learn to listen well too. We already practice this when we take seriously the role of the congregation in preaching. One of the privileges in being part of team ministry is the opportunity to listen to preaching, as well as offer it. And so, it is with some authority, even as a preacher, that I am qualified to comment that to listen well, to listen participatively, to allow the word to be the Word by listening, engaging, encountering and expecting is at least as active as preaching.
Without good listeners - listeners who expect to hear and require one to dare to speak so that there is the possibility of hearing, and whose hearing is one that is committed, then there is no word spoken that can become the Word in the world.
Please God, as we learn to bring more and more voices into our worship - and our blog - we will pay as much attention to listening well, and letting the Word be heard among and through us.