Long live the university!

Richard Cunningham wrote an opinion piece for the Guardian's Education Weekly, which appeared today: Unity in diversity: since when did universities start banning things?

Men turned into jellyfishes

TeamPyro's Spurgeon post this Monday is worth reading, as Spurgeon contemplated the lack of seriously convinced sceptics (and convinced Christians) in 1874. As so often with Spurgeon, he could have been talking about today.

Our society doesn't often argue persuasively for unbelief; it assumes it.
Our response too easily is to leave off arguing persuasively for belief, and assume it.

Yet what happens then is that in private we assume the gospel to be true, and in public engagement - whether when chatting with friends about a TV programme or in not chatting with non-Christians at any time at all - we assume the gospel not to be true. That is, we don't announce it to be false, but we buy into the lie that with our non-Christian friends we have to speak as if we assume it to be false. We have to speak from their perspective. With Christian friends and acquaintances, we mention God, we interpret things from the perspective of the gospel. With non-Christian friends we refrain from mentioning God seriously and certainly from talking about the gospel's relevance to the latest film plot under discussion, effectively thinking & acting as if it isn't true.

That the man Jesus lived perfectly 2000 years ago, revealed God to us, died under God's wrath for us, who love to rebel against him, having been given by his Father God to do so, and rose again to give new life to all who believe in him, redeeming us from the tyranny of sin, will come again to judge the living and the dead and receive his own into eternal glory to resurrected bodies with him forever - if this gospel is true then it is true for every part of the world, every person, every age, every time, every culture and every language. It is true when talking with those who do believe it and it is true when talking with those who don't. It is true so we must be doing theology - delving into it more and applying it more - when we're chatting with kids, when we're lounging on the sofa, when we're in the car, when we're lying down & when we get up. Theology is not a private matter. When you're conversing about a film, converse as a believer in this gospel; when discussing your children's education, discuss it as a believer that Jesus Christ is Lord; when bantering about behaviour in a football match and a ref's call, banter as a believer in the judge of the living and the dead.

Our society assumes unbelief. Don't let those with whom we speak think that we assume it too.

Jesus is Lord

Harking back to a couple of weeks ago, the final talk of the UCCF Graduate Network Conference was by Richard Cunningham, replacing John Stott who'd had an accident a while ago and is resting. He spoke very well on Romans 12.1-4 and other passages relating to Christ's lordship in our lives - and Sean has posted notes.

Forum 2006 talks

Talks from Forum 2006 are available online. I'd especially flag up Rico Tice on God's part & our part in evangelism [mp3].

Christian seclusion

Sometimes it's good to withdraw a while from 'the world' - BUECU and Wolverhampton CU both enjoyed houseparties this weekend in the Quinta, with BUECU having clear & challenging talks by Andy Weatherly on Romans 3, 5, 6 & 7-8! While there we got hold of the Saturday Times, and read up on their front page report of our own news, detailed in another report inside, with commentary article... Some temporary seclusion - going as far as almost into Wales(!) for a weekend, can be good. Seclusion from the world of the sort that we are forced out of involvement in a public body though... not so good. Another of their analysts, while rather confusedly aligning CUs who want to be Christian-led, with Islamic fundamentalists recruiting terrorists on campus, decided that persecution helps them flourish. She also acknowledged secularism and atheism as religions in competition with the others.

This kind of thing leads to concerned supporters of CUs advising me to not let the students be distracted from evangelism on campus. This is admirable advice. The BUECU is not being distracted from evangelism on campus - they're encouraging it and doing it in every way possible from chatting with friends and organising small group 'dial-a-crumpet' evenings to subject-specific apologetics talks in departments and events for international students. But being able to book rooms in the Guild regularly (where one can actually have food at a lunchbar) and advertise as a Guild society is a part of evangelism that they're not going to let go of easily. To imagine that such things do not matter is wishful thinking.

I have sought to serve IFES groups where they are banned from religiously secular campuses, and evangelism is jolly difficult! The path is clear - first the groups are banned from Student Union property / affiliation, then from university property - advertising - rooms, then the non-Christian students accept the dogma that Christianity is non-academic & irrational, then Christian students believe the lie that they have nothing much to say - that the gospel doesn't engage with their friends and studies. It doesn't lead to a huge mission just off campus!

We aren't going to accept that we are illegal until we are ruled illegal - exactly as Paul did at every stage of his missionary journeys. He didn't hesitate to plead his citizenship, knowing that the government is God's servant for good. It's not that he started a public campaign to change the blatantly corrupt and anti-Christian government, but he did take every opportunity to show the government that the gospel was legal and that Christ is Lord and God. He did so not to fight for his rights but because Christ is Lord and his gospel is supremely good, not illegal - for Paul to point this out to authorities in court in every country and town he entered was recorded by Luke as being just as much part of his mission as was his synagogue preaching or Areopagus speaking! Therefore while keeping on with evangelism, we will spend some energy on this process, because Christ cries 'mine!' over every square inch of his world, and because his gospel engages with every person at every area of their life and world. (And as with Paul, in the outcome neither a mob-rule otherwise nor an emperor's dictate otherwise won't stop the mission we've been entrusted by the sovereign saving God.)

So yes, pray for the evangelism of these CUs. Pray for Christ's lordship to be proclaimed clearly and not given up as a pietistic offering to the god of non-engagement.

Why trust a cross?

In Don's middle talk of the UCCF Grad Conference (that between Psalm 1 and 2 Tim 4, noted below) he expounded Romans 3.21-26. He started by noting that the Trinity or resurrection are no longer the sticking points in student missions - rather, sin, wrath and exclusivity are the hard ones to get across. Yet those things are exactly the background and context for Romans 3.21-26. The first thing for 'getting' the solution is to 'get' the problem. A weak view of sin leads to a dissipated view of the cross (and vice versa). From here I hand over to Sean, who's helpfully posted his notes.

Worse and worser

Continuing with talks by Don Carson at the UCCF Graduate Network Conference last weekend: this time on 2 Timothy 3:1 - 4:3. Here my notes were more sketchy as I was more tired, I'm sure Dr Carson was speaking quicker than before, and I probably didn't note down some of the main things he said because they were obvious... which isn't a good way to take notes! Still, there's a lot to learn from this if you take time to look at the passages while reading the notes. It won't make sense otherwise.

Is the contemporary obsession with the End Times dangerous? Carson proposed that moreso is the complete ignorance of being in the last days - the fixation on the here & now, not laying up treasure in heaven but on earth, not eagerly awaiting Jesus' return. Here Paul writes that we're in the last days (cf 1 Jn 2, 'last hour') - the time between Jesus' ascension and coming again.

False teachers in the last days - in 1 Tim 4 the focus is on the demonic influence; here in 2 Tim it's on the lifestyle. It's all getting worse? From bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived? What's the situ? Carson referred to the old D-day - VE day analogy. On D-day the war was won, decisively. It was obvious that the Allies had won. But the war still went on until VE day - and actually that period showed some of the worst battles in the war. So D-day was won with the cross. We know who's going to win! But Satan, knowing his time is short, doesn't lie down & admit it's over: some of the worst battles are between the cross & the VE-day of Jesus' return.

It is in that context that this passage comes, with its catalogue of evil:
1st 4 are selfishness (lovers of self, money, proud & arrogant)
2 are socially destructive behaviour (abusive, disobedient to parents)
4 privitives (ungrateful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving - all showing lack of grace)
2 more speech-behaviour (slanderous, without self-control)
2 privitives (untamed [brutal], unloving of good)
4 probably on the false teachers' character (treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than God)
--> having the appearance of godliness but denying its power.

We are to "avoid such people". How? This isn't to be applied to anyone who's ever had anything to do with these things - then we'd have to start by avoiding ourselves. But vv6-7 these are people who prey on the vulnerable (suggests a sneaky infiltration into Christian homes, & immorality - men out for power and women weak out for affirmation). I'm not sure what else Carson said on 'avoid such people' - anyone else who was there have anything to fill in?

Is this passage rather negative? Is finishing a grad conference on this passage not rather depressing rather than encouraging? There is a necessity to see the reality of evil and not be surprised by it. So...

1) Hold the right mentors in high regard vv10-11
Say to others, "Watch me" as Paul could - not suggesting a cult person control thing: he says that he hasn't 'got there' yet, not apprehended, but God has apprehended him so he presses on. We're to immitate him as he imitated Christ. (It occured to me today as studying 1 Thess 1.6-10 with a student that God's really into plagiarism in the Christian church - not to produce mini-MEs but mini-Christs. In a sense: without undermining his revelatory, salvitic and ontological uniqueness.) Find men and women with a foot planted firmly in heaven and yet so related to what's going on here, and hold them in high regard.

2) Hold few illusions about the world vv.12-13
If you love righteousness, unrighteous people will find you embarassing. You'll attract some & repel others - stench of death to some and the aroma of life to others. NB Discussion doesn't make evil go away. We're not basically good. Don't go Polly-Anna-ish. We're not all nice theists just needing a dose of Christianity to become Christians; we're a world in anarchic rebellion.

3) Hold on to the Bible vv.14-16
Back to Psalm 1: the controlling factor in the life of the righteous - enjoying and meditating on the Word.

4) Hold out the Bible to others ch4.1-8
Paul appeals not only to Christ, and God, but God in Christ judging the world! Preach the word. Keep your head. It won't be easy. I'm dying, says Paul, and he'll give me a crown, and to all who love Christ's appearing... [link again to looking forward to God in Christ judging the world.]
So how live like this? 1 Cor 7.29-31 The world defines self by these things - but all these are relativized by the gospel. These things 'as if not' --> they're not the ultimate good, ultimate goal. I.e. if you want to build a happy marriage or home, dont live with it at the centre of your life!
Christians don't overcome by close fellowship but by evangelism.

Only 2 ways to live?

Carson on Psalm 1: 2 ways to live. Then, said he, 'I could stop here. But that leaves us with a question: are there only 2 ways to live?' Most of us aren't consistently in one of these ways or the other. And in the Bible, it's hard to find any characters not profoundly compromised at some stage... 2 ways to live? Isn't it more like a spectrum? How is it just 2 ways to live? What do we do with texts like this? Carson had 3 points to help us consider this:

1) Remember where we ourselves are in culture - ambiguity is lauded, absolutes are despised & rejected. We are culturally located, so we're going to be more sympathetic to those texts that underscore our struggles or ambiguity. Be aware of cultural location so that you can better listen to Scripture (eg in this case, paying more attention to the absolutes so they transform you.)

2) Genre This is a wisdom literature psalm. Sets out choices in polarities. Cf. Proverb's contrasting Lady Wisdom vs. Dame Folly - there's no middle lady who's mostly wise but gets messed up sometimes! In the NT Jesus is the most powerful Wisdom preacher (NB he doesn't only preach this genre, but he does preach this genre.) He preaches with remarkable antitheses which we tend to ignore, liking the parables better, because we enjoy stories (see point 1). The narrow or wide gates / roads. Good or bad fruit trees. Sand or rock foundations. How about a middle-sized road, a mostly good apple, or a clay foundation?? But we need to hear what makes us uncomfortable. Also, note that Jesus reads people so as to address the weakest point in their defense - doesn't deal with each the same.

3) 1 John. So why does the Bible give us these polarities and reflections on our compromise & brokeness? If we were only to have the stories of compromise, we'd accept it as norm and stop fighting. If we were only to have the polarities, we'd either be crushed or proud.

John is transparently concerned to have his readers see that Christians do sin. Ch.1:8-10. But no so they justify sinning - 2:1! But then, John says that
- if you're a Christian you'll love Christians and if you don't, you aren't.
- if you're a Christian you'll not love the world, and if you do, you aren't.
- if you're a Christian you'll not sin, and if you do, you aren't.
- if you're a Christian you'll practise righteousness, & if you don't, you aren't.
How so? How can John merrily write "If you say you don't sin you make God out to be a liar" and then write, "No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God's seed abides in him, and he cannot keep on sinning because he has been born of God." It's like a teacher telling a pupil, "You cannot chew gum here!" That's not an ontological statement (clearly the pupil physically can chew gum!) but an ethical mandate (in this class, we do not chew gum!) So, sinning is not done here. It misses the point completely to stick up your hand and say, "But God, look, I'm doing it! haha!"
So, we don't only remember that we have an advocate with the Father whenever we sin, but we remember that we cannot sin. Don't go soft on yourself.

The only time this will be worked out in perfection is in the new heavens & new earth.

Carson gave some comments on integrity. The word root is integer - wholeness. To be the same on the inside as on the outside. Now, this side of the consummation we all lack 100% integrity. There are desires, thoughts, that we don't act upon. There is corruption inside under the Christian veneer - the problem is if instead of being fought and brought back to the cross, it's allowed to fester until the person walks away - the ugliness was nurtured. [I thought here that that sounds like James' double-minded man.]

Dr Carson led us in praying what our constant prayer should be in the light of this, "Lord, make me as holy as a pardonned sinner can be this side of the consummation."

2 ways to live

Carson on Psalm 1 from the UCCF Graduate Network Conference - notes.

vv1-3 The Righteous described

v1 - negatively
Progression: walking, standing, sitting. Starts with walking in the counsel - worldview, godless perspective - of the wicked. We don't start by overtly denying Christ's deity; we listen to the world's perspective, then walk, act, & think accordingly. Then {standing in the way of} = doing things their way, indistinguishable from them. Then sitting in the seat of scoffers - now not only hang out with them but mock and consider condescendingly those with whom we once shared faith, at those who don't walk like us.

v2 - positively
Carson pointed out how Hebraic parallelism leads us to expect something like, 'But who walks in the counsel of the upright, stands in the way of the godly and sits in the seat of the thankful.' Yet the poet breaks with this: rather, they hit you in the face with only one antithesis: delight in and meditation on God's law. This isn't mechanistic: "Reading the Bible is good for you like eating fruit is good for you"! But it's transformational. "Whereas you are not what you think you are; what you think, you are." Or Proverbs, "What a person thinks in his heart, so is he." Cf Deut 17:18-20, Romans 12.1-2. The only alternative to picking up the world's "think" is another framework altogether.

v3 - metaphorically
Many streams in Israel were seasonal, but this tree has been planted by several streams so its leaf doesn't fade, it's fruitful. In fact when other plants keel over, he's still prospering: life and fruitfulness. And vv.2-3 strongly imply that the watering agent is the word. Cf Jer 17:5-8

vv4-5 The Wicked described
The negation here is really strong: "Not so the wicked; not so!" Utter negation of everything that is above: the wicked do walk in the counsel of teh wicked, going with the sinner, and scoffing. They don't delight in God's word. They cannot be likened to a fruitful tree. They're not lifeful, planted, fruitful; they're rootless, lifeless, useless, worthless. It's spelt out further in v5 - they won't stand in God's people.

v6 Final contrast made: the way of the righteous vs. the way of the wicked
The Lord knows the way of the righteous: he blesses it, watches over it. Whereas the very way of the wicked will perish. In eternity to come, no one will be talking of Hitler, Stalin, etc, but every glass of water given in God's name will be remembered. The way of the wicked will perish.

Carson then considered: only 2 ways to live? For a future post...

In the middle of nowhere ("Wales")

A fab time at the UCCF Graduate Network conference. The Don spoke (well, of course) on Psalm 1 (and the importance of associated black & white wisdom literature like Proverbs' Lady Wisdom vs. Dame Folly, Jesus' the broad & narrow gate, sand vs. rock foundation, etc, 1 John's he who is born of God doesn't sin...), Romans 3.1-26 and 2 Tim 3.1 - 4.8. Richard Cunningham spoke on the Lordship of Christ in our life, work and engagement with culture, mostly from Romans 12.1-4 (extended into chs 12-14), and others gave seminars on work, engagement with culture, and confident Christianity. A marvellous and most worthwhile weekend.

While there I caught up with not a few Warwick CU grads, a good number from my old Relay year and Sean Clokey, who counted as the conference attendee who I didn't know but popped up with an, 'étrangère?' Mo hosted the conference admirably, showing something of what he's being doing while not blogging for yonks.

And finally...
Lindsay Brown's book was out in advance at the conference! Over the years Lindsay (Gen Sec of IFES) has inspired and encouraged many of us to be world Christians through his recounting of Christian students who have witnessed in their universities, founded IFES student ministry in countries across the world, escaped the sword, worked for Christ in their workplace, transformed governments, been martyred, were used of God in revival, suffered imprisonment, led mission teams to wartorn areas, were mocked, mistreated, and generally privileged to take part in God's mission with the joy of the Holy Spirit through faith in Christ. Now Lindsay is moving on from being IFES General Secretary, he has finally put some of this into print - I think it'll be available at www.10ofthose.com or IVP when officially out on 1st Dec.

Holding the mirror in love

Paul Tripp on 'People, the Serpent, and personal ministry' - what principles can be drawn from Genesis 3 to develop our understanding of personal ministry? [Having already considered Genesis 1.]

"We should hunger for the simple dependence of Genesis 1, where everything people thought, said, and did was based solely on the words of God.

"The voices of the world appeal to a core delusion in sinful hearts, the desire to be God, able to understand and live life on our own. We need people in our lives who love us enough to call us back to a life with God at the centre.

"We need the words of God (Scripture) to make sense out of life. We need to listen for the one reliable voice of the Creator. His Word alone can cut through the confusion of the world's philosophy and our own foolishness to make us truly wise. Real knowledge begins with knowing him. Wisdom is the fruit of worship, and received on bended knee. It is the product of a life lived in submission to the One who is wisdom, Christ.

Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God. But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called "today," that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. [Heb 3.12-13]

"The Hebrews passage clearly teaches that personal insight is the product of community. I need you in order to really see and know myself. Otherwise, I will listen to my own arguments, believe my own lies, and buy into my own delusions. My self-perception is as accurate as a carnival mirror. If I am going to see myself clearly, I need you to hold the mirror of God's Word in front of me."

- Paul David Tripp, Instruments in the Redeemer's Hands

I love this book. It's one of those that I keep a pencil in hand and underline, and if I notice I've not paid sufficient attention to a paragraph, go and re-read slowly. The only danger is that the whole book will be underlined when I finish. It's worth it. A few quotes can't communicate it - this is soaked in the Bible.

Four a waste of time...

The disadvantage of telling my partner in West Midlands crime (ok, gospel student ministry), JB, that I was having a day off today having worked the weekend. He tagged me with a 4-meme.

Four jobs you've had in your life

1. UCCF Staff Worker
2. String quartet member (for functions, weddings, etc.)
3. Shop assistant at the best Christian bookshop in the world
4. IFES Team member in Belgium

Four jobs you wish you had would love to have if you weren't joyfully content with the job you have.

1. UCCF Staff Worker (did I say that I love my job?)
2. Commisioning editor for some great Christian publishing company or other
3. Manager of a Christian bookshop... in Belgium perhaps
4. Church worker (hm, unspecific or what...)

Four films you can watch over and over again

1. The Princess Bride
2. Au revoir les enfants
3. Shrek
4. La vita è bella

Four cities you have lived in

1. Belfast
2. Coventry
3. Nottingham
4. Brussels

Four TV programmes you love to watch

1. CSI
2. Have I got news for you
3. Er, I don't really watch TV
4. But I could name some books instead...?

Four places you've been on holiday/travelled to

1. Hungary
2. Italy
3. Island of Islay
4. France

Four websites you visit daily regularly

1. My email website
2. www.uccf.org.uk (for wonderful resources and... job admin)
3. www.etrangere.blogspot.com (to check others' blogs)
4. www.thebluefish.blogspot.com (Dave writes good stuff)

Four of your favourite foods

1. Roast lamb with real mint sauce
2. A sandwich spread with paté with green peppercorns, diced red pepper, sweetcorn & fried mushrooms. It's not for delicate eating, but is it good.
3. Liège waffle just heated up to be warm & sticky - with ice-cream on if it's summer & you're having it as a full meal :)
4. Wholemeal rolls with slices of Braeburn apple & mature cheddar cheese, grilled. Simple & delicious.

Four things you won't prefer not to eat

1. Prawns, shrimp & other such seafood
2. Barbecued octopus tentacles (once sent from Japan by a generous voyaging Uncle)
3. Sushi (I confess I'm a pleb - I don't get the attraction)
4. Violently artificially coloured things (make me feel ill thinking of them, never mind stop me sleeping after)

Four things you wish you could eat right now

Well if it were lunchtime, then...

1. Jacket potato with mature cheddar cheese and fried mushrooms
2. A few pieces of Galaxy chocolate
3. A braeburn apple
4. What is this? I'd be full after #1!

Four things in your bedroom

This is ridiculous.

1. My large IKEA Billy bookcase inc books and CDs
2. My violin, violin stand and music
3. Wardrobe
4. Bed (surprise!)

Four things you wish you had in your bedroom

1. Curtains which match the colour scheme (the material for this is currently sitting in aforementioned wardrobe waiting to be made up)
2. Why wish for more?

Four things I'm wearing right now

This really is getting daft: where did you get this meme from, Jon?

1. Navy jeans bought back in the day when Etam existed in the UK
2. My old navy Warwick Uni hoody: I'm on a day off!
3. A navy top
4. Navy socks

Four people you'd really love to have dinner with

Now that's a better question! Except that those who spring to mind are in 2 categories: those I'd love to have dinner with and with whom I do sometimes have dinner (family, friends), and those who are dead and I won't have dinner with until the marriage supper of the Lamb. So I'll go for the 2nd category... (oh, and Jesus is first... but I sort of do have dinner with him already and saying I'm looking forward to the marriage feast of the Lamb assumes that he'll be there as the supreme focus, fellowship and glory! He doesn't merely fit in a list of four.)

1. My grandfather on my Dad's side. He was converted through the witness of a Christian student friend and in a Nicholson mission meeting in 1922, became a foundation member of Queen's Uni Belfast Christian Union (then Bible Union), learnt the Hebrew alphabet on the boat to America and studied theology under Machen & Vos in Princeton '23-'25 (becoming life-long friends with fellow student John Murray in the process - hanging out with Murrary, Van Til, Stonehouse & E.J.Young!). Having learnt from Machen the fight for the Reformed faith in presbyterianism, he returned to a compulsary year at the Irish Presbyterian College in Belfast and found himself in the same fight for the gospel against rank heresy. Forced to withdraw, he became one of the founding ministers of the Evangelical Presbyterian Church in Ireland, managed the Evangelical Bookshop, edited the church's magazine for 53 years, ministered the gospel faithfully in Belfast overseeing 2 churches, was one of the founding trustees of Banner of Truth Trust, with others set up the Leicester Ministers' Conference, wrote The Momentous Event, was a founding member of BEC (now Affinity), served on committees of the Evangelical Fellowship of Ireland and the Evangelical Library in Belfast. In his vision for world mission he arranged for members from the EPC to serve with Scottish Free Church missions in Peru, South Africa, India and Christian Witness to Israel. He went to glory a little over a month after my birth and I keep meeting people randomly all over the place who tell me how much they appreciated his ministry... So I look forward to catching up with him in the new heavens & new earth and praising our Saviour together.
2. Athanasius. I guess Piper's talk on him influenced me on that one.
3. The apostle John. And Timothy. And the writer to the Hebrews! And... ok I'll stop that.
4. John Owen.

Four things I'm thinking right now

1. I'm looking forward to heaven! What makes me want to have dinner with the above guys is that they all extol Christ, and faithfully lift him up so as to exhort others to extoll Christ, whom I love and look forward to seeing face to face!
2. I'm hungry.
3. It's lovely that I'll be going round to my pastor's family for dinner this evening before orchestra rehearsal.
4. I must practise the violin for orchestra rehearsal!

[Yes, I'm a linear thinker.]

Four of your favourite things

1. The Bible
2. My violin
3. Books. Good books. Well-written theology books, literature with enough thinking content... (C.S.Lewis narrowly missed my '4 people I want to have dinner with' list.) Just don't make me choose.
4. Walking at sunset / dusk in the country, preferably by the sea with waves slapping in against rugged coastline.

Four people I tag

I don't like tagging people. So this comes strictly as take it or leave it, as you like. In fact, pick which '4s' you want to answer...

1. Peter G
2. Dave
3. Anna (or maybe there was a reason why Jon didn't tag you - like that you hate memes, or that he wants the internetted computer)
4. Catherine (though I suspect that a) you're not reading this and b) you wouldn't want to waste your free time doing this when you could be climbing a mountain)

Thankfulness

I walk through this park to the train station on average twice a day. If one has to live in Birmingham, and rush to/from a train station twice a day, passing through a park en route is a wonderful blessing!





Speaking of blessing, I picked up Sovereign Grace Music's 'Worship God Live' CD from EMU, a distributor making some of their stuff available in the UK - and which looks interesting itself (though they're more expensive than SGM and still only accept credit cards!) , so am enjoying the song 'Grace unmeasured' which we sang at the Fulwood Conference these past couple of days.