The new Baptist Union President, Revd Tim Presswood, was inducted at Baptist Assembly in June.
Tim is a Regional Minister in the North Western Baptist Association.
He introduced his theme for his year of office - The Great Banquet - with this poem
Scanning
the room
I look
for friends
for family
I look
for familiarity
I look for the head of the table
The influencers
operators
The beautiful people
The people
deserving
of my time
my attention
Where
are those
who make me feel comfortable?
Where
are those
who make me feel safe?
Where
are those
who play the same games as me?
Who
do I need to speak to
to be seen with?
But
here comes Jane
four times married
and divorcing her child-abusing husband.
And there
in the corner
Australian Mike
junkie eyes never focused
holding court over anyone who will listen
Mary, Mary
emerging
butterfly
from thirty years of abuse
thrilled that someone remembers her name
Esther
the doctor
whose qualifications count for nothing
in this land of her exile
Joy the joyful pastor’s wife
joyfully
preparing the Iftar feast
for her sisters
A peel of laughter
uncovers
the nameless women
where Korean mixes with Arabic
Polish with Cantonese
I look for the head of the table
The influencers
operators
The beautiful people
The people
deserving
of my time
my attention
but all I find is
James
doubtful
touched by madness
sitting in the wrong seat
sitting in the honour seat
sitting in the place reserved
for the one who invites us all
all I find is
James
doubtful
touched by madness
sitting in the wrong seat
sitting in the honour seat
sitting in the place reserved
for the one who invites us all
I look for the beautiful people
the great
the good
I look for the stylish
the trend-setters
all I find is
James
doubtful
touched by madness
sitting in the wrong seat
sitting in the honour seat
sitting in the place reserved
for the one who invites us all
Abigail dances
with Ruby
and James dances
with his eyes
James dances
with his eyes
but he sits
in the wrong seat
he doesn’t belong here
he doesn’t belong there
James does not belong
He doesn’t fit in
He doesn’t fit
He doesn’t
James doesn’t
James never has
James never will
fit
James doesn’t fit
Scanning
the room
I look
for friends
for family
I look
for familiarity
And what I see
Is James
smiling
sitting
and beckoning me.