Tony Cummings listens closely to the "Hey Mr Jesus" song on GODFREY RUST's 'Entangled' album.

The fourth song on poet and singer/songwriter Godfrey Rust's album is subtitled "Voices Of A Church". In his CD notes Rust writes, "This song was written to reflect some voices of a particular church community, but it could be of many. The need for hope and acceptance is surely greater than the need for shared belief."

"I kinda like your music,
the hymns and the rock and roll.
I like the way on a blessèd day
it slips into my soul.
If it's ancient or it's modern
I don't know how or why,
you can fill this place with amazing grace,
we'll see you lifted high

"Hi Mister Jesus, I'm hoping that you're home-
I come to share in your house of prayer
I don't want to be alone.
I come here for the coffee
and to meet my buddies too
and I come 'cos sometimes I meet you.

"Go gently with the dogma,
it isn't always true,
and please don't bring a list of things
that I should say or do.
I need to hear the hope of heaven,
need to hear that it's OK
to be a broken fool who needs a miracle
to get through another day."

On one level it is a daringly honest snapshot of the thoughts and attitudes of an archetypal congregation in a middle-of-the-road CofE church like the one attended for decades by Godfrey himself. The tragedy is hidden in one of its verses. The lines "Go gently with the doctrine/It isn't always true." To a non-evangelical like Godfrey it probably was a plea to the vicar to steer clear of fire and brimstone preaching or any suggestion that there is such a place called Hell, the need to be obedient to God's Word or the need to be born again.

An evangelical believer like myself can find a different reading of the lines pleading for gentleness with dogma that isn't always true. Tragically many liberal churches disregard some New Testament teaching and bring in new ideas which aren't true.

Wherever one stands on this, Godfrey's Paul Simon-style wistful gentleness is, as usual, effecting.