Up early today (one of the few benefits of afternoon services is that, like normal people, I usually get a lie in on a Sunday) as I have to get to two services this morning and whatever I do or don't do will be wrong.

At 9:30 is the last service at St S&B before their priest leaves and services are suspended.  This is semantics to keep the powers that be happy - the final service has to be deconsecration and cannot take place without the bishop's say so (or some such) but ask anyone who goes to that church and today is the last time they'll be there.  A few of us are going along to support folk there - we have some empathy with their plight.  I asked my deacons for opinions on whether I could attend - most did not reply, so I told them I was taking that as lack of objection, but I know that my sense that I need to say that is pertinent - I am anticipating retrospective objection.

Immediately that service ends, I will dash to D+1 for our joint service with them, arriving at least 15 minutes late and no doubt attracting a few scowls.  I have told the preacher (the moderator) and some of their deacons, so it is not unknown but how it will be interpretted...  I feel I'm doing my best to please all parties but can already anticipate the comments and looks I'll get...

Last night I was sad enough to watch the Eurovision Dance Contest and watched the usual charade of voting where certain geogrpahical areas seemed to vote for each other and the UK came second last, with poor old Switzerland getting the wooden spoon prize of nurl points.  Whilst I don't think UK were best (I liked Ukraine, Greece and Lithuania) they weren't that bad either.  No one takes Eurovision things too seriously, which is perhaps as well, but I did find myself thinking that actually we are not a very popular nation and wondering what, specifically, causes that.  Most of the dancers were happy to use English language music to dance to and the whole idea emerged from a UK TV format so are there some odd double standards going on here? [Actually at times I wondered if it was the European stripping contest, as there seemed to be rather a lot of it going on!!]

Not entirely sure how the two strands are connected, just something about power games and politics that seems to permeate every aspect of life, and not for the better, I'd argue.