My cat has fleas.  I know this because I got bitten.  Apart from a bit of scratching, Holly seems unperturbed (though I bear the cat scratches on arm and face from when I treated her with the necessary remedy).  All it took was one flea - and I do not know how it got in to my house, but get in it did.  I have a theory, but I won't share it for fear of embarrassing any of my (distant) readers!!  Anyway.  The cat has been jolloped, the carpets and curtains and furniture have been sprayed, hoovered, sprayed again and now I have to wait - two weeks - for the treatment to kill the little monsters.  Then repeat for good measure.  Undoubtedly there is a sermon in there somewhere, if only I could be bothered to find it.  I have to learn patience and keep up the hoovering!

Sunday coming we continue our stroll through Mark's gospel, a couple of weeks behind the lectionary.  It is good to read in sequence several familiar stoires - and also to note what's been omitted.  This week we have the story of Jairus' daughter and the woman with the haemorrhage.  This is a fantastic story to work with, so rich in potential, and I am looking forward to it - even if I have to hang fire on fixing one of the all age bits to see what the postman does, or does not, bring this week (more patience needed).  I am excited to work with it, discovering yet more new (to me) insights. 

I am also curious as to why the lectionary skips past the exorcism story that lies between the storm stilling and this healing narrative.  Granted I'm not sorry to evade that particular passage, but I'm not sure that's really a good enough reason to miss it out.  Why this bit and not that?  AFter all the author and, presumably, God, thought it was an important part of the story!

Then in the evening of Sunday I will begin my urban sprituality series - and thanks to PAYG this morning I now know how I will open the service... but I'm not telling just yet!