Next Sunday I am preaching on one of the more brutal, shocking and disturbing stories in the New Testament - the demise of John the Baptist.  Having looked at a couple of commentaries I have some ideas forming, but still a long way to go, not least to get anywhere near the advertised sermon title!

I have a vague - very vague - recollection of a painting depicting the dance with her depicted not as a nubile seductress but as an innocent child (arguably a more legitimate reading of the text) but I cannot seem to find it, despite looking in such books as I have.  Can anyone help please?  Google is just returning seductresses!!

Yesterday Great Britain won a medal for men's gymnastics, something that had not happened for the greater part of a century.  As Matt Baker continually reminded us, the last time the men had achieved anything like this the event included rope climbing and drill.  He also spoke of his own experiences as a young man who was ridiculed for doing gymnastics, widely perceived as a girlie activity.

For almost a century, then, in gym clubs across the UK, boys have trained and practised and struggled to achieve the best they could, even though Olympic competition was never going to happen, even though winning was a forlorn hope.  Quietly they plugged away; generations of male gymnasts we have never heard of because they never won any accolade.  And now, all that work finds it fulfilment, as this generation of young men finally achieve the impossible dream.  Yes, they were amazing to watch, and yes they utterly deserve the medals, but it's only possible because in the 1930s and 40s and 50s and 60s and 70s and 80 and 90s people kept on keeping on, determined that gymnastics was worthwhile, rather than giving up in despair.  I know this isn't the only sport where this is the case, but it serves as an exemplar.

And I can't help but feel there's a lesson for the church in there somewhere.

Off you go, just as you are.  No, don't stop to pack your bag with spare clothes.  No, don't pack a picnic or grab something to snack on on the way.   No, don't take your bank card or cheque book, not even small change.  No car keys, no oyster card, no concessionary bus pass.  No, don't take anything, just go.

Scary!  But basically what Jesus told his twelve followers as he paired them up and sent them off.  Of course he wouldn't ask us to do that would he?  Would he?!

Some thoughts - some I shared yesterday, others that have come to mind since.

Take nothing with you - then you cannot be self-reliant.  You will have to work together with your partner, and more than that you will have to accept help and hospitality from other people.

Take nothing with you - you could be forever procrastinating as you need to do just one thing to be ready to go... just one more pair of socks, one more language class, one more evangelism course, one more last goodbye to the people or places you call home.

Go now.  Before you change your mind.  Before the enormity of what you are undertaking hits home.  Before you have time to formulate excuses.

Go now, because you will never be ready, the time will never be right, the circumstances will never be perfect.

You go with him, and you with her.  You two.  And you, too.

Go.

Scary?  Definitely.  But Jesus is waiting for us to come back and share our discoveries.  About God.  About each other.  About ourselves.

I have a suspicion that sometimes we try to take the sting out of Jesus' expectations.  We say things like 'God wants us to be happy' meaning 'God wants us to live a nice comfy life with all material trappings.'  We think we are free to choose where we serve and for how long.  I even hear ministers talking of career plans for goodness sake.  Jesus is not interested in any of that.  He just says go, and go now, just as you are, with the things you 'carry within'.  Work with the colleagues I assign you.  Do the things you've seen me do.  Stop prevaricating - go.

... no, not the Victorian children's song

... not the Pollyanna game either

Just the truth.  I have had such a lovely weekend so far, and it seems good (if a tad twee) to note that.

Church this morning was great fun - lots of positive feedback on my sermon about 'The Rabbi Jesus School of Practical Discipleship'... pairing people up, sending them out with no visible means of support, and saying 'OK now go and do what you've seen me do'.  Mildly amusing that one of our visitors today was a theological educator, and former Baptist college principal, who lives and works in the USA!

After the service we (well other people) continued to sell off the cupcakes and 'stuff' left from yesterday raising on the way to another £100 (I have £345 in notes and the coins will get counted next Sunday) towards my Ben Nevis challenge.  I am stunned and awed by people's generosity.  A few left over bits will go either to top up our Operation Christmas child boxes or to support other charities.

I am looking forward to this evening's service (and hoping I do a better job than I did last week, which I felt was below par, even though people were very kind about it)

This time two years ago I was blithely enjoying life, clueless as to what lay ahead of me (always a good thing I feel).  This weekend I have raced around like a nutter and am not just standing but thriving.  My brain is still a bit dull, my joints are definitely getting worse, but I am laughing, loving and living.

So, praise God in twee Victorian hymnody: glad that I live am I!

After last night's marathon baking session, I cleaned the kitchen and then sat down to watch the Olympic Opening Ceremony.  I LOVED it... well the speeches were dull, some of the later commentary when the commentators were tired inane, but overall it was wonderful... well done Danny Boyle and everyone who took part.  Britain we did ourselves proud!

So, bed at around 1 a.m..... then up again bright and early to load my car and head off to help set up for the coffee morning.  15 mins to load, 5 to unload... perverse.  Only one cake (one of the vegan gluten free just about everything free ones) suffered serious damage - but was evidently fine according to my poison tester.

So, here I am in what can only be termed a PINK top stanidng at the cake stall before service began.  A good mix of folk came - some from church and some of my cancer buddies, as well as a few random passersby.  At close of play we had around £300 (not fully counted yet) and plenty of stock left to sell to the people from church unable to attend today.

Massive thanks to M, J (and rellies), G, A, B, C, A, N, B who worked like troopers or Trojans or, for that matter, Olympians, and to all who came along.  It was a fun morning and very worthwhile as a fundraiser.