So, I am sitting typing stuff whilst Songs of Praise is on in the background.  How I love it - real Salfordians being real Salfordians.  There was someone called Lisa, a bit of a diamond in the rough, a true Salfordian in whom there was no guile.

I spent a very significant year of my life working with a Roman Catholic church in Swinton, very near where Songs of Praise was recorded.  Happy memories, and lovely to hear those accents!!

Today one of our readings was from Nehemiah 8, and the occasion when the assembled nation of Israel - adults and 'children old enough to understand' stood from dawn to midday listening to Ezra reading from the Law of Moses.  Had English existed as a language, and had they been reading in English, that would probably have been enough time to read Genesis - and I reckon Ezra would have been pretty hoarse by then!  After a time of praise and prayer, they spent the afternoon with Ezra, Nehemiah and thirteen named levites explaining to them what they had heard.  It was a very long day, which left the people tired and emotional... surprisingly perhaps, they were sent home to have a slap up feed, inviting any less fortunate neighbours to share their plenty.

For me, today has been a long day, and it's not over yet.  It has, I think, been a good day.  The service went well and elicited some interesting feedback (always intriguing to compare what I think I said with what people heard!).  This was followed by lunch at the home of one of our people, followed by a very creative and helpful conversation about aspects of our worship life.  This evening I will be at worship for Homelessness Sunday, something I am looking forward to, as it's someone leading I haven't heard before.

So, by the time I get home again it'll have been a pretty long day.  However, I'm not sure counting the hours is terribly helpful.  I prefer to measure this day by its quality, and it has been a good one.