A really relaxed and enjoyable weekend visiting a central London Baptist church whose minister said it was 'nice not having to explain' to a visiter what they were about.  And it was nice not having to cringe too!  Arriving on Friday I was a bit apprehensive, not least as my hosts would not arrive until Saturday and had entrusted their home to me.  Going into someone else's home always makes me a bit anxious, so the fact they weren't there compounded that - but all was well, and indeed the place had an 'air' or 'aura' of calm (at various times people have said that about my house but I've never really 'got' what they meant, to me it's home and it's noisy).

It was good to see this church at work, to share worship with them (morning and evening) and to have some very, very long chats with the minister who was hosting me.

Among the things that have struck me on my travels are

• that a lot of Baptist churches like to think they that 'there's no-one like us' when actually we are all far more alike than we realise
• that the myths that relate theological stance to size or dynamism are exactly that - myths.  Or at best generalisations; I've been to large liberal churches and tiny conservative ones
• that the best place to serve after service refreshments is in the same room as you worship, or failing that immediately between it and the main exit
• that the best after service refreshments are undisputably served at the Gathering Place
• that independent coffee shops rule!!

My travels have mainly been a source of encouragement... The Gathering Place holds its own among churches in similar contexts with similar challenges.  I don't think this is just a nice cosy consequence of visiting CLU (Churches Like Us), I think it it is a fair reflection on who and how we are.

I now have four full weeeks based in Glasgow - and I am glad.  Travelling hither, thither and yon is fun, but takes its toll.  I think I know the West Coast Main Line, and parts of the East Coast Main Line better than I ever wanted to, and could get a job doing Virgin safety briefings in my sleep.

Today is devoted to catching up on some domestic tasks with varying degrees of overdueness... booking someone to come and fix my washing machine (that's only taken me six months to organise) and booking my car in for its annual service and MOT (ouch).  I feel a big outpouring of stirling from my bank in the next couple of days... but it is only money and, as the saying goes, there're no pockets in shrouds!

It's been a happy summer, and I am really grateful to have been permitted to spend it as I have.