This Sunday will be my first preach since the end of my sabbatical and I am looking forward to it greatly, even if my sermon writing skills are really rather rusty at the moment!  It is also a significant weekend in many, many ways...

The first Sunday in October is the official 'church anniversary' of both Dibley BC and The Gathering Place (who in real life share the same initials) being 215 and 130 years old respectively.  Each of these congregations was planted by visionary people, Dibley first meeting in a farm house and the Gatherers in the library, reflecting nature of their contexts.  Both have (had) the legacy (blessing or burden?!) of Victorian buildings and in different ways have lived courageously through all that entails.  Each has its permanent place in my heart.

The first weekend in October is the anniversary of my induction at the Gathering Place, four years ago, and we will be renewing our covenant based on the BUGB Five Core Values, as well as receiving someone into Membership.  Entering year five, I feel very settled and content, have some ideas from my sabbatical which may be worth exploring, and having realised (finally) that even super woman needs to say 'no' sometimes.

October 5th is my believer Baptism anniversary (like a lot of Baptist ministers I am double-done having been 'christened' as a baby and having 'wrestled' with God for a decade before getting very, very wet!) which was a significant step on the road to hearing a call to ordained ministry.  Hard to believe that day, which feels so fresh in my mind was 16 years ago.  A lot of water has flown under the metaphorical bridge since then, I have changed a lot and learned a lot, but I think at the core I still the same person trying to follow Jesus in a complicated world.

October 5th this year is a Saturday and I will Baptising someone in a very special service.  During my ten years (nearly, ordination anniversary is December) of ministry this is my fourth Baptism.  I waited a very long time for the first, but it was incredibly special to Baptise a woman in her 70s who is now very active in the leadership of Dibley BC.  And now in just over a year this is the third of someone who is part of the Gathering Place.  One in the sea in Devon (!), one on Pentecost Sunday, and now one on this personally precious date.  Four very different people, with very different stories and each one a real privilege.

So Happy Birthday Dibleyites and Gatherers, may you continue into your respective futures with faith, joy and indefatigable hope.

Baptismal Blessings for my (our) candidate, may you receive from God that for which you hope

Thank you God for, once again, making the ordinary special