This probably my favourite photo of folk from church... it illustrates something of our aspirations, our fraility and fallibility, our hope.

Yes, the Vicar of Dibley is fiction (except that of course I am/was the real one) and yes some of the langaage in this is a bit colourful but take a listen - there's a lot of truth in here.

Thought for the Day Radio 4

This morning was a really important Church Meeting and we had worked really hard to try to encourage folk to come along and to find ways to help them engage with the subject matter.  The catering fairies and the chair-shifting fairies arrived bright and early to set everything up, the invited presenters arrived early and we began almost on time!  We had just enough cups of wine for the communion - and we had, so we thought, slightly overcatered!

It was, I dare to suggest, a good meeting, lots of excellent questions arising from deep engagement with the material presented and a sense of genuine commitemnt to the work of reflection and prayer needed before we meet again in a month's time.

It was a tiring morning - for everyone - and for the "fairies" a long one but it was so far as I could tell a good one, incredibly well attended, with everyone who possibly could get there, getting there.  "Well met by Christ-light noble Gatherers" if I may plagiarise the bard of Avon.

This post is a bit mysterious and enigmatic but this hymn, which we sang, represents our aspirations (please excuse the cheesy graphic at the start!!) ...