Yesterday was my final service as the minister of Railway Town Baptist Church.  We reflected on Romans 12, shared some activities, released each other from the covenant of ministry, broke bread and I handed back my keys.

After the blessing I was sent to sit on the front pew, as the choir and musicians sang a beautiful rendition of 'For the Joys and For the Sorrows' which they had prepared specially.  There were speeches, there were incredibly generous gifts, and then the choir sang an Irish Blessing... plus of course we had a plentiful buffet and a LOT of cake (there were two special cakes!).

It felt like a good ending, the culmination of three years when we have all worked hard, taken risks and found unexpected blessings along the way.

Yesterday, we filled 60 communion glasses and needed every single one of them - for sure, we had one or two extra people present, but we also had a fair few away... which is pretty much double what we put out when I first arrived (and always had some left over).  It's not that we've done anything very radical, it's just the mysterious graciousness of the God who is always there, in joyful times and sorrowful times, and who sometimes likes to surprise us.

I take happy memories of these three years - it may not have been a long ministry, but, with God's help, it was a meaningful one.