It was almost an aside on an early morning news report (6am or 6:30 not sure which) that the current disruption to air traffic, if prolonged, would show us how much we really depend on the ability to fly around the globe.  Not, it inferred, 'yikes what a mess', but more 'wow, we are fine afterall.'

I am secretly pleased to have booked all my travel for the next month (to Manchester, Plymouth and Birmingham) by rail when flying was an option for all of them and am doubly glad I have reserved seats.

A bit more video-conferencing, a bit more patience, a few less business miles... just maybe we will be forced further along the greener route by the planet itslef.  That's a nice little irony if ever there was one.

I was reading(-ish) a pull-out supplement from a Christian publication and saw an attention grabbing headline that really annoyed me:

"The [Evangelism Resource] more than anything else in the world has enabled people to follow Jesus... And we're not going to stop"

It annoys we because it is humanly wrong - the vast majority of Christians through time have never even heard of this resource and I suspect even in our own time it accounts only for a small fraction of conversions/commitments

It annoys me even more because it theologically wrong - last time I looked it was the Holy Spirit who enabled people to follow Jesus

It annoys me because it as arrogant and in the language of marketing, 'new Raz washes whiter; improved action Bosh kills 99.999% of germs, etc

It saddens me because I know people who have faithfully delivered this brand and seen no tangible results

It saddens me because I know people for whom this brand has been incredibly important in their own story, but was recognised not as 'the thing' but 'a thing'

It saddens me because it reduces Christian experience to a formula, as if one size fits all (or at most has adaptations for awkward traditions like Baptists and Catholics).

It also saddens me because the person being interviewed is evidently fulfilling a great and important mission and pastoral role yet a slant in reporting appropraites this for some other goal (or so it feels to me)

So, at 8 a.m. on a Sunday morning, a short rant!

So, a long day at the Spring Fayre later time for a couple of funny moments...

One of the items I donated was a squirrel nutcracker like this one:

It attracted a fair deal of derision and caused much amusement, yet no-one wanted to buy it.  I nicknamed it the 'double your money' item as per the lunchtime TV programme 'Car Booty.'  A few minutes before the end of the Fayre I noticed it had gone and commented on this to the stall holder: no he hadn't sold it, neither had his colleague... it appears it had been nicked!

Talking of nicked, one of the items I spotted on the bric-a-brac stall was a collection of seven pencils held together with a rubber band for the princely sum of 10p. which I duly paid - pencils which I had lent out in a church service and which had mysteriously walked.  Which just goes to show it's the little old ladies you have to watch out for.

All good fun.  We raised about £1k for the redevelopment fund, saw lots of people come through the doors and had some good conversations.

And if the nutcracker-napper is out there, we forgive you.

Last night as we set up for the Spring Fayre (which looks amazing) someone asked me if I was going to run a stall selling indulgences.  After postulating selling blessings at 10p a word (cheaper than the Herald personal ads...) deducing that pigs' blood might contravene 'elf and satey' and that chicken bones were a little too obvious, I will be supplying hand crafted vanilla slices and fresh cream strawberry slices for anyone who craves a little indulgence.  Hurrah for Sainsbugs (other brands are available) pre-rolled puff pastry!

Other delights for those seeking some edible Saturday indulgence include homemade tablet (~fudge), marmalade, chutney, banana bread, cookies and sponges.  Should be a good day.

Plagiarising Sean's Galatians 3 Bible study at Baptist Assembly two years ago, pre-empting my sermon on Sunday, and noting the views of two of my blog-friends here and here: in Christ there is neither Gooners nor Spurs but until we get our heads around that... love your rivals, pray for those who trounce you.