Yesterday I was pretty hacked off (as I'm sure you noticed) about the delay in my treatement, caused by an administrative error.  No use crying over spilled milk though, and today I am focussing forward again.

A little first today - the first time I went outside without a hat since last September!  It was nice to feel the air around my head, even if my hair is not yet long enough for the wind to blow through it.

I have also booked a couple of holidays and a conference during the summer, so time near Oban, on Arran and in Oxford all lined up - should be fun.

So, lots to look forward too once this last phase is finally over.

I type this at a point when I should have been an hour away from going for my final checks ahead of starting radiotherapy tomorrow.  An hour ago I had a phone call to say that due to an administrative glitch the necessary papers had not not been signed and the whole thing will be shifted 'downstream' by a week.

I know in the grand scheme of things it doesn't matter but it is "flipppin' annoying" and I'd cheerfully thump those repsonsible (in love, of course).

So, a bit of tracking downstream to where the stones have been re-laid.

I'm just glad, given it was only two hours notice of the change, that I live locally and had not already set out to get to the hospital.

Sorry, this is a bit of a rant!  I ought to be glad this is the first thing that's gone awry, and I am really, it's just that when you can see the finish line it's frustrating to have it moved.

... can you fit into one living room?  Evidently the answer yesterday was 19, as our 'First Monday' group squeezed into my living room for a presentation and discussion on Mennonite theology.

The speaker is one of the Gatherers who retains her Canadian Mennonite identity.  Given the debated and debateable anabaptist influence on the original Baptists (Smyth and Helwys went to Amsterdam and had contact with anabaptist fellowships) it was interesting to hear about one strand of anabaptists in a Western, and more speicfically North American, context.

There was, as I'd expcected, much in common, from believer Baptism to separation of the church and state.  The biggest difference, I think, is that for Mennonites active persecution continued into the twentieth century, which means that this is a tradition living out that legacy - for Baptists, at least in the West, such experiences are 'old history' and so don't actively shape our daily lives.

I was struck by the fact that there are what might be termed 'cultural Mennonites' - those whose forebears were active in faith but who, whilst so labelling themselves, no longer attend church or live specifically in accord with Mennonite teaching.  At the same time there are what might be termed 'incomers' - people with no Mennonite background who are seekers after Christ.  The long term impact of this for Mennonites will be interestng to observe - and I can't help wondering how open they might be to learning from the experiences of other Reformation (Protestant or Radical) traditions who have already travelled this path.

I was fascinated by the Mennonite canon-within-a-canon for scripture: first the sermon on the mount, then the gospels, then the rest of the New Testament, then the Old Testament.  If I had the time it would be interesting to compare and contrast this with such Baptist oddities as the scriptures central to the Six Principle Baptists and dear old (?!) Spuregeon on the downgrade, or even, for that matter the ancient views of Marcionism.  I wonder, for all our claims, what is really the canon-within-a-canon that Baptists are inclined to use?

A very interesting and thought provoking evening.

To my shame, I have only just opened and read the lastest BMS Mission Catalyst which explores some areas that all too often are hushed up, ignored or pronounced upon: questions around human sexuality and what 'good news' looks like.  It doesn't give you any neat answers, rather it leaves you with things to think about.  Three articles on Christians who are LGBT, three on Christians in Marriage/Cohabitation and a couple on Christians and pre-commitment/ceremonial sexual activity.

Where there are two Baptists there will be three opinions, which, for me, is part of the delight of who we are.  We may not agree with everything that's said but this is a gracious attempt to handle some thorny topics well.  The issue can be read online (follow the link above and scroll down to the issue labelled 'Sexuality') and every BUGB/BUS/BUW church ought to have copies.

I hope the copy I've just read can find its way to our noticeboard, and will be read openly and honestly.  Above all I hope that we will learn to see everyone as God does and not assume that we have the right to judge anyone.

If I can be a bit picky, I think something on singleness and celibacy (and I don't mean a list of thou shalt nots) might have been helpful too - once again we are the forgotten third of the church - but it's easy to criticise what is basically very good.

Thank you BMS.

... who gets her."  So said one of my ninety somethings yesterday about the student who was doing her Board of Ministry 'assessed preach' with us yesterday.  She was very brave having me plus a retired Baptist minister in the congregation (our two regular retireds were both away) as well as her known about (though anonymous) assessor and, as it transpired, another member of the BoM who was visiting family.

The service was carefully and skillfully constructed, the sermon thoughtful, the intercessions inspired and the delivery warm and encouraging.  I had heard this woman preach via our 'podcast' back in January and been impressed; in the flesh she was even better.

Any of us who've done BoM/Min Rec assessed preaches, college assessed preaches or Preaches With a View/Sole Nominee know how nerve wracking these experiences are.  That she succeeded in leading us in worship, that she was still smiling at the end, that she's coming back next week... these are indicators of her calling.

God bless you F.

PS Why are the assessors almost always men in grey suits?!