The photo is from yesterday evening, when I'd spent an hour or so tidying up in the garden and paused to admire the glorious colours of the buddleia, hydrangeas and roses.  Somehow it reflects the richness and fullness of my life as bi-vocational minister at a time of year when lots is happening!

Last Saturday was the grand opening of our Community Garden, a lovely day that saw around 60 people gathering to celebrate hard work and hopeful dreams

This Saturday (tomorrow) I will be teaching Baptist History for the first time to a group of ministers in training.  The amount of preparation I've put in is, I am sure, out of all  proportion, and my Impostor Syndrome is through the roof, not least as the content is a fraction of what others would include, but overall, I am pleased with my preparation and looking forward to it. 

Next Saturday is our Vicar School Community Day and Valedictory Service, which is really exciting and important as it marks an important moment in our life together.

Somehow, all of this diversity integrates into a thing of beauty, hope, and a bit of God-ness... and some slightly random, stream of consciousness, thoughts:

• When I was a teenager, my Mum, not given to much positivity, in an unguarded moment said, 'I think you might be famous one day'.  Well, no, not famous, and not infamous, but yes, I have my place in the Baptist story and it is somehow quite significant... who'd have thought it? Not me for sure!      
  
  
• As a child I absolutely loved history, and often questioned why we kept on repeating the same mistakes, then some appalling teaching meant a grade E at 'O' level and a sense I was rubbish at this after all... But studying industrial history in my engineering degree and church history in my theology reassured me that I was right, history is awesome and it does matter
  
  
• It's hard to explain the 'Hotel California' nature of the Vicar School, and why it matters so much to me, but it does.  Next Saturday we reach a significant moment in our ongoing story.  With only a slight stretch of the imagination, given their shared origins, I can claim to have studied engineering and theology at the same college, founded in London's East End at a time when protestant non-conformists weren't allowed to go to university.  With less of stretch of the imagination, I can see how my own childhood connections to Methodist, and URC churches, and eventual homecoming in the Baptist tradition are part of a journey to this place

So, yes, I am knackered, good knackered, knackered-but-energised... in all things God works with those whom God loves for good, and somehow, as I looked up from weeding the garden to admire the flowers, I was reminded of just how true this is.

This afternoon, around 50-60 people gathered in our newly completed Community Garden, ready for the grand opening by the Town Mayor, who arrived complete with pink hair and gold chain!  She really is a rather wonderful person with a passion for community-building, well-being, and gardening.

Despite several short, sharp showers, we were able to get outside for long enough to do short speeches, and for the Mayor to cut the ribbon.  Afterwards everyone enjoyed a delicious afternoon tea, with lots of home-baking by the ladies of the church.  Several Community Groups and near neighbours were present, and a great time was had by everyone.

The challenge is now to build on this great beginning, enabling groups to use the garden, and to make the most of this wonderful asset.   

A political-ish post, so look away now if that's problematic for you!

Today a bill passed through the House of Commons on a vote of 313 'for' and 291 'against'; 39 people did not vote. So it seems that, once again, a hugely significant piece of legislation has passed on a 52:48 vote.  Irrespective of what anyone felt about the Scottish Independence Referendum in 2014 (lost by 'Yes' 45:55) or the EU Referendum in 2016 (won by 'leave' 52:48), surely by now we have worked out that proceeding with massive change of the basis of small majority just leads to unrest, dissatisfaction and a lot of anxiety and fear.

Recently, the Roman Catholic Church elected a new Pope, an appointment which required the person elected to achieve 66.7% of those present and voting.  Not necessarily unanimity (and, rightly we'll never be told what the level achieved was) but a decent majority, granting a level of confidence that this was a good decision.

In Baptist churches, we are big on 'communal discernment' and, at our best, will aim to find consensus (something we can all live with) rather than voting on every little thing.  But some things we do vote on, and usually, when it's important by secret ballot.

For Trustees, I have known churches elect on as little as 67% and as high as 75% - expressing a measure of confidence in those appointed, and reducing the 'I didn't vote for them anyway' grumble possibility.  In most churches, and rightly, figures are never disclosed, but I can say from more than 35 years experience of Baptist churches, something close to unanimity is usually achieved for those elected; I have never known any to fail to be elected as a 'near miss'.

For ministers, the bar is often set as high as 90% and rarely lower than 75%, quite reasonably expecting a great degree of consensus/agreement/discernment/confidence.  I have experienced four 'call' votes myself.  One was a very clear 'no' with the vote being almost exactly 50/50; one a 'near miss' being 72% on a 75% call; one just in, being 78% on a 75% call; and one almost unanimous at 98% on a 90% call.  Often, and this was certainly the case for church number four albeit not needed, a contingency is put in place for a 'close call' to ask people to support the decision. (For the record, my current role is 'Appointed' not 'Called' so no such figure exist)

The point of these high figures is that these decisions are really important.  The point of confirmatory votes (and I have used these on occasion in church meetings were a vote was only just carried) is to ensure that those who 'lose' are willing to go along with those who have 'won' - or to be more holy about it, that we all agree that God's will (or Christ's mind) has been discerned. 

What we had on 'Indie' and 'Brexit' was a decision that left no-one really satisfied and that leaves a lot of hurt, mess and muddle - there may have been those things anyway, but a higher threshold vote might have made a difference.  I fear the same may yet be true of the Assisted Dying Bill... roughly as many MPs voted against the decision as for it; on a different day the vote might have gone the other way, and I really don't feel confident that there is a clear mandate for this legal change, yet the ramifications will continue to be felt long into the future... meanwhile people with disabilities, people on low incomes, and people whose life's work is in the hospice movement feel frustrated, angry and afraid.

Home after a 48 hour retreat for Staff and Students of the Vicar School... as the person with overall responsibility for making it happen, it isn't especially relaxing, but it is full of beautiful scenery, tranquil surroundings and spaces in which it is just about possible to do a little bit of reflection!

The centre where we stayed has a community garden - more like an allotment really, with glass houses, a potting shed, a small arboretum/orchard and lots of fruit and vegetables being grown. 

On the first morning, I wandered up to take a look - and gate was locked with a chain and combination lock... a firm 'no entry' message.  I was sad to think that in such an idyllic location it might be necessary to control access in this way.  The second morning, taking a different route, I came to another gate, with an unlocked padlock, dangling chain, and a simply rope loop to hold the gate closed.  Passing through it, and pulling the gate to, I was able to enjoy a meander (discovering that the first gate was also now unlocked) before making my way t place where the gate stood slightly ajar (photo).

I found myself wondering lots of things then, and more since...

What is the gate that God has left lightly ajar, inviting me/you/us/others to step through it and discover what lies beyond - whether in the confines of the bounded community garden, or the openness of the untamed landscape beyond?

What are the padlocks that I/you/we/the church use to keep our metaphorical 'community garden' safe from unwanted visitors who just might trample the plants or steal the produce?  What might happen if we left the padlocks off, and took the risk of allowing unfettered entry to our precious and beautiful gardens?  What if God is calling us to do just that?

Tomorrow the Railway Town Baptist Church Community Garden will be officially opened by the Town Mayor.  A lot of hard work has gone into creating something that will be beautiful, and can become a venue for different gatherings, as well as a space premises users can enjoy.  There are good reasons for the street gate to locked when it isn't in use - but I hope and pray the we will play our part in enabling it to be open and accessible for more than 'just' planned and curated events...

Perhaps it could be open on Sunday afternoons as a prayer space... 

Perhaps local schools or groups could visit, enjoy the space and maybe do activities...

Perhaps it might link to other activities...

May God grant us the courage and the willingness to leave the metaphorical gate unlocked and even ajar, that others may come in, and we may venture out.  

I always enjoy Pentecost - it can be a great excuse for playful acts of worship, and it's always an excuse to wear bright colours!

This year, the highlights included...

• The Lord's Prayer in Bengali
• Scripture in English, French and Spanish
• Prayers written or drawn on 'flames'

I talked about the Pentecost as a day when people understood what was being said, and then returned to their own countries and cultures with their own languages... rather than an 'undoing' of Babel and 'restoration' of uniformity, we have a celebration of diversity, a culture of inclusion and celebration, that delights in the differences that make humanity what it is.

If we can live that out, then I think we have caught something of what God was up to on that day.