Sensible people do not get up before 8 a.m. on Sundays, not even if they are ministers.  Denominations that think God is impressed by ridiculously early services have, in my view, misunderstood.  But today I was up and ready go by a little after seven and have just finished an essay outline in prose which, by the wonder of technology is already in Manchester and Birmingham.  It may or may not make a lot of sense, though secretly I was quite pleased with it.  I mean, a couple of ten line paragraphs and more than a dozen footnotes for 1200 words, who would not be impressed?!

Lots to do to make it a useful piece of work but for now I am happy!  Now then - lunch and two services to go...

Today I has planned to start work on my essay outline, then life got in the way - sorry Sean, it will happen!

I spent a few minutes with an elderly lady who is at the 'end of life' and then, on a whim, went to visit in hospital the woman for whom we were praying last night.  Literally minutes after I arrived she was called into see the consultant to hear her test results - which were the sort no one should face alone.  Confidentiality means I can't post any more details, but I suspect I will be seeing the inside of part of the LRI fairly regularly over the next few weeks/months.

Every now and then these whims come into my head - and more often than not they are right.  So how does God do that?  And how often do I not hear because I'm too busy being busy?

It's an odd role this one, but there is an amazing sense of privilege when these moments arise.

Tonight we had a special prayer meeting, called at the request of one of our members in response to a massive pastoral issue that has just emerged.  By the time I got to the meeting two more equally massive, similar issues had also broken: it's going to be a busy, and not exactly happy, few weeks.

At the start I invited people to pray aloud, not to fear gaps or silence, but also said that if it all felt too uncomfortable at any point we could have a break.  The truth is, most of our prayer meetings are the very worst kind - tortured silence and/or Catriona's soliloquy.  Tonight was different.  We sustained about 40 minutes of open prayer and almost everyone offered at least one spoken prayer.  The prayers were intelligent and thoughtful, shaped by Christian hope, but balanced by honest realism.  I was well proud of my people!

So what made the difference?  We are really quite good at public intercessions but dreadful at open prayer.  I think the big difference was that people could see the point of what they were doing.  This wasn't a dutiful prayer meeting with no concrete focus, nor one to 'seek the mind of Christ' over this or that issue (though it might be good if we did that now and then); instead it was some people who knew their own vulnerability and helplessness in pretty ghastly situations seeking support and strength from God as they in turn seek to support and strengthen those who must face these things daily.

Where two or three are gathered, whether in a conflict situation (Matthew 18) or a time of struggle or crisis, there the Shekina glory of God is to be found.  And that is when the prayer meeting becomes prayer.

Well, apparently we aren't buying enough NIVs, so Hodder and Stoughton have gone for a radical (?) new cover design by Unreal.

Here's what Unreal are reported as saying about it....

'Our concept was to bring the inside to the outside,' says [Brian] Eagle [designer]. 'Typography is the best way to express the new look - nothing photographic, as that would be leading people in a different direction. We came up against quite a few obstacles such as which type of cross to use, but we interviewed vicars and researched this with various parts of the Christian community, and thought about different approaches.'

http://www.designweek.co.uk/Articles/137051/Unreal%20redesign%20to%20help%20publisher%20bash%20Bible%20market.html

 

Instantly I found myself recalling saying 22 of the Gospel of Thomas - about which I once wrote an essay -

Jesus saw some infants at the breast. He said to his disciples: These little ones at the breast are like those who enter into the kingdom. They said to him: If we then be children, shall we enter the kingdom? Jesus said to them: When you make the two one, and when you make the inside as the outside, and the outside as the inside, and the upper side as the lower; and when you make the male and the female into a single one, that the male be not male and the female female; when you make eyes in the place of an eye, and a hand in place of a hand, and a foot in place of a foot, an image in place of an image, then shall you enter [the kingdom].

http://www.goodnewsinc.net/othbooks/thomas.html
 

So there you have it!  Gnostic influences in Bible cover design; love it!

I am starting to think about possible readings and themes for our annual Covenant service which takes place in a little over a week.  I am wondering - in a mad moment - about using some of the passages that relate to the Davidic Covenant and their references to 'house.'  It seems to me that the passages employ both uses of the word 'house' as it is understood in English usage, i.e. as building in which one may dwell (which David isn't going to do for God) and as a family line, as in English nobility (which Daivd is going to do).  But is this (a) right or (b) justified?  I think it is right, but as I can't read Hebrew (not that I have a Hebrew Testament anyway) maybe some clever person out there can tell me?

In choosing this reading I'm very aware of the danger of reading in to it my own views on churches and buildings, but I don't think that necessarily means I shouldn't use it, so long as it is legitimate.