Blogland is a strange place, almost as strange as the flesh and blood world I inhabit the rest of the time.

I am always fascinated, if not slightly bemused, by the things that provoke comment on my, and other, blogs.  Every now and then I post a kind of 'can you help me out' message, such as funeral resources or preaching ideas and can be fairly confident there will be no reply.  Then I'll post something I think is flippant, trivial or even rhetorical and it prompts a flurry of comments.

The same is true of the blogs I visit, and I have to confess to having left some daft and even balatantly banal comments on other people's work.  Rarely do I find myself commenting on things of any import or seriousness.  Partly this is because some of the folk I know, and if I want a more serious conversation with them I'll do it by email, phone or even, just occasionally, in the flesh.  Partly it's because some of the 'serious' posts are too worthy for my simple little brain to repsond to.  Partly it's because I don't have anything useful to contribute.  Partly it's because blogging, for me anyway, is meant to be fun: a way of keeping in touch with come of my widely spread friends, a place to play with ideas around my research and ministry, sometimes even a place to escape from reality for a while

I always like reading the comments, they are often fun, and lend a suitable flippancy (silly sofa) slant that I find helpful in thinking about things.  I guess, though, I just feel a bit sorry for those folk who post good quality stuff and just get my off-beam humour in return.

A few of my most loyal readers tell me they are embarassed to leave their comments as they (the comments, not the people) aren't suitably academic or whatever - actually, 'Catriona I don't understand a word of this' is as useful to me as 'Have you read Professor Splidgey Splodge on such and such.'

Please feel free to leave your comments on any or all of my posts, I do read them, only rarely delete them (because they are of iffy origin or offensive), and often find they further my thinking, laughing and living.

The long courtship path of Dibley and D+1 is complete.  D+1 have decided, overwhelmingly, that they do not see it as the right way forward to 'marry' (merge with) Dibley.  In one sense this is very sad, the future of either is more tentative apart than together.  In another sense it is a relief - at least both parties are able to move forward and think where God is leading them.  I hope that the two congregations will be able to remain friends and that on reflection will consider the journey has been worthwhile.

Tonight we had our Home Mission visit and our two new visitors asked some good questions - I hope they found the answers they needed to make an appropriate recommendation.  It is always interesting to see how my folk behave when HMF come along - way more positive about finances than any other day of the year!  Still, I trust the insight of these visitors to work out the 'story behind the words.'

Then the Church Meeting - only just quorate, which I had anticipated as it was a late start and lots of emotive building stuff to talk about: what next on planning, can we sell this or that from inside the building, what about the vandalism, etc etc.  The upshot is that we will get the stained glass boarded over to protect it, board up the bits that were broken into and leave it at that until we are clearer on the planning issues and legal position.

I am now pretty drained phyiscally, emotionally and spritually and am glad I still had a residual 'glow' from last Sunday to carry me through what has been a very stressful and aggro filled week.  Finally a day off tomorrow...

OK, so I stole this picture from Sean who, seemingly, has better skills than I do for nicking it from the Assembly website (either that or he took an identical photo!).  I am to the viewer's right of the guy in the white shirt (one Nick, colleague and classmate) and my good friends and colleagues Diane and Jill are further to the right in the same row.  Just behind me is Stephen, another classmate.  Alas Andy is right at the back - and if you are counting the other classmate is missing (no real surprise there!).

I share Sean's views about the 'In Memoriam bit' - each year there are more names I know, although at least this year no classmates.  It is strange to imagine that one day my name will be up there - all struggles and successes gone, the sermons, prayers, visits, disagreements, and so on over.   It is a great privilege to be part of so much dedication and commitment to the service of the Gospel and to God's crazy commitment to entrust it people like me.

Oh, and for the record, whooping is not unseemly, so long as you are in PRISM at the time!!

I feel I need to preach a response to our local election results.  I can't find any resources to help though.  I wondered about using Romans 13:1 - 8 as a way to raise the question, given our current situation - what is assumed about the authority we obey?  One of my deacons, in response to me asking if they thought this was a topic I should address, said yes, and alluded to what happened in Nazi Germany.  I guess the stories of slavery and apartheid are not a million miles removed.  Anyone got any ideas please?

Remember - all it needs for evil to triumph is for decent people to do nothing.

At Baptist Assembly we were told about a new partnership with 'A Rocha' (a Christian environmental organisation) and of a guest speaker for next year, Dr Vinoth Ramachandra, who holds a PhD in nuclear engineering.  Whilst history dictates that I must pray for the soul of anyone who studied at Imperial College, London, I discover he has the same first degree as I do, albeit completed some 20 years earlier.  Intriguing to imagine someone this great sitting in the QMC Nuclear Engineering building in Bancroft Rd listening to Prof Leslie enthuse about neutron dynamics!

Whatever his take is on nuclear issues, and whether you or I or anyone else agrees, at least he knows what he is talking about.  Wonder if he still has a copy of Lamarsh sitting on his bookshelf too...?!