It is certainly the case that God works in mysterious ways, and no more so than in the past few days.

On Sunday, we explored 'The Compassionate Life' - or social justice spirituality - and one way or another I've found myself 'putting my money where my mouth is" in a number of ways.

As part of my office declutter, I culled the vast majority of my craft stuff, and a fair amount of stationery, something that felt right to do at this time.  Yesterday someone collected that huge stash of stuff and took away.  Already someone has said that their prayers were answered to receive a small proportion of that stuff.  Yes, that makes me feel good (it's nice to be able to do things like this) but it also made me have a little 'hmm' moment because of the timing.  Lord, you sometimes speak in spontaneous desires to get rid of stuff...

This morning an email landed in my inbox, inviting me to sign something (currently embargoed) that is very public and overtly political... which, given Sunday's service, well, hmm...  Again, the timing... I set the service theme before I could have known how things would emerge over these months. 

It's not that I think God neatly lined up all the timings, rather I think that God made me alert to things that otherwise I might have let slip past or shied away from, because it just so happened that the timings coincided.

So, whether its the craft stuff, or the signature on a letter, or any of the other 'hmm' moments that may yet arise this week, somewhere in it all God is active.

Oh, and yes, we're singing the song 'Lord you sometimes speak in....' this Sunday coming.

One thing the kitties definitely like about the tidy office is having their 'bunk beds' back in operation.

This afternoon I was able to sit down and concentrate on the book project I'm involved with without having to balance my laptop on top of books and papers.

I also managed to find someone who can re-home all the craft stuff, which means I now have a clear kitchen table too!

All in all, then, it's been a very good weekend.

Today has been devoted to one task, and one task only - decluttering my office.  Following the recent cull of around 500 books (some still waiting to go to the charity shop) today it was the window cill, the cupboards and the desk.  Eleven and a half hours later, seven black sacks full of rubbish, and two IKEA bags of stuff to the charity shop later, and it's almost there.  Still need to deep clean the carpet and clean the windows, and my kitchen table is buried under craft stuff waiting for a new home.  But overall a good day.  And the kitties are certainly happy now all their favourite sleeping surfaces are clear!

Sometimes what you need is a little bit of feel-good stuff, and this is just that!

I also have Michelle Obama's "Becoming" as an audio book, and am looking forward to listening on some up coming train rides.

This coming Sunday we will be "praying the week's news", so I am buying a couple of newspapers each day... and have set myself the challenge that each day one may be one I'd naturally choose, and one must not. 

It's an interesting question to ask myself, 'why would/wouldn't I buy this newspaper normally', and has nothing whatsoever to do with the direction I have in mind for the service (though who knows!).

A former work colleague's daughter, a bright, intelligent young woman, works for a 'red top' newspaper I'd never consider buying, and this, I think illustrates the conundrum.  Generally speaking, whatever their political slant, whatever their target readership, news media employ intelligent, well-educated people to write their copy.

Today I bought two newspapers, both aimed at a thoughtful readership.  One claims, and seeks, to be polticially neutral, if by political we mean party allegiance.  The other overtly takes a political stance on a single issue, and uses that lense to view the world.  It's not that one is 'right' and one 'wrong' they have different aims.  It's not the case that I agree or disagree with either viewpoint on any, or every, topic.

Way back when, we were actively encouraged to read theologians we would (or expected to) disagree with, alllowing oursleves to come under their thrall, to see the arguments as they saw them, and only then to form an opinion.  It was wise advice then, and it's wise advice now.  It also applies to newspapers and beyond.

So, this Sunday the array of newspapers will be "interesting" and may cause a few comments.  But I think that's OK, because Jesus wasn't beyond a bit of controversy...