This afternoon we gather to pay our last respects to, and celebrate the life of Miss Irene Allan aged 100. A long life, lived in faithful service of her Lord and Saviour, at great personal cost both literal and metaphorical.

I hope the weather does not deter those who would wish to do so from attending the service, and I hope as she peeps down from heaven, which she is convinced will be open for her to allow her to observe, she is pleased with what we have created for her. (My own, since teenage, intuitive theology has been that we attend our own funerals, no matter what orthodoxy might claim, so I am sure she will be there one way or another).

It is a privilege to conduct the services for this saint of God, and I pray that as we celebrate and commemorate her life, we find encouragement and inspiriation for our own continuing lives. (Yes, that's pretty much a paraphase of one of the standard funeral prayers I will use later today!)

Yesterday this photo landed in my in-box.  It's a photo of my model of the future of BMS!

I'm sure it's not as metaphorical/symbolic as the facilitator might have liked but hey ho, it was fun and it enabled me think via a different expression... Apparently 70% (or was it 80?) of our neurones link to our hands, so we can 'think with our hands' because 'our hands know stuff'.  Fascinating!

Can you see a tiny  translucent red brick at the back? To one side is a man of colour wearing a hard hat, and to the other a rainbow tower with a person standing on the top of it.  We were asked to place the small red brick next to some part of our model that we felt was essential for BMS going forward.

My little man in the hard hat (who I took down from his seat on the elephant so he could stand next to the red block - cheating but don't tell anyone) is Jesus, a worker-Christ, a Christ-of-Colour, a Christ who gets his hands dirty in the midst of a messy and messed up world.  The tower is a rainbow, with all that rainbows signify, from Biblical hope to LGBTQI+.  The point of the tower with the person on the top is that BMS is willing to act as a voice for those who have no voice, those on the margins, and the multi-coloured tower is more than a rainbow, it is a way of expressing diversity-in-unity that all cultures, all people, can learn with and from each other and are stronger together. Think Magnificat; think Nazareth manifesto.

All the other characters/animals/objects have meanings that are part of what BMS is/should be about - and all of those arise from central concept of the multi-ethnic worker Christ who listen to those on the margins and, learning from and working with all peoples, and helping them learn from and work with each other.

And that, my friends, is Serious LEGO.

Isn't this just beautiful? A Christ with a rainbow-nimbus (halo). A gift from H & G, an expression of spirituality of a Christ who includes, embraces and identifies with those who are LGBTQI+, a Christ who embodies hope and the promises of God, and undoubtedly a whole lot more. Worth sitting with and reflecting upon. For now it is on my bookcase, but I need to get it framed and hung properly. A simple gift that speaks volumes. Thank you.

Isn't this just fun? A gift from L & G, a book of cat poetry that is laugh out loud funny and conveys deep truths.  One to dip into if I need cheering up, or reminding not to take myslef too seriously.  One that, for now, sits on my desk, alongside Bibles and commentaries, hymnbooks and theological tomes. A simple gift that brings me joy.  Thank you.

Sublime and ridiculous, beautiful and bonkers, serious and silly... I love how these two contrasting gifts express the diversity and unity of our church.  And I love that people love me enough to give me such wonderful gifts.  Thank you.

Sophie in a red harness - wearing it for ten minutes, earning a few tiny treats for being so good. Sasha likewise in a blue harness...

The plan is slowly to increase the duration until they are suitably content to walk around in them, and then add leads.  If that works, then we will venture into the big wide world of Outside.

This afternoon Sasha spent a full 20 minutes sitting on my knee - unheard of!  It gave me a much needed break from doing anything, after which I went for a decent walk.

Excellent 'catting' kitties - very grateful for the love and distraction of these two, and for the lessons they give me in 'being' rather than 'doing'.

So now it's Saturday evening, all that needs to be done this week is now done (apart from a bit of printing tomorrow) so it's time for a cuppa, a custard cream (or two) and cuddles with the kitties. 

This is challenging and true.  Whilst I claim not to see busyness or even knackeration as status symbols, I am not sufficiently diligent in addressing them.

So I am taking this image, which I saw elsewhere today, as gentle chastisement, and a reminder that I am racking up 'lieu days' faster than is helpful.

Keep me in check, gentle readers!