Photo of back-to-school goody bags for children at church... I thought a dozen was plenty and to spare... actually it was just enough.

This morning we had our 'Back to School Sunday' followed by a Church Meeting.  There was much to make me go 'hmm...' the sense that God may be up to something  or saying something.

We closed our Sunday School when numbers dropped to one or sometimes two, and moved to a new model where most weeks the children are fully part of church... and today we had twelve children even with two of the regulars missing... Hmm...

When I arrived, congregations were in the middle twenties most weeks - this morning we passed fifty... Hmm...

Our church meeting was quite well attended, and the list of things we have done or are planning to do was exciting and almost dizzying... hmm...

At the same time our future is precarious as core members grow older, outgoings increase, and a listed building bring its own demands... hmm...

Moving into my final year of three, there is much to be thankful for, and much to mull over... and somewhere in it all, God is saying and doing stuff... hmm! 

it's not a good photo - taken on a phone, pointing straight at full, if low, sun.  But it captured a moment and a memory of the many times I took similar photos in Glasgow, especially during the various lockdowns.

Today was day 5 of my Race for Refugees, and consisted of an evening walk, just shy of eight miles, at the end of a very full week. In total I've walked almost 48 miles since Monday, which is a decent distance, and well on track for my goal. It's been challenging to ponder the reality of people who have no option but to get up and walk every day, just in the hope that there might be a safer, kinder, welcoming place at the end of the journey.

Tonight, I will sleep on a comfortable bed, with no threats to my safety... there are way too many people who cannot say that. 

A year ago, someone suggested that we could do a Community Litter Pick one Sunday... it took a year, but today we did just that and it was AMAZING!

We worked with the Railway Town Clean Team who meet regularly to litter pick on various places.  Around 15 of their folk (in green hi viz) and around 20 of ours (in yellow) plus a few curious neighbours, walked the streets and green areas near the church and filled a good forty or so bags with litter.. this area never looks that bad to me - today it practically gleamed! 

Another twenty to thirty folk stayed at church reflecting on Psalm 8, creating beautiful prayer posters and enjoying fellowship over a brew.

We were able to bless an asylum seeker with a bag of instant food (and a mug to make it in)... we were able to share some of the tomatoes from our community garden... we were treated to chocolate cake by a family who come annually to celebrate their daughters' birthdays... we sang 'All things Bright and Beautiful' from memory, a capella (with awesome harmonies!)... we were black and white and olive skinned, from many parts of Africa, from the Caribbean, from the USA, from Central and Eastern Europe, and from across the UK... young and old and everywhere in between.

Just occasionally church feels like a foretaste of heaven - and today was such a day. 

This poster on the door of the Sunday School cupboard sums it up perfectly...

I have become far too sedentary over the last two years, partly because on the days I work on Manchester I spend around four hours travelling, and partly because the days I work from home I get stuck to my desk.  So, when something landed in my inbox today suggesting I take on an exercise challenge for the charity Refugee Action, I was motivated enough to set myself the challenge to walk 250 miles in September - an average of a little over 8 miles a day  I am looking forward to making this happen - and have ideas for early starts on the days I work from home (as I did when doing a walking challenge in Glasgow during semi-lock-down) as well as getting in more walking the days I am in Manchester (when I currently average around 4 miles).

I am very fortunate, I get to choose whether or not to walk, where to walk, when to walk... other people have no choice but to walk, carrying their most precious possessions, fleeing danger or disaster and hoping that they will find someone, somewhere to take them in.

So, I have set myself the challenge to walk 250 miles and raise £250 during September.  Should you read this, and feel so inclined, you can sponsor me here.  And if you aren't able to sponsor, your kind thoughts are also valued.

Roughly every eight weeks, I meet with my Pastoral Supervisor to reflect on my practice using a broad scheme of 'soul, role and context'.  I travel by train, and, as the trains don't quite align to the meeting times, sometimes there's time for coffee in the cafe in the tiny shopping precinct.

This year, summer has been more than a smidgen bonkers for 'reasons' as the saying goes.  All is well with both roles but a lot of 'stuff' disrupted my plans for a chilled break.

As always, it was good to slow down for an hour, to unpick some of what's what and to realign or re-centre my mind, heart, soul for the weeks ahead. And today there was time for a skinny latte and a scone before catching the train homewards.

Hard to believe that, technically come Sunday, I have done two years in these new roles - but good to pause and think back at all that's been achieved in that time.