Been having some fun this morning beginning to work on the framework for this year's summer services, which are (very) loosely based on the new SU Holiday Club "Polar Explorers" and will have the working title "Never Too..."

Just the small matter of gathering in the various bits 'n' bobs I need now, both for the children's crafts and for some of the more interactive elements... candles, newspapers, fabric, salt dough ingredients, tiles, grout... I really hope that people feel able to engage with the ideas and in so doing discover more about themselves and about God.

The big challenge is fulfilling my aim to keep services down to 50 mins for the holiday season!!

It seems that this week the press and web are full of people discussing whether or not is is OK to refer to God using feminine language. 

Firstly, this is hardly new.  Such debates have gone on for as long as people have worshipped God.

Secondly, any half decent reading of Scripture will reveal metaphors for God that are "animal, vegetable and mineral" including feminine ones.

Thirdly, last Sunday I happened to use two feminine metaphors - Midwife and Mother - drawn from the OT as part of my reflections.  So please keep up, press and web, this is old news for us!!

Now and then I work part of a day from home to fit around meetings etc. at this end of my 'patch'.

Sometimes that can be tricky because one or other cat borrows my laptop to plot world domination (or check there are sufficient photos of them on social media).

Good job this is my lunch break, then!!

Sometimes we need to be reminded of, or given permission to do, these things

Nowadays it is comparatively rare for me to hand write anything of any substance.  I jot down notes for sermons, or key points for letters or emails, but that's about it.

Today I actually wrote out longhand a first draft of my reflection for Sunday, which meant the first typed draft was already partly refined.

And it was good.  Maybe I should do it more often! 

Maybe now the commentaries and worship books are nearer the desk and further from the computer, I will.

Anyway, in another rare event, for the second successive week by the end of Tuesday I have a full first draft for Sunday.  In theory this should lead to lots more honing; in practice time will tell!!