Today is the fifth anniversary of my induction as minister at the Gathering Place... time flies when you are having fun.  Of course it hasn't all been plain sailing, we've encountered a few squalls and negotiated a few reefs, rocks and sharks along the way, but we are here, and it's good to celebrate.

Today we will welcome four folk into covenanted membership, reflect on where we are in relation to the Pauline injunction to 'rejoice!', then after lunch share in an information meeting relating to some of our next steps together before I head off with another perosn to take communion to one of our 'shut-ins'.

This, then is ministry: joy and sorrow, flawed followers determined to keep going, community discernment, pastoral care.

This, then, is ministry: I am content to be part of it.

Happy Birthday to us!!

As the saying goes: for what is past, thank you, for what's to come, yes.

Sorry to those gracious readers who call by regularly, even frequently, in the hope of something from me.  This week has been a little bit loopy with consequent tail chasing and no posting.  I still have a fair old list of stuff I haven't done and really ought to... bad minister person that I am.

So, service prep, mission forum, mentor training for the fourth time of asking, deacons meeting, home communion, pastoral catch-up, admin... where did the time go?!

Hopefully things will settle a little bit after the weekend, and I will get back into more of a regular rhythm again

This Sunday we are receiving four friends into Church membership - which is fantastic.  Following what I think is pretty standard custom and practice, I invited each of them to choose a hymn or a song for the service... and as always the choices are wonderful: expressions of faith, commitment, trust, disicpleship, hope, vision...

Always, it's a blessing to celebrate with siblings-in-Christ; always a blessing to share the songs/hymns that are meaningful for them.

According to the Bible, Euodia and Syntyche had a quarrel, right?

Well, I actually took the time to read what it says... they clearly disagreed but I don't find the words 'quarrel' or 'fell out' or 'had a barney' or any such similar thing in the Greek.

Sure, they needed some help to resolve their disagreement, but then isn't that just an example of the kind of a model described in Matt 18 now seen in action?

I can't help feeling that centring on the perceived squabbling, bitching, bickering women is to read in what it doesn't actually say (eisegesis).  These women clearly had a significant role in the mission of the early church, and their failure to agree did not somehow debar them from office, rather together with help from others, they needed to sort it out... I reckon that's just common sense.

I'm preaching on this passage on Sunday (it's something of a gift!) so wait and see what I end up saying!

After the heavy stuff of the past few days a couple of little things that appealed to the peverse sense of humour I have...

Last night I was helping with post service refreshments, and went to 'plunge' the caffetiere, only for it to erupt all over the work surface, spraying cups, biscuits, sugar packets and everything else with coffee... what a mess!  And I went to bed even after washing with that lovely, exlusive scent "eau de fairtrade coffee"!!

During the night I woke up as I usually do mid-melt (oh, the joys of chemically induced menopause sheduled to last a decade!!) and thought my shoulders were even wetter than usual (sorry if that's too much information)... I realised that my chillow had popped, or at least sprung a leak, soaking my pillow and bedding, ugh!  Up I got and sorted that out.

But, overall these two little incidents were so silly, so trivial that they brought a smile to my face, a lightness to my heart and a bit of perspective... OK so I'd had a tough old week, but I had one heck of a lot to be thankful for... including paper towels at church and spare bed linen at home!