That fall back of the blogger with either (a) nothing to say or (b) plenty to say but not convinced it should be said: the list of links of stuff 'out there'

This article entitled Scotland the Brave has been 'liked' on social media by some Christians I suspect are smarting most at the moment.  I am choosing their implicit commendation in linking it.  Scotland is a brave nation, a beautiful, proud nation, and now it needs every ounce of all those as it steps forward.

As the Westminster government voted by a huge, cross-party majority to take further military action in Iraq, then this from the JPIT and this from BUS are worth reading and reflecting upon...

Rather belatedly I have come across this collection of thoughtful resolutions from the EBF

It's no secret that I have lots of 'bc buddies' - women who I 'met' or met-for-real as a result of a shared experience.  This from an online friend, a decade younger and a similar distance down the line, struck a chord with my own experience... and how amazing it was (is) to be fifty-plus!!

A complex and confusing world, locally, globally... Lord have mercy

This week I was down in Swanwick for a couple of nights at the BUGB ministers' refresher conference.  I love Swanwick, it holds many happy memories for me, and it did not disappoint.

It was good to catch up with friends serving in Wales and England, and good to listen to the thoughts of others.  It was a privilege to share my NZ paper with a small group, who laughed in the right places and engaged in good discussion afterwards.

It was good, too, to get back home, to pick up the routine work of ministry, to wrestle with real concerns, to be the person I am called to be.

I'm not honestly sure I came back feeling refreshed, but I came home with stuff to ponder, and that seems like a positive outcome.

Down the years, I've managed to set off for church having left various things at home... books or papers, a service script (thankfully I had time, on that occasion, to drive the ten miles home and back again and still be early!), visual aids and so on. 

Today I managed to arrive at church without my keys!  So, even before my day begins I've walked a few miles (a little in excess of 4 I think) and I still managed to be here with plenty of time for the various tasks today will bring.

Ninety-nine times out of every hundred, I put my church keys in the same pocket of my handbag... yesterday I didn't and a rare failure to check before I set off this morning meant they were still in my coat pocket from yesterday.

The moral of this tale?  Even organised people are fallible, and me especially so.

Today we had our first Bible Study exploring aspects of the apocrypha - it was, as it almost always is, the highlight of my week.  Five of us were able to gather and look at a few examples of writing from the apocrypha that have inspired hymn-writers...

On the basis of our explorations we are ditching Psalm 151 and keeping Ecclesiasticus... next time one of the group members will lead a study looking at aspects of Tobit - should be good!

OK, ok, I know it isn't "my" church, it's Christ's church... it's the church of which I am part, and I love it.

As we shared worship this morning people were loving, gracious and 'business as usual' with those they were pretty confident had voted differently from themselves because we know, we really know, that we are still who we are and we can do this.

It's funny the things that stick in your mind, and I still carry in my heart a kernel of truth from the sermon at my (our) induction service - be kind to each other.  We do our best - sometimes we suceed, sometimes we fail but we know it's a good aim, so we keep on, keeping on.

Another thing that came to mind this week, was something someone said to me on hearing of my cancer diagnosis four years ago which was, to the effect of "the only thing that has changed is that now you know".  Which was true.  And was not true.  Because knowing changed everything.  This morning "the only thing that had changed was that we knew the outcome of the referendum" and that changes everything... not suddenly and earth shatteringly, but now we know (as we would have done with a different outcome) where we are at this point in time.

After the service several people thanked me for what I had shared (every prayer I used was borrowed, I wanted to avoid my biases (except in choosing) from emerging, or badly chosen words causing offence).

I love my church because on the first Sunday after the referdendum, 'ayes' and 'noes' were distributed throughout the congregation, and two new students, who look like they might be settling with us, saw us at our best - loving, sincere, thoughtful, diverse, slightly eccentric (apparently, I've never noticed) aiming for inclusivity and trying our best to follow Jesus.  What's not to love?