Mark 10: 51:  Then Jesus said to him, "What do you want me to do for you?

All eyes turned to the blind man, Bartimaeus, time stood still, he pondered his reply and then he spoke...

"I want to see"

But what other answers might haved passed through his mind..?

"I want to be rich so I never need to beg again"

"I want to know why my life has been so hard"

"I want you to blind all the people who have ridiculed me (or otherwise smite them)"

"I want to be like everyone else"

"I want to be respected"

"I want to be liked"

"I want to see... "

So what would you reply if Jesus asked you the same question "what do you want me to do for you?"

This was the challenge of today's sermon... to myself as much as, if not more than, to anyone else

What is it I want Jesus to do for me...

This is no genie from a lamp offering three boons to a temporary slave, but the Lord of Life whose gaze searches our deepest recesses and then asks us one question

So what or how do we reply...?

Been a very busy week, not worked a day under ten hours from Tuesday to Friday and most substantially more.

Been a productive week, with a lot of enjoyable worship preparation for a couple of evening services I'll be leading iun a few weeks.

Been a week of several important meetings, which seemed to be productive from where I sat.

Been a week of eating with friends, new and established, catching up, swapping news.

Been a week in which sad/bad news reached me from a friend 'down south' who now keeps vigil at a hospital bedside when she should be at a big birthday party.

Been a week in which blogging has just not been on my radar... stuff I wanted to reflect on wasn't appropriate for public consumption, stuff that was appropriate was either banal or dull.

Been a week in which I have found some new reserves of energy, or new sources to energise, or something like that, so that, as it draws to a close I am healthily tired and overall fairly happy with what's been achieved.

So apologies if you've checked by and wondered where I was - just been busy living and loving and laughing and struggling and hurting and rejoicing and labouring and... well, you know, ministering.

At the end of the month I am leading an evening of worship using Taize resources... I have just had a delightful morning choosing, scanning, ordering (i.e. putting in the order I want them) items from four hymnals, a few Bible readings and some Taize prayers.

It has been quite a tranquil way to spend my time, and in it I think that God has been working gently to bring me peace and joy.

That's part of the mystery of worship prep, I feel - it is in the labour that we worship, that God speaks, that we encounter the numinous.  This should not be a surprise, if liturgy is the work of the people, then this office-bound preparation time is the worship of the preacher.

Anyway, it has been good!

Yikes, half of 2014 has already gone!  Nights are drawing in (especially in the West of Scotland and the English Midlands, where Eeyore reigns supreme), the beech nuts are evidently larger than they should be at this time of year (heralding an early autumn apparently), the first Christmas cards have been spotted in bargain shops (177 days to go it seems)...

It's a glorious day, blue skies that surely raise the spirits of the most jaded or demoralised person imaginable.  Just a few weeks to the excitement of Glasgow 2014.  Just a couple of months to September's referrendum.  Lots and lots to focus on - and, as ever, it's good to be alive!

It's no secret that I'm a sucker for a 'special edition' soft toy, and the latest addition is my 'wee' family of Clydes...

So that's Clyde, Kilted CLyde and Baby Clyde