Yesterday I posted my apprehension about coming away to the next Stage of Ministry event... that hasn't entirely been assuaged but as ever there are more good things than not so good, if you can be bothered to look for them.  It helps that I realise I do a few of the people here, and that certainly helps.

Things got off to a good start when dessert was a yummy peach, almond (marzipan) and puff pastry thingy served with cream, and when someone had organised birthday cake for one of the delegates whose birthday it was.

The opening round of introductions was of the form "my name is Fred, I'm married to Wilma, we have 2.4 children and 2n+1 grandchldren".  Early on man, married, with no children noted his envy of those with children/grandchildren and another that he had no children but did have a dog.  The other woman present simply stated her role and nothing about family (it transpire she's single too, I hadn't known that) whilst I said "I'm Catriona, I have no wives, no husbands and no children," which raised a laugh (phew). The dog-man asked if I had a dog (no, a cat) but it did make the point I think, how easily we normalise to our own experience and inadveertently exclude or demean others.  Many years ago, I was gently told off at a course for introducing myself by saying 'my first job after I left universirty was...' because not everyone would have had that opportunity.  A tricky path to tread but one that being aware of is probably a good thing.

The first session focussed on the topic 'Growing in Godliness' and dotted around 1 and 2 Timothy with an occasional foray into Titus to come up with six signs that might evidence this.  Here they are:

• By the way we deal with those who oppose us (graciously, hospitality)
• By how we interact with scripture (depth, expectation of effect, mirror, transformation...)
• By our willingness to listen (not simply to hear but to engage with, to listen ettentively and actively)
• By the presence of agape in our lives (love as the primary motivator and means)
• By cultivating contentment (satisfaction with 'enough', not greedy, envious etc)
• By fascination with the Mystery of God (incarnation, trinity, cross-event etc etc.)

A really interesting and helpful list against which to measure ourselves which says nothing of 'success' in numbers, activities or qualifcations, and everything about attitude.

Feeling apprehensive and somewhat defensive, despite the yummy peach cake thingy, it was a good opening session to remind me of the 'better way' that is love.

Day 2 dawns with its own challenges but I will endeavour to listen attentively, love generously and deal graciously.

I find it a rather odd name for a 'refresher' type gathering of ministers, but I am off this afternoon to spend a couple of days in Pitlochry with around 20 ministers reflecting, sharing, praying and hopefully having some laughter too.  I'm a bit apprehensive as I hardly know any of them and it's likely to be extremely blokey...

Will report back!

The second of our lent Sundays with ten minutes talking and ten minutes silence was again well received by the majority of people.  What a fun and varied morning...

Songs from Nigeria and Ukraine

Art from around the world

Magnetic fishing game

John 4

Sermonette

Ten minutes of silence

N's yummy fruit loaf

Familiar faces returning for a visit

New faces

Children playing ukeleles and the piano

And it all worked, the serious and silly met and melded in  a way that seemed to make sense... happy day :-)

Here are three of the images we used (shamelss nicked from the www)

Every now and then we come across something that really strikes home, lodges itself in our psyche, alters our outlook or prompts us to think or do differently.

I came across this photo shared online today:

Way back in 1974 my then form teacher, a very scary man, one Mr T R Philp, wrote these words in my autograph book... in those days it was the fashion for those leaving primary school to collect autographs from as many teachers as they could.

I can still visualise Mr Philp's tiny, immaculate hadnwriting, and see him copying the words from a card he kept in the top draw of his desk.  Maybe it was some kind of mantra for him?  I don't know, I never stopped to think about that.

But it was one of those things that struck home, an aspiration to be adopted for my own life.  By no means am I successful - any more than John Wesley was - my feet are very claylike and I fail regularly to meet my own standards.  But wise words, and a good aim, I think.

Other authogrpahs from friends and teachers were less profound or inspiring, but this one (which took me two nearly decades to work out because of how it was written on the page) is also sage advice:

pas d'elle yeux Rhone que nous

(read it aloud or you, too might take two decades to decipher it!)

Somehow a whole week went by before I spotted this (obviously not checking Twitter often enough - but then I don't really 'get' Twitter).  A little something to listen to in Lent which balances chuckles, chocolate and challenges...

Lent Podcast Extra