Yesterday, I went to the special exhibition at Manchester Museum called 'The Cat that Slept for a Thousand Years'.  At one level it was a gimic to get people into the museum. At another level it was a quiet space to slow down and chill (I recall a zone in the Millennium Dome that had music that would take 1000 years to repeat, which had a similar feel). At yet another level it was a way of finding one thread (cats great and small) to follow through different exhibits in the museum (with an optional augmented reality game thingy you could download - I didn't!). At yet another it was a creative way of encouraging people to engage with the museum.

There was also a leaflet called 'Decolonise' which invites visitors to rethink their approach to the exhibits they discover, with a couple of areas of the museum specifically devoted to what might be termed 'revisionist readings' of the artefacts... gently challenging white, western, enlightenment, colonial, acquisition of 'curiosities', and giving 'voices' to other cultures and even to the objects themselves.

I had a great day out, with lots to ponder as well as having fun visiting a giant inflatable cat!  

Tea at Glasgow Central before heading home yesterday... it was decent!

I am not especially fond of the 'morning rolls' used in Glasgow for this purpose, preferring the softness of a bap.  Even so it was a tasty treat before boarding the last train south! 

... a recovery day at home!

My annual leave, mostly staying at home with days out, is well underway, and has just included train travel to London and back closely followed by Bute and back, with visits to Greenwich Park, the Tower of London and Rothsay, as well as catch-ups with friends human and feline!!

For the record, it is equally as possible to do a day trip from 'Railway Town' to Bute as it is to London, not least as it is the Dubai or Schipol of the UK rail network.

Two aspects of the trip to Bute prompted a bit of thought...

• On the outbound journey, my booked ferry was cancelled, so I had an unplanned wander before catching the one an hour later.  It was lovely to catch a glimpse of places I'd never have seen otherwise, and in the scheme of things, an hour's delay is nothing
• On the inbound journey, my local train was delayed as the British Transport Police had to be called due to unruly, sectarian behaviour from young football fans.  It is sad that unquestioned 'tradition' perpetuates negativity.   

I had a lovely time, celebrating friendship, health, connectedness and diversity.  A couple of photos for anyone who might like them... 

Poppies at the Tower of London

Ferry from Wemyss Bay to Rothsay

Today's Messy Sunday School saw our biggest numbers yet - nine children aged 3 to 10 - and it was joyful, messy, fun and full of hope.

Whilst we were making a colourful coat collage, hearing the story of Joseph from the OT, making and sharing sandwiches, finger painting and thinking about how families come in all shapes and sizes, the adults were having something of a Roger Jones fest, with hymns and songs from his musicals.

When I arrived here almost two years ago, Sunday School was weekly with one or two children, and congregations were in the mid-twenties.  Now we are anywhere up to ten children, with Sunday School being monthly, and congregations regularly well in to the forties.  It's certainly messy... and complicated (have to remember which week we are on!)... and it's joyful, colourful and is a reminder that God isn't finished with us yet!

... and today I effectively 'break up' from my College job until mid-August, having staggered my two sets of leave so that I get two half and three full weeks of rest, relaxation and refreshment.

It's really hard to believe I have now completed two academic years, and almost two calendar years in my bi-vocational ministry, and only now do I have any sense of starting to get the hang of it!  As I look back, I reckon I've done okay... I spent yesterday and today doing a lot of emails and admin tasks, along with a little bit of planning/organising into next academic year for my Vicar School job, and found myself thinking, yeah, I really am contributing something of worth here (I'm an ISTJ and an Enneagram 1, so being hard on myself is a 'go to', this is me being positive about what I've done!).

Another week of churchy stuff before my break, and some similar reflections there - yup, I and we are doing okay, lots of good stuff, lots to be thankful for.

Not going 'away away' this year, but lots of little things to look forward to including an overnight in London, a day trip to Bute (only me!), an exhibition at Manchester museum, and a day on the edge of the Peak District.   Just some space to slow down, rest, reflect, and be re-created feels like a 'good thing'... and whether or not the sun continues to glow, I am pretty sure that it will be good.