It has been a long week, characterised by some moments of deep sadness as well as some of great joy.  It was, therefore, with some degree of trepidation that I set off this morning for a half day of Trustees' Training.  Maybe sometimes trepidation is good, because the only way from there is to a more positive state (I think... if worst fears are realised then that must be a kind of status quo?).  It was a good day, a very good day, covering a lot of ground in a way that showed a lightness of touch and a deep understanding of what a faith community is.

After the training day, I nipped down to the shops to pick up a copy of the Glasgow Evening Times, which had an article featuring friends of mine who are participating in the Glasgow Race for Life next month.  As I left the check out, I spotted a woman, aged around middle sixties I suppose, who was collecting for Breast Cancer Campaign.  I smiled, and dropped a couple of coins in her buckets mumbling, "glad to help, I'm a 'survivor'" (even though it's not a word I like... my little friend who died of breast cancer this week aged just 27 was not a loser).  Quick as a flash she replied, "oh, how long since your diagnosis, you look so well..." which opened up a short conversation about her anxieties, and allowed me to offer her some support.  She said 'but you're too young...' I smiled, wryly, and said, "not compared to the girl who died..."  And then we hugged and went our separate ways.  I'd like to think that somewhere in that encounter was something of God.

This is all rather rambling and probably does not go anywhere much, but today had felt good in so many ways.  For that I am truly thankful.

Rejoice with those who rejoice

Weep with those who weep

And if necessary do both at once

For the joys and for the sorrows... for this we have Jesus.

Rejoicing with E,D M

Weeping for L, RIP

*** Have been alerted to ambiguity in the anonymising here - neither relates to Church ***

When I was a ministerial student, I did some empirical research on single people's experiences of church (which was published in the Baptist Ministers' Journal and can be found somewhere on line via this blog!).  In that research I noted, from my literature review, that an almost identical set of conclusion had been arrived at decade earlier.  So this today makes me wish the church would wake up and smell the coffee!

This morning I am researching Jewish dietary laws as part of my preparation for Sunday's sermon on Acts 11.  As part of this, I took down my very fat Hebrew interlinear "Old Testament" to check a few words, in order to avoid too much translational hermeneutics.

Just as I was putting it back on the shelf a HUGE spider crawled out from the top of my Greek interlinear "New Testament" which resulted in me laughing at the divine humour at play there.  Perhaps as well I am not an arachnophobe... Anyway, Charlotte, or whatever her name was, scuttled off as soon as she saw me - but who knows maybe a message will appear on a web across the entrance to the Gathering Place?!

This morning's PAYG focused on the opening words of Acts 13:

Now in the church at Antioch there were prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen a member of the court of Herod the ruler, and Saul. While they were worshipping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, ‘Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.’ Then after fasting and praying they laid their hands on them and sent them off.

The reflection noted that the list of names is short (it chose to overlook anything about the ethnic diversity implied in the names) and wondered what the size of the fellowship there actually was.  The listener was asked to ponder who it might be, in their own church, that wold be listed as those actively involved in the work of the gospel in that context.   I found that a telling and strangely reassuring exercise - as it is now, so, seemingly, it has ever been...

I wonder what others think?