Off you go, just as you are.  No, don't stop to pack your bag with spare clothes.  No, don't pack a picnic or grab something to snack on on the way.   No, don't take your bank card or cheque book, not even small change.  No car keys, no oyster card, no concessionary bus pass.  No, don't take anything, just go.

Scary!  But basically what Jesus told his twelve followers as he paired them up and sent them off.  Of course he wouldn't ask us to do that would he?  Would he?!

Some thoughts - some I shared yesterday, others that have come to mind since.

Take nothing with you - then you cannot be self-reliant.  You will have to work together with your partner, and more than that you will have to accept help and hospitality from other people.

Take nothing with you - you could be forever procrastinating as you need to do just one thing to be ready to go... just one more pair of socks, one more language class, one more evangelism course, one more last goodbye to the people or places you call home.

Go now.  Before you change your mind.  Before the enormity of what you are undertaking hits home.  Before you have time to formulate excuses.

Go now, because you will never be ready, the time will never be right, the circumstances will never be perfect.

You go with him, and you with her.  You two.  And you, too.

Go.

Scary?  Definitely.  But Jesus is waiting for us to come back and share our discoveries.  About God.  About each other.  About ourselves.

I have a suspicion that sometimes we try to take the sting out of Jesus' expectations.  We say things like 'God wants us to be happy' meaning 'God wants us to live a nice comfy life with all material trappings.'  We think we are free to choose where we serve and for how long.  I even hear ministers talking of career plans for goodness sake.  Jesus is not interested in any of that.  He just says go, and go now, just as you are, with the things you 'carry within'.  Work with the colleagues I assign you.  Do the things you've seen me do.  Stop prevaricating - go.

... no, not the Victorian children's song

... not the Pollyanna game either

Just the truth.  I have had such a lovely weekend so far, and it seems good (if a tad twee) to note that.

Church this morning was great fun - lots of positive feedback on my sermon about 'The Rabbi Jesus School of Practical Discipleship'... pairing people up, sending them out with no visible means of support, and saying 'OK now go and do what you've seen me do'.  Mildly amusing that one of our visitors today was a theological educator, and former Baptist college principal, who lives and works in the USA!

After the service we (well other people) continued to sell off the cupcakes and 'stuff' left from yesterday raising on the way to another £100 (I have £345 in notes and the coins will get counted next Sunday) towards my Ben Nevis challenge.  I am stunned and awed by people's generosity.  A few left over bits will go either to top up our Operation Christmas child boxes or to support other charities.

I am looking forward to this evening's service (and hoping I do a better job than I did last week, which I felt was below par, even though people were very kind about it)

This time two years ago I was blithely enjoying life, clueless as to what lay ahead of me (always a good thing I feel).  This weekend I have raced around like a nutter and am not just standing but thriving.  My brain is still a bit dull, my joints are definitely getting worse, but I am laughing, loving and living.

So, praise God in twee Victorian hymnody: glad that I live am I!

After last night's marathon baking session, I cleaned the kitchen and then sat down to watch the Olympic Opening Ceremony.  I LOVED it... well the speeches were dull, some of the later commentary when the commentators were tired inane, but overall it was wonderful... well done Danny Boyle and everyone who took part.  Britain we did ourselves proud!

So, bed at around 1 a.m..... then up again bright and early to load my car and head off to help set up for the coffee morning.  15 mins to load, 5 to unload... perverse.  Only one cake (one of the vegan gluten free just about everything free ones) suffered serious damage - but was evidently fine according to my poison tester.

So, here I am in what can only be termed a PINK top stanidng at the cake stall before service began.  A good mix of folk came - some from church and some of my cancer buddies, as well as a few random passersby.  At close of play we had around £300 (not fully counted yet) and plenty of stock left to sell to the people from church unable to attend today.

Massive thanks to M, J (and rellies), G, A, B, C, A, N, B who worked like troopers or Trojans or, for that matter, Olympians, and to all who came along.  It was a fun morning and very worthwhile as a fundraiser.

Today I have enjoyed an olympic sized bake-and-decorate-athon.  I now have an olympic sized disgrace of a kitchen to clean up.  But here are some examples of my handiwork.

Nine designs of cupcake

Three kinds of scones

Jam tarts

Sausage rolls

Been fun!  Just hope lots of hungry customers turn up...

Today's Baptist Times news sweep has a link to this story which comes from my 'sending church' (the church where I was a member at the time I/we discerned my call to ordained ministry).  I can recall teaching Johnny in Sunday School (when he was a somewhat disinterested teen it has to be said!) and I am really pleased that his Olyumpic dream has found its fulfilment.

For us as a church the Olympics is definitely pan-national, reflecting our polyglot congregation (which we recently discovered was roughly 50/50 Scots and Nots).  After all the whinging and whining and self-criticism (what other nation would be running itslef down during the final weeks leading up to the Olympics?) I hope that we can now just enjoy some top quality sport, make some memories and celebrate so much that is good about humanity and, yes, about these islands we call home.