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.

Holly likes nothing better than to climb into a bag and hide... as she did yesterday evening!

Today she walked off in disgust as I settled down for yet another cupcake bake-a-thon...

capuccino

lemon

blueberry

chocolate

vanilla

All waiting to be decorated, and I still to make some plain and cheese scones.  Good fun and all in a good cause.

This afternoon the Worship Team from church met in our favourite cafe to dedicate some serious energy to looking at the autumn session and how to ensure some experiments we have planned have their best chance of success.  And it was really exciting and energising.  I think we have some super stuff planned - just need to make sure the execution matches up.

I realise this blog is a bit lightweight at the moment - the reality is that summer for me sees an increase rather than decrease in work load, so blogging is rightly relegated to low priority.  I will try to post bits and pieces but the 'everyday adventures of a Baptist minister' sometimes mean there are plenty of more important things to do that write about it.

So, in Mark 6, Jesus sends out the twelve two by two.  Just for fun, how would you pair up the twelve and why? 

Here's the list of names from Mark 3...

These are the twelve he chose: Simon (Jesus gave him the name Peter); James and his brother John, the sons of Zebedee (Jesus gave them the name Boanerges, which means "Men of Thunder"); Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus, Simon the Patriot, and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed Jesus.

This coming Sunday we will be focussing on the start of Mark 6, the bit where Jesus sends out the disicples two by two.  I don't want to give away my ideas just yet, but they will be sprung from some pondering on the approach Jesus seems to have taken with his followers - part active teaching and part experiential learning.  I am pleased to be led this way (thank you Roots for stirring my imagination) because it gives me permission to reflect on just what we think we are about on a Sunday when we gather.  Worship, for sure, but also some sort of teaching and learning.  How does that work out?  What approaches are helpful or hinderful and why?

Probably need to go and remind myself of some of the oodles of learning theories out there, along with the one I synthesised myself way back when I was theological student.

Kind of exciting.