Patriachs and Adventurers was the title of today's service, and the attribute to which we aspired, hope.

Joshua, in his commission from God is told three times 'be strong and (very) courageous' or, as the Good News puts it 'determined and confident'

I presume he was told this three times because he would need to keep these quailities very much alive as he faced the realities of leading the Israelite nation.  Twice the 'be strong and courageous' is linked to an assurance of God's presence, once to an instruction to obey the law.  We pondered, extremely briefly, why two promises to one command, a somehow reassuring image of God, it has to be said.

Be strong and very courageous...

Be determined and confident...

... even when life is all trudge and drudge

... even when life is all uncertainty and bewilderment

... even when life is dull and boring

... even when life is safe and predictable

... even when fear and anxiety fill your heart

... even when you are perplexed and confused

... even when you feel like giving up

... even when you wonder 'why'

... even when doubt outweighs certainty

Be strong, be courageous, be determined, be confident...

... for God is with us,

... God is for us,

... God will guard, guide and keep us

This is our hope

Our candle in the darkness

And, despite all odds, we choose to believe

A family word for recipes.

After yesterday's at home and the consequent repast at church I've had requests for two of the recipes.  Rather than try to remember who wanted them, I thought I'd post them here.  The imperial-metric conversions are different in each case, but either is OK so long as you are consistent.

Grandma's Fruit Cake

8oz (200g) self raising flour

4oz (100g) caster sugar

12oz (300g) mixed dried fruit

4 oz (100g) glace cherries, halved

2 eggs, beaten

4oz (100g) butter or margarine, melted

1/4 tsp mixed spice

1/4 tsp grated nutmeg

Pinch salt

3/4 cup milk (about 6 floz or 175ml)

Vanilla or almond essence

Method

Prehat oven to 160C/325F/ Gas Mark 3

Grease and line a loaf tin

Mix all the ingredients in a bowl and beat well!

Pour into tin and bake for 2 hours

Cheesy Scones

8oz (250g) self-raising flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 oz (40g) butter or margarine

1/4 pint (150ml) buttermilk

6-8 oz (175 - 250g) grated strong cheddar

Method

Preheat oven to 230C/450F/Gas Mark 8 and place a baking sheet in to warm up

Sift the flour, salt and baking powder into a bowl.  Now stir in the cheese.

Rub in the butter/margarine until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.

Make a well in the mixture and pour in the buttermilk and mix lightly to a soft dough

Turn out onto a floured boards and knead livery lightly to smooth the outside.

Roll out to about 1/4 in (1.5 cm) thick and cut into rounds

Place on preheated baking sheet and cook for 8-10 minutes

Serve hot or cold with butter or spread.

ENJOY!  We did.

... well just about.

Having overseen the baking, making, hiding of clutter and with just the hoovering, dusting and final touches to be done after my leaping about session, Holly in her best liturgical fashion invites you to come and share, for all is now ready (or will be by 2 p.m.)

Suffice to say after all that episcopacy, she is exhausted and taking a well earned nap!

Yup, it's me plagiarising the Chris Idle hymn (Lord You Sometimes Speak in Wonders) yet again.

One effect the last year has had on me, is to erode my, never too great to start with, confidence, and increase my propensity to worry and over reflect.  I have also become a lot more irritable (that is probably a drug side effect, and will hopefully disappear in about four years time...) and way less tolerant of people 'sweating small stuff'.  All of which often leaves me questioning my abilities as a minister type person.  I never think I'm good enough, am always conscious of my shortcomings and over reflect on every criticism that comes my way.  Daft, but that's me.

Anyway, overnight an email arrived from someone I only know on line, and only vaguely, and in a very narrow context in which I am no longer active, but which gave me a real 'lift' with its kind words.

This kind of thing happens periodically, just when I need a little reassurance or encouragement, and it has to be God...

Lord, you sometimes speak in emails,

Or phones calls from a distant place:

Kindly words to life our spirits

When we doubt our own ability -

Oh Lord you sometimes speak in emails.

Thank you God for your mysterious ways!

PS This applies to other types of email (or phone call or letter) too - it's something about the unsolicited, unexpected nature, more than the content (it could equally be to challenge me or to confirm something I/we have been pondering) that is the God-ness.

No, not a greeting, a statement of opinion, as I finally sit down having restored some semblance of order and cleanliness to my kitchen after Holly's bake-a-thon.

Just in case anyone wonders what she's been supervising (baking with paws is not exactly very practical, so you need a slave) here is a photo taken just before everything was covered in foil lest she decided to test it overnight...

Giant vegan chocolate cupcakes with oreos (oreos turn out not to be vegan but they can be pulled off easily)

Vegan cupcakes with cardamom and strawberries

Ginger cupcakes with gingerbread stars

Blueberry muffins, kind of... don't look very muffin like

Cheese scones

Plain scones

Grandma's fruit cake

Carrot and apple cake with cream cheese topping

Not pictured, a loaf of tomato bread still coooking, and of course the mini quiches which are being kept chilled.

Phewf, no wonder I am ready for a rest.  But wow, how great to have the energy to do all this again.  It's probably the first time in over a year I haven't had to reign in my enthusiasm to match my reduced energy levels.  Just hope I don't 'pay for it later' to coin a west of Scotland phrase.