Any one who looks closely at my blog roll will notice that it has reduced by one.

The author of one of the photo blogs, a woman called Cat, died suddenly today, so as a mark of respect I have removed the link.

I never met Cat, but she sent me a lovely message thanking me for the accessible and honest-yet-positive way I wrote about breast cancer.  Suffice to say, it was this disease that so-shortened her life.

Cat was, in no particular order, a photographer, a wife, a mother, a vegan, a doglover... and many more things I will never know.  She oozed life and creativity.  I know of late she was suffering, and I am glad she is released from that, but I am shocked and saddened that her life has reached its conclusion so quickly.

Deepest condolences to J & N.  RIP Cat.

Last night at the serivce we led at a rural church, we sang a setting of St Patrick's circling prayer by someone called Andy Moss.  It is in Church Hymnary 4 and the tune is called 'Circle me Lord'...

Jesus before me, Jesus beside me,

Jesus behind me, Jesus surround me.

Circle me Lord, circle me Lord

All of my days, circle me Lord

Jesus above me, Jesus below me,

Jesus within me, Jesus enfold me

Circle me Lord, circle me Lord

All of my days, circle me Lord

Jesus for our time, Jesus for all time

Jesus eternal, Jesus immortal

Circle me Lord, circle me Lord

All of my days, circle me Lord

The tune is gentle and haunting, and the four part harmony was lovely. 

Many readers of this blog are having a tough time just now - cyber (and ordinary) bullying, red tape, health concerns, employment worries, financial struggles to name just a few.  Many, but by no means all, readers have a lived and living faith.  Whoever you are, however life is for you, this prayer is for YOU.  If, for whatever reason, the name of Jesus doesn't work for you, how about substituting 'love' and /or 'light'?  Whoever you are, however *expletive deleted* life is just now, then my prayer is that love and light (origin of both in God) may surround you today, and every day.

Take care. (((cyber hug)))

Life is busy just at the moment.  Not the frenetic physical busyness of racing hither, thither and yon, which I guess I have probably had to say 'farewell' to (although my idea of not racing around ht&y is maybe different from other people's), but busy with stuff that takes a fair amount of headroom, intellectual, emotional and spiritual energy (and how much my idea of a lot ie&s compares with anyone else's I have no idea).

Lots of ministerial privilege stuff - being allowed close to people for whom life is hard.

Lots of ministerial tricky stuff - balancing the diverse pastoral and spiritual needs of a wonderfully diverse congregation.

Lots of good studenty stuff - looks like we have probably gained three new students, and a few others have at least tried us out.

Lots of administrative/organisational stuff - the perennial need to try to work more effectively and creatively when the people who've worked hard need to take a break.

A little bit of wider BUS stuff - mentoring not one but two new PAMs both of whom are girlies!  Not meant to say girlies, it offends the sterner feminists, but tyg.  If I'm happy to be known as a 'girlie rev' then surely that's my choice?

Finding that I still tire quickly is frustrating.  Having to say 'no' when I'd love to say 'yes' can be disappointing.  Handling ope (other people's expectations) can be challenging.  Seeking the way forward, that allows me to fulfil my calling and to play my part in the story of God's Kingdom in this place is exciting, if demanding.

So, lots going on, but not much that is suitable for public sharing.  To every time there is a season, and the season for now is a lot of non-bloggable pastoral stuff.  Which means I will have to put a heap of energy into working out how WE manage that to the best of our ability, rtaher than running myself ragged.

This email arrived this morning:

Been a bit of an odd week - lots to do but nothing of note to report back on.

This morning I saw the physio for the second appointment to treat my De Quervains tenosynovitis... I kind of like the incredibly long name which translates as 'inflamed sheath around the tendon that stops it moving properly'.  Suffice to say, a week of being splinted has made no difference at all, so this morning it was on to therapeutic ultrasound - two minutes of said process which is meant to aggravate the injury enough to make the body heal it up, or some such similar thing!  Anyway, I remain mostly 'armless' for the foreseeable future.

By contrast, I spent yesterday afternoon doing one of the most privileged things a minister can do - sitting at the bedside of someone who is very ill and nearing the end of life, so in a hospice.  Reading well-loved psalms and hymns, holding his hand, signing him with the cross and then praying with/for him... no other walk of life offers such privilege.  Pastoral care takes many forms, but just sitting in the silence and sharing the waiting seems both to acknowledge our powerlessness and our faithful hope beyond this life.

Today I am intending to do some reading ahead of my next preaching series.  This has the advantage of not needing functional hands, beyond turning over the pages!