This morning I went along, for the first time, to an Active ABC exercise class.  I wasn't entirely sure what to expect, other than that we would all be 'in the same boat' of having been treated for breast cancer.

It was a fun class.  Not an easy class, it had a full range of cardiovascular and strength/condition exercises, albeit selected to suitable for people who may have had major surgery as recently as six weeks ago (like me!) or who were mid chemotherapy or radiotherapy.

There were eight of us aged from, erm, me to about 70... the instructor said that it is hard to recruit younger women, not because they are more active but because a lot of the publicity photos show only older women (apart from where they show instructors).

After a good warm-up and low-impact workout we were put into pairs for the focused exercises.  I was impressed that the instructor has sussed my ability level really quickly and paired me with the only other person for whom exercise was already part of her life.  The exercises were gently challenging and gave me a lot more confidence to use my 'affected' arm normally, albeit avoiding heavy lifting.  To be handed a 1kg weight to use was surprising; discovering I could do so completely pain free was a delight.  Once we had done the whole circuit of exercises there was a cool down session and then a much appreciated cuppa and a biscuit (that's my kind of exercise class!).

This class - and those at other locations - began to encourage people to healthier lifestyles.  Apparently there is now numerical evidence to show that regular exercise measurably reduces the risk of cancer recurring (though clearly doesn't stop it arising in the first place!).  Surprising then that funding for this programme may not be renewed when its current two year budget concludes.

I had a fun morning, and have been warned by the instructor I won't be able to move tomorrow!  If the only benefits are those of having fun and gaining a bit more confidence to use my arm normally, then I reckon the class is worthwhile and funding ought to be extended to give others the same opportunity.

My weekly hopsital trip to have my wounds checked confirmed that last week's 'magic' (the surgeon's word not mine) injection had worked and there is no more fluid in my back - cue corny plagiarism: 'bye seroma'.  This is good news as it means no more trips to that particular clinic hurray!  I now have a lovely flat back worthy of a 25 year-old - well at least half a lovely flat back, the other side is still decidedly middle aged with a bit more padding!

I also decided that I was going to abandon wearing scarves/hats indoors now as I have a full covering of head hair even if it is still extremely short.  The truth is that wearing scarves all the time I just get too hot now.  Pondering, I realised I have been wearing hats and scarves solidly for six months, so perhaps it is no wonder I am fed up with them.  I will still use hats out of doors as it is too cold for my poor little head but am now likely to be seen publicly with my silky-soft uber-short hair on display.

Yesterday's IBRA notes focussed on the section of Romans 3 that includes the phrase 'all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.'  The commentator's observations arose from her experiences teaching disaffected and disenfranchised young people in the US.  When they arrive at the programme they are given a three hour test.  Most of them know they struggle with maths but assume their literacy skills are fine.  It is often a shock for them to disover that they 'fall short' of what is needed but, once they have accepted this is so, they are able to engage with the programme and build up their skills.

Too often we limit our view of sin to 'doing wrong things that deserve punishment' when the idea of 'missing the target' or 'falling short' is rather different.  With a pass mark of perfection no one is going to succeed however hard they try, however good their life.  Realising and accepting our imperfection gives us the opportunity to engage, with others, in the work of transformation (OK so God does the transforming but often it is mediated via people)... churches as collections of 'special needs' Christians... I think I kind of like that, keeps my feet well on the ground.

(As an aside it reminded me of the 'Sheedog Trials' sermon in Susan Howatch's The High Flyer which explored positive understandings of judgement)

My pre-ordered (nice tautolagous composite word!) copy of Rob Bell's Love Wins is on its way to me.  And Amazon guarantee to match the best price on the day, so I am being refunded £1 on my purchase price. Not sure 'winning' and 'not losing' are the same things but it's a nice bonus anyway.  Maybe I'll give my £1 to Comic Relief ...

Yesterday the IBRA notes used the first ten verses of Luke 15 - lost sheep (1%) and lost coins (10%), people on the margins (shepherds and women) and people at the heart of religious society (Pharisees).  The reader was invited to ponder the parables from the perspective of the Pharisees - the people like us - and then from the perspective of sinner or tax-collector - the people like 'them'.  I was struck, as I have been before, by the thought of the 99 sheep as representing the religious people, the nice Christians who are left to get on with it whilst the shepherd goes out seeking the one that is lost.

The idea that God might leave us to 'get on with it' in order to out seeking for those who are lost (as distinct from us doing or defining that) is quite challenging.  More so, for me anyway, is that the 99 are left not in a field (as I have often noted when preaching) but in the open; and not even in a nice pasture, but (as I noticed this time of reading) in the 'wilderness' (NRSV, KJV).

How shocking for the religious people to be told that rather than safety and security they are left vulnerable!

How appropriate as a Lenten image though - the wilderness place of testing and growing, the place in which temptation away from God and gentle tending by God can occur (devils and angels, if we go with a Matthean reading of Jesus' experiences).

Perhaps rather than a troubling image it could be an encouraging one - that God reckons we are ready for the wilderness experiences?

It's dangerous, of course, to take any image in isolation and out of context, but I am challenged to reflect upon what it might mean to consider oneself part of the 99 fit to be left in the wilderness.