Because I'm on holiday next week I am trying to prepare the sermon for when I return.  I have now realised I misread the week number as per the lectionary (not that anyone will know) so have been working with 1 John 5:1 - 6 and John 15: 9-17 and intending to do some explorations about love, noting that in 1 John believers are children of God and in John 15 friends of Jesus.  After three abortive attempts I had lunch, and realised part of my struggle was that 1 John 4:7-20 kept sneaking into my mind.

So here's the conundrum.

1 John 4:7 - Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God.  Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God.

So far so good.

1 John 5:1 - Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who who loves the father loves his child as well.

So which is it?  Is it our love that makes us children of God?  Or is it our faith?  Or is it the wrong question? (undoubtedly!)

I think I'm going to add the 1 John 4 passage to our set of readings - though I'm not sure my task will be any less of a struggle - and maybe try to tease out some of the implications of the conundrum:

1 John 4: 20 - If we say we love God yet hate a brother or sister, we are liars.  For any of us who do not love a brother or sister whom we have seen, cannot love God, whom we have not seen

Faith is as faith does... which after all is my central Bible verse in paraphrase!

Last night I was at a school Governor's meeting where we were discussing information relating to the appointment of a new head teacher.  When we got to essential attributes, I observed that churches always seem to want the Archangel Gabriel for their new minister.  One of the staff governors commented that many of the teachers had responded to that by saying they wanted Johnny Depp.  Since I was taking the minutes, I recorded "Archangel Gabriel meets Johnny Depp" (now I may be a getting old but Johnny Depp isn't my hunk of choice!  How about Sean Connery, Martin Shaw, Trevor Eve... ).

I was intrigued by the assumption that a head teacher will be male, in much the same way that most churches assume ministers will be male.  How would people define their ideal female head teacher?  Virgin Mary meets ... (insert name)?  Or their ideal female minister?  Virgin Mary meets Geraldine Grainger perhaps?!  What d'you think?

Gustavo Guttirerez wrote a book on spirituality called We Drink From Our Own Wells and as I recall it is worth reading (that's about all I recall, I confess, but it is, trust me).  Someone writing in our church magazine this month said 'you never appreciate the water until the well runs dry' which, sadly, is also true.  Somewhere between the two of these is, I suspect something we all need to hear; it is good to discover new wells, new sources of life-giving, life-renewing water and here are two:

Dancing Scarecrow is a new website offering resources that emerge from a tiny, tenacious Baptist church in East Manchester.  Clare and Tim, the writers, are the ministers. For those who love Brian Howden style connections, Clare lived nextdoor to me when I was training in Manchester and Tim trained with the person who used to be my minister when I lived in Warrington! (Oh, and Brian was senior friend to that minister when he had as his church secretary someone who used to work for me when I was in industry...)  Theirs (Tim's & Clare's in case I've confused you by now) is a special ministry in a special place and their resources will inspire and challenge in equal measure (which is good in my view!)

Real Life Worship is a new BUGB worship groups led initiative featuring Craig Gardiner, Andy Goodliff and Simon Perry which is again about offering authentic, relevant worship resources.  Many enjoyed their session at Baptst Assembly (sorry guys I was elsewhere at the time) and some material they shared is on the site - so take a peek.

Meantime, I must update my sidebars accordingly!

The 2008-9 BMS Ecuador Action Team have been visiting D+6 on their UK tour.  Last night we had a joint service at D+2 which they essentially led (it was topped and tailed by the host church).  It was great to have them there and to hear osme of how they have grown and matured in their time overseas.  Hannah gave a reflection on Teamwork based on 1 Corinthians 12 - one of my favourite passages to preach on, I have to admit - which was really good.  Rachel shared very openly and honestly about her own experiences, how she had wanted to be the 'perfect action team-er' and had tried to it all until fatigue overcame her.  All very good stuff to hear and reflect upon, especially for those of us who suffer from workaholic tendencies and are ministers in small churches!  The service ended with a hymn/song with which I have a love/hate relationship (I the Lord of Sea and Sky) as it has a habit of cropping up at significant points in my life...

This was a cluster event - four churches were represented - yet none of the Action Team knew what a cluster was (they thoguht it a good idea when I explained).  They were also amazed that I knew one of them's church, two of them's ministers and the college (in Oxford) one of them will start at in September.  They are great young people and I really hope that they blossom in to the adults they have the potential to become.

I have just finished a first draft of one of my two papers for this acadmeic year.  This means I now have a full draft of one and an outline of the other waiting for me to summon up the energy to turn it into text.  This is GOOD NEWS for me anyway as I was beginning to wonder if I'd ever get anything written this year.  Whether either will be of submittable quality by the beginning of July deadline is another matter altogether but it's progress.

So, a reflection on practice as a reasearching professional in draft, and a methodology paper in outline - not the planned order of progress but at least it's a start.  Must be time now for a cup of tea!!