Allo' Allo'

Bonsoir, Toute la Monde (not sure I got me le's and la's right there) ! I am winding down (though it feels a bit like winding up at the moment, there is sooooo much to do) for my annual holiday in France. I am pleased to say that over the next three and a half weeks for the most part I will be relaxing, maybe a bit of writing, plenty of reading and time with my beautiful wife and family. So I thought I would pop by and say that the potential lack of being around that this will bring is not evidence of further neglect of this blog, but the likelihood of a lack of Internet connection in the wilds of Sud-ouest France. So here's another of those pesky thoughts for the week... if I get time tomorrow between meetings, funeral, wake, visits and admin I might be back, but I make no promises! This one is from mid May...

Strange Church

Having a couple of days knocked out of this week by a stomach bug I realised how much I depend on my routines, the same things that crop up with some regularity. No matter how radical or rebellious we think we are there’s a certain point at which we stop feeling comfortable – out of routine, a strange place, amongst a certain people, wherever. Recently a group of trainee ministers was sent into a betting shop and told to place a bet, they all talked of being uncomfortable and not knowing what to do and were then told that their experience was like most people’s feeling in Church – we have strange ways of doing things and rarely realise how odd singing, praying, listening to sermons is to most normal people! I hope you’d find a warm welcome in your local Church, and encourage you to try it – it’s different but good!