This last week has brought more than its fair share of fun. On Friday we hosted an evening for the film club. We had a great spread (bring and share) and then we’d decided we’d watch a film together on the screen. We’d chosen ‘The Green Mile’ for everyone as we hadn’t seen it before and various people had recommended it over the years. However, if you ever find yourself in our position, you wouldn’t be so stupid as to not check the length of the film would you? Well, we did, so after we’d eaten we sat down for 181 minutes. I’m so used to films being so much shorter today, I didn’t even think about it! Fortunately, everyone actually enjoyed the film and the evening – phew! Last Saturday we arrived at Alisdair and Ros’ for what I thought was an evening meal – just the four of us. However, when asked to go in the lounge to fetch the matches for the candles, I was greeted by a room full. The rest of our team were gathered, along with their spouses, so the twelve of us had a lovely surprise (well, me) evening (Emily can’t work out why everyone is making such a fuss over becoming 50). Apparently, my face told it all – I was genuinely gob-smacked and lost for words. It even took me a while to work out who was there. This week I’m so grateful to God for what the evening represented – more than being linked by the jobs we do, we are friends of Jesus together. I confess, it has always been an enormous privilege to work in ministry alongside people I respect and get on well with. Our current staff team is great and whenever I say that, I'm mindful there's often someone in the room thinking 'it's OK for you' because I meet my fair share of situations where this is far from the case. Hopefully, however, the team mentality is creeping larger among WEBA churches.
Then, on Sunday afternoon, I went to see the Wildlife Photographer of the Year results we’re privileged to have again in Bristol – Sunday, however, was the last day. Go to http://www.nhm.ac.uk/visit-us/whats-on/temporary-exhibitions/wpy/index.jsp
Needless to say, the pictures were, as ever, absolutely amazing. The thing which struck me again looking at them was hardly any of them ‘just happened’. Most were amazing split second incidents captured on a photograph, but the paragraph story behind each one invariably revealed the same thing – the photographer had planned the time and position for lighting, or the habit of the animal, but had invariably waited for hours, if not days for the one shot. Those in church leadership with ears to hear ….. watching, listening, catching the wave of the spirit, knowing where we need to be and when … I can’t wait for next years already!
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