comments

I'm still learning as to how this blog works! and still can't find out how to make comments on my own blog!
So thank you to both Angela and Catriona for your comments.
It is lovely to be part of the blogging community - one feels hugged from afar!


I haven't actually jumped through all the hoops...
In the various Baptist churches of which I have been a member it was agreed that no husband and wife should be on the same committee. So when I entered the room for my min.rec. interview and saw the small panel - only 6 out of the usual 12 and two were married and had already made wild assumptions about me - I knew I wouldn't get it.
However, the college said still come and get min.rec. later. At a later date I had another interview at college for them to say whether they thought I was suitable minister material before going back to min.rec.
Then my personal circumstances changed, I didn't go back to min.rec. and now it is too late.
I think a lot of it has to do with pensions but I already have mine!

it's my age

at least, I assume that's the problem - no one has told me exactly why...

I've received confirmation that I am now a BU recognised 'lay preacher', and will get my hand shaken at the next Baptist Assembly.

Although I undertook a three year full-time BD followed by an MTh, and have been called to be the minister of the local chapel, there seems to be no way that I can be recognised as a 'proper' minister, apart from waiting five years. We moved here to retire and I already collect my OAP pension - in five years time the chapel and myself could be thinking that I really ought to step down from the pulpit.

Having had my little rant - I don't mind being called a recognised preacher, but I do object to being called a 'lay' preacher. I was called to the ministry 18 years ago, giving up a successful business designing wedding dresses. My ministry is my work and has been since leaving college and I wouldn't change a thing - except my title!

tributes

As well as the usual floral tributes at the roadside where the young man died 10 days ago, we have become aware of who his friends are on our estate - as their cars are covered in messages; 'RIP', 'gone but not forgotten', heart shapes, the year of his birth and death and his name - written in lipstick?

am I part of a herd?

I was half listening to Woman's Hour while cleaning the bathroom, when I heard a woman who used to live in Baghdad say that she didn't agree with any sort of religion as it turned people into a herd. Of course it was at this point I tried to start listening with my full attention while wondering why folk have this impression.

Several years ago I was often asked if I was a 'born again' Christian but I wasn't quite sure what they meant or even if they knew what they meant! Are there really two classes of Christians?

But I am aware that every Christian is at a different stage of developing - just as we develop physically and mentally over the years.

As I have aged I may have become even more questioning of the church and the ways things are done - but for me, following Christ has meant that I have slowly become and am still becoming the person that God created me to be - different from everybody else.

at last

Many weeks ago I received a message via facebook of a couple celebrating their 25th wedding anniversary and she was wearing her wedding dress that I had made for her all those years ago!

I hadn't seen either of them since their wedding day and was quite confused as neither of them looked 25 years older. With the wonders of facebook, I was able to get the permission of the bride to put it on my blog and then as a bit of a novice to the blogging game, I had to work out how to get it from facebook on to my desktop and then to my blog - I hope it all works!

Many, many congratulations to S & S, and especially to the bride for staying the same size!

angry with God

When I was called to be the minister at the local chapel it was on a part-time basis and as I had heard of some horror stories of ministers who were paid on a part-time basis but expected to preach every Sunday, I agreed to preach on the 1st, 3rd and 5th Sunday of every month. Which means that just a few times a year I take the services on two consecutive Sundays.

So having preached last Sunday, it's head down in my books preparing for next week.

I have been enjoying looking for 'hidden gems' in the Minor Prophets over the summer weeks - Habakkuk this week - which Paul quoted from at the beginning of his letter to the Romans.

Gosh - Habakkuk was so angry with God and had some real ding-dong arguments with him! It's good to know that we too can be angry with God and He still loves us and wants the best for us.

within a few hours

On Friday evening a young man died in a car accident on the main road running through our village. And the same evening the new wife of a friend who I have known for over thirty years died of a massive brain haemorrhage. A few hours later, in the ambulance outside my son's house my new grandson came into the world - as yet with no name.

And life goes on .......