Is there anybody there???

It appears from my cluster map at the bottom of the page that a small but select (?)group of people out there in cyberspace are reading this blog! This surprised me and spooks me just a little.
Who are they?
Are they human? (Sorry I've been watching too much Dr. Who!)
Do I already know them?
Will they ever leave a comment????

This last question is the most interesting. So far I have had one viewer who has taken the plunge...anyone else???
Please.......

Tom's baptism was a lovely family occasion. I'm not talking in terms of biological family, but in terms of his spiritual family. There was a lovely sense of love, togetherness and belonging in the service this morning, which is just how it should be. Fantastic!
Pictures to follow....

Tom is being baptised tomorrow and has opted for the full immersion rather than sprinkling. I have no problems either way (which is a good job considering my calling). We did decide when he was a baby to wait until he was old enough to make the decision himself. I don't have any problem with infant baptism and can see the arguments for it, we just wanted it to be something Tom would remember and relate to as a symbol of what God has done in his life and what he means to him.

He's really looking forward to it and has chosen the music which includes 'My God is a great big God' (to the point) and 'These are the days of Elijah' (a little more obscure).

Afterwards it's off to the pub with family and friends....

Health and Safety!!!!! Grrrrrr.

I went to the Walker Art Gallery with Tom's school last week. I know that public places have to be VERY careful these days because of the risk of a member of the public suing them at any given opportunity, but think I've seen it all now! A sign was displayed in all rooms which said:

"Do not sit on the floor - splinter risk."

Well you can see what they're getting at... It would be so easy to ignore such a major risk to my health and wellbeing. I could settle myself down to admire a Monet or Titian and then without warning be attacked by a splinter and mortally wounded...disfigured for life by an innocuous looking piece of wood embedding itself in my behind!!!! I am so glad that I read the notice. It could have been really serious if I hadn't????!!!!

Grrrrrrr...hate health and safety....mumble....grrr...mumble, mumble.

One of the things that I could happily consign to Room 101 is 'Health and Safety Regulations'. Whilst I can entirely see that some of these are necessary, more and more we seem to be plagued by all that is uneccessary. It adds to my frustration when this sort of thing comes up at PCC, because it reminds me that I will have to consider them even more as a Priest!

In the news today was the latest item to be under fire. Apparently pencil sharpeners were being banned from school premises because children are unscrewing them and taking out the blades to make weapons!!!! It seems to me that the problem is not with the pencil sharpeners but with the kids who see this as reasonable behaviour or the parents who exert little or no control over their offspring.

It is time we stopped tackling the symptoms and started looking at the disease. The trouble is the disease is something we mustn't talk about...it's a politically incorrect term....hold on to your hats...shhhh...lest someone is offended....'sin is the word'

The church must stop being afraid to talk of 'sin' and needs to start telling the world what is wrong and why Jesus is the answer. Young kids who carry weapons are seriously mixed up...they are, to put it in old fashioned Christian language, 'Lost in Sin' and I as a christian know that only Christ can help.

We christians, as Jesus representatives, need us to preach the gospel and also to help tackle the social problems that so many experience. The church must be involved in social action AND spiritual action. One without the other is meaningless. Poverty needs action but so does sin. We all need to face up to our responsibilities...something society is VERY reluctant to do a the moment.

My blogging has been distinctly lacking recently...apologies but life seems to be pretty busy at the moment. I'm due to start on the local course in September. The whole thing is quite daunting from where I am at the moment as I won't know anyone before I start and it'll be harder to get to know other students because we're not residential. Still, God's got it all in hand, so I'll have to take advice from the curate at our church and 'rest in Him', though it's not always that easy....