Another day . . .

Another day on Planet Earth, and quite a busy one. Some good conversations with great people. Some good singing, and a pleasant meal. A decent pint of ale, and a nice glass of Pinotage, and a glass of champagne to help celebrate a colleague's birthday. We belong to one another, and the ways in which we move between carer and cared-for, giver and receiver, learner and instructor, worker and relaxer - that's what makes life interesting. I am no longer a Priest (note the capital), but I am bound to be a priest without the capital, because all of us who believe are called on to speak of God to others, and to speak for others to God. Again, some of the time we are ministers, and at other times we are the ones receiving ministry.

I have been hugely grateful for the ministry I have received over the past few years, and would like categorically to state (with some sadness) that virtually none of it has been given by Priests, capital P, almost all of it by priests, small p, who might not really have been aware of the priestly status of what they were doing. I hope I have been able to give ministry through this time; I feel I have, and I think I've been able to today.

I've been reading some really rather involved Facebook conversations about the detailed (and rather over-literal and out-of-context, to my view) interpretation of what are obviously seen to be important and key Bible passages. But the quality of our Christian witness is not to be measured by whether we believe exactly the right thing about this or that verse; the measure is simply this - that people look at us, hear what we say, notice what we give and say, "If that's what being a Christian is about, then maybe I should try it too."

It won't always work. Some people will see us as weak, simple, easy targets, there to be exploited. We have to live with that (which is a point I think the Parable of the Sower was told to make), because it will sometimes work, maybe even often. Hearts will be changed.