revmusings

These two weeks post announcement have been strange, not least because I happen to be only doing one service in the next two weeks (link missionaries followed by Church Anniversary) and then I am on holiday. I have some visiting to do and some forward planning for Advent and Christmas and two day conferences but generally the pace has slowed. (I hope to start clearing and shredding in the spare time)

But as a result I do not feel stressed but I know it will come as I move towards Christmas and moving so finding these Ten commandmentson another blog- see here was excellent - I plan to print them out and put them up in  my study:

TEN COMMANDMENTS FOR REDUCING STRESS

1. Thou shalt not be perfect, or even try.

2. Thou shalt not try to be all things to all people.

3. Thou shalt leave undone things that ought to be

done.

4. Thou shalt not spread thyself too thin.

5. Thou shalt learn to say No.

6. Thou shalt schedule time for thyself and for thy

support network.

7. Thou shalt switch off and do nothing regularly.

8. Thou shalt be boring, inelegant, untidy and

unattractive at times.

9. Thou shalt not feel guilty.

10. Thou shalt very definitely not be thine own worst

enemy, but thine own best friend.

Been a bit quiet on the blog front as I have been in the last stages of settlement when everything becomes very intense and confidential. The conclusion is that I have received a call to a church in the south and have gladly accepted that call - it's exciting and scary all at the same time! I am really looking forward to the move and have  a real sense of God leading me on to pastures new and yet undiscovered. The church serves a very different community to my current one and so I face a new set of challenges.

The hard part has been telling my current community - I was shaking as the final hymn was sung and then the fateful words..I have news for you..... Some were not surprised; some saguine (ministers come and go); some very sad; some managed to be pleased for me and were very supportive; some said nothing! I still have a number of others, shut-ins and wider community to tell but already many know and seem sad. (Some have, in jest, called me a rat and a traitor! I feel like it sometimes!)

The strange thing is the many affirmations I have received as I have told people and the thought that in church we are bad at thanking people for what they do till they stop doing it! It's good to know I have made a positive difference in some lives during my time here

Thr hard part is these next 3 months (last service is Christmas day which caused much consternation as many will be away) the sense that you are both leaving and arriving all at the same time. The new church are being very generous and giving me a whole month to leave here and arrive there which helps somewhat as I don't need to make too many decisions about future stuff whilst I am here.

How to leave well for me and the church, how to prepare them for the future...these and I am sure many others are the questions that I now need to work through.

I caught a radio news report yesterday afternoon which said that someone in the States had had they death sentacne delayed for a week.

The reason? To allow time for an appeal or to seek clemency?

No it was because after 6 or 7 attempts they had failed to find a vein into which they could inject the lethal poison.

So this person, who had prepared themselves for their moment of death, had their last meal, said their farewells and been strapped down was now released for another week of 'last days' and another day to go through it all again and the chance that again they will not be able to find a suitable vein and so the cycle could continue.

I don't know who they are or what they did, and I know I have never supported the detah penalty but even if their crime was appalling this is inhumane.

And we call ourselves civilsed and morally able to make the decision to take someone else's life in cold blood.......