This has been another busy week and one in which I have struggled to keep up with everything that must be done.
Last weekend I was in Rome, and on Monday I enjoyed conversation (and ice cream!) with a Dominican friend.
This led me to think about the very different personal callings we have. In our encounters with the Risen Lord, he meets us where we are, he understands our capabilities better than we do and he invites each one of us to get involved with him, from our own unique starting point. All have different personal callings, but all are joined to community in Christ.
We all have our own song to sing, our own message to deliver. Let us all listen for the voice of the shepherd in our lives and follow,or come alongside, or be sent out before, the One who calls. And let us be confident in that calling, that sending. Let us have the Risen Lord at the centre of all we do in his name.

After early rain showers, now a beautiful Spring morning.
Christ is Risen! Alleluia!
Bless His Holy Name, let all His Creation rejoice!
Death, where is thy sting? Grave, thy victory?
Alleluia, he is victor over all!

I seem to have several different projects "on the go" just now, all jostling for attention - trying to keep them all in my head is very tiring!
One of my tasks is to put together a service for 18 April for one of the rural churches and I find myself trying out sermon outlines in the shower, choosing hymns as I walkthe dog and meditating upon the readings as I drift off to sleep.
I am also writing a talk for a pastoral group meeting and trying to digest the Candidating Information on the Methodist Church website.
Just as well we women are used to multi-tasking!
But in the midst of this busy life I will be taking time to pray and contemplate over the Easter period.
God "broke in" to the world in an astonishing way. He emptied himself of everything but love and became man to die for us on the cross, to put an end to death and sin. And on the third day he rose again and lives today. Alleluia!

Yesterday I was leading worship at a little village called Skillington. The old chapel stands at the top of a hill, in the centre of the village and overlooking the village green. An idyllic picture.
Mothering Sunday is always a special time as we recognise and honour the mothers amongst us. Our worship was tuneful and joyous and blessed by the presence of two delightful children, in a chapel that is usually without children on Sundays. The two girls, sisters aged three and two , handed out flowers to the ladies present and the three year old (adorably cute) sang a song about Jonah and the Whale, using the microphone and with no trace of nerves.
Such a joy!

My first ever complete sermon seemed to be well-received this morning. Topic of perseverance, keeping on to the end, even when you can't see the final outcome.
Standing behind the pulpit meant my knocking knees were not on display!
When I first read the lectionary readings for today, I immediately thought of an old Harry Lauder song that my grandad used to sing.
"Keep right on to the end of the road" and I used this to weave the sermon together. The final lines of the chorus are:
"Tho' you're tired and weary, still journey on,
Till you come to your happy abode,
Where all the love you've been dreaming of
Will be there at the end of the road."
The perfect description of our faith journey!

Heavy snow overnight has meant that the service in the village chapel where I was to preach this morning, has been cancelled.
"Lent" is a Teutonic word meaning "Spring," but there has been nothing Spring-like about the weather so far!
I had not listened to a weather forecast so was unprepared for the white carpet that greeted me this morning. I actually gasped with surprise.
Being astonished made me think how God so often does things that take us by surprise. The most astonishing being the Incarnation. Who would have expected such a wonderful, astonishing gift!

It has been quite some time since I have had the opportunity to update the blog. Several days in Rome were followed by a very busy day at the church yesterday. Friendship Club was entertained by a musical group called "Collage" and this was followed by lunch.
This morning I am reflecting on the Lenten season and entering into the wilderness with Jesus. Holding my life up to God for scrutiny.
This Sunday, the first in Lent (Temptation Sunday) I will be leading the service at one of the Circuit's village chapels and delivering my first sermon there on Temptation and its relationship to faith.
As a Lenten discipline I am also joining the brothers and sisters of the Anglican Dominicans in studying and reflecting upon the Nine Ways of Prayer of St Dominic. Dominic was a man for whom praying came first. He used his whole physical presence in his prayer life. Every part of him was united to God in prayer. It is my desire to enter more fully into a prayer life that embraces the physical as well as the spiritual.