Oop, t'ut Yorkshire

Went back home this weekend, back to Yorkshire.

Saturday was spent in Ilkley. About 200 folk gathered in the sum changing to light rain for a day about mission and mission shaped church. I did not bring this theme. Rather the West Yorkshire Methodist district, ably led by Nick Blundell and a mission strategy team, and strongly urged on by Peter Whittake the District Chair, was drawing to a close a year long project called 'touring West Yorkshire'. The local input in the morning was excellent, with drama and testimony to real changes and hope given in a selection of varied contexts throughout the District. In the afternoon I led a bible study from Acts, and we concluded with worship. I make it sound more routine and boring than it was!

Yesterday it was to Brighouse for a morning service. I did the unusual thing of changing what I was going to preach/speak about minutes before preaching/speaking. To all local preachers etc I do not recommend this as normal practice! But I became aware that the sermon on Paul I had chosen a couple of weeks before was not right for what I had now picked up about the context of the local congregation. So I chose something else, a selection of stories from around the world which remind us of the cost, commitment, honour and grandeur of belonging to the worldwide Christian family of the People Called Methodists. Whether it was right to make this change, I don't know - but it's too late to wonder now!

So I return to College for a couple of days. Lots of writing to do, a serious attempt at the last Methodist Recorder article, the Pastoral Address for Conference, a few letters and a 30foot square study that needs looks like a bombsite the contents of which now need to begin to be packed up in boxes. That's for today. Tonight I celebrate being a mere 53 (though I feel a bit older at the moment!)