10k swimming

There were four of us who joined for prayer together today at 9.40am.

There may have been more, of course, who joined in prayer without being there in person. But four of us certainly 'downed our tools', put everything else to the side, and simply joined in prayer.

It was really quite exciting!

The rest of the day then was pretty non-stop. A long stretch of time on the task of putting together the words that I'll say at the service of thanksgiving tomorrow. A fair bit of time in the kitchen, too, with desserts to be made for the meeting we held here tonight.

I felt like one of those swimmers who've been doing their Olympic swim - the 10k swim which I think must be the pits. You swim and you swim and you swim and every time you look up it seems you've still as far to go.

I breathed a sigh of relief, I have to say, when, with all of the desserts now complete, I'd finished preparing the funeral talk as well. That was my target today.

That was my equivalent of those great 10k swimmers looking up and catching breath - and seeing that there was still as far to go.

The phone rang. Another death. Another family bereaved. Another funeral service to prepare for and address. I think that must be four I've on the go just now. I'm losing track a bit! Like the swimmers, I just 'crawl' on.

A stark, persistent statement of the brevity of life. We all must die. And the message I'm proclaiming must take note of that.

But that's where the 9.40 passage is rooted, of course. A woman had died. And Peter prayed. And helped her back to her feet.

Living out the message of a resurrecting God.

That's what I'm seeking to do.

And I can't get away from that basic fact that it's set against the backdrop of death.