no ordinary life

The school tends to figure quite largely on a Thursday at present.

There's always at least one assembly, and today there were two.

Except I only managed to one, since after the first I went in to a session with all the P7s. And that took me right on to break, by which time the second assembly was history.

(In point of fact I didn't miss much, since the second assembly with all the P1s through to 3s, was really a repeat of the first).

Today the theme with the P7 pupils was 'saints'. Or maybe 'Saints'. With a capital 's'.

I'm probably the wrong guy to be getting to do these sessions, since, the way I read the Bible all the followers of Jesus are simply 'saints'. I don't see there being an upper and lower class (or an upper and lower case) distinction ever being drawn.

And no sort of fast-track to heaven for the privileged few, which according to some is what the upper-case, upper-class Saints somehow get.

So I tried to explain what the Bible says. And then explained how across the years the upper-case, upper-class Saints sort of slowly crept in. People who lived remarkable lives or did remarkable things.

And note that it's 'people'. The children wanted to know pretty quick if the 'saints' (or the 'Saints') included both genders. Answer - yes, of course!

No glass ceilings, please, in the halls of godly piety!

I wanted to try and get across the fact that all of us really can live remarkable lives and even do some pretty remarkable things. That's why the Bible refers to us all, who are followers of Jesus, as 'saints'.

Francis of Assisi is a fairly good example. So I'd started with him. I'll look at someone else next week.

With this guy Francis it was mainly about lifestyle and outlook. A very simple lifestyle and a hugely cheerful outlook with a passionate care and concern for all of God's creation.

Mainly, I think, the children got the picture.

One of them said she was born on the very day that Mother Theresa died and so her middle name was Theresa.

Which then led on to another one starting to ask about some family friend who was born, he declared, on 06.06.06. I knew what was coming!

The little child's mother is convinced, it appears, that the child's behaviour reflects the fact the child is possessed by the devil. What did I think?

You can see how quickly we manage to get right off the subject!

And yet, I suppose, it's not that far off beam at all. There's a strange, recurring fascination with the whole spiritual dimension (we got onto Merlin as well at one point). And a concern to understand, and make life work in the lives of ordinary people.

Which is pretty much what Francis and his crew were on about. Making life work and addressing the ills people faced.

There's a man in the hospital just down the road who has suffered a stroke. So I was in to see him as well. Talking about addressing the ills people face.

He slept through it all (my visit, that is), but perhaps it's simply the fact of my presence and the offering up of prayer that makes the time worthwhile.

Nothing remarkable happened to him while I was there, certainly. But I'm not sure that's what 'sainthood' is about.

Healings sometimes happen, sure. But most of the time the stuff of 'saints' is simply the life of service. Like Jesus himself. Who came to serve.

That's what we're trying to be about in all that we do each day. And over the piece, across the years, that can start to add up to a quite remarkable life.