privilege

Privilege. Yes, it's very much a privilege, a lot of what we do.

I was thinking that again today, when at various differents points throughout the day I was struck by all the many opportunities there are to shape a growing generation.

I'd been along at the school first thing. The first of the school assemblies in 2009. P4-7.

Again, it's the Head who does the talking. In the main. HIs value this month is 'happiness' and he gets the children thinking about what happiness really is. Where and how it's found.

He has some interesting statistics. Back in the 1950s, right after the war, a sample survey revealed that 56% of the population said that they were really happy. A year or two back they did the same thing and the results were markedly different. Only 36% (or something like that) would call themselves happy now.

Money can't buy you happiness. In fact, all the things that we have maybe get in the way of actually knowing that sort of contentment which a former generation seemed to know.

I was back from that in time for the time of prayer. Except that got delayed.

There are a number of ante-natal classes which we host here in the halls, and the lady who was running the one today had forgotten just how to get the technology working. So we sorted that out before we got down to prayer.

But in our praying today we were praying for the children still unborn, still in the wombs of those who were coming to these classes. We prayed that God himself would guard and keep them all and fashion in their lives the knowledge of himself and lives that would be fruitful in his cause.

I found it exciting and striking to think we were privileged to pray for these little children.

And, of course, they grow up. A lot of the Mums start coming about the place and meet here for their lunch once the children are born. One of the Mums today had brought her sister and brother and a friend along as well. She's enthused about the place so much to them she said they had to come along!

It's great when that happens!

I think we help to shape these growing children, too. Perhaps their parents as well. Through the quiet, unseen influence of just the way we are. The service that is given, the love that's shown, the sense of fun and peace there is about the place.

It rubs off on them all. Or at least we like to think it does.

Even the fountain outside plays its part. The children sort of gravitate to that. It's a focus of attention. And a symbol of the flowing life we know.

I've been working a fair bit today in preparation for an all-day conference that's taking place here on this coming Saturday.

It's a Scripture Union Team Leaders' Conference, a sort of 'pick-me-up' type of thing to encourage, enthuse and inspire the many different leaders who will be involved throughout this coming year in SU's work - not least those people who'll be leading all the many camps that SU run.

Scripture Union is a wonderful organisation and the work they do among children throughout the land is massive. It's a privilege to be a part of that. And, for me, a huge and lovely privilege to have been asked to give the Bible teaching at this conference.

So I've been hard at the preparation for that today. And made some progress at last.

I'm struck by the long-term nature of it all.

I speak with these leaders and hopefully fill their horizons with a sense of what God can do. They're inspired, enthused and excited (I hope). They go off and through the course of the coming months they teach who knows how many children about the life that Jesus gives.

And who knows how many youngsters will have their lives transformed? And who knows just what impact some of them will grow to have upon the nation as a whole and maybe even right throughout the world?

You can see why I think it's a privilege, so much of what we do!

Exciting and humbling.