admin

There's been a lot to do today relating to my responsibilities out at Kirkliston.

It's a fairly long and sometimes complicated process, this business of a congregation choosing their new minister. But by and large it works pretty well.

And the fact that it's long means there's always a bit of a 'breathing space' in the time between two ministers. A chance to take stock and reflect on who they are and where they're coming from and what it is God's purposed for the days ahead.

The process is fairly straightforward. The people choose a team (the 'Nominating Committee') to find on their behalf the person whom God's calling as their minister. They then come up with the person whom they 'nominate' (hence the name of the committee!).

And the congregation then get the chance to hear that person conduct worship and preach before them all. And then they vote.

That's what this coming Sunday brings. The 'sole nominee' conducting the worship, and then the congregation voting.

Basically fairly simple. Except if you live in Scotland and had your ear to the ground at all during the last round of elections, you'll know that the voting can be sometimes a problem!

So there are a load of different systems that I need to set in place and all sorts of different arrangements I have to ensure are made.

It's called 'Admin', I think. And there are days when it takes up a fair amount of time.

It's easy to begin to resent the amount of time that gets taken up on 'admin'. To start thinking of any number of other things that I might more profitably be doing. Or that I'd certainly prefer to be doing.

But love involves good 'admin' (as well as good manners which an early friend of Jesus underlined).

I mean, to put on a meal for your family, friends or whoever - that involves good 'admin'. Arranging the times, making it happen, getting things all prepared.

Nothing flash, mind you, just easy and relaxed. But it needs a bit of 'admin'.

Same as a shepherd looking after his sheep. The only way he knows a sheep is missing is because he's done the 'admin' in advance. He knows how many there are meant to be. He's done the count (and hasn't fallen asleep).

So I don't really mind the 'admin'. And, of course, it's not the only thing I'm doing at all.

There was another service of thanksgiving today. John had been in hospital these last few years. But there were still a good number of people out at the service, maybe 60 or 70 folk.

He was a lovely, gracious, gentle Christian man, with a delightful smile and a warmth and a sparkle writ large across his face.

You always got the sense that this man knew where he was headed and was quite at peace with the world. We sang three good going hymns and the whole of the time was essentially real celebration.

Celebrating a life well-lived. Celebrating a man well-loved. Celebrating a God who's altogether good. Such times as that are marked far more by an underlying joy than any lasting sorrow.

And, aware as I've been today of the role that our 'admin' plays, I saw again how important it is that we've done the preparation.

That's why a service like that is so good. It's not a shambles. The thorough preparation was all done well in advance.

That's how things will work well this coming Sunday out at Kirkliston. If the preparation's all been done with thoroughness and care.

And that's how John had lived his life. He'd done the preparation. He was well-prepared for death.

Long before his mind began to falter and his health went into decline, he'd long since sort of buried in the soil of his own soul the solid hope of resurrection joy. With the result that even when his faculties began to wane, this hopefulness pervaded all he was.

He'd read and studied the Bible. He'd prayed it into his soul.

Routine sort of stuff in its way. But he'd done it. The 'admin' of the soul.

Do the 'admin' well, and the pay-off is assured.