fellowship of the ring

The week promises to be rather 'short'.

I have to attend the day by day meetings of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland from Thursday morning onwards.

That takes a good few days out of the frame itself, of course. And then, as well, there's a fair amount of preparation for these meetings that's required. Which eats into the left over time. If not devours it.

There are reports to be read, 'orders of business' to figure out. And the need to work out just when is the right time to raise a point and what I'm going to say.

And life goes on as normal. It's just that my attempts at dealing with all of life get compressed into what's left of three short days (instead of the usual seven). Which isn't much!

Today's been full of meetings. A meeting here to give thought to some of the local issues we need to address in a changing situation. Practical issues to do with the way our premises here are run.

And then later on a meeting through in Glasgow in connection with the coming General Assembly. Exploring the sort of options that there are to ensure that the challenging message of Jesus gets out to our land, come what may.

Cheap day tickets and all meant I wasn't back from that afternoon meeting until well on into the evening. And after that there was loads of admin stuff to be caught up with.

I got called at night (about 10pm) by a man from up north, who'd got wind of the fact that I was concerned about the order things were being taken in at the coming General Assembly. He, too, has been concerned and is putting a motion forward. Would I be prepared to 'second' his motion, and speak to the thing as well? If asked or invited, of course.

All of a sudden I'm meeting, and getting to know on the hoof, a host of (for me) new folk. There's widespread concern in these days. And an embryonic 'fellowship' is emerging, a group of relative strangers who, up and down the land, are resolved to ensure the message of the Bible's not distorted and its radical imperatives fulfilled.

Not quite 'Lord of the Rings' sort of thing. But not far off.