Apart from the zoo, life at the church has (quite correctly) been the main feature of life here over Easter.

Really glad I managed to arrange the afternoon off on Thursday because the weather stayed fine and dry, giving me no excuse not to cut the grass.
Took me the best part of three hours to do the front half, but this did involve a major stick-clearing exercise first (including some small branches as thick as my arm - how do they fall so often??) and several conversations with passing locals.
Thats probably the bit I enjoy best about all this 'high-profile, community action' gardening and maintenance at the church. A real feeling of being part of something and doing my bit for its cause, quite apart from the religious and spiritual side of the role. Its great just to wander over to the bus stop and say hi to Mrs X when she gets back with her shopping, or wave at all the kids passing on their way home from school.
And of course all these people get the message that there is not only something 'going on' at the old building (I make a point of leaving the door open...) but also that I'm part of it and,well, I'm not weird!!

Left to pick up A from her after school club, just as the flowergirls arrived to start decorating the inside for Sunday's service.

The service at 11 on Good friday was in the hall as usual, a suitably solemn, prayerful and reflective hour that was well attended.
Nearly 60 adults. very moving. We stayed on for the hunger lunch afterwards (home made soup and bread) and that hour was mostly spent catching up with the oldest ember of our congregation, 93 year old Thelma. She is an absolutely impossible woman, the bane of most of our lives, but we can't help loving her and missing her presence since she went into residential care before Christmas.
I happened to be on my way back to the hall from the office just a few minutes before the service when a cabbie hailed me from the doorway.
"Scuse me, my friend. Can you just given me a hand helping this old dear out of the car?"
"of course."
And then I was well and truly Thelma'd!. She's no light weight either, and her fur coat smelled awful, but I couldn't help smiling with her at the terrible stories of life in a nursing home and how all the nurses seem determined to give her a hard time. really...?
It was though genuinely moving to be in her company again, and talking about the flowers and the garden and the children. There is a photo somewhere now of her holding the congregation's newest member, four week old DS.
Incredibly, the last eight children born in our church have all been girls. And all in the last four years. In fact, I think, my son is the youngest boy, and he's seven in August!

We decided not to stay for the three hour vigil and prayer labyrinth in the afternoon, but I can't now remember what happened instead.
It probably involved some shopping.

Easter Sunday was glorious, despite the erratic weather. The Old Church looked amazing, bathed in sunshine, full of flowers, banners and balloons. And people. Well over a hundred.
So pleased to have been rota'd for ministering the challis on this special occasion - always a humbling and valuable service. And then, by contrast, to serve tea, coffee and fruit cake to the same people in the hall afterwards...

It occurred to me over the weekend that the there is a common element of service to the three major threads that form my life now, and I need to start paying more attention to how these work together.

Not to be served, but to serve YMCA, Emmaeus, blah-di-blah....

It applies as well to being a churchwarden as it does to being a parent.
Our role then is to provide for our children, to encourage them, nurture them. Give them the support, wisdom and resources they need to live a fulfilling life as adults. And to learn from them as they grow. They are in our handed into our care for such a short time, we must do with that time what we can to help them on their path.

It applies as well to being a parent as it does to being a manager in a small but growing company.
I believe that is true and fundamental, though it is one principle I hold that is not advocated in the two main text books I am following on my learning path in the office.
I believe that (a major part of) my role as a manager is to nurture and encourage my staff, giving them an environment and the opportunities in which to develop their career and achieve personal objectives. I have to do what I can for them in order that they can work to the best of their ability for the good of that we have created.

Is that a naive way of looking at it? Am I being contrived?
Could be a lonely path to choose. I really want to make it work like this though. To give is to receive.

And so I lift my eyes up to the mountain
Where does my help come from ?

The images have come in for the September Blues and Gospel concert.
Mr Treasurer has sent two emails asking about 150 questions which we will be addressing at a 'special' standing committee meeting this week in advance of the PCC.
I doubt I have a clue why we haven't done that, or where that piece of paper is.
Audit trail? We just don't work like that. Welcome to our world