Monday Numb-Day !

Well the weekend went OK.

It started with a church council from 10:30 to 16:00. For lunch I got nice sandwiches and a chocolate goo pud from Aldi for under 2 euros. The council had a good outcome - we're working on the progress of the church and on the call of the pastor.

Then preaching for the Chinese. They've twigged now that for small groups I don't see the point of standing on a podium speaking into a microphone, so we sat round the tables at the back and I spoke from Acts 4, obeying God rather than man. As some of our Chinese folk belong to house-churches in China the discussion afterwards was very real.

Pat joined me at the church after the council and we were together for the Chinese meeting because she's supposed to begin Christianity Explored with one of the Chinese girls, but the girl wasn't there. Oh well.

Home by 10:30 and off to bed.

Sunday morning I was in Blaye and we were dropping the kids off and picking up Sally at Cenon. The service went well, on John 6 - Jesus the true bread. Afterwards we drove through the rolling hills to Bourg to drop off one young chappie before wending our way home for chicken stew and apple crumble.

On the evening we were a good number - not quite 20, I think - and we were in the latter part of Acts 8, Philip going from the city to the desert to bring salvation to the Ethiopian eunuch. It was one of those occasions where I departed completely from my notes, partly because I was tired, I think, but it seemed to work very well. Certainly the Eunuch's question, "What stands in the way of my being baptised?" came home with a fresh force, with the answer - nothing.

One day I must use that question as a key to the whole passage...

What stands in the way of me

.. worshipping in the temple
.. belonging to God's people
.. understanding the passage I am reading
.. knowing God
.. etc.. finally being baptised.....

For those folk who struggle with the idea of salvation by grace through faith this passage was a god-send.

Then home to bed.

Today it's snowing, but hasn't really started to stick at all. We'll see.

Meanwhile I am numb from the neck up.
It's my day off.
I shall watch intriguing murder mysteries and maybe read trashy novels.

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