Keswick, Hothorpe Hall and the rive droite

This week is the week of the Keswick Convention and also of the UFM Summer Conference normally held at Hothorpe Hall in Leicestershire. This year both have gone online, as did the Bala Ministers' Conference in June and the Evangelical Ministry Assembly, also held in June.

The advantage of this is that I have been able to attend at least parts of all four conferences.  The disadvantages include that we don't get to go away, we miss out on all the informal conversations and we have to fit work in around everything. Makes life busy! Busy but blest.

Meanwhile we continue to meet on Sundays, masked and distanced. It's OK, but only because we hope for a better future! After the service we adjourn to the local park where there is an ice-cream kiosk and we sit and chat under the trees.

We're currently allowed up to 10 people in a home at any one time. When we get together in homes we are careful to wash our hands on arrival and to avoid touching each other. It's all a bit distant.

And this amidst successive heatwaves. Today we're in the high thirties. Pat spent her day in the bookshop. I spent my day at my desk. Keswick continues all week. UFM finished yesterday, so this afternoon was a catch-up time getting ready for the weekend.

On Saturday morning I have a mini-message to give for our sending church in North Wales, then the Company of the Preachers is meeting here to work on Colossians 2. Afterwards it's all hands to the pumps ready for Sunday afternoon in the latter part of Colossians 1.

Next week Pat and Sally are due to spend a few days in San Sebastian as a farewell outing. I'll have rather too much peace and quiet. I might be able to check out some of the new cafés that have opened recently!

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