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Wednesday 13 January 2010

'R' is for ... rest and rec. and reflection

rest and rec time for a few days swapping views over the Forth, and heading across the water to Elie... yay!  Off Thursday thru Tues staying in a friend's cottage.  Also hoping to do some ...
reflecting on the thesis - it needs to be lassooed in as it seems to have grown legs and arms and tentacles all over the place and is running way to wild and free.  Time for some serious pinning down of what the actual point of the thing is.  Always, we begin again.

I love the East Neuk of Fife - gorgeous place.  Would be really rather good of God to instil a calling to go there...!!  But more generally, I love the seaside in all its variations - something about it that puts things back into perspective... getting lost in the vastness and terror and beauty of it, for starters.  Real fresh air that knocks the rubbish out of your lungs with a sting of salt....

There's a bit of a water theme running through the readings of late.  Thinking about last week's gospel reading on the baptism of Jesus in Luke... and now this week's reading, in John, on the wedding and of water into wine.
Both involve water.
Both involve a change or transformation of some kind.
The first: marking the beginning of Jesus' public ministry.
The second: marking the first miracle.
Was wondering elsewhere if last week was about repentance, this week is about abundance.
I love how the first miracle is almost 'frivolous' - is about wine at a party.  It's about celebration.  And love that old saw about Jesus turning water into wine, whilst some would turn wine into water.  Sometimes piety is confused with being miserable... and the wedding miracle is one of joy, abundance and of saving the best until last.
Hmmm, so maybe I shall be practicing intentional joy, thanksgiving and abundance [or certainly, at least a fish supper in that famous chippy in Anstruther!!] over the next few days - perhaps it's easier to do so when on holiday!

3 comments:

Mrs Gerbil said...

"I love the East Neuk of Fife - gorgeous place. Would be really rather good of God to instil a calling to go there...!!"

It might not be so great if you were to live there. Then again, you may love it!

Nik said...

Oh would be very happy to live there... have lived in similar places - the people/ community dynamics are fascinating on lots of different levels! :)

Stewart Goudie said...

I like the seaside too. There something about the wide, wide ocean, that reminds me about, God's love from me (and for everyone else too!).