Lets try that again...

So, we all know what happens when you blog and it never appears...and the awesome thing about yesterday's blog was that it was all in ebonics. Ah just wanted ta write muh ma blog in uh different way slap mah fro!

Last week was a great time away in the north of NZ - its the tail end of winter here so the weather was mixed but the company was first rate. I was very pleased with myself keeping this secret from my wife - here is just some of what was required (all without her knowing):

• Cancel 2 days of nannying work
• Find a replacement for Bible in Schools teaching
• Cancel a piano teaching session
• Cancel a mentoring session
• Rearrange 2 small group meetings
• Pack a bag - this required arranging a friend to come over Sunday and take her out for the afternoon
• Load the car

She sprung me on the morning - well, I spring myself: as luck would have it, she wanted to wear an outfit that I had packed and was going slightly crazy looking for it. I think though that there is credit to me in that actually packing something she would want to wear! So, the "Holiday Voucher" was delivered a little early (rather than in the car as we went past her usual exit for work). Actually it worked better as we then went out for a leisurely breakfast. Managed to get all free accomodation - a relative's apartment and accomodation using a credit card loyalty scheme! In the end we paid for one night's motel accomodation on account of the heater not working in the apartment. We did touristy things as well as just laxing out with a book. Nice.

Yesterday I was in Wellington attending the NZ Heads of Churches meeting. Now before you congratulate me on my promotion - I was WITH the National Superintendent. It was a very interesting occasion. Really apart from the Methodists, the Quakers and sections of the Anglican church the gathering was 80% orthodox and probably 60% broadly evangelical. I especially enjoyed meeting the Elim church guy (a British Pentecostal denomination) and the Catholics - a Cardinal and a bishop. Both very down-to-earth, intelligent and generally bible-believing guys (except for the bit about Mary...) Had a very stimulating address from a local seminary professor on what he described as the myth of secularisation. People may not belong, but they still believe (albeit that they believe lots of things). The point being that organised religion has increasingly given way to spirituality and gone underground or private. The interesting thing was he had the research to back up what I think is anecdotally accepted. All this in the face of predictions that religion would die by the turn of the century as it became increasingly implausible.

Meanwhile, thanks to all who offered their congrats on the pending arrival (well March is hardly pending I suppose). Kristen is still feeling a bit sick but seems to be on the improve - I think she's like 14 weeks now. We're excited at visits already being planned by her parents next March. Funny thing is their visit is timed to the day after the baby arrives - surely they would want to come see us first? I suspect the focus of attention may be elsewhere...

Anyways, better get into my day. I'm reading a book on holiness by Steve DeNeff - I'll tell you what I think when I'm done. I'm not sure he'd like cession - he seems suspicious of relevance. But I'll let you know what I think when I've finished the book - undoubtedly there are some important insights on the nature of holiness in people and its root in the concept of a holy God. So its forcing me to critique what we do and don't do which is good.

Jonesboy