The Shack

I'm in Lyon for the 13th Conference of European Churches Assembly focusing on 'Called to One Hope in Christ'. The flight over was choppy but not quite as choppy as one rugby international flight over Dublin with Ryanair. I won't bore you with the story.

Late on Thursday night I enjoyed the company and the blessing of some new friends at Churches Together in Britain and Ireland Stewardship Conference in Newport. I was told that I really should read The Shack by Wm Paul Young. I duly obeyed and got a copy from WH Smith in Bristol Airport.

Normally, I prefer reports to other sorts of books. Reports provide me with information and detail. To be honest, I struggle with other sorts of books. Not this one however!

Between Bristol and Lyon, I had read half a book and not found the need to retain all the details. For tired, worn out or just very hurt Christians, The Shack is a must read book. Honestly, go and buy it now and read it straight away. It may very well change the way in which you see God.

Many,many thanks to Wm Paul Young and to my new friends who told me to read a book. I should also add that non-Christians will also enjoy this read.

Wierd Faith Day and Torchwood

I had to go back to work to do two things today. I had promised to send a report to a colleague about what Cytun does with inter-faith things. That, I thought, required underlining Christian witness. I enjoyed that and prayed about it a lot.

Nothing matters more to me than my faith in Christ and witnessing to that faith. Sometimes though, doing church things gets me down. So much seems to have so little to do with Christ.

Then, I went to Community House, Eton Road Newport in the afternoon. The place was teaming with people from all sorts of faiths - just being community. It was just great and such a blessing and an encouragement. Well done everyone there for your fantastic work. That, I thought required underlining the brilliant inter-faith work Churches do. I prayed about that a lot too.

Some days, I wonder what God is trying to tell me. Sometimes, the dividing line between despairing of the church and celebrating it is so thin.

I felt sad last night after watching the last episode of (made in Wales) Torchwood. It was brilliant but so, so sad. Captain Jack had to sacrifice his grandson to save the world's children. What a choice?

Then I thought about church again. God gave his only son to atone for it. If God loves it that much, then so should I perhaps.

Legislative Competence Orders

Today I received a special piece of Welsh history. While visiting Westminster I got a copy of the Welsh Affairs Committee's report Proposed National Assembly for Wales (Legislative Competence) (Welsh Language) Order 2009. The report was published today.

There is some work still to do, but this document, agreed unanimously by the Welsh Affairs Committee will pave the way for the National Assembly, for the first time ever, to promulgate primary legislation in the context of the Welsh Language.

I will guard my copy well and thank those who signed it for me. It's greatly appreciated.

Giving Blood

This morning I gave blood for the fiftieth time. In terms of giving blood, I am now a golden boy. The Blood Transfusion Service, after asking me all those questions about who I had sex with recently, gave me an assurance that their Fifty Pack was on the way to me.

All of this gave me a great sense of achievement and I'm quite determined now to give my life-long target of 75. I wonder how all those poor people who are walking around with my blood in them are feeling. I hope they are all OK.

My sense of joy was made complete by the Lions victory over the South Africans.

Thrashed

Tonight we were thrashed playing football against some English speaking guys. We were all over the place. I scored though and got a good cross in. I didn't do much else though.

Work was long and hot all day but I had some really good conversations with some new friends.

Tost and Toast

This morning I met a new colleague. He is deaf and was accompanied by a Welsh speaker who signed for him. It was an honour to be with them both and huge fun.

A very Welsh joke about being 'tost' (ill) and being 'toast' (toast) was conveyed with great style. I thank God for people with such fantastic communication skills and to be in the company of someone who could listen so well without hearing was a great joy.

Diary Days

The EHRC day was encouraging today. All of us would like to live in a prejudice free country. I'll put that one down in my diary for some twenty years time - or even a little longer. I fear that a lot of prejudice is on the way.

The rest of the day was about travelling back on a really sticky day. I discovered on my return that I have two really,really important things to do on the same day. I'm going to pray that one of those things could be done on a different day.

The non prejudice thing could come any day though - I wish!