Long post

Work:

Just managed to persuade the process engineer that his plant does actually contain water, and that if there is a power failure this will dribble out the bottom. Managed to persuade the Project Manager that we need to provide a storage area for this contaminated water. It’s only 2500 cubic meters!

75% of British Employers have banned Christmas decorations for fear of offending minorities. In contrast, our workplace fellowship has organised a Carol Service, with our Chief Executive doing a reading and the local Bishop doing the sermon. Looks very promising – please pray that the change of venue does not dissuade people from coming.

Church

Back after my placement. Seems chaotic in comparison to the sterile formality of the placement – but it’s fantastic to be in a church where you struggle to find a seat. It was particularly crowded on Sunday, with three families dedicating children. The placement church would baptise anybody on request – at my normal church we spend some time trying to assess if the family does have any real intention of bringing the child up in the faith. And so, before they baptise them, they have a dedication service as a first step. I think this is a nonsense – if you have infant baptism, then baptise them. If not, then don’t. This half-way house doesn’t make sense. Personally, I only find evidence of believers baptism in the Scriptures. I know Luther came up with the idea of baby-belief to overcome this problem, but I think really he was just scratching to find justification for the unjustifiable. Even in the case of the Philippians Jailer, usually quoted on the basis that ‘there must have been infants in the household who would have been baptised too’ – even in this story it states at the end that ‘they all believed’. There is one other household baptism story, but there is no reason to suppose that it was done on a different basis to the Philippians Jailer – i.e. belief. But in te Church of England we have this rubbish that a baby once sprinkled, is part of the family of God’. No, you are only in the family of God when you have been born of God, and that takes place when you believe. So what of babies that die? I don’t know –we’ll find out when we get there. But I do know that no one is in hell undeservedly, and that no one is in heaven except for the grace of God. End of Rant.

Also attended a cell group meeting for the first time in a while. It was great to feel the warmth of fellowship that goes deeper than a simple common interest. We were laying hands on each other and praying: particularly for the woman whose children are being taken from her by social services following allegations by her manipulative former husband, and for members of the group being sent out as seeds to another struggling smaller group. Real, deep, caring prayers. My placement church doesn’t have cell groups, but they did exhibit the signs of that kind of deeper fellowship expressed in their own style.

Some mix up about the cell groups though – My Vicar approached me to ask if I would assist in leadership of the dividing cell group. I got the wrong end of the stick, and thought he was asking us as a couple to lead a new cell group, since Mrs has been on the cell group leader’s training course and I haven’t. So we said yes and started making arrangements for a venue etc, but then found out it was all a big mistake. It culminated in Mrs being told (by her least favourite person in the church) “We had no intention of inviting YOU into cell leadership”. This was true, and it was our mistake, but it was still hurtful to be told again that she is not what they want, despite her efforts to serve God in the Church. So although I am most comfortable in my own church, it is far from perfect.

Home

Kids growing up fast and busy with preparation for exams. Mrs is going to bed early every night with strong morning sickness. Hard work – but good confirmation that the pregnancy is going well.