Self-Control

The first week back in London was some good, some bad - hey, in the words of my friend Ben Bell 'It's not heaven'. For a start I would like to be on permanent holiday! Heaven is supposed to be like that innit? During the week I had to catch up on various bits of paper work, I also find it very hard to get back into the swing of things. By Friday I am feeling a bit more normal and I give my second assembly in a series on 'the servant Jesus', focusing particularly on him washing the disciples feet. I get the children in the school to name the people in their community who serve them and compare the kind of things that a servant does with a leader and it becomes somewhat apparent that they are very similar people. Anne, a female Bishop from Berlin is working with us for 3 weeks and she joins me. Friday is quite an enjoyable day, although I have still to see any of my regular friends. I have bumped into them outside of the cafe during the week.
Saturday we went to Leeds Castle, which I recommend. I have been about 5 times now and it never fails to impress me, they have falconry and other birds on display, a huge wooden castle for the kids, massive parklands - a wonderful day out for all.

Leeds Castle

Sunday I gave a talk in church concerning 'self-control'. I was asked to look particularly at it in light of Proverbs. The phrase doesn't really seem to occur in the book, but it becomes apparent that 'self-control' is a product of righteousness, rather than a means to it. It contravenes all I have ever been taught - God makes me self-controlled; I can't get it before I meet God, like some sort of reward. If we want to be self-controlled we need to find out what God says about our SELF and continue to do so.