Readers and studies

I note my last post on the perfect way to wash dishes drew a lot of comments - mostly from various cynical members of my family! Quite encouraging though: people are reading the blog. I like that people are reading it, even though I'm writing it purely because I like to write. But still, nice to know I'm being read. I know I'm being read elsewhere too: my first article got published in Safeguard, the safety professional's magazine here in NZ - it was a bit of a writeup of my research of last year, and I've had a lot of good comments.

Speaking of reading, Lenten studies kicked off this week. It was an odd weekend: hubby was away and small daughter sick, so we couldn't go to church on Sunday (she was most disappointed - so was I - but she was busy throwing up so decided church wasn't a good plan). So Lenten studies sneaked up on me. This is actually the first time I've ever been part of a formal Lenten study programme, meeting once a week with a small group from the parish during Lent. All the other years, I've been reflecting with the Franciscans - but now, because I'm a solitary bound to Wellington Diocese and my parish, it is much more appropriate that I'm part of a Lent group here. It's also been logistically too hard to do parish groups when daughter was smaller.

And it's neat: our one is younger people, some of whom were in youth group with us, so we've got a long history with them! One of our priests is leading it and she's very reflective and contemplative, so it's good. Lots of good sharing and deep conversation. We're meeting at our place, so it's easier for us - hubby wasn't there tonight (he had another meeting) and I know I'll miss at least one with a trip away I've got coming up, but having it at our place means we don't have to find a babysitter every Monday!

We were talking about the promise of God - the covenant - carried through the Hebrew scriptures and embodied in Jesus. We reflected about the fact that the Hebrew prophets spoke firmly into their own time, but that their words have come to echo other things: "the word gives meaning to the event". Those prophecies that had meaning for the times in which they were given also became wider and deeper over time. Interesting thought for the week!