A funny thing happened on the way to Synod

It's hard to believe that I'm now into my 20th year as a Methodist Minister! It seems such a long time since I had a "proper job" as an accountant (not all accountants are of the boring grey-suited variety!). One of the things I miss most of my former way of life is that I no longer have the traditional weekend break. I used to really enjoy weekends, giving as they did time to spend with the family and to do those jobs around the house and in the garden which I struggle to make time for these days. I also used to enjoy Sundays and attending church. That's not to say that I don't enjoy attending church these days, but it tends to be quite a busy and tiring day.

In theory, Saturday is my day off, though it doesn't always work out that way. Last Saturday, for example, I had to attend Synod in Sheffield. A friend who was not familiar with the term Synod recently asked me what it was. This is the definition I gave her: "It's a meeting which Ministers have to attend every so often where one listens to boring speeches, falls asleep, and then goes home again!" Perhaps a little harsh, but it's hard to pluck up much enthusiasm for Synod, especially when it happens on my day off. Last Saturday I decided that it would be best to take public transport, which meant catching the 7.30am bus into town, then the train to Sheffield. To be honest I don't often use the bus, so I was a bit nervous about whether I'd catch the right one, and whether I would arrive at the train station in time.

I worked out which number bus I needed, and I soon saw it approaching the bus stop. I jumped on, and was surprised to find myself the sole passenger. The driver then explained that someone has taken HIS bus, and that he was chasing after him to regain control of his bus! We spend off down the road and soon caught the bus in question. The miscreant driver, together with all his passengers, were soon transferred to my bus, and the original driver was overjoyed to have his own bus back!

To cut a long story short, I arrived in Sheffield on time and made my way to the Victoria Hall, where Synod was being held. As expected, much of it was fairly boring and I struggled to discern much point to it all. There was, however, one highlight, and that was an address given by the Bishop of Sheffield. I was very interested in and encouraged by what he said. His stated that the biggest challenge facing today's church, and every individual Christian, is to "be more like Jesus". I am sure the he is absolutely right. What our society desperately needs is for those of us who follow Jesus to live more like him. In the New Testament, the apostle John writes, "Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did." Quite a challenge.