Our New Roof…

The new roof for our conservatory has just arrived. Sections of roof are being unloaded off the lorry and stacked, ready for use. We’re told that the old roof will be off and the new one on by the end of the day.

It’s like big boys’ Lego. The roof’s a lorry-load of made to measure components to be assembled above our conservatory. It’s important that it fits together and is made completely watertight…

I’ve been wondering recently whether my writing and speaking is coherent or incoherent…

Coherent comes from two Latin words – ‘co’ meaning together and ‘haerere’ meaning to adhere or stick.

If I’m coherent if my words fit together and stick together; if I’m incoherent they’re random, and unstuck with gaps between them.

I was reading about a church with a ‘Seven Sacrament font’. Apparently these are octagonal fonts with carvings around the bowl, illustrating each of the seven sacraments. It’s an East Anglian design; none are known elsewhere. There’s sixteen in Norfolk and twelve in Suffolk.

Although it’s not part of my tradition and faith, I like the idea of the Catholic church’s seven sacraments – baptism, confirmation, eucharist, confession, anointing the sick, holy orders, marriage. Through them God gives his loving grace and resilient strength. For Catholics it’s coherent; it sticks together.

Yesterday in church Stephen was talking about developing a ‘Rule of Life’… the Jesus-followers ‘devoted themselves’ to the apostles teaching, fellowship, the breaking of bread, and prayers. It was the rule, the trellis, the framework that enabled them to live as Jesus-followers.

Stephen discussed what our Rule of Life could include… prayer, reading, solitude, rest, work, activity, emotional health, relationships… I like the idea of a framework or trellis, however…

…This morning I’m musing on my rule of life as a lorry load of components that’s coherent – that sticks together well. When put together it creates a watertight roof that God uses to protect me, to give me his loving grace, and resilient strength.