Boys will be boys!

I spent yesterday on a stag-day for Adam 'the best of men' Bonner, who 'weds' Gemma on the 9th of September. As someone who has always been a source of encouragement, support and inspiration (not to mention friendship!) it was great to have the chance to spend some 'staggish' time with Ads.

And so we spent most of the day racing between Southampton and the Isle of Wight on two 'rib boats' and as my wind-beaten face and tired, gelatanous legs will testify - it was a great day! Certainly something I wouldn't mind doing again - but I seem to be running out of unmarried friends!

In the evening it was back to London, the East End and to Brick Lane for a curry - nice! As we relaxed, chatted, laughed and enjoyed each others company I was really encouraged by the assembled group of 'stags' - a group who didn't have to be plastered to have a good time, a group who genuinely like and respect one another, a group pretty much to a man who are passionate about God, serious about their faith and enthusiastic to flesh out their belief in careers as diverse as catering, telecommunications, youth work and international development. I was chuffed to be part of the group and to call many of the guys friends.

I was also reminded of something Jacques Ellul had said about how those in 'the clergy' should support and encourage those who witness in the workplace. I'm paraphrasing but the guist of it was 'the purpose of an Officer should not be to make the plumber into an Officer, but to make him or her into an effective model of Christian witness and service in the workplace.'

i don;t know about anyone else, but I was encouraged by the mighty stags!