At last managed to get my few remaining hairs cut. As usual – in my favourite place in George Street – the level of chat was in inverse proportion to the amount of hair. Today’s topics ranged over Darwin, creationism, sectarianism, child protection and many others. It’s bracing.
Meanwhile Morag has reminded me of the strong performance management culture which has put pressure on bank staff – not the fat felines but the people behind the counter in the local branch. Time was when working in a bank was about getting to know people and helping them. Then it became a series of sales targets which needed to be met.
Now why does that sound familiar? Maybe because, when I started out in full time ministry in 1976, it was mainly about pastoring a community, getting to know people, holding together the community of faith. The idea that the bishop might come down from Head Office with some bright new plan for growth would have been unexpected and unwelcome. So here we are. Caught in our own net, as it were.
Sometimes, the idea that a bright plan for anything might come from above would be very welcome. In a post-modern context, where there is a dearth of direction and leadership, a bit of prophetic stuff from bishops might not be so bad.