This was the weekend that was...

Another great weekend... with lots to see and do... just how I like them to be!

For lunch on Friday... I was invited along with the management team of the project I am working on (I used to be management) for one of the team :: Eddie's leaving lunch. As we work in the Merchant City in Glasgow... we have an amazing choice for food and I was delighted when my boss invited me to The City Merchant - its a fantastic seafood restaurant that's ideal for that special occasion.

The interior is really interesting with fab still life displays... quotes and info on sealife (i.e. your meal). The food was something else... truly amazing. Scallops with Kedgeree (top right) to start... followed by sole with chilli mash & garlic butter (bottom left) and to finish a selection of deserts (bottom right) - chocolate mousse... clooty dumplin... and vanilla icecream in a thin chocolate shell.

The City Merchant is famed for its use of local producers and, in my opinion, it deserves the reputation it has. Truly one of the best meals I've had in Glasgow... and certainly the best seafood I have tasted in a long time.

(L to R) Pat, Kev, Shiona, Jen, Eddie and me

It was great to spend some time with the team... away from the noise and clatter of the open plan office. They are a great group of people and a pleasure to work with. Shame to see Eddie moving on... but glad to know he is happy and content within himself. Cheerio, big man!

Drinks were provided at 1630hrs... I stayed for a short while but needed to say my apologies... because the Family Headphonaught were heading to the pictures:

I can remember a time when going to the pictures was frowned upon by good... upright... church folk. Now... progressive thinking... missional churches such as Destiny, Edinburgh are using their space to bring some fun to their neighbourhood. Our friends, Kirsty & Fraser, organise the The Reel : a film club that shows great films for no reason at all other than to introduce people to the church and have some fun. Their church building was a turkish bathhouse and a cinema previously and is an ideal venue for a film club. Olly has posted more on it here and I don't want to steal her thunder... Needlesstosay... Darth Vader knows what Luke is getting for Christmas... because he has felt Luke's presents!!!

On Saturday morning... I headed into Glasgow to hang with Alistair and document his prayer vigil in George Square in Glasgow. I've shot some film... and interviewed a few people... and hope to release my first journey into video soon.

It was great to spend time with these young Jesus-freaks... Folk like Alistair... John B... Dan... Laura L and Laura B... I am filled with hope when I hang with them. They will go places with the Good News that I can only dream about!

I got a chance to sit down with my old pal Robert Addie and chew the fat with him for a while - he's too old to sit on tarmac! We talked about Human Trafficking... prostitution in terms of demand and supply... and "Roman" vs "Celtic" approaches to evangelism as detailed in Dan Kimball's book :: The Emerging Church: Vintage Christianity for New Generations ((I finally got round to picking up the book... and now can't put it down!))

I left the group... sitting in a circle... listening to redemptions songs playing on a mobile... waiting for Alistair to bring back pizza. Not sure how much prayer was happening... but delighted to see the kids coming together with prayer and praise on their lips.

I headed home... to spend the rest of a beautiful and sunny Saturday in the company of my wife and we'ans. Got to my fav bridge in Motherwell and realised I had left my sunglasses on the train! Argggghh!!! They weren't expensive or from Venice or anything... its just that I have a fat face and I need broad glasses... and they fitted me a treat.

We headed to my favourite hill :: Tinto :: this is a sacred hill... a special hill... My grandfather climbed this hill up until his 86th birthday... My parents have climbed it... My Uncle Robert climbed it... It has so many great memories and on a day like yesterday it was a real privilege to walk at its base. Olly has posted about our visit [here] and I don't want to steal her thunder on this occasion either. It was a great day for a walk... and the quiet was what I needed.

Afterwards... we watched some telly as a family... and then went our separate ways - I had prep to do for Youth Alpha in Paisley.

This afternoon we were invited to the Christening of our neighbour's we'an at the local Catholic church. I am embarrassed to say that this is the first time I have set foot in a Catholic Church for any sort of service ((I have been to various Catholic Churches in Italy... especially the St Peter's in the Vatican City)) and I was surprised and saddened by the experience.

Surprised by the beauty of the building and the artwork. Something special that I believe the Protestant tradition has lost. Saddened in the fact that the theology on display was, in my humble opinion, so near and yet so far... Infant Baptism does not promise eternal life - only an individual decision to accept God's grace can do that.

All in... it was a lovely service. We headed over to the Motherwell Miner's Welfare Club for a buffet and spent some time in conversation with our neighbours.

Later on... I headed over to Paisley to lead their Youth Alpha class. They have some great kids who were a pleasure to hang with... and lead through a difficult topic.

Good times!