Consolations of recuperation

It´s great to be free of the trapped nerve and have more predictable general mobility. It now only takes me a minute or so to get from horizontal to vertical. There's no escaping pain from the consequential inflammation in my lower back, and I have to move carefully to avoid spasms.  During the night when I woke up and got out of bed I made sure to do a few Chi Gung exercises and walk around for a while to keep as loosened up as possible. The spasms are slowly becoming less intense and frequent, so I was able to put some washing through the machine and hang it to dry without incident. The weather is mild and sunny, a comfortable fiteen degrees. Pretty good for the last week in February.

The last few days of crisis management, have led to a complete break in personal routine. I have been unable to focus on formal prayer of any kind, even the habitual recitation of the Divine Office. Fragments of thoughts scriptural words and hymns drifted in and out of my mind like static on the telephone line. Despite my condition and circumstances, I felt quite safely held, free from fear. That was enough. Like when I had that debilitating 'flu the year before I retired, and was confined to bed for a week on my own over Christmas as I was too sick to travel to be wiht the family. Getting up today, being able to move and cope better, I returned to saying the Office, receiving once more that solace and refreshment routinely I take for granted.

After lunch I met with Churchwarden Bill for a drink and a chat in the stylish recently opened pasteleria near the covered market, then made for the office to prepare my Sunday sermon, developing the summary notes on the theme and readings which I prepared for the lay worship assistants to use in their Sunday assignments. I'm pleased to have this task to perform, as it opens up interesting conversations with them. It reminds me of tutoring seminarian preachers at St Michaels', and of helping the lay assistants in Costa Azahar chaplaincy. There's great pleasure to be had in mentoring and encouraging others to grow their enthusiasm for sharing the Gospel with others. I'd be happy to do a lot more of this.

Rehearsals were going on in church this afternoon for the annual Womens' World Day of Prayer in two weeks time. The Egyptian Church prepared the service and it uses John 4, Jesus and the Samaritan Woman at the Well. When I heard a couple of them practicing the dialogue I was taken back to my time as chaplain in Monaco when John 4 was used for an ecumenical service for Christian Unity there. The constant presence of scripture as a golden thread running through life connects wonderfully to memories of so many different times and places. Life would be so flat and dull, living entirely in the here and now without perspectives.