Curate Conundrums

  Have you ever heard of the concept of flow? Flow is a state of being when you’re so engrossed in something you loose track of time. I know, that’s how you all feel when listening to my sermons… It’s sometimes described as ‘in the zone’, a state of relaxed concentration of focus. A strange paradox between something that feels like time is standing still, and also it’s over in a minute. Effortless but also a sense of extreme challenge, effortless but intense. Flow is something that I feel sometimes when I’m playing the piano at home, especially when it’s going well. I sometimes, on a good day, feel it when I’m sermon writing or presiding at a service. Focussed, concentrating and in the moment. And other times I’m thinking about lunch… Some people when they get into a state of flow forget to drink, eat, and focus for very long periods of time without stopping. Ever been in that situation where you start work on something, it’s about two in the afternoon, then suddenly it’s dar...

I’m what’s known sometimes as a ‘stressy bessy.’ When I have a big job to do, or large event to organise, I tend to feel overwhelmed and I get a bit tetchy and stressed. I don’t flap too much, other than inwardly, and my sentences become shorter and more abrupt as I’m juggling things in my head. Yes, no, go away. I had to organise a worship band recently, As we only had the day of the concert to rehearse together, and as the rehearsal time went on, I got more and more nervous. Was it going to be alright? Were we going to play well enough? What happens if? This event was rapidly heading towards us, and Stressy Bessy reared its ugly head. I’ve been told since, by my lovely bandmates that I was actually bearable, just a bit stressed, and I wonder now who ministered to who? I was supposed to be the one leading the rehearsal, making them feel calm and confident, reassuring them. Unlike Jesus it was my bandmates who were constantly reassuring me that it was going to be al...