Morning and evening, evening and morning another day at another internatiional church meeting

Staff began our meeting today by listening to Psalm 103 read by Colin Williams, the CEC general secretary. I found it both moving and uplifting to pray with 50 or so colleagues as we began 10 days of quite intensive and stressful work together. From Brussels, Strasburg and Geneva we gathered and by the end of today we have managed to achieve an enormous amount even if there have been a few frustrations on the way too! ;-)
Catherine, Laurent and Damian of our IT team have worked brilliantly and all the computers are unpacked, in place and plugged in. No one has been counting how many boxes we've moved up, down and around - just as well. And formatting of documents, trouble shooting, tweaking the website, preparing the hearings, sorting out interpretation, business plenaries and filling the bags for all the participants at the assembly ... et encore!
At the end of the day we are tired, but we know one another a bit better and we can see that our work is having some impact.
Towards the end of our meal this evening a choir of young people from Denmark sang beautifully for us. A moment of pure pleasure and grace at the end of a long day helping me to remember the morning's Psalm ...

Bless the Lord, O my soul,
and do not forget all his benefits ...
who redeems your life from the Pit,
who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy,
who satisfies you with good as long as you live
so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.