Yesterday Glasgow was basking in Spring sunshine, which made for a good day with our visiting friends from Manchester. After an unintended circular tour of Paisley our visitors arrived at the College in time for coffee and strawberry tarts (illustrated).
Stuart then introduced us to Scottish culture and the underlying implications for understanding the context of mission in contemporary Scotland, - and did so by using the blue and orange cuckoo Irn Bru advert. 
This was quality exposition of a foundational contemporary text in Scottish cultural expression - nae kiddin, it wiz so!
Lunch - then we reflected together on the prayers, politics and pacifism of George Macleod of Iona, which took us into a wider discussion of the importance yet difficulty of building deep levels of personal and spiritual formation into an educational process that is modular, intense and inhospitable to slow organic growth of spirit.
Then off to Kelvingrove where we were all free to follow our artistic, historic, gastric preferences either in the art galleries, the historic galleries or the very fine cafe. A walk around Kelvingrove Park, then to our Italian Restaurant (Sarti's in Bath Street which we are happy to recommend), where we met up with Isabella (SBC events manager and all round fixer), and where our guests made us their guests - in a Gospel reversal of hospitality.
In recognition of significant calorie acquisition, we then strolled into the centre to George's Square and inadvertently gate-crashed the ad hoc parties of the Spanish football supporters here for the Uefa Cup final tonight at Hampden. Drawn as if by some not alttogether inexplicable magnet we drifted to Borders (Books and Coffee), before strolling back, saying goodbye and heading for home and bed.
What a good, full, satisfying day - laughter and seriousness, food and friendship, conversation and culture, time to pay adequate attention to the importance of what we do with our lives but also time to remember not to take ourselves too seriously. This was partnership in the Gospel and friendship for the sake of it - and something to be repeated. An invitation to Manchester is already tabled.....where's my diary??
Dr Sean Winter, NT Tutor and member of the Manchester staff at Northern College, will stay over until tonight, Wednesday 16th. At our invitation Sean will be at the Central Baptist Church in Paisley - 7.30 p.m. when he will deliver the 2007 Whitley Lecture: 'More Light and Truth? Biblical Interpretation in Covenantal Perspective.'
Everybody welcome - some serious and important theological thinking going on here, so feel free to come and enjoy a celebration and affirmation of theology done well as a service to the Kingdom.
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