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Perth can be amazing – beautiful new Concert Hall and a remarkable performance of St Matthew Passion by the Dunedin Consort. It’s the kind of music which sits in the middle ground between concert and liturgy. There’s always a moment which catches you unawares – for me it was Peter’s betrayal.

And it was brisk – as I think worship should be, even if one attempts to give the impression that there is all the time in the world. Not brisk so as to be over and done with – but because brisk offers all sorts of opportunities to do as Bach does. You can s t r e t c h a word for emphasis – rather than thumping it. And you can have a pause – almost a hesitation – without making a meal of it. And it’s generally easier to slow up than to speed up.

As I said, I’m a bit light on Holy Week – more broadcasting than churchgoing. This was this morning’s Thought for the Day

I’m looking forward to tomorrow – first day in the office for ten days. Bits of Anglican Communion business, a meeting of the College of Bishops, interviews in the Brechin Episcopal election process and today’s Mission and Ministry Board have kept me busy. But the wonders of technology, the ever-increasing ability of Sharon to read my mind and – no doubt – the power of prayer keep the flow of e mail and other communication going. It’s just that I never get to meet anybody.

I slipped in a Thought for the Day in Dundee yesterday – I thought the incapacity theme was appropriate.

And tomorrow I’m doing the last of my Lent Roadshows. Casting the Net seems to stir among people an appetite for learning. So I’ve been going around the diocese encouraging people to talk with me about faith. I can think of no better way of spending my time.

I’m on my second visit to London within a week – which is, frankly, a bit much. So there is a bit of remote working and a touch of self-steering going on back home.

Which reminded me … as I read the material about the memorial which was unveiled to the so-called ‘Cockleshell Heroes’. In 1942, a group of Royal Marines canoed over 70 miles to destroy German shipping in Bordeaux. Only two of them survived.

One of those who survived was the legendary ‘Blondie’ Hasler. But they missed the other life he led after the war. He set out to develop the smallest yacht which could comfortably be sailed single handed.

The result was Jester – one of the Folkboat class which, as its name suggests, was a sort of ocean-going Volkswagen Golf. He gave it an unstayed mast and a chinese junk rig. He then invented the servo pendulum self-steering gear – and challenged others to the first Single-Handed Transatlantic Race, in which he came second. That was the beginning of the story of single-handed sailing which has stretched from Francis Chichester to Ellen MacArthur. A remarkable man.

There are some extraordinary and wonderful moments – tonight I took part in the installation of a new Chaplain at Glamis Castle, which is on the outer edges of the Blogstead estate. It’s castle wrapped around church wrapped around estate wrapped around village. And of course, in the best sense, it’s one of those places where soap opera and ministry meet. Which I why I said this evening that it is probably one of the best jobs in ministry. The wonderful chapel is right at the heart of the castle – the sacristy upstairs has a ready-for-use confessional.

It is of course steeped in history – most recently the Bowes Lyon history of the Queen Mother’s family. So it’s one of the big tourist destinations in these parts. Joe, the new Chaplain, will have more than a cameo role in the soap opera. Indeed I suspect that this is one of those places which knows what a chaplain is for and how to use him.

Been using Lent to do one of the things which I enjoy – which is encouraging people to talk about faith and to get more towards the believing end of the ‘believing and belonging’ spectrum.

Last week in Blairgowrie and this evening in Kinross. Alison Peden came with me and we exercised our minds around cosmology and compassion, pornography, creeds, secularism and the rest.

There was a lot of energy around – once people start talking about what they want to talk about, there’s no stopping them

Ever since my friend, Cardinal Keith O’Brien, branded British foreign policy towards aid to Pakistan as ‘anti-Christian’, I’ve been trying to think through the issues. To say that it is ‘anti-Christian’ does to me something of an over-statement – or rather risks addressing the wrong target.

But just to be clear, no over-statement does justice to the dreadful reality of what is happening in Pakistan and the working out of their notorious blasphemy laws. You may not have seen the astonishingly forthright Times article by the Archbishop of Canterbury. Responding to the killing of Shahbaz Bhatti, he refers to Pakistan and says, ‘In the history of some countries there comes a period when political and factional murder becomes almost routine — Russia at the beginning of the 20th century, Germany and its neighbours in the early 1930s.’ You can read the full article here.

At the recent Primates’ Meeting in Dublin, I had the privilege of getting to know Archbishop Samuel Azariah of the Church in Pakistan – a modest and unassuming person of great courage. That friendship brings these issues closer to me as I picture the difficulties and dangers with which he, his clergy and people live on a daily basis. The Primates agreed to send a private letter to the leaders of Pakistan expressing our feelings about the application of the blasphemy laws.

But it seems to me that the issue here is really about aid budgets – and in particular about whether aid budgets should be an instrument of foreign policy. I understand that what is at stake here is far more than just the minutiae of foreign policy – there are fundamental issues of human rights being denied, freedom of speech and freedom of worship. How could one not feel that the provision of aid should be made dependent on a commitment to the even the most basic of human rights? And yet there is something of a slippery slope here – which, as I have suggested, can lead to connections being made between the provision of aid and all kinds of other issues. Better I think to keep them separate. If aid is required, let us provide aid. If human rights are being denied, let us say that in the most vigorous terms – directly to the government of Pakistan, in the United Nations and elsewhere.

Well – never let it be said that ordained ministry doesn’t have its interesting moments.

It’s been the usual sort of weekend – the kind of things one does while other people are doing whatever they do with their weekends. Our Diocesan Synod demonstrated that we have some truly remarkable people on board and that I am gradually being relegated to a ‘smiling and waving’ posture. It was, I thought, a bit ‘on message’ so we’ll need to arrange to make it a bit more unruly and spontaneous next year.

In case you were interested, I offered a Homily at the Eucharist and a Presidential Address. Today I joined in the Eucharist which marked the end of a Cursillo Weekend – in Dunblane Cathedral on the 15th Anniversary of the Dunblane Tragedy. This is the Homily.

And this morning, I found myself on BBC ‘The Big Questions’ – discussing earthquakes, pornography and the [suggested] link between faith schools and sectarianism in Scotland. In my world, discussion of pornography would normally involve something rather – forgive me – pedestrian with a group like the Mothers Union. But this was good telly so they had two real live porn stars. Fortunately it was not a very revealing discussion – as we struggled to talk about whether making pornographic films is degrading or just another way of making a living – but it was a presenter’s dream – ‘And now bishop …. ‘ I’d love to have had a cup of coffee with them afterwards to find out … well maybe not. If you want to have a look, you’ll find it here.

Well I did manage the somewhat-delayed retreat this week – and have been paying for it in the unequal struggle with the Inbox ever since. It was great to be with the Benedictines in Rostrevor again. So much to learn.

Some ‘on the surface’ things. Those who go into church with me will know that I come back wanting to incline before the altar – 45 degrees from the waist and no nodding. I think it’s the French thing. On the ‘nice bit of chalice work there, Ted’ front, they do wonderful things with a thurible. It’s all very spare …

But here’s a thing. My life is to some extent driven by my chosen priorities. But often it’s driven by a mixture of urgent/must do and things which other people want me to do. And no harm in that. But in the monastery, a bell rings. You stop what you are doing and move to something else. No ‘I’ll be there in a minute’ or ‘maybe I’ll give it a miss today.’ All things may not be equally important. But they all need their time in a balanced life.

We’re back in what the locals call Norn Irn for a suprise party – tho’ if I told you about it it wouldn’t be a surprise.

Anyway it gave us the opportunity for a few visits just to check things out. A visit to McMahons in Portadown for the suit is always high on the agenda. I know that it is possible to buy clothes in other places but …. the object of the exercise is to buy the first suit which John offers me because he knows better than I do what is required. We did manage that this time – although the need to try on a second one did represent a slight failure of nerve, although it was of course rejected.

We did some visiting of old friends and tuned in to the debate in the special Church of Ireland General Synod today about whether there should be an Episcopal Election in the Diocese of Tuam. It’s a question not unlike questions which we also face – and which we answer by stretching ourselves across the space between the prudent measurement of viability and the faith-full assessment of mission potential.

The north coast of Northern Ireland – particularly around Portstewart and Portrush – is simply horrendous. One looks at the building development and tries in vain to deduce what the planning policy might be. As we’ve headed east towards Ballycastle, things have improved and we’re now looking across the sea to Rathlin Island – the space across which Marconi first experimented with radio signals. We also took a brief look at the Corrymeela Community of Reconciliation which is located on a cliff top just outside the town. Like the Iona Community with which it is closely linked, it is a dispersed religious community. There were periods when I was closely involved there and it was one of the things which kept me going.

It started during the great snow of December. Suddenly Skype in the Snow became a welcome alternative to setting out never knowing when you might return. It was surprising how much could be done from the comfort of the office in Perth .. including a full meeting of the College of Bishops.

So I’ve gradually been extending the range – I have a monthly meeting on Skype with my ‘coaching bishop’ in the US as part of my involvement in the College for Bishops Training Programme. And today I spent an hour – and we mutually agreed to mention it – discussing with Kelvin issues like the IT implications of the new Mission and Ministry Policy and diocesan websites and various other things. A meeting which we might not otherwise have had – no time required other than the meeting time – no cost whatsoever. Sharing the cup of tea is a bit more difficult.