How has your summer been? I would hope that after what I now experience as the riggers of winter you have had some time for rest and renewal.

I always look forward to summer when time seems to expand and I can reconnect with family and friends. I had such an opportunity

when in July I traveled with my brother to England where my Dad was born. Most of my father's generation have gone but my cousins continue

to flourish despite the many challenges of life. Perhaps it was having to live through the 2nd World War but they all have a very strong sense of responsibility and commitment, to their families, their relatives and their country, in spite of Tony Blair!

I was struck by the integrity by which they live their lives. We visited with five families, all of whom were coping with a variety of issues. My favorite cousin was having to sell her family home down on Exmore. Her husband has Parkinson's and all sorts of debilitation from alcoholism

An other cousin is seeing his wife of 50 year sink deeper and deeper into Alzheimer's. Faithfully and uncomplainingly he tended to her needs.

Another struggles to give up a 30 year career in politics while his wife wonders what ever will he do with himself when he retires.

Another has brought up two children all on his own while having an active business life in Russia. How did he do it?

Most all the family are church goers and no doubt their faith is a great source of strength to them. One family belongs to a church group that has been taking the Alpha program into the Dartmoor prison for several years. The prison system has just d i s c o n t i n u e d this prog r a m s a y i n g that to o n l y o f f e C h r i s tianity is proselyt i z i n g Will society become so secular that we will never be allowed to share any form of spirituality in any institution?

Speaking of institutions, on our first Sunday in England we went to worship in an Anglican church in Great Missendon, built in the 1500 hundreds. The service was just the same as in our little Anglican church in Mono. Again, I was with family, my church family. I felt connected in more ways than one.

The priest was thoroughly loved by the parish despite her rather unconventional "painted toes and bottle blonde hair".

T h e Anglican Church of Great Britain had just voted to o r d a i n women as bishops. She spoke of t h e importance of this because women set about doing theology and ethics differently. She went on to say that there has been plenty of research done on this with one of the best studies being done by Carol Gilligan. (I had read Gilligan, In a different Voice, when I was studying theology and she was an author who was pivotal to my own faith journey).

The essence of her research shows that men work with a rational, objective system and are concerned with principals of justice and fulfilling the rules, The Morality of Justice. Women, on the other hand, tend to be more concerned with maintaining relationships, preventing harm to others and relieving suffering, The Morality of Response and Care. The preacher went on to say both women and men are needed in our decision making bodies of our churches. I wanted to jump up in my pew and shout out hallelujah - but I restrained my self !

These are a few of my reflections, places where I have experienced God's grace woven into the life of both my biological family and my church family. Are there places, times and\or relationships where you have experienced God's grace at work this summer. I am grateful for summer.