Celtic Lent Day 35

Lord, come I this day to You!
I am not a great gift to offer You.
It is my coming that is my gift.
For who among us holds within themselves any worthy offering
to the God who owns the universe?
To come to You while the entire world moves away from
You, is our only gift of worth.
And so I come this day: ignore me or use me,
Save me or spend me. Use me or set me aside,
I am Yours. Amen.
Calvin Miller

Today Holy Week began the way it always does in Manchester, with Chrism mass at the cathedral. At this service ministers, particularly priests, renew their vows and the oils for baptism, the oils for anointing the sick dying and the oils for anointing at ordinations and confirmations are blessed. Most dioceses have this service on Maundy Thursday, but Manchester, as Tony Wilson once said, does things differently.
Looking around the building I had a really good view of most of us who have come to offer ourselves to God, many of whom I know and many I don't. Clergy, like any other walk of like, can be critical of each other, none of us are or could ever be perfect, and I'd like to think I have an awareness of my own faults and flaws. 

And yet, flawed as we are, we have come. Most days we might not know what we can possibly offer, so we just offer ourselves and hope we can do some good.

Scripture
What shall I return to the Lord
   for all his bounty to me? 
I will lift up the cup of salvation
   and call on the name of the Lord
Psalm 116.12-13