Last night I joined fellow members of the St Clement’s PCC at a diocesan meeting at St Mary’s, Thame, for people in a similar role. As I wandered into the church I found that I was able to share a friendly greeting and mutual recognition with a number of people I know from a range of different contexts rather than just the bunch from my own church.

I think the warm feeling that comes with that could be described as having arrived, having been around in  these circles long enough that I am not just another face in the crowd but part of the invisible network that binds the crowd together into a group. I’m getting there in other circles too, such as folk musicians and work colleagues, but last night was when a flash of inspiration let me put my finger on what that feeling was.