It's not really on, you know. Sorry, but it's not.

You know, I'm as concerned and saddened by the things that are going on in the Anglican communion as anyone. I was first baptized in a Church of England church, and I still have a lot of affection for it. More than that, I know believers who are standing for the gospel in the midst of it, dismayed at the way things are turning out.

But this isn't valid critique, it's just mean-spirited. The parish system of the established church means that yes, it is exceedingly difficult to maintain clear boundaries between official ministry and family life, and of all the things that could be criticized, the particular difficulties of being the family of a clergyman are not really fair game.

I know quite a few vicar's spouses, and they struggle in some difficult circumstances to raise their families and be a good witness. It serves no godly purpose at all, when those particular difficulties are revealed, to make pious noises about 'nailprints in the hands'.

I, for one, am very glad to give a very public vote of thanks to my dear fellow believers who support their spouses in ministry, at a considerable cost to their family life. It's a sacrifice that should be acknowledged as such.

So, um, depression. It's not good for the productivity, really. I've also recently been diagnosed with severe anaemia, which has been a fun added complication. Still alive, still here but, you know, not so good.

Spoilers

Spoilerphobes like Dan Phillips won't get this, but I am, a self-confessed spoiler-holic. Sometimes I don't mean to be. I ruined The Sixth Sense for my husband in the carpark before we even entered the cinema, because I guessed what the ending was by reading the little blurb about the film in the cinema leaflet. He insists that I don't even guess aloud any more.

But other times, I deliberately hunt spoilers out because I really don't enjoy suspense very much, and I actually enjoy things more if I already have a fair idea of what's going to happen. It makes things into a puzzle game, which appeals to my mind far more than being a passive audience.

I am spoiled up to my eyeballs about Saturday's finale of Doctor Who (and I'm not going to share, but squee) and I'm excited in a way that I'm comfortable with, and enjoying it all the more because I can share it with fans as lunatic as I am. We know all the major pieces, we just don't know how they fit, and it's going to be fun watching it all pan out.

I got to thinking about this a few nights ago, and it occured to me that the Bible is one great big spoiler, in the best sense. The Lord has completely given the end away, and the most significant plot points, too. The details of how it all works out will still be something to behold, and none of us knows exactly how we fit into it - but we know what will happen at the end of our age, and we know what the Lord has done for us, and how we come to Him, and it's great being able to talk about those spoilers with people.

I'm peculiar - I find spoilers for sci-fi comforting. But Biblical spoilers are meant to be comforting, that's rather the point. Go on... take a peek...