I couldn’t do my normal Saturday morning practice today so I feel all skewiff! After taking Tom to football training I like to sit for a while with Jonathan Ross, a strong black coffee and the Guardian. But, today, it seems that Gillingham has been left off the Guardian delivery route as there were none to be found and I cannot bring myself to choose the Mail, Telegraph or Sun.

I have, however, been able to look at bits of today’s Guardian online (at one point seriously considering taking out a £10/month subscription to the digital copy – but holding the newspaper and having to wash the print off afterwards is part of the ritual!)and one piece drew my eye.

Stuart Jeffries has written this Hell is 57 varieties piece which tells us that a lot of our stress is caused by the variety we have which causes choice. Choice was the capitalist way to show progress whereas, in fact, it induces stress and makes us miserable. He is able to give accounts of societies with less choice having lower stress levels and greater happiness.

I have encountered this as I need to buy a different car for a new job starting in September. I only want something little yet the choice is endless and so I have given up for a while.

In the Christian world we have a lot of choice of style of worship, where to worship, who to worship with …. the choice is seemingly endless. In Medway alone I could attend one of 98 churches.

At the mission shaped church conference I was at the other week we are looking at new expressions of church and I agree that we need new ways of doing church and fresh expressions to meet the needs of different cultures, types and networks. I do wonder as well though if the greater choice that will give is going to lead to mass stress in the church. I hope not!