I think I have written before on the "serenity" prayer, attributed to the 20th century theologian Reinhold Niebuhr but originally popularised by his colleague Winnifred Wyman; "Oh, God, give us courage to change what must be altered, serenity to accept what can not be helped, and insight to know the one from the other". I find it easier to say and pray it than live it. Anxiety is a normal state of mind; it evolved to help us focus our minds on urgent, perhaps life-saving tasks. However, it can become pathological; the anxiety takes on a life of its own and stops us doing anything. Like depression, it is common, it is no respecter of religious faith but it can usually be treated successfully in individuals. Unfortunately, there also seems to be a form of collective anxiety that is found amongst groups or organisations, which can be harder to deal with. The Church of England seems to be a prime example of this, with what seem to be endless calls for new strategies, particularly in response to falling numbers. Behind these there seems to be the assumption that we are all doing something wrong but this can be corrected by changing the way we do things. Sadly, I think the problems the church and indeed other organisations obsess about are deep-seated and fall into the category of "what cannot be helped". In the case of the church, I have observed failed initiatives all my life, leading to more anxiety. Perhaps the only response is to try and counter this with as much personal serenity as we can muster; to continue to do the small things that we think are right and make a difference. There is much kindness just in a smile. As a Christian, I leave the rest to God, whose strategy I will never be able to fathom but whose love I trust.