John 15: 9 - 17

MISSION!, was the watchword  for Sunday’s talk: in the gospel reading Jesus said that we had been chosen – not for our own sakes or even for each other – but that we were to go out and bear fruit that would last.  The reading challenged us and we moved our thinking outside the boxes to stop ourselves from navel gazing, and to think community/country/global.  As William Temple wrote  last Century – “The Church is the only organisation that exists for the benefit of its non-members”. We certainly grabbed hold of those thoughts and are asking Jesus to show us how He wants us to do that, for as you know, we all have a task that’s specially tailored! One of our younger members (only 9 years old) had thought about this already, and that morning after spending all day Saturday baking, held a cake sale to raise money for a deprived school in Nairobi. She raised over £18 on the day – so that’s a very big ‘well done’ to her.

Accompanying this we sang: I am the Vine; Jesus, be the Centre; I will offer up my life; A new commandment; Let there be love shared among us: and we closed with; How lovely are the mountains. One of our families led the prayers and with Ruth on the piano, we had an amazing morning.   Thank you everyone and once again ‘Well done’ to that young person who filled the cake sale and made such a wonderful result – a living example of what we had been talking about.

Thank you everyone.

Dcn. Olivia