A GREAT SERVICE!

We had a great service at Church this morning.  For me, it was lovely to be back in the Worship Group singing, especially as we had what I would call a couple of “golden oldies”, one from way back in the 80s - “Rejoice! Rejoice!” - written in 1983 by Graham Kendrick.  If you want to hear it, you can listen Here!

Our interesting sermon this morning by Martin Smith, a retired Baptist Minister from Bratton, near Westbury, was about the Valley of Dry Bones.  It’s always good to have visual aids - hence the two shots on the right, the second one with a reminder that things are not accomplished by might, nor by power, but by God’s Spirit. 

After the service, Matt on guitar, Janet on the saxophone and Joanna, who can hardly be seen, on the grand piano - played a “postlude” of “Rejoice! Rejoice!”, which we had just sung as our final song - sadly Luke didn’t play, as he was just packing up his bass guitar, but I noticed that many people sat in their seats and listened, rather than just dashing out. 

As usual we had coffee after the service, where Louise and I welcomed a new lady, Laura, who had come to Gorse Hill for the first time.  She said she had enjoyed the service, so we hope she will come again.  I thought she was very brave as she came on her own and didn’t know a soul - but Louise said she started like that too and a few months down the line, she was being baptised - on 23rd June - which you may remember.

I saw that Julie, another friend, was wearing a great tee shirt, and as she was chatting to Mei and Zach, her son, I wandered over and asked if I could take a shot of the front of it.  It’s amazing that when I ask a “grown-up” they nearly always say I can, but that they don’t want their face in it!!  Meanwhile, Zach, who was stranding by Julie’s side, was quite happy for me to take a shot of his tee shirt too and of course, put on the obligatory “funny face”!  I think I should have asked Julie to do the same!! ;-) 

The bottom left shot is a little treasure chest, filled with precious things - apparently, Zach was given this for his birthday back in April- and he even remembered it came from “Millie”.  Mei, Zach’s Mum, was surprised he remembered that - so it obviously made quite an impression on him.  I told him that when he visits us again, I would show him two large button boxes and said he can choose some of the “treasures” from them to go in his box.  

The words on Julie’s tee shirt say:

FAITH makes all things possible
HOPE makes all things work and
LOVE makes all things easy

Not sure I entirely agree with the last statement, but “true love” certainly makes things “easier”!

Hope you all have a great week - we are still waiting for the promised rain - and Mr. HCB is still hoping he won’t have to keep going out and watering the plants every morning.  Mind you, he is due to go to watch cricket on Wednesday, so is obviously praying that the rain comes BEFORE and not ON that day!