I have to be honest and say I was not even remotely enthused when our last Church Meeting opted to join with St 'Smells and Bells' for a strawberry tea and 'songs of praise.'  Not because I dislike that church nor yet because I object to 'favourite hymn' services, goodness knows I've led enough, but some kind of mixture of yet more disruption to the preaching plan and, well, the dread of hymns ancient and prehistoric combined to make it all seem very unattractive, and being the minister I had no choice but to go...  A couple of hours after the event, I feel some repentance is needed as it was a good afternoon and a real opportunity for us to minister with/to our Anglican friends who face a very tough meeting this week.

The afternoon began with bowls of locally grown strawberries and cups of that delightful brew, 'ecclesiastical tea,' served in the vicarage garden on a glorious summer afternoon.  Apart from minimal mixing between the two congregations, it was a lovely way to pass an hour - and I got some favourable comments for collecting up empty tea cups and helping wash up: a great opportunity to explain I have a diaconal ministry and deacons were originally table waiters!

The hymns choices were actually, on the whole, good.  We had some classic 'belters' by Wesley and the like, a bit of Kendrick and some contemporary worship songs, and one of my own favourite Timothy Dudley-Smith offerings, 'Lord for the years'.  We also had a reading from Romans 8 and intercessions led by the vicar which alluded (among other things) to 1 Cor 12:26, if one part suffers, the whole body suffers.  I then used these as jumping off points to offer prayer on behalf of my people for the Anglicans - who this week face a decision not to close a building but to terminate their congregation.  In all things God works for good for those who love Him.  I gather the Greek is ambiguous as to whether it is God or the things that do the work for good; for me it has to be God who works good, as not all things are: we prayed for an awareness of God's love, peace and guidance in the decisions that are made.  If one part suffers the whole suffers: we recongised that we are one tiny cell in the whole, so are our siblings in Christ of this little Anglican church; we prayed that we would be able to support them.

In all things God works for good: given free choice, I would not have chosen to be at this service but I was truly blessed by it.  It was an opportunity for two small churches to show solidarity in a time of uncertainty; a time for mutual support and encouragement.  It was good.  It was of God.

I enjoyed the strawberries and sunshine, I was uplifted by the singing, but the solidarity, ministry and mystery of a God-given blessing, these are far more wonderful indeed.  As the apostle wrote, and we sang today 'one church, one faith, one Lord!'  We may never see the earthly outworking of this fulfilled, but so long as little 'smells & bells' and little (what they perceive as) 'happy clappies' can love and support each other as one in the body, then we're doing something right.