This week is another manic week in Dibley - and it involves an awful lot of food!
After the weekend's extravaganza, yesterday it was the last Advent prayer group, with soup lunch, but being the minister's birthday, someone brought trifle, someone else mince pies and a third person a cake. After a race round to fit in a funeral visit and a sick visit, it was time for a proper 'Vicar of Dibley' party complete with chocolate fountain, supplied by one of my deacons. Fortunately it was not large enough to dive into but seven of us had a fun time dunking strawberries, bananas, marshmallows and other yummy things into it as part of a girlie evening (never quite got to watch the chick flicks I'd bought specially, but the chocolate was far more interesting).
Today was the lunch club Christmas dinner - fifty wrinklies in a coach travelling to Quarndon for lunch. The food was fine, but the service was abysmal - if you know what Quarndon is famous for, don't book a large party in at the pub named after the hapless creature pursued there. Three hours for a two course basic lunch - and I never got my cup of tea. Ah well, we laughed about it on the way home and the coach driver was forgiving. We had a Social Services visitor, who we treated to lunch, who indicated they'd like to grow our club by as much as another 20 members next year... watch this space.
Tomorrow we 'Sing Christmas' in the pub with Radio Leicester - which includes biscuits and mince pies along the way. Also crackers, party poppers, candles and a Christmas tree - very 'post modern'/'emerging.'
The weekend is an endless round of services, food, services and, hmm, food. Proper Baptists, trying to convert our Christian siblings to our ways!
It is very tiring but it has been a fun week. With the local rag, Baptist Times and Methodist Recorder all carrying the story of Sunday's service, a media request for photos from tomorrow night, and the new BUGB prayer diary featuring us next September, I feel that it has been a good year and that the parties are well deserved!