Otherwise known as Dibley Mothers' Union.  There is no one under 70 and many are maiden aunts.  Neither of these is bad, nor means that they should not be part of the Mothers' Union.  One day I will tick both of those boxes.  It is just that it is demoralising thing when I get my annual request to speak to the January meeting when it is cold, the weather inclement "and we don't like to invite someone special when many of our members will be afflicted by colds and flu."  The Baptist minister will do because she lives less than 400 yards away, so can make no excuse for not coming along.

I know I will get a warm welcome.  I know I will get what passes for a cup of tea.  I know the ladies will be everso grateful and will feign great interest when I talk about how they imagine Mary and Martha as a prelude to my, now well travelled, 'three portraits' talk.  I know they will go home as they always do, and do whatever Tuesday afternoon always dictates.

It just saddens me that this is all so far from the vibrant, family focussed, world-aware work that is Mothers' Union.  I doubt these ladies even know that the MU is coming to a town near us in June (I found out today on the website) and even if they do, doubt that they will attend.

Once these ladies were young mothers - or at least some of them were.  Once they presumably thought they could change the world, as I certainly did (and occasionally still do).  What happened to turn them into this ritual of priest-does-communion-and-speaker-talks-for-no-more-than-20-minutes-then-we-have-a-cup-of-tea ?

Pray God I am always young inside!