A Quiet Day and Autumnal blessings

Members of St George’s Branch, Waterlooville  were welcomed into the comfortable home of Pam and Eric Dinneen on a beautiful October day. We had invited the very talented Sandra Goodey to lead us. She directed our thoughts by asking the question‘What is stopping you meeting with Jesus today?’ and she used John 4 v5-42 by way of illustration [The Samaritan woman at the well whom Jesus asked for a drink of water].  During the morning we had three periods of listening, each followed by time for thought and meditation.  The sound of Sandra’s quiet guitar music called us together and we sang an appropriate hymn or chorus. Before we broke for the third time Sandra gave us each a copy of a poem which begins ‘The summer waves break gently, Lord’. It was written by Eddie Askew the Leprosy Missioner, artist and writer. 

The weather was so beautiful that we were able to eat our lunches in the garden, where we were joined by our new curate Timon Singh.

For the afternoon session we were asked to be creative and to express our thoughts and emotions which arose from the poem,  in paint, pastel, crayon or felt tip pens, all of which had been generously provided by Sandra. From the ideas revealed Sandra cleverly composed a short act of worship with which to end the day.

We all enjoyed the experience which many have asked should be repeated in a future programme. We are greatly indebted to Sandra for her preparation and leadership and to Pam  for the freedom to use her home and beautiful garden.

Margaret Symonds