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Dear Friends,
When we returned from our recent holiday something seemed very different about the manse garden.
Everything looked the same but something was missing!
(And it wasn't the tree stump from the front garden - although it is now thanks to a lot of hard work and effort by John and Robert!)
No this was something missing from the back garden!
It took us a little time to realise what exactly was different but then it suddenly struck us that all the birds which have been frequenting our feeders in the garden over the last few months had just disappeared.
There was not one to be seen! Not one!
The usual commotion around the feeders was gone, the hedges were empty and the garden had fallen silent!
We knew the supplies we had left for them would probably not last them two weeks because we usually have to fill them every third day or so but we thought that with the apple trees blossoming and the increased amount of bugs around that they would survive.
However, it almost seemed as if they had fallen out with us for not providing their usual quantity of food and had just upped and left us!
We refilled all the containers on our return but the garden still remained quiet and the feeders empty!
For days we watched to see if even one would appear but it seemed they had all gone elsewhere.
Then on the fifth day we spotted one Great Tit feeding all by itself on the peanut feeder and enjoying its feast. Then the word must have got out that we were home and their larder was restocked because suddenly they all started flocking back to their usual haunts and the only one whose return we now await is the woodpecker - our occasional but noisy visitor!
And how wonderful it is to have them flitting in and around the garden again! The garden somehow seems much more alive and vibrant when they are there!
Reflecting on this it seemed to me that our churches were a bit like the manse garden.
Over the summer months it can feel as if we have been deserted too as our organisations and Sunday School break for the summer, as people take their holidays, go off to visit family, take a break from their church activities or generally just get out of the 'habit' of coming to church.
We who are left notice that something is different! We can't always put our finger on what it is but we just feel that something is not quite right! We miss these members of our church family and watch eagerly for their return!
Now is the time when everything starts to begin again and with our energies recharged we look forward to our new session this autumn when hopefully with God's feeding, we and our church will become vibrant and alive again.
And there is much to look forward to for us!
Back to Church Sunday on the 20 September is our first major event when we can take this ideal opportunity to welcome back those who have been missing for a while.
However, also planned are new communicant member classes, bible study groups, an exploring eldership course, hopefully a music group for the children and much, much more!
Many opportunities to welcome others, to get to know God better, to get to know others better and I hope you will agree with me that this is an exciting time for us and that you too are looking forward to the session ahead as much as I am.
Blessings
Caryl
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