Skip to main content

March of the Penguins

Image
By
At Wilsden Trinity, our Soupermums Group has celebrated its third Christmas and we are bursting at the seams. It seems incredible, but only just over two years ago we were sitting in our side room, soup ready, bread warming in the oven, baby blankets on the floor, eagerly awaiting our first ‘’customers’’ and none came. This situation continued for some weeks and we were beginning to wonder if we had got the message right. Was this really what the Lord wanted us to do? I suppose Noah must have felt very much like that when he built the Ark on dry land. Now our numbers are regularly in the high twenties or low thirties. You have no idea how much noise 33 crying babies and chatting mums can make. Another experience Noah might have identified with!

We have settled into a pattern: Official start 11.00 am. Tea or coffee on arrival, time to chat and then soup from about noon, ending with an action song ‘Our God is a Great Big God’ which we now understand is top of the Baby Hit Parade. We volunteers look after the babies whilst the mums enjoy a peaceful lunch. A bit of a challenge with so many but we love and treasure every mum and every baby. The amazing thing is that each mother recognises her own infant’s cry and responds by crossing the room to comfort.

This always reminds me of the film ‘’The March of the Penguins’’ which follows the journey of Emperor penguins to their breeding grounds. The female penguin lays a single egg which she carefully transfers to the male who then huddles together with thousands of other male penguins keeping the egg safe and warm on his feet under his body. The female then travels many miles to the sea to feed and bring food back for the hatching chick. When she returns, she finds her chick and her mate amongst the thousands of penguins by singing her own unique song, to which the chick replies with its own unique song and in this way they are reunited. This is like the unique song which God sings to each of us and requires a response from us which is also uniquely ours. Someone once said – each of us has a verse to sing in the song of the universe and if we don’t sing it, it will remain unsung.


Di H, Wilsden Trinity

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Soupermums! Wilsden Trinity Church

By
Do you have a young baby? Looking for something to do? If the answer is yes then Soupermums is for you. We're here from 11 until 1 every Monday, Mums (and dads) have a rest and the babies can play. Have a lovely sit down whilst you sip on a brew. Enjoy having someone else make lunch for you! Come along to Wilsden Church, meet the rest of the group. Lovely ladies cuddle the babies, whilst you eat your soup. Chat with the mums, new friends you will make. Swap tips and advice over a slice or two of cake. So what are you waiting for? come on along, For homemade treats, good company and if you're lucky a song. We're looking forward to meeting you, please come take a peek, 11-1 at Wilsden Trinity, we're here every week! Celine V  (a Soupermum!) Where can new mums go, to have lunch where it’s warm and safe and you get to eat fresh soup and homemade cakes, while someone holds your baby? Too big an ask? Not at Wilsden Trinity! Every Mond...
Post a Comment
Read more

May message from the Ministry Team

By
Dear friends One of the ‘deep wells’ that replenishes my spirituality is the practice of ‘Lectio Divina’ which is an ancient method for praying with the Bible. It literally means ‘divine reading’, or ‘reading in a godly kind of way’. We rush about so much these days and practising the discipline of a slower reading of the Bible to allow it to speak to us is an integral aspect of Lectio Divina. If you want to try it yourself, read slowly a short passage of text that you have decided upon in advance, letting your awareness rest in turn upon each word. As you read, be alert for any particular word or phrase that draws your attention in a special way. Then meditate on this word or phrase, allowing it to engage you fully. Does the word connect with some aspect of your own experience? As you hold this in your heart, let yourself become aware of any answering words, images, or memories that arise in you. Then finally respond through prayer to the word you have heard, simply and directl...
Post a Comment
Read more