Members enjoying the picnic
And Linda Ginn reports:
Celebrating the life of Mary Sumner (1828-1921), founder of the Mothers’ Union 140 years ago
It started as a lovely warm, sunny afternoon, but the big black clouds soon started to loom up behind the Abbey Garden ruins at Bury St Edmunds. When I arrived at the Ram’s Meadow gate where it was all going to happen the green tent was already up and Cathie, Beryl and Sandra were busy tying on the white MU balloons to the tent poles and setting up the MU banners on each side of the tent opening. In the middle was a table, draped with a lovely blue Mothers’ Union tablecloth and the amplification box and microphones, etc. From 1.45-ish Members soon began to arrive, setting up their chairs and rugs in small groups, and consuming their homemade picnics. There was a lot of catching up to do - renewing acquaintances, meeting up with friends, finding out who’s who, chattering away and, for the more mobile, wandering around from group to group getting to know folk - a lovely, tangible, bubbly, happy atmosphere was being created visible for all to see.
Cathie, using the hand-held lollipop microphone, welcomed everyone and explained how the afternoon was going to pan out, and an hour or so later Canon Philip Banks arrived with the printed order or service. After a more formal welcome and introduction, we all joined in a singing, unaccompanied, ”Great is thy faithfulness”. This was followed by the Collect and the New Testament reading from Philippians 4:4-9, with a few encouraging and well chosen words from Philip. The Responses came next, after which we affirmed our commitment to the Mothers’ Union in the words of Mary Sumner’s personal prayer. We shared together in the hymn “Brother, sister, let me serve you”, then came the prayers, the Lord’s Prayer and finally all of us joined in saying the Mothers’ Union Prayer. The short service concluded with the rousing hymn “Tell out my soul”, the ‘thank-yous’, and Philip sending us on our way with a specially chosen Blessing. It all went so smoothly and was just right for the occasion, and the rendering of the hymns was inspiring.
In all we counted sixty plus members from all over our Diocese, some in groups, some on their own, but if was a true cross section of our membership representing “young” and older members, men and women, Cathedral branch members and Diocesan members, representatives from daytime and evening branches, clergy, friends and visitors. In all, it was a lovely occasion – and on the way home the rain drops started to fall. Beautiful timing!