The Rev’d Charlotte Sullivan writes:
Well, September/October have been great months for me, and no, not only because it included my annual holiday!!
This year, I had a small family reunion (well, not that small!) at my house in the Dordogne. It was lovely to be there, in an area I know very well and just be a tourist for a week. My family had not been to this area of France before and it was lovely to go to all the usual tourist spots which were very familiar to me, but to then experience them anew through my family who were totally in awe of the beautiful area in which we live.
During the Creationtide/Harvest Season I have been reading and thinking a lot about cultivating an attitude of gratitude. Trying daily to be more intentional about thanking God, for His grace and the beauty and blessings which surround me instead of complaining when things don’t go quite my way! As in all things I am a work in progress, but do feel that through doing this it is easier to notice the small God moments that break through each day and to be generally more thankful!
I was very thankful to Richard Bromley (Mission Director for ICS) and his wife Denise for travelling to Bordeaux to spend the weekend with myself, Tony and the Bordeaux Committee. We had some really encouraging conversations about our mission here in the city and it was actually really good to talk about our ministry here and not to be focused (for too long) just on our lack of a permanent worship space.
We had a marvellous Harvest Festival which began with a brunch at the Presbytery, kindly organised by Pamela Prior. Anniversaries and birthdays were also being celebrated so the proceedings began with Buck’s Fizz! Richard gave a moving and encouraging sermon and as usual the Bordeaux Choir sang beautifully. All in all it was a lovely day and wonderful to see so many in the church. Goods were collected for the Foyer Fraternel and the children even managed to roll a giant pumpkin up to the altar!
Another reason for me to be thankful to the glory to God comes from the annual Chaplaincy Women’s Retreat from which I have just returned. I always feel so very blessed to be part of the women’s retreat and this year was no different. 21 women came from all over our Chaplaincy, our neighbouring Chaplaincy, Brittany and the UK to explore the Spirituality of the Desert Mothers.
Our retreat was at the beautiful Echourgnac Abbey where the sisters greeted us with their usual hugs, kisses and abundant hospitality. My special thanks go to Revd Canon Elaine Labourel and Amanda Allchorn for co-leading and for their amazing creativity and thought provoking teaching.
I can’t wait to start planning next year’s retreat with them, very soon! All in all much to be thankful for …
Bordeaux Church Christmas Bazaar – mark your diaries for Saturday 30 November from 14.00 to 17.00 at the same venue as last year –Saint Jean-Marie Vianney Church (23, rue Felix Faure, 33600 Pessac) where there is lots of parking!
Do not forget to bring your friends for a pleasant afternoon sipping tea and eating cakes. At the same time you can buy your Christmas cards, Advent Calendars, Christmas cakes and puds, mince pies (and jars of mincemeat if you would like to make your own!), Christmas crackers, homemade cakes, jams and chutney. And, of course, there will be loads of interesting books at fabulous prices, a raffle and activities for the children while you shop. See you there!
Please click here for full details of the bazaar and how you can help.
The Bordeaux Baby-foot Club entered Reza, our Iranian brother, as part of their team for a tournament on 12-13 October in Saint Aignan de Grand Lieu. With the support of the club plus a few donations from the congregation, he was able to participate in something fun and challenging – and his French language skills are improving by leaps and bounds! Bravo, Reza.