Church events just wouldn’t be the same without refreshments! It seems we spend as much time making cups of tea and coffee as we do on any other activity, and the Open Day was no exception. In deference to the number of mugs we own, the number of people who can fit into the church kitchen and the amount of time we had, we invested in some disposable cups for the Open Day to help speed things up.
Below are photos of people enjoying the refreshments served throughout the day, and a very big THANK YOU to all those from church who tirelessly worked in a very hot kitchen (we didn’t find out how to open the windows until the Sunday!!) to keep the rest of us refreshed.
It’s one thing to be physically refreshed by drinks – and on a hot day like Saturday, we needed that! But there is a spiritual refreshing which is also possible, and we received that too: the refreshment of so many friends and family being present to share our joy and the refreshment that comes from God alone.
Paul writes, “I was glad when Stephanas, Fortunatus and Achaicus arrived, because they have supplied what was lacking from you. For they refreshed my spirit and yours also. Such men deserve recognition.” (1 Cor 16:17-18) and “Your love has given me great joy and encouragement, because you, brother, have refreshed the hearts of the saints.“(Philemon 1:7) Thank you to all those whose presence with us refreshed our hearts.
We hold on, too, to the promises of God:
“I will refresh the weary and satisfy the faint.” (Jer 31:25)
“You gave abundant showers, O God; you refreshed your weary inheritance” (Ps 68:9)
Times of refreshing from God are precious indeed:
“Times of refreshing
Here in Your presence,
No greater blessing
Than being with You
My heart is restored,
My mind is renewed,
There’s no greater joy, Lord,
Than being with You”
(Ahmed Kakembo)