Messy Abbey

Jane and I had a great time at Dorchester Abbey on Sunday celebrating BRF’s 90th anniversary as only Messy Church can. Jelly featured, but not to eat, only to try to build on, as the theme was ‘Building Up!’ (and the little known parable of Jesus called ‘The man who built his house on the jelly’). And of course there was a wide range of activities to explore the idea of BRF building people up in their spiritual lives, the Diocese of Oxford building people up through their churches and Messy Church building up family faith and fun together, all with Christ at the centre.
We built with peas; we painted ourselves as living stones, we explored in the Grand Designs Prayer Zone (complete with Spirit Level of course); we experimented with different mortars – Weetabix, marmite, honey and porridge – to see which was the most effective, we built dens, painted with watercolours; built with Jenga; celebrated together in the ancient Abbey and picnicked outside with more cake than anyone could eat… It was huge fun. Bishop Colin, the Bishop of Dorchester and chair of the BRF trustees, joined in enthusiastically. Big thanks to the Rector Sue Booys and to our Regional Coordinator for Thames Valley, Yvonne Morris, as well as the noble local Messy Church leaders who came to help lead it.