Puddings! A story for Lent

I’m not sure what happened to the previous blog.
It was all written and illustrated, and has disppeared into the ether.
But I have a copy, and when other conditions are right you will hear about Coals from Newcastle.

Meanwhile I thought some readers might be interested to know that on a very hot day in Australia, I was given a gift-wrapped Christmas pudding.
Adamstown Uniting Church, which has a whole lot of interesting things going on (while I was there an exhibition of Palestinian art, an EAPPI talk (me), a classical concert, movement classes, Scottish Country dancing (none of these me), a Prayer Breakfast and a writing workshop – not to mention Palm Sunday services – this Uniting Church also has an interesting and ongoing project.

40 years ago, a member of the congregation welcomed her son home from the Vietnam War. She thanked God for his safe return – and decided to do something positive – something that would benefit the church.
So she started making Christmas puddings – to her own family recipe.
And they sold and sold.

Now, 40 years on, they are still selling. Just behind Adamstown church is a purpose-builty workshop/kitchen with a large sign Pudding Shop. For four months of every year, in the run-up to Christmas, three paid staff and several volunteers mix, cook, shrink-wrap and label puddings, of various sizes from mini to over-the-top. They make, I think 10,000 puddings a year (I have been withholding this story while trying to check my facts).
They (the puds) go all over the world.

And (after the Prayer Breakfast, at which I spoke about the Justice and Peace Commitment of the Iona Community) I was given one to take home.

I can’t comment yet. The proof of the pudding….
But it all makes a sustaining story: Justice, Peace and a community-made pudding.
In Lent.

I hope this blog gets through.
Jan