It is a story about three women who seek a new start in life in a seaside town in Britain.
Two have experienced personal tragedy and the third wants to begin a new career.
All find themselves lonely in this new place even though they all are tenants in the same house.
It takes a while for each to befriend the other, but once they have summoned up the courage to do so, life becomes so much more enjoyable; in fact, it becomes fun.
We all seek community of some kind, whether it is with other people, with nature or both.
When we are part of a community, we can feel valued and cared for, we can feel part of something.
John Donne in 1624 wrote, ‘No man is an island entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main’.
It is only when we are part of the main, do we feel complete.
As we live in community, we can share our joys and sorrows and the burdens of life can become lighter.
There are many community groups here in Echuca-Moama and you may find the group you belong to becomes like a family to you.
The church offers the opportunity for community. We also can be ‘the house of new beginnings.’
Life can be tough, it can take twists and turns we least expect, and we may feel abandoned and on our own.
Or life can be full and enjoyable but somehow missing that special factor to make it feel whole.
DT Niles humbly describes Christianity as one beggar telling another beggar where he found food.
For those of us in the church we have come to discover that sustenance in life is found in God and God’s spirit is found intimately in the church in the fellowship of God’s people. Here we find food that keeps us going in the journey of life.
At Echuca Moama Uniting Church our priority for belonging to the wider community is our breakfast and lunch program.
For a gold coin donation, a substantial meal is offered to those who enjoy friendship in community and a good meal to keep them going.
On July 14 we will celebrate 20 years of the breakfast program, 20 years of feeding both body and soul.
We invite all who have been a part of this outreach to join us Sunday morning as we thank God for this community involvement and the sense of belonging that many have experienced during this time.
We all deserve to be part of a community where we are valued and cared for.
I hope this is your experience.
Michele Lees, Echuca Moama Uniting Church