.....Rev'd Caroline asked how the phrase ended. 'Not just for Christmas' may be current; but how about the more timeless 'man's best friend'.

And with that as a benchmark, and fully aware of this being dangerous ground, Rev'd Caroline drew the comparison with Jesus. Someone that loves us unconditionally, that listens to us without judgment, picks us up when we are down, is always glad to see us and walks by our side.

A Teacher too. Being a pet owner teaches us about selflessness, doing right by our pets, experiencing love, understanding how much the environment depends on our actions and helping us learn about grief.

With a great turn out and appropriate hymns to accompany us (and actions we could join in with - how would you illustrate an octopus!?) we all had a joyous time.

Thank you Queen Victoria (aka Vicky), Phineas, Coco, Chester, Robert, Rabbit, Wabbit, and the gorilla Lady Alice (stuffed of course) to name but a few. Thank you Rev'd Caroline for taking the risk. 

Full newsletter is here