10 days ago I was given a German Friendship Cake by a friend. We’ve been nurturing our house guest with occasional stirring and then, a couple of feeds. Last week “Herman”, as he appears to be called, came to church with us and put in an appearance while I chatted to the children about friendship and encouragement.

Like the sourdough that has been brewing this week, we need people around us to stir us up, and feed not just our tummies, but our imagination and spirit. They do so with encouragement and teaching new things. Starved of human contact we will not grow.

7 days later and at the end of our 10 day cycle, Herman appeared again at church. This time he was in four pieces. Three of those sourdough mixes have been passed to members of the congregation that they may grow and encourage the cake. While the fourth is half way through baking here.

This week we spoke about faith. That in passing on the cake, we are not just sharing friendship but faith that another will care. Then the next family will do the same. Sharing faith and friendship is an important pay of congregational life, and it is great to have a symbol for the words for a change.

So our cake is cooking. I’ve had to take it out of the oven even though it’s not quite ready, as I need to get the chicken cooked. It’s still a bit doughy in the middle, but it looks like the kind of cake I can pop back in the oven in a while.

Meanwhile I’m hoping someone might return a piece of Herman to me in 10 days time, as I think there is more potential in this cake for a variety of things.