A threefold blessing: We had a rather special service on Sunday with a threefold blessing (writes Marie Moreton).

Everyone I spoke to afterwards said how lovely it was and spoke of how they were blessed by either one part or all parts of this threefold blessing.

One part came in the form of a lesson about eagles.

We heard how there comes a time in an eagle's life where its claws and beak become so overgrown, it can't function properly, and how this would reduce its ability to feed and to preen its feathers and then how the lack of preening would reduce its ability to fly.

We heard how the only way for it to survive was for it to go off into the mountains for some time and bang its beak on a rock until it fell off, and then when a new beak grew, it could remove its claws and preen its feathers.

We heard how this process takes time, and then when the eagle has its new claws and beak and new feathers, it is fit to carry on with its life for another 40 years or more.

We were reminded how this can be like our lives some times, how we can end up with things in our lives that reduce our ability to function properly.

We were reminded that sometimes we need to take time out to get rid of all the stuff that's holding us back so that we can be renewed and strengthened and then carry on as we are meant to be.

Another part of this threefold blessing showed us how we can achieve this. The words on our mercy seat were pointed out to us. The words, 'Jesus saves, Jesus keeps'.

We then heard about many different ways, through scripture, in which Jesus does save us and keep us. We heard about how Jesus died on the cross for us and many examples of how He looks after us and protects us. We were then encouraged to ask for His help.

Then, there came the part of this threefold blessing that seemed to call and motivate us into action, in order to achieve this ridding of stuff that was holding us back so that we could be renewed and strengthened and carry on as we are meant to be.

Songster leader Peter Greenway sang a solo, a song called 'First Step'.

The song encouraged us to take the first step, and showed us that it's not so hard to do because angels are standing guard over us and God is there ready to help us.

This threefold blessing was given to us by God through our songster leader and bandmaster Peter Greenway.