Review by Terry Drummond for parish magazine book review  

The Christian life is represented by a myriad of examples of discipleship; all Christians in one way or another are seeking to work out what being a follower of Jesus means. It is of course an individual journey which is shared within the corporate body of the local church which itself is representative of the global outworking of faith.
In this book which is a story of discipleship based and developed around a group of buildings in Devon, in it we find discipleship that truly tests those that are called but also represents the art of the possible.
The story is of how a few Christians with vision turned a small farm into a thriving community that represents the very best of the Christian life. I must admit to a certain bias in that I was in College and trained with one of the key people in the story Carl Lee and his wife Sue who were close friends through our days in college. I also knew a little of the work of ‘Sheldon’ in the 1980’s.
The book tells the history of how this couple along with others developed what must be one of the best Retreat Centres in the United Kingdom. Whilst also developing ‘The Society of Mary and Martha’ with its very clear focus on care for clergy and people in ministry.
The development of the site and the buildings are at the heart of this story, and the descriptions of the fund raising are a particular example of how trust in God can lead to things happening.
The point in any fund raising is always to remember that the timetable may take longer than one can expect or hope for. The truly amazing fact is that in the early days that the committed members of the community were prepared to go forward with faith. Even more telling is that the funds came in by many different means and whilst faith sustained the work there must have been times of despair and hopelessness.
The ‘Society of Mary and Martha’ which eventually became the Trust that owns and manages ‘Sheldon’ is another example of faith at work. The recognition that many clergy and church workers suffer from immense stress is hardly new, and doing something practical about the problems demands care and careful thought.
The community at ‘Sheldon’ was and is made up of people who were and are willing to face the demands and respond with serious action. The key element is to offer a place where rest and recuperation are the main element, along with good food and the opportunity to overcome the presenting problems in a relaxed atmosphere.
At ‘Sheldon’ prayer is at the heart of the community, and whilst it is a part of the daily pattern of the community it is recognised that even Christians can lose sight of what is being offered. Commitment is a key but also the realisation that we all go through dead periods where meaning can seem to be lost.
In recognising this fact the community at prayer are able to absorb those who are seeking to recover what be lost even by the most spiritually dedicated.
The wonder of ‘Sheldon’ is not just the buildings whose development and history is described but the fact that the site includes an Open Air Theatre. In this space concerts, plays and other events take place bringing people from across the County of Exeter.
The idea of Christian community all too often is just that an idea, a possibility to be worked towards. In this book the reader learns about a community that as developed and continues to do so. It is a story of ups and downs, and it will resonate with anyone who has ever tried to raise funds for building projects. (Though probably not on the scale described).
It will also speak to those who are seeking to better understand the call to be a disciple, because throughout the reader learns the benefits of sticking with what God calls us to do. No matter that it might seem to be madness to the world around us.
I commend this book for three reasons:
1. It is a story that is worth reading.
2. It is a reminder that a vision is worth staying with.
3. The purchase will be a small but no doubt welcome contribution to the work that the book describes.
The title ‘The Fat Pigeon Flies’ is intriguing, the reason for the title is part of the story, buy the book and find out why.