The Gathering

More Casting the Net …. I can’t find an acceptable way of describing ‘getting to the next stage’ without an unacceptable mixing of metaphors.

Anyway yesterday we gathered a great crowd of people – probably well over half the congregations in the diocese represented – and set up a series of workshops and other things all over the Cathedral. What did we do? Well there was drumming and Godly Play for children and workshops on mission and drama. I did three sessions in the baptistry – one on reading the bible in church, one on ‘To believe or not to believe’ and one on ‘What really happens at Communion?’ I remain completely astonished by the appetite which there is for talking/exploring sessions of that kind. I need to do more. In the Lady Chapel, our Spirituality Group was giving people some guided meditation. We ended with a Eucharist ‘in the round’ with African chant and all sorts of other excitements.

So where does all this fit in? Two things, it seems to me. One is that an event like this gives people a chance to ‘taste’ all sorts of things without needing to ask ‘Will it work?’ or ‘Is it a good idea?’ The other is that, as congregations gradually develop mission plans, they will begin looking for some of these resources – so this is a way of encouraging people to believe that we can provide what is needed when the time comes.

It was great though. Organised in quite a hurry. I found myself with people many of whom I didn’t know. Even some of the people running it were people I didn’t know. In a small church like the SEC, that is both unusual and healthy!

3 comments

  1. Like youir bit about not knowing some people….we are having a ‘sticky-label’ Sunday at St , when we are all to wear our names on our lapels so that we can get to know the names of folk we have known for year’s.

    But where on his robes will Kelvin wear his label?

    1. Problem is I never know which pair of glasses to wear.

      But this was great because we’re trying to draw in a new constituency of lay leadership … and it began to be visible.

  2. Sounds like a fantastic opportunity to get inspiration!

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