..that it is National Walk to School Week?
Having got a flyer at the nursery I thought favourably of potential recognition for trailing up and down the pathways pushing a pram twice a day.
Until I read the small print that walking from the car park counts too.
Pathetic! Maybe it is political correctness such that nobody is excluded!!
Things that have crossed my path this week have made me realise that it is easy to get confused when you wear too many different hats within the Church.
As the Diocesan Youth & Children’s Officer I am trying to promote certain things, as a Sunday School teacher I have other thougts about what I should be doing and as a parent I have wishes for my children that may or may not fit in with what I am promoting in the other roles. A confusing trinity!
It struck me at a meeting this week that suggestions for a child friendly day-trip programme for our congregation just didn’t float my boat. Too much organisation, can’t be spontaneous, going places I’d go anyway, don’t want to go out of guilt and the feeling that I should support it. For my children, I want a top notch Sunday morning session first and foremost.
But then I am organising events within the Diocese. As a Sunday school teacher, I would not dream of taking responsibility for some of the kids that come along outwith the boundaries of the church - it would be too stressful and no fun. A friend once told me that she was generally scared of other people’s children and in many ways I can understand that!
Would I bring church kids to the events I organise? Only with their parents in tow.
Do I wonder why it seems historically people have to be dragged out to events?
Is it worth the bother organising stuff?
Over on RevRuth’s blog I was prompted by one of those vestry agenda points which rolls on for months, or perhaps years.
We’ve been trying to get a decent Book of Rememberance for the Church - something that has a week spread over a double page where names and dates can be entered. At the moment we have a cheap diary but it has been suggested we go more towards a longer term, leather embossed type thing. Anything that has “Memoral Book” embossed on it seems to cost hundreds of pounds. And the cheapskates amongst us pointed out that if it is always laid open, nobody would ever see the wording anyway?
Any bright ideas from anyone in a similar sitaution recently??
Well, we had queues for our face painting yesterday.
At one point, my husband thought he would try and alleviate the crowds by helping out with some painting so there were some slightly less than artistic ‘red noses’ walking round the site.
The day started with a worship event with John Bell (Iona Community) and Archbishop of York, John Sentamu. Unfortunately it was not family orientated and I had wriggly children in tightly packed seats for most of it. My son’s main impression of the Archbishop of York was that he hadn’t brushed his teeth when he was a boy which is why he now has ‘poo teeth’. Not the expected outcome of the sermon, but still valid!
Again it was great to see some familar faces in the afternoon as they visited our tent.
There were also some slightly overwhelming people including one lady who seemed to be addicted to the God channel on Sky TV. In my judgemental way, I want to disregard some people as ‘fruitcakes’, but I know I shouldn’t. In a way I’m amazed at their certainty about everything - they have no doubts. They are 100% sure that God or the Holy Spirit has come to them and spoken to them in their kitchen and given them absolute instructions as to what they should do. I don’t think I am a great evangelist and feel inadequate in a mumbly way when faced with such conversations!
If the National Gathering becomes an annual event in our area, I’d definitely go again. And we’d have some new ideas as to what we could do in the tents!
What a day!
I was going to blog last night but crawled into bed instead too exhausted after all the fun and games yesterday.
It didn’t rain, the crowds came, the worship was huge, children had a great time, friends old and new met, shared and had fun.
I’d recommend it to anyone who is free today to come along - there is such a variety of stuff from the 200 or so tents hosted by individual congregations to the kids marquee with crafts, puppets, stories and about 5 bouncy castle things. There are also quiet places, a ‘youth shed’, worship events, resources…. I hope to get around a bit more of it today.
We’re doing face painting at our tent today which should be a laugh!
Pictures to follow..
“Is that God up there?”
- Felix Fritzl, 5, sees the moon for the first time since leaving the cellar.
