Easter and the joy of Bank Holidays

On Thursday after school I found myself wishing that there was no Bank Holiday this weekend - our KS2 production is next week and still needs quite a bit of work. If only we had Friday and Monday to work on it, I thought... But yet Easter seems to have been lost this week for me. It is such an opportunity to be in school during Holy Week and our school really tried to make the most of it. Except for my class and Year 5 who spent the whole week rehearsing like mad.

At school on Thursday the Year 2s performed their Easter assembly in church, retelling the story of Easter. It was the most moving account that I have ever seen. The part which really got me was when one child playing Jesus was kneeling at the front of church praying in the Garden of Gethsemene and a few others were sleeping around him when another group came charging up the aisle shouting "Get him!" at the top of their voices. I was choked. They took him down the other aisle and then a few minutes later came stumbling down the aisle again, this time with a cardboard cross tied to his arms. More than anything else this year, that will stick in my mind.

On Maundy Thursday evening I was helping to lead a meditation at church. I had organised a group of instrumentalists to play some Taize (unheard of at my church normally) and surprised myself by taking the lead. I had to, because I was in charge, but I surprised myself nontheless! I have sung Taize at my old church many times in the music group but have never had to think about what instrument to play when and how to build it up and then back down again. I thoroughly enjoyed the arrangements that we made and I'm itching to do it again!!

On Good Friday I played a small part in a Passion play at church. It was very moving indeed. There were a number of places, like stages around the church and a cast of three who moved from scene to scene forming a tableau on each stage as they went around. A narrator guided the congregation to follow each of these tableaux around the church, forming the crowd at Jerusalem arriving for Passover. Then there were a number more of us who read out the characters' parts as the story progressed. At one point in the story we became agitators, stirring the crowd to shout for Barrabas' release and Jesus' crucifixion. The most moving part for me was when three or four men who had been readers like me carried the cross from the back of the church, pushing through the gathered crowd to place the cross at the front.

The rest of Friday I spent with a friend talking and talking, walking and eating, drinking tea (because the cafe had no hot chocolate!) and talking some more. There was a lot to talk about.

On Sunday morning I was on the rota for operating the computer screens at church. I wonder what it is that means I get the most difficult services? I think the last time I was on the rota was for Tabernacles - another manic service! And with there being such a large gap since I was last on the rota I inevitably arrived having completely forgotten how to work the complicated maze of cameras, computers and DVD players. Church was so packed that there was about 10 people who had to stand behind me because there were no more seats and many more were squeezed onto rows and sitting on the steps on the balconies. One of the young people came and offered to help which I was very grateful for and so I placed him on the camera - one less thing to have to worry about, if he queued up the camera I could just switch to it.

And so now I am glad that I have been made to stop this weekend, stop thinking about school and the production at least. It has forced me to think about Easter and to reflect upon Jesus dying and rising again. After all, what is more important in life? A school production? Perhaps not.

New Wine

I have returned from a very wet week at Newark - New Wine North in the Midlands... It has been a fabulous week despite the weather.

I have been working on team again, working in Boulder Gang, the kids groups for 10-11 year olds which joined up with Rock Solid (8-9s) in the evening. This year I was given some responsibility after 2 years of being a group leader and was this time round an age group leader - taking responsibility, along with another, for the 10 year olds and their leaders. In some ways I missed the daily contact with the same 30 children, learning their names and really getting to know them, instead I found I learnt very few children's names. A week is a very short period of time to get to know so many children even as a group leader when you fill in the register every morning and evening, but learning 4 times as many names without this advantage is somewhat of an impossibility. However, I did feel that I got to know the team this year. In previous years I have only turned up to do my bit, got to know the children and other leaders in my group and then gone back to the tent at the end of the session. I have never really felt to have been a part of the team before, and as such was most surprised to have been asked to take on an age group leader's role. It has been a real privilege to get to know other members of the team, where they are at and a small part of their story.

Most of all, though, I have learnt so very much from the children. As the week progresses you see them settle into the programme and the worship and can almost visibly see their faith grow. One girl in particular made an impact on me, I prayed for her in the morning as she was distressed about her home situation and at the end of the evening session she came up to me to tell me of how God had spoken to her that night with words and pictures of encouragement that he will always be with her. It bowled me away.

It has certainly been a tiring week, working on team doesn't leave a lot of free time and I have spent next to no time with my church at all, but I wouldn't have swapped it for anything.

Generous God

I volunteered myself to do the All Age Service at church this morning. Two weeks ago it seemed like a good idea, and it was, I enjoy doing them, but it didn't seem like such a good idea when I was still at the cinema at midnight last night!! I told the story of Zacchaeus using a few volunteers from the congregation to act it out as I read it. I particularly enjoyed choosing a little 4 year old girl to play Zacchaeus who then stood on a chair in the pulpit when she was climbing the tree. My volunteer for the crowd was hoping for an Oscar I think - he really put his all into the performance - it was fabulous!! I love storytelling, though I still very much rely on a script rather than being spontaneous, it keeps me on track! As part of my talk I gave a bunch of flowers to a random member of the congregation, I had been going to use balloons and children, but due to the lateness of actually finishing my talk and then getting to the corner shop half an hour before the service, they didn't have any balloons and I had to rethink - but actually I think it worked better with flowers, and I really enjoyed being able to show that lady a small snippet of God's generosity to her.

Walking, praying, walking

I really enjoy going for a long walk along the beach. I find it such a blessing to live somewhere that I can nip down to the beach whenever I like for a stroll. Often I only share the beach with dog walkers, but it is so vast that I rarely need to worry. The last 2 days I have been for a walk on my own on the usual route, a circular tour down to the beach and along towards the town centre, past the pier and along the promenade then back towards the square and home. Tramping along on my own is just about the best time to converse with God, observing things and praying for them as I think of them, a long rambling conversation. I love it.
This isn't a picture from today, I didn't take my camera with me, but I think it reflects today's beauty nonetheless. I invited Sophie to join me, but she doesn't appreciate these things yet, the internet is far more appealing. Yesterday she sent me with her sock, which I thought was rather cute in a way, so I took it with me in my pocket and prayed for her as I went.

I have been reading Rob Bell's book Velvet Elvis and thinking about the everywhereness of God and those times when you really feel that it is a holy moment in the midst of the ordinaryness. I felt that on my walk yesterday. Beautiful.