Well, it’s Wednesday, so it must be excursions. In my case, to Tesco’s. With a shopping list from the under 19 core team that started with 110 apples, 15 packs of biscuits…. And another shopping list from our flat for chocolate…. Then the local pub for lunch and an afternoon spent mostly on Quaker business.
Which makes me reflect on the volunteer effort that goes into an event like this. I have ended up volunteering for several things I didn’t plan for – playing the piano for the programmed meeting tomorrow, selling Swarthmore lectures, perhaps because I have been in the right place at the right time or more probably because the people who needed someone know me. Then there are the things that I knew I was volunteering for too – time at the stall at the groups fair, Stewardship groups, eldering. Are we harnessing the right volunteer effort, or are the “usual suspects” doing everything? Is it easier sometimes for the staff to do things themselves than to ask someone else who could do it, to do it. How do we support each other in working, paid or unpaid, large task or small? But overall I am loving the time spent in doing all this. It’s fun! One of the messages from the groups the other night is that we actually need to say when service is fun – and encourage others!
So, how are we doing, half way or more through this Yearly Meeting Gathering. Well, general consensus amongst those I’ve talked to seems to be could do better, but could have been an awful lot worse, too. Lots of things we could get more right for Canterbury in 2011, some small, some about integration, but also lots of things that have gone right and that have been a joy.
The quality of our worship and faithfulness seems similar – a few minor niggles, but generally OK. But now we start to get into time-pressure territory. There are only 2 Yearly Meeting sessions left. but potentially a major decision to take. And although we have been talking about committed relationships all week, tomorrow is the first chance for us to contribute in session. I am praying we can be faithful, to really hear one another and to listen to how far God really wants to take us.
One of the most moving parts of today was a memorial meeting to celebrate the grace of God shown in the life of Jenny Fishpool. And there were so many examples shared of that grace of God.
Finished the day (well almost) with the JYM epilogue. A chance to see some of the 3 young people from my meeting, and several others I know, other than across a crowded main hall. I am used to being around young people at Quaker events, so this event has felt quite different for me. We get to spend a few minutes in the social space before epilogue starts. They look tired but exhilarated. Epilogue on the theme of a web and the connections we make. It took me a while in the darkness to work out it was a web, but a deep silence and ministry.
Really finished the day with some supper (no time earlier!) and chat.
[...] Clare Scott Booth on the mid-point of the Gathering [...]