more than lived up to expectations. Escaping from home and parish was such a tonic, and jonny's input was everything I'd hoped for, and helped me to reflect on some important issues, specially in his use of the lectio divina in the Eucharist.
I'd rather failed to notice my struggle to worship when leading worship until it was, blissfully, taken away completely as jonny gave us the opportunity to simply engage with God exactly where we were...
One friend pointed out that in their recent interregnum some clergy had come to lead worship for them, while others had come to worship with them....something to ponder and attend to in the weeks and months ahead.
Lots of excellent material; very interesting seeing how others who'd not experienced alt. worship before related to it, were enthused, and looked for ways to connect it with their local contexts. I think even those who were most defensive ("alternative worship is for alternative people" said one woman rather tartly over supper on the first evening) found things they could appreciate and take away to work with....certainly I came home wishing I had time to rejig "Into the Wilderness" but rather happy that, even in its unimproved form, it will be available for the people here...we so need new ways to encounter God.
Lots of fantastic food...it was the sort of hotel I can't imagine ever staying in in any other context, and made us all feel thoroughly pampered
Lots of lovely empty sand just crying out to be written on (so of course, I had to oblige) and huge vistas of sea and sky...the sheer generosity of the landscape paralleled what was going on for me on so many fronts.
Lots to be thankful for :-)
You see this is why I'm best kept away from normal church people...had 'tartly woman' made that comment in my hearing, it would have been all I could do not to retort: "well love, if you're indicative of the 'norm', I'll opt for the 'alternative' every time...".
ReplyDeleteStill as Steve and I have discussed, the fact that 9 times out of 10 we bite back the bitchy/sarcastic comments that run constantly through our minds, gets us no credit. And when you think about it we're making a greater effort than those naturally nice folk who never think such thoughts in the first place ;-)
There's no justice... ;-)