Banners

My lovely friend Pauline, also known as Aunty P, 'P' or Brown Owl, depending upon how you know her, did something wonderful yesterday. She organised a 'banner making' event in Church. There were young people and their Mums. No Dads unfortunately. The children were absorbed in the crafts but the Mums were equally drawn into the simple act of being creative. We don't do enough of these fun creative occasions. There were three banners being created. One banner that was being made was for the new area of the Church created so the children can have fun in a safe space. Another was a 'Welcome' banner. The other is an 'Allelluia Banner' which involves loads of decorated paper eggs created by various members of the Church as well as people who 'don't do Church'. It is an ancient tradition which Pauline has revived for us. The banner will be hidden for Lent and re-appear at Easter.

It was a lovely couple of hours. There were feather rainbows being made in all the colours of the rainbow, including indigo and orange and violet. There were coloured ribbons and buttons, strips of organza and linen. There were hands coated in poster paints of lilac, yellow, green and any other colour you care to mention. There was gummy glue sticking everything and everyone together. We were glittered, and beaded. There were animals for Noah's Ark, including a fish called 'Bob' (because fish go 'bob, bob, bob' when they are swimming. There was even a duck with a pearl necklace. Noah's Ark had a little purple glitter door. All the eggs had the children's names on them declaring their belonging in the community. These are the sort of occasions that organisations like Brownies and Churches have licence and opportunity to do, where others don't. We have the space, we have the legal status, the certificates to prove we are safe to ensure Child Protection. We have the time, the resources and the inclination. For me, it is at times like this that it all seems worth it, not in Church on Sunday mornings. I see God in the children and I see God at work in my friend Pauline, although she will never forgive me for saying so.

The children and their trusting little faces full of laughter and their stories speak to me powerfully about why I do this work. I heard about a fish called 'Brian' who died and had a Fish burial ceremony in the garden. There were other fish stories, brought on by the presence of the lilac-glitter encrusted 'Bob'. Some, less fortunate fish are unceremoniously flushed down the loo I'm afraid. One little girl, to her own embarrassment asked me 'what do you want to be when you grow up?'. Not knowing the answer, I said 'oh I think I will be a funeral director for fishes'. 'We are going to be comedians' two little girls said, 'we are going to stand here and amuse you.' I thought it seemed like a worthwhile cause and so did they. Hopefully our Government won't impose a 'target' for them to reach where they have to make us laugh ten times each so that we can quantify and justify the investment.

If as Religious people we forget that God is not contained to Church and if we forget Jesus' words of being 'like little children' in order to 'inherit the Kingdom of God' we lose sight of God altogether. Many of the Mums of these children and the children themselves would not normally step inside a Church. My friend who 'doesn't do Church either has brought them there. With them, these people who don't understand why we go to Church at all, God speaks to us of the enormous capacity for human thriving. I sense the love of God in their peaceful sense of the importance of living, laughing, dreaming, trusting, creating, dancing, singing, munching chocolate, friendship, love, telling stories, amusing and entertaining one another. For me this is what God is all about.