I have post-event hang over. Do you know what that's like?
I'm exhausted physically and therefore I know I have been involved with something major, this is mixed with a faint excitement and buzz of adrenaline which is left over from the event. Thrown in is an undercurrent of deep sadness which threatens to build if one dwells on what has occurred too long. Yet, one has the temptation to bring names, situations and encounters up over and over again, like verbal vomit, to whomever happens to be around. Yes, I have a serious case of post-event fever.
This weekend 1st - 3rd March I and my colleagues were sent on mission. Six teams departed college at various times on Friday and re-grouped in different locations across the North East. One group went as far north as Holy Island and another went as far south as Doncaster, the rest of us were spread in between. One group stayed in Durham and went to the prison, while we went to the Metro Centre in Gateshead.
We had started planning for this back in October when we had first met the Metro Centre's Chaplin: The Reverend Canon Lyn Jamison over lunch. Lyn was initially hesitant, with good reason, to have a team in the Metro Centre, as she later said 'It had to be the right team' but early into our meeting she sat back and smiled. Sharing her concern, she then added 'but after five minutes of meeting you all I knew this is going to be good.'
Five months of planning, meetings both within college as a team and at the Metro Centre, e-mails back and forth, designs for posters, t-shirts, labyrinths....the list is endless it seems and it all came together this weekend. The only team who can say they officially had a marketing team on board, we were hugely supported and encouraged by the Metro Centre.
On Friday we arrived for 2pm and began with a meeting with Lyn in one of the Metro Centre board rooms, drank coffee, ate homemade flapjack and fridge cake (made by one of our wonderful, additional, team members) and talked about the set up for the weekend. Having established enough caffeine in our systems and that we had bought everything we could possibly need, for now at least, we headed onto the floor. There was an area which had been cordoned off. This was our space.
The first thing was; where would we set up the Labyrinth? Steve set out the marker and we realised just how big it was going to be. That in itself took up a huge portion of our allotted space! But we decided to map it out and then figure where our other stalls would go. Having mapped it out in a place on one side of our square we realised it wouldn't work in that position and therefore we started again. At some point we stopped for a coffee break before pressing on. Before we knew it we had a stage, a labyrinth and four stalls or allocated areas and it was time for dinner.
After a lovely meal and time of fellowship, mostly spent in laughter, we discussed some final logistics and prayed together. Then it was home for a few hours sleep before re-convening again at the Metro Centre at 9am.
Saturday morning began with coffee or tea, laughter (par for course with our group), prayer and final changes to set up. Posters went up as shoppers began to start their day of events and we took up positions on whatever stall it was we were allocated to. It was a day filled with activities from creation collages, to prayer tree requests, people taking a journey around the Labyrinth or a free sweet and prayer card or Pencil, to having shoes cleaned or hands massaged. Some part took in everything. Meanwhile, on the hour we had dramas, songs, shows etc...everything from would you Adam and Eve it to puppets and even a flash mob!
It was fantastic!!! We had some incredible conversations and moments. At the end of a wonderfully exhausting day we reflected on what it had held, how God had moved and what had challenged us. Then we put aside mission for a few hours and joined Lyn's husband for dinner, a great way of winding down but continuing to be church and fellowship together. Then we headed home for a few hours of sleep before doing it all again on Sunday.
Sunday, we had less to set up with a plan of holding two services rather than dramas, stories, or puppets as we had had the day before. So it was a smoother start to the day with the band sorting out the gear, but we simply took our various positions, as we had the day before. Time flew and before we knew it we had held two services, both with great impact at different levels, and had had another day of engaging with people and meeting them where they were at. As the centre announced it's closing we began to close off our section, to as it had been when we had set up on Friday night, we removed posters, equipment and finally the Labyrinth. If this had been a pain to put down it certainly was a nightmare to pull up!! But oh how we laughed!!!
There was a sadness and reluctance to leave our square, looking at it now it was as though we had never been there. As we drank more coffee, tea or hot chocolate and ate flapjack, cake or fruit we chatted about the day and prayed together but all were aware of the loitering cloud which was descending of fatigue and an unwillingness to leave, to say goodbye. Finally poor Lyn managed to bid us fair well and get us out and we each separated off to our different modes of travel. However, not before a team hug!
The conclusion we had come to: it had felt such a natural and normal thing to do.
Now at the end of a fantastic, fast paced, weekend I am left wondering what do I take from a this and where do I go next? I may never know but as I begin to process all I have encountered and revel in the privilege it has been, I shall ponder and pray, and of course sleep and rest on my well earned (I feel) day off.
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