the weeks gone by

I haven't blogged much this week.. thats because yet again I've been away seems to be that my patch is travelling again more. And not just a physical thing but that's another story..... This time it wasn't a trip to my new home or off on a camp... my patch was in my patch but at another patch... bit confusing I was still in London still in lambeth but spent most of the week at the Salvation Army's territorial HQ based near  the elephant and castle.. 


The course was about Godly Play (GP).. my friend over at easterkindofway says a lot about Godly Play and has been doing it for a while and Seethroughfaith helps.

I have to admit to start out I was sceptical about a lot of it and told the leaders of the course that.. it was a good way to start maybe not but it was a very honest and open way to start. And the first day found it hard to really engage with what was being taught at times especially having the space in the response time ... I think in part as there was just too much quiet and silence for me. 


I'm used to doing things very creative and very interactive when I get the chance. At first found that the sacred stories those stories like noah, exodus really hard to get into it felt like I was just watching what was taking place. But day two changed things when we were introduced to and started telling the parables. 


It wasn't until I got to play that I really got what GP is... during the course which was training for storytellers I did the parable of the sower I really enjoyed playing with the birds as they flew down to eat the seed on the path giving them each characters of their own 

This is from the finish Godly play site my little birds were painted bright colours and while preparing spent a long time playing with the birds given them names 

A wonderful part is the wonder time after or as part of the story I wonder if the birds had names I wonder which you like best I wonder if the famer was sad to see the birds eat the seed I wonder if the birds where happy to see the farmer I wonder who the farmer is our wonder what the harvest is 

its space where no answer is right non is wrong... its a safe space to wonder to wander through bible 

One of my favourite parts of the week was a line from the Holy family story 

The word became a wordless child 

that phrase I loved and it just summed up what took place when Jesus came to earth so simply but so profoundly...

By wednesday evening it was sad to have to finish the course 

It was a fun few days very tiering but fun and there are bits that I just aren't me  or I don't get that were challenging  thats ok too... there was a great encouragement also as I saw some of the principle and ideas I try to work by were modelled here.


I found too some of the confidence that had been stollen from me over the past few months while sitting there in a small group just two others practicing and they read the script words and actions and I played it out..  and then in the larger group the story was mine 


I get to help at a GP next week at a friends church I'm really looking forward to that  and see for the first time how children engage and respond through GP and how they have so much to teach us through wondering