Day of Discovery!
On Saturday 7th May I went along to the Trinity Centre for the Day of Discovery Day. As a newcomer to Holy Trinity, I was looking forward to the opportunity to get to know people better. I arrived in time for morning coffee (always a good way to start any gathering), and given a programme for the day. It was going to be quite busy …
At first, I was a bit mystified as to what the list of letters at the top of my programme meant, but all soon became clear: it was an
ingenious system to make sure that people mixed as much as possible, with all of us moving from table to table, each time ending up in a different group. Each carefully timed segments of the day (22 minutes precisely per question!) took us from basics about ourselves and our origins, through how we had been attracted to Holy Trinity, and the things that keep us busy, to who and what is important to us.
The final session invited us to reflect on our church family, the community, the things we love doing and what gifts or skills we
might have to offer.
By now you may very well be thinking, that’s all very well, but what happened? What was it like?
We talked to each other. It felt like a privilege to be part of an event that encouraged people to share their stories with one another.
There was laughter and humour, as well as compassion and kindness as we listened to each other. People offered a glimpse of their lives, and as the day went on, it was as if a tapestry was being woven. The warp and weft of those who had been in this part of the world their whole lives woven together with those who have come from further afield. The rich colour provided by the variety of different life
experiences, jobs and interests. The pattern perhaps people’s search for meaning and God in liturgy and Eucharist.
We ate together. A selection of delicious soups and magnificent cheese scones at the end of a busy morning was very welcome. It was also the opportunity for conversations to continue, themes to be pursued and more laughter.
We prayed together. Liz reminded us that the church is called Holy Trinity and that the Trinity is a kind of “dance of love”. The morning certainly had plenty of movement in it! A rousing rendition of “Give Me Joy in My Heart” was a fitting end to the day.
What am I taking with me after all of this? A feeling of being made welcome and of a community that already does a lot. The final questions about our Church family, led our table to ponder what it is to be the “body of Christ”. A body works best when all of its disparate parts are able to be completely themselves. So, the question I have been left pondering is what might we need as individuals and as a community
to enable us to continue to grow into becoming that facet of God which we are uniquely called to be?
Sharon Laidlaw
