Snowmen and God

The general consensus, apart from those stuck overnight on the M25 and M40, was that it was a good thing the snow fell on Saturday night because Sunday is not a working day. Well, not for some! As I walked across to church at about 7.20am on Sunday morning in snow so deep that it came in over the top of my ankle boots, I revelled in the glory of the silent, silver scene around me and wondered just who would manage to get to church. In the event only four of us, including myself and the server, were present at the 8am and probably only about forty to fifty of us at the main 9.30am service; but how special both services were!

At the 8am we had a time of open prayer instead of the usual intercessions and the four of us gathered in the sanctuary, standing round the altar in a wonderful sense of intimacy with the mystery of the Eucharist. At the 9.30am the Dunkirk spirit was alive and well and so were the words of Shakespeare.
"We few, we happy few; we band of brothers." It was us against the world of snow!

But it was what happened after the service that led to this blog. We went over to coffee and one of our adult members went off into the field at the back of our hall to start making a snowman with some of the children. However, for Carlos, the name of this adult - but on this occasion a great big kid – one snowman was not enough. Soon, jacket off, he was making a second and a third. And I am not talking small snowmen – these were of impressive stature. Soon most of the adults had drifted outside some to watch, some to take photos, a few to help.

The snow was ideal for making snowmen and it was surprisingly pleasant outside. The sun came out and there was no wind. But if it was good snow for snowmen it was also exceedingly good snow for snowballs and soon snow ball fights, initiated by the children, were going on all over the place between children and adults and adults and adults, amidst much laughter. Snow, snowmen and children prompted us all to play. We were all big kids. It was one of those spontaneous, joyful occasions that would never work if you planned it: it just happened – and it is what being community is about at its best.

Later on I thought about the delight of those few minutes: of our laughter and our joy; and I thought about the disparate group of people who were gathered in the snow. We were of different ages, backgrounds, careers etc but we acted with such confidence with each other because we have one thing in common: the one thing that brings us altogether: that bonds us and hones us so that we can act on occasions like a very large and very happy family. What we have is, of course, Jesus Christ and his message of love for each and every person.

The (now four) snowmen completed we finished our snow fight with several of us standing in a line with the snowmen, holding their stick arms. Amidst much laughter, photographs were taken of "the Peace," a fitting end.

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