Back from the Dead

I've been away on a Diocese of Bath and Wells clergy conference for a few days. I avoided blogging or surfing while I was away in order to maximise the time available to meet some new people. Although slightly implicated in the organising, as I was on the planning group, I have to say I thought it was a good experience. I could have stayed longer, an unusual thing to say about a clergy conference in my experience.

After being in charge of welcoming people and directing them through the intricacies of Swanwick parking, my main responsibility was carrying small objects around. I feel I did this with aplomb. It's a gifting.

The welcome team in the car park were all wearing high-visibility jackets and stationed at various points on the road in. I was the last person in the directing line, right outside the door to registration. I figured I could direct people in and hold the door open for them at the same time.

After five minutes a kindly soul (clergy conferences have a lot of kindly souls) came and replaced the door-holding part of my duties with a waste-bin, thus wedging it open. I was made partially redundant by a trash container.

I noticed one interesting thing about life in a high-visibility jacket. It makes you visible to motorists but invisible to all others. I overheard many conversations whilst standing still and breathing gently. So if you want to know what your church think of you, sister and brother clerges, get a high vis jacket to wear in the crowd. And by the way. I now know some of your secrets. Brown envelope. Used fivers. Usual drop.