The Gathering 2011

I've been trying to make it to The Gathering (the NZ Wesleyan-Methodist church's annual weekend retreat) each year since 2006, but somehow something has always got in the way.

This year the weekend has been cancelled due to lack of numbers. Or more accurately, the numbers are too high. Everyone has kids now, which therefore lessens their availability.

So this year, to not lose the event entirely, regional one-day conferences are being held around the country. This lunchtime I therefore headed up to the bus stop on Picton Street to finally attend one. I admit that I didn't relish the idea of navigating all the way to Papakura Wesleyan Church using only Auckland's public transport. Within a mere moment however, I had bumped into Paul, who had offered me a ride there. Well, my bus stop was right outside where he works. (or even Quirks)

After he, Kate and myself had found the location, the real time of searching began. At one point we were all broken up into our respective churches and asked to discuss questions about what we think our one does well or badly, and ways in which we could improve.

There were about eight of us there from my church (cession), which is easily enough people for me to fall quiet. I find it very hard to communicate in a crowd, because I instinctively wait for a pause in the conversation, which just never comes. At one point I began to say something at the same time as someone else, and as usual stopped to let them speak instead, to which somebody declared "Everybody! QUIET! Steve is talking!" Suddenly eight faces - all of them friends - were smiling expectantly at me.

I have no memory what my point was, just the sense that belonged there.