CUPCAKES AND KALEIDOSCOPES

A great service at church this morning for Trinity Sunday led by Anne, who said that Jesus had used the things of HIS day to illustrate the stories he told, such as pearls and the things around Him, so today we would be thinking about cupcakes and kaleidoscopes.  

We were in small groups and encouraged to colour in the templates left on the tables.  Stephen was even more precise with his colouring and said that the only one that was "trinitarian" was the one he used - which you can see in the middle - and I could tell that he was really enjoying himself.  How often as adults do we do "colouring", something normally reserved for children, and find we really enjoy it?

Someone then brought a tray of undecorated cupcakes and at this point, it could easily have become "Messy Church".  However, as responsible adults, we were very precise when we decorated our cupcakes, although I was admonished for helping myself to some dolly mixtures and eating them rather than using them as decorations.  However, I did notice that others were enjoying the mini marshmallows when they thought no-one was looking!  I think Anne was worried that we might eat the cupcakes during the rest of the service, so they were "whisked" away and we enjoyed them later with our coffee.

The bottom right photograph is a pattern that Stephen's wife, Christine, made - I think I need to ask her about this.

I knew my illusions were going to be shattered when Anne picked up the kaleidoscope and began to tell us how it worked.  I put my hands over my ears and said I didn't want to know!  I have always felt like this and felt the same this morning;  I think it's because I just want to know the patterns are beautiful without knowing the details.  I could see that some of the components i.e. three mirrors, fitted in very well with the theme of the service, but I must confess I didn't listen much at that point.

We sang some great songs and it was good to be with like-minded people worshipping God.  It was good to hear James, who is 3 tomorrow, singing "God's love is very wonderful" and of course, we all sang "Happy Birthday" to him.

Before the service finished Anne gave everyone a small kaleidoscope and I'm sure if I can find a bug in the garden, I will enjoy looking at it through this.

“As babies we’re born 
blank sheets of paper. 
Not a single mark. 
As we grow older, lines form, 
then colors and patterns. 
Before long that paper 
is all sorts of brilliant. 
Like a kaleidoscope, 
no two exactly alike.” 
Shannon Wiersbitzky
What Flowers Remember