Dear Friends,
I know I said last week that I might take a week off from this space as I make my way back into the world from the Wild Goose, but here I am. Right now, I’m on my parents’ couch in (terribly hot) Florida, which feels like a strange in-between stage. I haven’t visited my family in several years and everything is different. (Also, I’m feeling really old - my younger sisters are whole entire people now, but in that not yet launched into the world, settled way. It’s so strange to watch.) So here I am.
The Wild Goose Festival was a wonder. My second year in attendance with the Godly Play Foundation’s program team, we saw more than twice as many children as last year and the energy that comes with that was incredible! We had such great wondering as we gathered around our stories, the children showed such great attention to their work, and our increased programming footprint meant we got to do new and delightful things like reading bedtime stories each evening at 7pm. If this sounds like fun to you, get ready because the team has big plans for next year and dates have already been announced! Catch us next year July 11-14, 2024.
Now, obviously a lot else happened at the Goose. But I confess, I didn’t see much of it. I’m a homebody by nature and an early-to-bed, early-to-rise type. So when the children are asking me if I’m going to the Silent Disco (start time 9:30pm), they learn that it’s past my bedtime. Among the things I didn’t see: this conversation between Diana Butler Bass and Bill McKibben, Spencer LaJoye performing Plowshare Prayer, and so much more. Instead, I hang out at Morning Prayer while most people are still crawling out of their tents, sing Taize, invent wonderful imaginary stories, and try to get enough sleep to keep up with a lot of small humans.
Rich In Resources
While I may not spend much time wandering around the Goose, one of the most wonderful things about being there for me is how rich it is in resources it is – I always come away with new ideas and tools for my work and for my personal life. This year brought another encounter with the talented Molly Donihe, creator of the Sacred Seams deck (stop by her website to download her resources, Stitches as a Spiritual Art and her zine, Sacred Creativity), this Praying with Mandalas book that pairs the images with a little more structure than you often find, and a great conversation with Kristen Wheeler of Ministry of Saints. Oh, and I shouldn’t forget to mention our introduction to Little Witch Hazel, which one of our new friends shared with us as part of our bedtime story gatherings!
Of course, the Godly Play crew’s presence at the Goose comes with its own resources. This weekend’s top hits include:
Singing “I believe something good is about to happen” and and “Go on your way in joy” to bookend our story sessions. Don’t miss out on the opportunity to switch up the ending of “Go on your way…” where you sing “Let your left foot say glory and your right say amen.” Some favorites of the weekend include “Let your left foot say T and your right foot say Rex,” as well as lunch/time and balle/rina, but I bet you can come up with all kinds of fun pairings!
Reading “I Am God’s Dream” by Goose presenter Matthew Paul Turner, “Change Sings” by Amanda Gorman, and “Xander’s Panda Party” by Linda Sue Park.
Push pin work a la Montessori! If you’re not familiar with push pin work, which comes from the practical life curriculum, take a moment to check it out. You can do this work with a wide variety of shapes. We push-pinned stars, hearts, fish, spirals, and even a stop sign! (I can’t tell you why there was a stop sign, but small people’s request is our command, as it were.) This activity encouraged incredible focus, even in a noisy, hot tent. You’ll want some extra large push pins like this to get started.
Reusable Water Balloons. Need I say more?
This may not be quite a ‘hiatus’ week, but I’m not quite energized at my usual “full lectionary reflection level.” So for now, drop me a line. Say hello, tell me what you’d want to see for children at the Goose (and I promise, there’s so much more beyond what you see here!), and I’ll catch you all again when I haven’t been sleeping in a leaky tent or on an air mattress in my parent’s front hall. The Goose may be a time of renewal, but for now, I need a nap.
Peace,
Bird