‘Don’t die wondering’ – a questioning community grows in Broseley
Following the news that a fire had broken out in the churchyard, two young men appeared at the rectory door to express their anger about the fire. Shortly afterwards, a teenage boy spotted the vicar and ran over and gave her a hug asking if she was OK and saying, “When I find out who did this…”. Rev Lynda Lilley gently replied, “How do you think I’m going to react?” Sheepishly, he responded, “You’ll talk to them.” She then spent a few minutes explaining the benefits of restorative justice.
The young men are all part of a group of 15-20 who hang around the church hall. They are now an emerging questioning group meeting monthly in the church hall with Rev Lynda. It has taken a year of patience and persistence on her part. When she first spotted the boys, she engaged them in conversation. They peppered her with questions right away and the questions have kept coming: Why does God allow bad things to happen? What is the future going to be like? What is our purpose in life? What am I going to do with my life? “The questions are all fairly typical of young people but it was clear these boys didn’t have anyone else to ask,” says Lynda. “There’s at least one non-school attender and others from blended families, they feel lost in the complications of life,” she adds.
Shortly after their discussions began, a piece of graffiti appeared on the building which seemed portentous: “DON’T DIE WONDERING” was carved into the wood. While all the lads denied responsibility, it led to a more focussed discussion about what questions they might have about life and faith. One afternoon, on her usual rounds, Lynda came across the group consuming ‘herbal substances’. Thinking she would be angry, the boys were surprised when she said she regularly checks the area in case she finds someone poorly, or worse. The next Sunday morning, three of the boys turned up in the pews, and a total of five attended over the next few weeks. Like many Sunday morning services, these were not particularly geared towards youth, so Lynda asked them what they would like. “Somewhere to ask questions,” was the reply, and the idea for the group was born. It seemed natural to call it ‘Don’t die wondering.’
“I tell them we may not be able to answer all the questions, but we can help them explore,” says Lynda. “It’s loosely structured, the boys lead, and we use Table Talk as a starting place. The discussions are fruitful in that we are having a discussion; responsible adults have shown an interest in their lives. Some of them ask questions of faith, one has asked to be baptised and we’re talking about the path to confirmation.
“When the fire happened, although it didn’t do a lot of damage, it made them worry that they might lose their space, and that mattered to them. Now they greet me in the street and call their friends over, saying “Rev Lynda is here!”. God has shown me that this is where he is at work, and I’ve jumped in with both feet.”
All Saints is part of The Broseley Group of Churches, in the Severn Borders deanery. Broseley is situated just south of Ironbridge.
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