Mae ein Hesgob Cynorthwyol yn rhoi cynnig ar 'champio'
Ysgrifennir Esgob Mary:
Mae champio - neu wersylla mewn eglwys yn rhywbeth hollol newydd i mi. Rwyf wedi clywed ychydig am y syniad hwn o eglwysi yn dirnad galwedigaeth newydd ac yn ailddyfeisio eu hunain fel llefydd o letygarwch i wersyllwyr. Ond, roedd gennyf lawer o gwestiynau ynghylch sut y gallai hyn weithio allan.
Roeddwn i’n meddwl tybed pa mor barchus y gallai fod ac a fyddai’n teimlo’n briodol cael pobl i gysgu mewn addoldy. Ro’n i braidd yn ofni y byddwn i’n cael fy cnoi gan lygod yn ystod y nos, ond fe wirfoddolais i roi cynnig ar hyn yn Llanddona – eglwys hardd ar Ynys Môn lle mae’r gynulleidfa’n arbrofi i weld a yw’n gweithio iddyn nhw. Roedd fy ngŵr yn meddwl fy mod yn wallgof! Atgoffodd fi fod gennyf waith i’w wneud y diwrnod ar ôl fy noson bencampwriaeth arfaethedig a gofynnodd imi sut yr oeddwn yn meddwl y byddwn yn llwyddo i weithio pe bawn wedi blino’n lân ar ôl noson anghyfforddus mewn eglwys. Roedd mam yn poeni am fy niogelwch a beth allai ddigwydd i mi mewn eglwys unig ar ganol nos, oddi cartref. Roeddwn yn eithaf chwilfrydig ac yn awyddus i ddarganfod sut brofiad ydyw mewn gwirionedd.
Pan gyrhaeddais yr eglwys cefais groeso gan warden yr eglwys Lucy a'i mab Tom. Roedd criw o wirfoddolwyr wedi paratoi croeso bendigedig. Roedd trefniadau blodau o ddigwyddiad lansio y diwrnod cynt, a fasys bach yn y gofodau champio y byddwn yn eu defnyddio. Roedd rhywun wedi peintio cerrig gyda symbolau o groeso a gweddi. Roedd toiled compostio a chegin wedi'u paratoi, ac roedd rhai cacennau cartref, jar o felysion a llawer o wybodaeth am yr ardal a phethau i'w darllen a'u gwneud. Yr oedd yr holl le yn hollol lân. Mae gwelyau gwersylla wedi'u gosod ac roedd amrywiaeth o ganhwyllau batri yn ogystal â lamp drydan a thegell gyda thê a choffi masnach deg.
Mae Llanddona mewn lle o harddwch eithriadol. Mae'r eglwys yn agos iawn at y môr, efallai rhyw ddau funud i ffwrdd o’r traeth. Roedd y Parchg Ganon Robert Townsend, sy’n offeiriad lleol a hefyd yn ddyn bad achub, wedi dweud wrthyf amseroedd y llanw a phryd oedd yr amser gorau i fynd am dro. Cefais daith syfrdanol ar y traeth ar fachlud haul gan ddod o hyd i lawer o gregyn hardd, ac ehangder o dywod. Cefais fy syfrdanu gan brydferthwch y blodau, y golygfeydd a rhyfeddod tyner y môr a’r lan.
Roeddwn wedi mynd â sach gysgu cynnes blancedi a chlustogau gyda mi. Roedd Lucy y warden wedi rhoi rhestr ddefnyddiol i mi o bethau y gallai fod eu hangen arnaf. Does dim gwres yn yr eglwys, ond roeddwn yn barod am hyn ac wedi cymryd dillad cynnes. Gallwn i fod wedi mynd i’r dafarn leol am bryd o fwyd neu hyd yn oed archebu bwyd i’w ddanfon (a fyddai wedi bod yn hwyl yn yr eglwys fach wledig hon) ond mewn gwirionedd roeddwn wedi cymryd swper picnic ac yn gallu gwneud paned o sioceld boeth i mi fy hun wrth sefydlu fy ngwely am y noson.
Canfûm nad oedd angen i mi boeni o gwbl am ddiogelwch am ei bod yn hawdd cau a chloi’r prif ddrws ac roedd yr eglwys yn teimlo mor gyfeillgar gyda llawer o gyffyrddiadau bach wedi’u paratoi gan y gynulleidfa i groesawu gwestai. Roedd yn teimlo'n gartrefol a diogel. Yn ogystal â mynd am dro roeddwn yn gallu gwneud ychydig o waith ar fy ngliniadur ac roedd yn teimlo'n hawdd a naturiol iawn i weddïo am y diwrnod, yn cerdded ar lan y môr a hefyd o flaen yr allor lle gosodwyd fy ngwely. Roeddwn i'n ei chael hi'n hawdd cwympo i gysgu ac er i mi ddeffro yn yr oriau mân roedd y lle'n teimlo'n gosteg, yn dawel ac yn heddychlon.
Roedd fy mhrofiad o champio yn llawer mwy hamddenol nag yr oeddwn yn ei ddisgwyl. Onid yw fel gwersylla neu aros mewn carafán, ond mae'n teimlo'n wahanol oherwydd lleoliad mor anarferol. Yr wyf wedi meddwl yn ystod yr hwyr am yr holl bobl sydd wedi bod yno ar hyd eu hoes, ac sy’n dal i ddod yno heddiw i weddïo.
Yn y bore cynnar roeddwn i'n fwy ymwybodol o gorws y wawr nag oedd gartref. Roedd rhywbeth unigryw am y profiad o gysgu mewn eglwys, deuthum o hyd i awyrgylch lletygarwch sanctaidd a byddwn yn annog eraill sydd â diddordeb mewn rhoi cynnig arni.
Mae’n teimlo’n eithaf pwysig i adael y gofod mor dawel ag sy’n bosibl, i weinidogaethu fel man o addoliad. Gobeithiais y gallai fy ymweliad byr, ac unrhyw pererinion erail, gyd-fynd ag ef yn hytrach nag aflonyddu ar fywyd a gweinidogaeth arbennig Llanddona fel man gweddi.
Our Assistant Bishop tries 'champing'
Bishop Mary writes:
Champing – or church camping is something totally new to me. I’ve heard a little bit about this idea of churches discerning a new vocation and reinventing themselves as places of hospitality for campers, But I had lots of questions about how this might work out.
I wondered how reverent it might be and whether it would feel appropriate to have people sleeping in a place of worship. I was a little afraid I might be nibbled by mice during the night, but I volunteered to try this in Llanddona - a beautiful church on Ynys Môn (Anglesey) where the congregation is experimenting to see if works for them. My husband thought I was crazy. He reminded me that I had work to do the day after my proposed champing night and asked me how I thought I would manage to work if I was exhausted after an uncomfortable night in a church. My mum worried about my safety and what might happen to me in a lonely church in the middle of the night, away from home. I was quite curious and keen to find out what it’s really like.
When I arrived at the church I was welcomed by churchwarden Lucy and her son Tom. A group of volunteers had prepared a wonderful welcome. There were flower arrangements from a launch event the day before, and little vases in the champing spaces I would use. Someone had painted stones with symbols of welcome and prayer. A composting toilet and a kitchen space had been prepared, and there were some home-made cakes, a jar of sweets and lots of information about the area and things to read and do. The whole place was spotlessly clean. Camping beds have been set up and there were an array of battery powered candles as well as an electric lamp and a kettle with fair trade tea and coffee.
Llanddona is in a place of outstanding beauty. The church is very close to the sea, perhaps a two-minute walk away from the beach. The Revd Canon Robert Townsend, who is the local priest and also a lifeboatman, had told me the tide times and when was the best time to go for a walk. I had a stunning beach walk at sunset finding many beautiful shells, and an expanse of sand. I was bowled over by the beauty of the flowers, the views and the gentle wonder of the sea and shore.
I had taken a warm sleeping bag blankets and pillows with me Lucy the warden had given me a helpful list of things I might need. There is no heating in the church, but I was prepared for this and had taken warm clothes. I could have gone to the local pub for a meal or even ordered food to be delivered (which would have been fun at this little, rural church) but I’d actually taken a picnic supper and was able to make myself a cup of hot chocolate while I set up my bed for the night.
I found I didn’t need to worry at all about safety it was easy to shut and lock the main door and the church felt so friendly with many little touches prepared by the congregation to welcome a guest. It felt homely and safe. As well as going for a walk I was able to do a little work on my laptop and it felt very easy and natural to pray about the day, both walking by the sea and also in front of the altar where my bed was set up. I found it easy to fall asleep and although I did wake up in the early hours the place felt calm, quiet and peaceful.
My experience of champing was much more relaxing than I expected. It's not the same as sleeping in your own bed at home, it is more like camping or staying in a caravan, but it feels different because it’s such an unusual setting. My experienced showed me that there can be something lovely, even gently holy about staying in a church and I wondered during the evening about all the people who had been there throughout their lives, and who still come there today to pray.
In the very early morning I was more aware of the dawn chorus than at home and I think I could hear bats, although I didn’t see any. There was something unique about the experience of sleeping in a church, I found an ambience of holy hospitality and I would encourage others who are interested to give it a try.
It felt quite important to try and leave the space as undisturbed as possible, I was conscious that it still is a place of worship and I hoped that my short visit and that of any other champers could fit in with, rather than disturb Llanddona’s special life and ministry as a place of prayer.
