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| The Round House at Minstead Study Centre - site for January 20th Forest Church activity |
This 'extra' session, based in the Minstead Study Centre, was to accommodate the BBC's filming of The Good life. We were pleased to welcome several people visiting for the first time; including the Reverend Kate Bottley who interviewed several people. Alistair led the session and provided the notes below.
The introduction - how old are you?
We are so used to misinterpreting the question that we invariably give an entirely false answer based on an arbitrary date when we left a womb.The answer to the question is far from simple. It is also somewhat encouraging...
The reality is that the vast majority of our body is constantly renewed. There are some patterns to it - for example cells living in a harsh environment (like the lining of your stomach or colon) need replacing every week or so. Skin cells up to a month. Fingernails and red blood cells are usually replaced within a year. Liver and white blood cells can be as old as 5 years. Hair and bones from 6 - 10 years. Only brain cells and the lens cells in our eyes are likely to be with us for most of our lives.
The implication? We are being constantly renewed and our bodies are a kaleidoscope of different ages. Most of a ten year old's cells are the same age as a 60 year old. The sixty year old just went round the sun an extra fifty times...
Just as our bodies are in constant cycles of renewal, so our faith is also subject to growth, decay, revitalisation. We are (literally) never quite the same person two months in a row.
The activity
After a quick collaborative exercise, matching cell types to timescales, people read out the following verses about renewal and renewing. Then the challenge was to reflect on the concept of renewal by creating something artistic from the natural materials around us.The verses
Renewal is not a single thing - there can be different aspects and nuances as shown below:
Lamentations 5: 20. Why do you always forget us? Why do you forsake us so long? Restore us to yourself, Lord, that we may return; renew our days as of old. unless you have utterly rejected us and are angry with us beyond measure.
Job 33: 23. " Yet if there is an angel at their side, a messenger, one out of a thousand, sent to tell them how to be upright, and he is gracious to that person and says to God, 'Spare them from going down to the pit; I have found a ransom for them — let their flesh be renewed like a child's; let them be restored as in the days of their youth'— then that person can pray to God and find favour with him, they will see God's face and shout for joy; he will restore them to full well-being.
Romans 12: 2. Do not conform to the pattern of this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
Psalm 51: 8. Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones you have crushed rejoice. Hide your face from my sins and blot out all my iniquity. Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.
2 Chronicles 34: 31. The king (Josiah) stood by his pillar and renewed the covenant in the presence of the Lord—to follow the Lord and keep his commands, statutes and decrees with all his heart and all his soul, and to obey the words of the covenant written in this book.
2 Corinthians 4: 16. Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So, we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.
The results
People participated in a range of ways - some simply sharing something that had struck them from the time, others created spirals, circles, abstract shapes or poetry. Unfortunately, I didn't get any photos. If anyone reading this would like to describe what they did (and what it meant to them) in the comments below we'd be delighted to hear from you.
A response
I didn't create any artwork (it's not my best skill!) but I did play around with some words around the theme. Here they are:
Not entirely me
Today I'm not entirely me;
a billion cells have upped and gone
another billion came along...
I hope we still get on.
It gives me cause to pause and think:
if Life is gone in but a blink
how many 'me's have known
this body that I call my own?
And as I ponder in the pause,
I know that every cell is Yours
and all the things I thought were mine
are merely loaned, a gift divine.
Thanks to...
We'd like to extend a special thanks to Minstead Study Centre and - in particular - Zebi who did so much to help everyone get to the right place at the right time and feel welcomed in the process. It was a Forest Church First to serve up refreshments in an Iron Age style round house with a welcome fire blazing in the middle. Big thanks also to Terry for catering for so many and Mike and Julie for their help with getting everyone fed and watered (and tea'd and coffee'd).
Finally, thanks to Kate, Sam and Kara from the BBC - you were wonderfully unobtrusive and blended in beautifully.
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