Saturday special - 25th January. "Living till the day we die"

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. 

    

Pine cone parables

Pine cones - image source

I'm a compulsive collector of pine cones. It's almost impossible for me to walk through a pine wood without picking up cones. For this session I wanted to use pine cones as a way of reflecting on the nature of God and the nature of our pilgrimage of faith.

There were three parts to the session:

1. getting to know pines - we walk past them, we pick up the cones but rarely realise the elegant intricacies of their life cycles.
2. finding some Parables of the Pines - reflecting on different aspects of the pine and how that might influence our own journeys.
3. acting and reflecting - actively meditating on a specific pine cone of your choice.

Getting to know pines:

Having been banished from the house back into the garden, the potted Christmas tree was brought back indoors and around its base we had the life cycle from 

1. the male cone at the base of the tree producing pollen to 
2. the pollen spore (complete with 'air bags' to help buoyancy) floating off and hoping to find a female cone,
3. the unfertilised female cones high up in the tree (to reduce self fertilisation since wind rarely blows upwards!) receiving pollen from nearby trees,
4. the tiny pollen grain building a pollen tube from the cone surface, drilling down to find the female egg cells,
5. the fertilised egg cells growing into seeds behind the pine cone scales, 
6. the pine cone scales opening (when the conditions are right) to let the winged seeds blow in the wind to start a new seedling.

The Parables of the pines:

These are the three parables we told - the misfit, the benefactor, the architect.

Parable 1 - the misfit

The first conifer fossils date back to around 300 M yrs ago – a time when the earth’s oxygen levels were higher and huge areas of land were bordering the warm tropical and equatorial regions.

Most plants at the time were fern-like – including tree sized ferns – all adapted to warm moist conditions and all able to reproduce quickly and effectively.

The conifers were slow and ponderous in comparison. They took 2 or more years to create the next generation and even then it was only a seed rather than a proper plant like the ferns produced. True, the seed could sit out drought and even fire but there are few droughts and fires in continents bordering tropical oceans.

But things change. A hundred million years later the continents had slowly drifted together and instead of thousands of miles of coastlines, a supercontinent meant most of the landmass was far from the sea. Many areas were desert or semi desert. Water was in short supply. The age of tree ferns had gone but the slow, plodding conifers with their wind blown pollen and resilient seeds that could sit out a few bad seasons began to take over the world.

In time, the other plants would arrive that enclosed their seeds in fleshy food stores – berries and fruit – to give them a better start in life but the conifers were here and would dominate the landscape wherever tough conditions and strong seasonal changes were to be found. Many are fire adapted and wait for years until a fire has reduced competition and fertilised the soil. Then they release the precious seeds into this optimum environment.

 Parable 2 – the benefactor

Each male pine tree cone annually releases an estimated 1-2 million pollen grains. As well as benefitting female cones, pine pollen is regarded as a superfood (rich in vitamin D and anti-oxidants) with anti-aging and analgesic properties.

Native pines support a wide range of insects, birds, mammals, moss and lichens. Many types of pine needles (NOT Yew!) can be used to make a tea rich in vitamin C. Simply steep a handful of needles for 5-10 minutes. Pine nuts from all varieties of pine are edible, although some are small and not typically harvested.

Native Americans chewed pine resin as sort of a natural chewing gum. The inner bark of large pine trees is edible, and the bark from young pine twigs can be eaten as well. The inner bark can be eaten raw -- it can also be boiled, fried or cooked over a flame.

Pine resin is a natural antiseptic and disinfectant. It also has antimicrobial and antifungal properties. It can be directly applied to wounds or sores and helps keep germs out. Pine resin can also be used to staunch the flow of blood. The resin and needles of the Scots pine have traditionally been used to treat respiratory problems. 

The resin can also be used to extract splinters -- just dab some on the skin where the splinter is embedded and within a day or two the splinter should come out on its own.

Pine resin makes a great fire starter, particularly in damp settings.

Parable 3 – the architect

The pine cone structure follows the Fibonnaci sequence with 5, 8, 13 or 21 spiral sets.

When St Boniface felled the Thor Oak in Germany in front of disbelieving pagans, he saw a small fir tree sticking up through the broken boughs of the felled oak.

“This little tree,” he said, “a young child of the forest, shall be your holy tree tonight. It is the wood of peace… It is the sign of an endless life, for its leaves are ever green. See how it points upward to heaven. Let this be called the tree of the Christ-child; gather about it, not in the wild wood, but in your own homes; there it will shelter no deeds of blood, but loving gifts and rites of kindness.”

 The reflections

Some people sat with their cones, exploring and examining them. Some took them outside to look at them in the twilight. Some people wrote about them, some drew them. 

I drew my cone's shadows from different angles, reflecting on how differently something as complex as a cone appears depending on where you view it from... and reflecting that the shadows were only visible in the proximity of light. There were many thought provoking, even moving, reflections people offered. We'd encourage people to use the comments below to add their own reflection.

Alistair McNaught - January 2020

Our next gathering. It would be great to see you there!

Fire: The contradictory element

The November Forest church is always a bonfire on the beach. Not surprisingly, the theme was fire. Fire has fascinated societies and cultures for millenia.

The ancients believed fire was a bridge between the world of humans and the world of the divine. In the ancient view of the world consisting of four elements - Earth, Air, Water and Fire - Fire was the only one humans could actually make themselves; the one way in which humankind could consider themselves a little like the gods.

After a short introduction to these themes people received a handout with a range of biblical verses related to fire. It's a powerful metaphor but it's also a very fluid metaphor meaning many different things at different times. People were invited to read the verses while watching the fire and find one that was relevant to them and meditate on what that was and what inspiration they could take away from it. At the end of the session many people shared how different verses - or time spent staring in the fire - had spoken in a personal way to their own situation.

Here are the verses

1 Kings 19:12 New International Version (NIV)
12 After the earthquake came a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper.

Deuteronomy 4:23-25
23 Be careful not to forget the covenant of the LORD your God that he made with you; do not make for yourselves an idol in the form of anything the LORD your God has forbidden. 24 For the LORD your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God.

Acts 2:2-4
2 Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. 4 All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.

Exodus 3: 2. There the angel of the Lord appeared to him in flames of fire from within a bush. Moses saw that though the bush was on fire it did not burn up. 3. So Moses thought, "I will go over and see this strange sight—why the bush does not burn up." 4. When the Lord saw that he had gone over to look, God called to him from within the bush, "Moses! Moses!" And Moses said, "Here I am." 5. "Do not come any closer," God said. "Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground."

Heb 12:18 You have not come to a mountain that can be touched and that is burning with fire; to darkness, gloom and storm … 22 But you have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem. You have come to thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly, 23 to the church of the firstborn, whose names are written in heaven.

Exodus 13: 21. By day the Lord went ahead of them in a pillar of cloud to guide them on their way and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so that they could travel by day or night.

Exodus 24:16. and the glory of the Lord settled on Mount Sinai. For six days the cloud covered the mountain, and on the seventh day the Lord called to Moses from within the cloud. 17. To the Israelites the glory of the Lord looked like a consuming fire on top of the mountain.

Leviticus 6: 13. The fire must be kept burning on the altar continuously; it must not go out.

Rev: 19.12 His eyes are like blazing fire, and on his head are many crowns. He has a name written on him that no one knows but he himself.

2 Kings 2: 10. "You have asked a difficult thing," Elijah said, "yet if you see me when I am taken from you, it will be yours—otherwise, it will not." 11. As they were walking along and talking together, suddenly a chariot of fire and horses of fire appeared and separated the two of them, and Elijah went up to heaven in a whirlwind.

Zech 2:3-5 While the angel who was speaking to me was leaving, another angel came to meet him and said to him: “Run, tell that young man, ‘Jerusalem will be a city without walls because of the great number of people and animals in it. And I myself will be a wall of fire around it,’ declares the Lord, ‘and I will be its glory within.’

Hebrews 1:7 In speaking of the angels he says, “He makes his angels spirits, and his servants flames of fire.”

Malachi 3:2 But who can endure the day of his coming? Who can stand when he appears? For he will be like a refiner’s fire or a launderer’s soap.

1 Corinthians 3:13  their work will be shown for what it is, because the Day of Judgement will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each person’s work.

Luke 9: 53-6 but the people there did not welcome him, because he was heading for Jerusalem. When the disciples James and John saw this, they asked, “Lord, do you want us to call fire down from heaven to destroy them?” But Jesus turned and rebuked them.  Then he and his disciples went to another village.

Matthew 3:11 “I baptize you with water for repentance. But after me comes one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.

Rev 15:2 And I saw what looked like a sea of glass glowing with fire and, standing beside the sea, those who had been victorious over the beast and its image and over the number of its name. They held harps given them by God

Song of Songs 8:6 Place me like a seal over your heart, like a seal on your arm; for love is as strong as death, its ardour unyielding as the grave. It burns like blazing fire, like a mighty flame.

2 Kings 6:17 And Elisha prayed, “Open his eyes, Lord, so that he may see.” Then the Lord opened the servant’s eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.

Alistair McNaught - November 2019

Eye Cloud

Forest Church is known for taking place in all weathers, the topic of clouds was picked deliberately for our October meeting, hoping the sky would contain at least some nebulous interest. That morning though the constant grey drizzle, interspersed with heavier downpours, was not looking as though it was going to give us much variety in cloud cover. Miraculously by mid-afternoon the weather cleared, the sun even made an appearance, and we were treated to a huge variety of cloud shapes and patterns for our gathering.

Clouds are mentioned lots of times throughout the Bible, referring sometimes just to the part they play in the weather (Luke 12:54, Ecclesiastes 11:4), sometimes to the presence of God (Exodus 13:21-22, Numbers 16:42) and sometimes figuratively when speaking about multitudes of people, like the passage at the start of Hebrews 12:
                    "Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses..."

In Job 36, Elihu speaks to Job about God's greatness, verses 22 - 33 and Job 37:14-16 say this:

"Pay attention to this, Job. Stop and consider the wonderful miracles of God!
Do you know how God controls the storm and causes the lightning to flash from his clouds?
Do you understand how he moves the clouds with wonderful perfection and skill?
When you are sweltering in your clothes and the south wind dies down and everything is still, he makes the skies reflect the heat like a bronze mirror. Can you do that?"

So clouds in the Bible are both figurative and real, they are symbols of the presence of God and they are super interesting! Did you know that an average sized cumulus cloud (1 cubic km in size) weighs as much as 80 elephants? For more on clouds, the Cloudspotter's Guide by Gavin Prettor-Pinney is a really interesting read.

In the great medieval work "The Cloud of Unknowing" the image of a cloud represents the intellectual darkness between us and God, who is 'other', yet who through love and prayer can become known. Here is how it starts:

"When I first begin to reach out to you, my God,
   all that I find is a darkness,
   a sort of cloud of unknowing;
I cannot tell what it is,
except I experience in my will
a simple reaching out to you, Lord God.
This darkness is always between me and my God,
   no matter what I do,
and it prevents me from seeing you clearly
by the light of understanding in my reason,
and from experiencing you
in sweetness of love in my affection.
So help me to rest in this darkness
   as long as I can,
always crying out after you, whom I love.
For if I am to experience you
or to see you at all,
in so far as this is possible here,
it must always be in this cloud
and in this darkness.

Back in pre-renaissance times, art depicting God's presence in a cloud would only show an eye or a hand stretching out of a cloud, however with the renewed interest in Greek culture during the renaissance the old images of Zeus and the rest of the gods sitting on clouds passing judgement and the occasional lightning bolt were popularised again. Still today many of us visualise God as a petulant, entitled, fallible deity choosing to distance himself from the sinful human race. To worship this god would be to worship Zeus, not the God of the Bible.

We spent time with charcoal and paper sketching what we saw in the sky and pondering the words from the Cloud of Unknowing. Some of us just played in the sunshine!

In the sky we could see cumulus, stratus and cirrus clouds, we were happy that the nimbostratus (carrying rain) stayed away for long enough for us to draw and share our thoughts at the end of our gathering.

Incidentally there was an incredible sunset that evening, as Psalm 19 says, "the heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands".

Forage Porridge

On 8th September 2019, we gathered at Ashlett Creek to mark the turning of the season by gathering berries together and turning them into Forage Porridge, in gratitude for the gifts the summer had brought us.

Picking Blackberries by Lynn Ungar

What will you give for a taste
of summer's last sweetness?
This jewelled crown of thorns
rings every path and highway;

No use pretending you
have not heard sweet temptation
chatter through the vines -
taste, eat

Put your hands in the thorns
and come out dripping juice,
king's purple spread from
hand to tongue.

Reach gently,
or you will find your thumb
full of thorns, and your pail
filled with unbearable tartness.

Reach gently, but reach.
The sweetest berries hide
toward the inside, hidden
beneath leaves barbed like critics.

Balance, if you must, precariously,
held by will and longing from
the net of thorns. If you want
the ripest fruit, relinquish safety.

Guard yourself only with these words:
Peril, abundance
whispered like a prayer
through purple lips.

After we had gathered our berries, and made our porridge, we reflected on this being our communion -

in gratitude for the gifts of summer, we share this simple meal together, and are nourished in both body and soul. Together we honour the gifts of the earth for our physical nourishment, and the gifts of each other to nourish our souls. The sacred art of feasting invites us to savour God with all of our senses. We often hear the injunction to look and listen for God, but in a meal we get to taste smell and touch the sacred as well. 

We finished with an embodied ritual for honouring the changing of the seasons, based on Christine Valters Paintner's idea in 'Water, wind, earth and fire - the Christian practice of praying with the elements" -

Begin by facing east, the place of the rising sun, of morning, of new beginnings, and the season of springtime

Turn towards the south, the place of the midday sun, the warmth and fullness of the day, and the season of summer

Turn towards the west, the place of the setting sun, of endings and transitions, and of the season of autumn

Turn towards the north, the place of the midnight moon, a time for reflection and turning inward and the season of winter

Reach your arms heavenward and honour the angels saints and ancestors, those who have travelled the path before us. Ask their blessing on the time ahead

Hold your arms out to your sides and honour the community across this earth of which you are a part. Remember your family and friends, pray for global issues and concerns, feel your connection to the whole of creation

Place your hands over your heart and get in touch with the still centre within you. Ask for a blessing on your own dreams, longings and desires. Open yourself to the discovery of how the Spirit is moving in your life this day.

Summer Social - Saturday August 3rd

Please come and join us for our summer social at Bolderwood on Saturday August 3rd from 12pm for a shared picnic. We would love to see you, especially if you've not made it to a Forest Church meeting yet but have been hoping to get along! There will be time to chat as well as some outdoor activities.

Divine Nature Eucharist

Once a year we gather under some trees and share in the Eucharist, the thanksgiving, of what Christ has done on the cross to reconcile all things back to the Great Creator.

This year we met in the glorious sun shining upon us in the shade of a circle of Oak trees with a Holly tree in the centre.

Using words from the Celtic Prayer book vol. 3 ' Healing the Land - natural seasons, sacraments, and special services', a liturgy book from The Community of Aidan & Hilda,  and liturgy from 'A Celtic Liturgy' by Pat Robson, as well as some original NFFC words, we spent time becoming consciously aware of the Divine presence within us, and surrounding us, and within the natural world which also surrounded us. We spent time in quiet personal contemplation alone in creation, and then came back to share both the Divine peace with one another, and also the Divine sacraments of the Eucharist. After we had shared the bread and wine with each other, we deliberately offered the remaining bread and wine to the earth, and scattered them on the ground around us. 

Following this we walked slowly back to the car park to share in refreshments together. 

This gathering each year is always a special time, and one which folk feel a deep Divine presence in. 

This is one of the few sessions which we repeat annually, so please do watch out for it again next year!

Our next gathering 

July 14th

As part of the nature based Eucharist we will be having at NFFC this coming Sunday we will be singing the following song which goes to the Skye boat song tune.
To save paper I am sending it out electronically. Please bring a device with you so you have the words.

Gather around, the table is spread, welcome the food and rest.
Wide is our circle, Christ is the head, he is the honoured guest.
Learn of his love, grow in his grace, pray for the peace be gives.
Here at this meal, here in this place, know that his Spirit lives.
Once he was known in the breaking of bread, shared with a chosen few.
Multitudes gathered and by him were fed, so he will fed us too.

Love, Life and Litter

Lepe Country Park

This event was inspired by Extinction Rebellion, the members of which organisation
have been risking everything to draw our attention to the climate emergency we
are facing. They are using non violent means with high impact. I had been challenged
once again to consider the impact my sense of entitlement has on my environment.

It is worth noting that in this particular place, there is the litter of individuals, and
also the litter of government decisions, namely war. In the last week this place has
seen events marking the 75th anniversary of the D Day landings, of which this was
one of the launch points. You can see the remnants of concrete bases, and piers.
75 years later, the litter of war is not so easily erased and put in a bag. However,
over time, the land has been reclaimed for conservation and enjoyment.
Love has taken the place of fear and death.

Today, we took part in a litter pick with a difference.

As we found litter, we were invited to say a prayer for the person who ate, drank
or used the item - not standing in judgement, but sending them love. We asked
for forgiveness for the ways we all have used and abused the gift of creation.
And reflected on our own responsibility for change. We were invited to ask God
how we might take action in line with Jesus’ own non violent methods of getting
his message across. How might we challenge our own assumptions about what
we are entitled to do, eat, and connect with our environment?

When we regrouped, we shared our reflections on the process. A number of us
had experienced conflicted feelings about others - those who have consciously left
behind items that could be harmful to others, as well as the environment. It was a
challenge to send love and prayers for those people. We wondered what it would
take to be non violent in our thoughts as well as our actions.

If you have been challenged about taking further action after today - how about
getting involved with Tearfund's Rubbish Campaign? Or perhaps eat one less meat
based meal a week? Drive one less journey a week? Write to your MP?
Join Extinction Rebellion? Become a Friend of Lepe and litter pick here regularly?

We finished with the following prayers -

An Uncomfortable Blessing

May the Spirit bless you with discomfort at easy answers, half truths and superficial
relationships so that you will live deep in your heart.

May the Spirit bless you with anger at injustice and oppression, the exploitation of
people and earth so that you will work for justice, equity and peace.

May the Spirit bless you with tears
to shed for those who suffer so that you will reach out your hand to comfort them.

May the Spirit bless you with foolishness to think that you can make a difference
in the world so that you will do the things which others say cannot be done.4

Mark Wilcox. Copyright © 2004 (St Aidan Press, Holy Island).

Loving Father, help us to change.

To change ourselves and to change our world.

To know the need for it.
To deal with the pain of it.
To feel the joy of it

To undertake the journey without understanding the destination.5

Michael Leunig