I don’t know about you but I really connected with Frank’s New Year sermon. He headed it with the overall theme of worship and then used six words to hang his content on which I have used here.
There are different styles of worship and we move in and out of them on our journey (all the first letters of the bold words make up the title of this article!).
As I’ve written about before part of my journey deals with nature connection and connecting with God. Well this year I would like to share that journey with you by encouraging you to join me in actual journeys – they may be long, short, ambling or focussed (some may be in one place) and they will be called Forest Church.
This Forest church is not a new form of worship but it does have this new title. It will compliment what we do here at Emmanuel (hopefully). The journey will enable us (hopefully) to encounter Jesus in a different way through endeavouring to read God’s second book together. You may have managed to get along to the first one last month.
As we do this we need to have humility as we learn to engage with nature together. The root word for humility may stem from humus that is of the earth. This is apt for Forest Church as it reminds us where we came from – dust and where we will return. The first Adam was made from the soil and Adam means that – earthy.
So we venture out to walk lightly on what is often referred to as Mother Earth with the knowledge of our Father God who loves us and sent His Son to die for us on earth.
In doing Forest Church we have the opportunity to bring our offerings of worship namely ourselves. Out of this to delight in Him and this good earth he created, including noting all that he has (not just humankind) made as individuals and together.
There will be opportunity to bring other offerings in the form of sharing conversation, listening, maybe bringing a prayer a poem but bringing something. Come prepared.
As it’s outside we might need to be prepared for moments of awe, stillness, wildness, playfulness and other things that could be surprising and maybe not feel anything but at least have a go, a try! That goes for experiencing weather too!
I write this before facilitating the first ever Forest Church I’ve planned so I come with trepidation but I am willing to step out and move-on in a different sense to what Frank preached but ready (hopefully) to take with me after the event what I or we have gleaned in doing this together.
My desire in doing this is that whoever comes from whatever background (dare I say it, open to all, young and old), would be able to connect with and encounter God first and foremost, connect with nature and connect with each other in a meaningful way.
Will you join me? Watch out for notices in various formats.
PS. We cannot care sufficiently for what we don’t appreciate. The more we begin to appreciate God’s world, the more we’ll see we need to be in harmony with it. Co-dependents.