Forest Church in Box Wood

Forest Church is not an occasion to simply hold a conventional indoor church service in the open air: rather it leaves hymn books and service sheets behind and uses the features of the natural environment to prompt and encourage worship. Jesus spent much of his time outdoors and his parables often made use of nature: the Celtic strand of Christianity emphasises our involvement with God’s creation. Augustine of Hippo (4thC) said “some people in order to discover God read a book: but there is a great book – the very appearance of created things: can you ask for a louder voice than that”. Thomas Aquinas (13thC) added “Sacred writings are bound in two volumes – that of creation and that of holy scripture”.

At the end of September, Box Community Wood proved to be an ideal venue for Forest Church. Sixteen of us, including locals and those from further afield (many shown in the photo), met on the Village Green for an initial prayer before moving into the wood. We paused at a stream to listen in silence and, with the help of Job 36, reminded ourselves of the cycle of water from stream to river to sea to cloud to rain and back to stream.

We reached our base and gathered for a time of quiet, prayer, a reading and a song before spreading out to focus on the trees and collect a leaf or two. We came back together and marvelled at the structure and function of leaves with their water protective layer on top, their breathing holes on the bottom and their internal tubes to transport water and nutrients in, and send carbon out to the timber of the tree. Then our individual prayers were symbolically "attached" to our leaves which were then left on the ground to become integrated into the life of the wood and a part of the natural cycle of life, decay and rebirth.

We closed with prayer and the Song of Francis of Assisi, before heading back to the Village Green for refreshments. It was good to meet friends – known and new, whether or not regular churchgoers. Look out for our next Forest Church – you will be very welcome.

Gerald South