Wild Church

Dartington Yew

One of the hopes for Open Spirit has been that it might stimulate some of us 'in offering and being involved with interspiritual services or 'future church'. So it's exciting to feel the Spirit already moving and to see the beginning of one such offering already beginning to emerge. Sam and Beth have started to reconnect with local Christian congregations and to dream up a 'Wild Church' that we hope may bring established and emerging Church together and also offer a new way of celebrating the sacred that is welcoming to all and that draws us out into the wild, in celebration of the community of all beings and the spirit of the earth.

As we enter the new Christian year today, on the first Sunday of Advent, we are looking ahead to our first event next Sunday, December 7th. Beth and I will be joining the established congregation at Dartington Church for their Sunday service at 11.15am, at which visitors are always welcome. We hope some members of the congregation will then join us and there will also be a warm welcome to people of any faith or none to come along for a 'Bring & Share' Advent Sunday Lunch in Dartington Village Hall from 1pm. Lunch will start with a natural blessing and conclude with an invitation for donations to cover costs and to raise funds for Dartington's LandWorks Project, which is a work based training scheme providing a supported route back into community for current and ex-prisoners.

After lunch, from perhaps 2.30pm we'll be exploring some Wild Church, starting with some reflections and meditation to awaken our senses, before setting off outside into the twilight for a silent walk to the ancient yew by the old church on the Dartington Estate. Any and all are welcome to join us in this celebration of the spirit of wild. We'll close with a short, simple, elemental ceremony and blessing by the yew, with the option to 'walk and talk' back to our starting point for those that wish.

We will walk whatever the weather, so do come prepared with strong shoes and good waterproofs. Some of us love the dark and will walk unlit into the gathering night, but do bring lanterns if you wish.

This event will be the first in a series of Wild Church gatherings on a similar pattern on the first Sunday of the month. We are planning a month by month pilgrimage up the River Dart towards the source... and perhaps also back down the river towards the sea. We are still building our website and Facebook page but do look out for River Dart Wild Church and we hope you come along along and join us in 'bringing Spirit back to Earth'!