Written by Claire Watts (May 2025)

“And the chaffinch has had the last word!”

Ten of us, stood in a circle in the churchyard at Blyford, speaking with one voice as we concluded our service of open air worship this morning. Wild Church is about being in the open air, listening, looking, breathing in creation. It’s about noticing God’s handiwork, sharing with God’s people, applying His Word to the world around us, and singing His worship amongst the ‘wildness’ of nature. It’s refreshing, different, inspiring, peaceful, and it is a time of sharing our individual responses to it all.

We began (as we finished) standing in a circle. Taking advice from the faithful regulars and stalwarts of Blyford, we had located the most sheltered and (potentially) sunny spot in the churchyard. Led by Jim we went around the circle saying our names and two or three words to describe how we were feeling at that moment ….. joyful, emotional, waiting, battered, peaceful … and more. We followed the service sheet to read together some opening lines
and prayers, thought provoking words to centre our thoughts on the reason for being there and on the place of creation in our act of worship. We were invited to share a psalm, a poem, a reading or a piece of music perhaps. Today a psalm was read to us, other times it has been inspirational music or poetry brought by different members of this small congregation. Always there is a link to the wonder of God’s created world, perhaps to the Bible readings of the day.

Listening to the psalm (148) we had opportunity to share responses. People spoke of a sense of inclusivity, equality and justice portrayed in the psalm, central to God’s Kingdom but so often lacking in the world today. These responses moved us into the Bible reading for this Sunday: John13 verses 31-35, where Jesus talks of His impending crucifixion and glorification as one and the same. He gives the command for us to love one another, something we returned to in our prayers later in the service.

Wild Church is interactive and creative. Today a mosaic cross made up of sharp-edged, broken pieces of china, red grout representing the blood of Jesus yet somehow beautifying the piece, was our focus. We took time to reflect on the paradoxes of beauty and brokenness, pain and love, glory and anguish. We had five or so minutes to walk around the churchyard picking out natural items that spoke of these reflections, re-grouping then to share once more our thoughts, our findings, our responses to God’s Word and His World,
whether in sounds or sights. A feather, both beautiful and even useful (think quills) spoke of a bird somehow broken. A flint, broken and sharp at the edges, yet used in the construction of the church itself. Wood from a felled tree, repurposed, perhaps, into a vessel. Plants in all stages of development, some good for food, others for seed. We considered the need to
embrace both the pain and the glory, the brokenness and the beauty, in order to touch on the fullness of Life and of God.

We moved from this time of reflection to a time of prayer, considering further the command of Jesus in today’s passage to love one another, perhaps not only those in front of us, but also across the world, some suffering the effects of the very brokenness of creation itself. Using information from both Christian Aid and Tear Fund we turned to prayer, particularly for people for whom water is a scarcity and the need is great. We gathered around a bowl of fresh water, dipping our hands into it, a symbolic act of standing in prayer with brothers and sisters across the world.
 

We sang a hymn, (with ukele accompaniment) “When I needed a neighbour where you there?” – a fitting reminder of our place in loving as Jesus first loved us.

In conclusion we stood again in a circle, speaking out again a word or two to sum up our feelings ….. uplifted, peaceful, relaxed, inspired, blessed, united …. And more.

Today was the fourth time I have been to the Wild Church Service at Blyford and, while each one had been different in content, the very act of outdoor worship, listening and looking to our environment, appreciating creation and creativity, has been uplifting and inspiring each time. Furthermore I have felt a sense of belonging, unity, shared experience and oneness each time. I recommend it!