Emerging Matins (yet more Greenbelt worship)

Working as I do in Gloucester diocese, it's great to watch an emerging church doing just that, only a few miles down the road, and building a friendship with Michael, ordained as a pioneer minister working with feig. I'm excited by this...even inspired, but all the same my heart sank when I learned that feig's Greenbelt debut was scheduled for 9.00 on Monday morning. Greenbelt provides riches in many different ways...but an abundance of sleep is rarely part of the deal and it was rather reluctantly that I set my alarm as I fell into bed in the small hours of Monday morning. It seemed vaguely possible that if feig's friends didn't support them at such a horrible time of day, nobody else would either.

Oh curate of little faith!

A comfortable crowd appeared and engaged in a prayer experience that drew us to consider not only our own unique journey with God, but also those travelling around us.
All the traditional components of Christian worship were present, but the route into them was fresh and thought-provoking. For each stage, we were invited to choose an object from among the various collections about the room, and use that to focus thoughts and prayers.

This was among the things that spoke to me and became
a prayer for all those for whom the going is sheer hard work, almost beyond their strength.
I know so many people who are simply hanging on for dear life right now.

I also loved this…and used it as a focus for prayer around relationships, making peace with others






But perhaps the most effective thing was the collection of completely random everyday things…tissues, sticking plaster, battery (I think) and assorted other bits and pieces I couldn’t identify. At a festival whose theme was “Heaven in Ordinary” using these as a focus struck me as not far short of brilliant.

All in all a very good start to the day – specially when Hattie G chose to share her (very yummy) cake with me…food for both soul and body.