DofAA

Quartz Forest Church November 2022

This month at forest church we engaged in a wee bit of displaying arboreal affection (DofAA) and made some lanterns. The framework for us meeting to work together to worship can be read here, so I won’t repeat it.

Instead, here are a few of the photos and insights from our experience.

As we have been meeting in the same location for a year, we have become quite familiar with the area. This Sunday we took some time to centre ourselves and then focus on which ever particular tree we were drawn to. It is very refreshing to take some time out to reflect at a speed approaching the speed of trees.

I was struck by the amount of life held in the moss on the bark of the tree I spent time with. A rolling stone gathers no moss, but this tree was a haven for frail small fungi even when it had drawn back into its trunk and shed its leaves.

We also wandered down past the Sunflower field. Whilst most of the sunflowers have died back and are becoming mulch, there are still a few blooms and splashes of colour. I wonder how many flowers there will be next year?

As the sun began to set we used a craft activity to respond to our experiences. Taking used tin cans we experimented with the material to contemplate the boundaries between light and dark. As the gashes we made in the thin fabric of the container were opened, they became doorways through which light could shine. The lanterns shelter the flame inside from an outside where it could easily be extinguished by the hostile environment. Plenty of food for thought! We also shared each others company and a drink to keep us warm.

And then it was time to wander out into the rest of the week, carrying the light within us.