editorial
Rest and restoration
At the time of writing it is Rogation Sunday. A time to ask God for blessings on the harvest to come and to remember all those who grow, pick, pack and prepare our food.
The countryside looks the way it does today largely because of the food that is grown there. It is a place of industry and commerce, of fruitful production growing which is essential for life. For many the countryside is a place of rest and recreation, for others a place of recuperation, reflection and restoration. Many of us will recognise the feeling of wellbeing that comes from enjoying the countryside, whether it is through a walk or just being surrounded by nature with its sounds, smells and colours. However, if we are to have a meaningful relationship with God then it is much more than simply generating a good feeling. A rural spirituality could be described as a connection with God through the landscape, the plants, animals and human communities present in it.
This special issue of Country Way focuses on spirituality in rural areas – in the many different forms in which it is experienced.
Traditionally those who lived in villages and hamlets might have been expected to have a spirituality that was rooted in the natural world. This is no longer just the preserve of rural residents, whose spirituality today is influenced and led by many different things. However, rural churches have a gift to offer to others of space, openness and welcome in an increasingly busy, stressful and anonymous world. The presence of church buildings in the countryside (an environment that has proven psychological benefits) gives the opportunity to provide a place
where visitors and residents alike can explore their relationship with God either for the first time or in a new and engaging way.
The church congregation is an essential part of forming community in any rural settlement. It too has an important part to play in spirituality by bringing people together for mutual support and to make a difference in the local area by working together. These relationships are informed and enhanced by our relationship with God who is our redeemer as well as the creator of all.
Rural areas may offer a distinctive view of spirituality but our rural communities also challenge us to think creatively
about how we engage with a population, that, wherever it lives, is less interested in formal religion than ever before or at worst sees it as irrelevant to their lives. Rural spirituality by its connection to place and natural world is a gift that can be offered to all to help reconnect with the loving, life-giving and generous God.
Jill Hopkinson, Editor
St. Deniol’s Libary
The Arthur Rank centre
Rural Ministry Centre for Studies in
POST GRADUATE QUALIFICATIONS IN RURAL MINISTRY
You are able to follow a course personally tailored to your interests and availability.
Lay or ordained, of any denomination – to find out more go to
www.arthurrankcentre.org.uk
Or contact the Course Director, Revd Canon Jeremy Martineau on
01348 874886 email:
jeremy.m@talktalk.net
www.countyway.org.uk
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