spirituality
world. We like to gain perspective on our lives by coming into the presence of other creatures, and trying to form connections with them. This is a profoundly spiritual endeavour, and the countryside provides a unique context in which it can take place.
Likewise, rural communities have the potential to bring humans into close contact with their fellow residents, and encourage them to show an interest in each other’s lives. The church can be a key agent in forming community in the countryside; it is here that it can make its clearest contribution to the spiritual lives of the people it is called to serve. That is not to romanticise rural life. On the contrary, recognition that many feel as if they are far from flourishing, because of extreme poverty, say, or feelings of isolation, comes through paying proper attention to rural spirituality. These are the people to whom we must reach out, whose lives we must seek to nurture.
The church can be a key agent in forming community in the countryside.
authors of the report, in order to flourish, we must have a right relationship with one another, and with the rest of creation. If rural spirituality has any distinctive characteristic, it is its ability to remind us of our connections with our fellow creatures. There is a considerable appetite among humans for time spent in the great outdoors. Walking and angling are two of our most popular pastimes in the UK, and books about rural activities sell like hot cakes. That’s because we like to be reminded of our relationship with the rest of the
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But rural Christians must be realistic: for many, rural spirituality is not located in the practices of the church, but in those moments of lucidity and insight that come from spending time in the natural landscape, or in community activities
with fellow residents. The church can only hope to reclaim rural spirituality if it is prepared to meet people where their spiritual lives are currently played out. For example, the church should be present in the wider life of the community, rather than being narrowly focused on its own issues and concerns. And it should look to provide opportunities for spiritual growth. While the church’s practices are not a popular focus of rural spiritual life, its buildings and churchyards are. Rural churches need to provide sacred space for the whole community, whether they turn up on a Sunday morning or not.
This is the heart of rural spirituality, it seems to me. It needn’t consist of wintry strolls and encounters with bell-toting carol singers. But it provides a glimpse of life in all its fullness. If the church is to take rural spirituality seriously, it needs to embody its story about how such a life can be lived by all God’s people.
Tim Gibson is a writer and lecturer. He teaches at the Southern Theological Education and Training Scheme and the South West Ministry Training Course. Tim’s book Church and Countryside: Insights from Rural Theology (SCM Press) is available now and is reviewed in this edition of Country Way.
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