Community Gossip

A few of us gathered together for the first time in months. We brought picnics and tuned into the Greenbelt Sunday Worship online.

This year's Greenbelt theme is Wild at Home. The reading was the parable of the great banquet from Luke 14.  A place where the outsiders, the forgotten,  the overlooked, the poor, the marginalised are welcome and where an unexpected banquet takes place. We were all encouraged to put our dreams on paper. To send them in to be made into one large creative piece bringing everyone's dreams together.

Facilitated by Tilly, Some of us have been meeting each month to explore the Enneagram together.

We have worked our way through a book, agreeing to read a few chapters between each meeting, with some supplementing this with podcasts, webs searches or other books on the subject. We gather together to share our thoughts, and try to discover kernels of truth that speak to us, challenge us, and need further chewing over.

In attempt to re-establish a ryhthm, mayBe aim to meet up monthly at Florence Park (near band stand) 10.30am every 3rd Sunday of the month. You, yes you, inquisitive website stumbler, would be very welcome to come along to any of our inclusive gatherings - please get in touch just in case plans change at the last minute. The default plan will be to use a liturgy from the Iona community's Wee Worship books and then have a play/coffee in the park, but we hope to embellish this structure as anyone is able to offer something more; we encourage eachother to bring what they can.

Here's what we have planned so far in 2019

• Not a meet up, but Sam shared a link to 99 good news stories you didn't hear in 2018 to fight off the chill of winter!

• Sunday 6 Jan - we met up in Botley park for epiphany.

• Sun 24 Feb 10:30am - Meet in Botley Park for one of our small and short informal gatherings including some songs, prayers, thoughts, playing and café visit. Thanks Sophie for organising!

Not much scheduled at the mo!

• 8-10 June Camping at Bridge House
• 21 June night prayer at Bethlehem chapel
• 12 July night prayer at Bethlehem chapel

We're experimenting with a new rhythm following a community conversation in September. Months will now look like this:

We met on Good Friday at the Kidneys nature reserve in Oxford and as we walked we found spots to stop to read from the stations of the cross texts and do some singing. As an improvisation to engage with Jesus crucified we each took a flower to represent the beauty of Jesus the person and destroyed it. We dropped the petal remnants on the ground, and it fell in the dirt and some charcoal from a long-cold fire. Before we left we kneeled around it, like the women at the cross reaching up in sorrow.

The theme will be HABITUS - the idea of lived theology embodied in our habits. We will consider our existing habits, good and bad, and consider cultivating new habits collectively and individually. A sort of new year's resolution for the soul!

This month we're looking at singing, music and rhythm.

Welcome back after the long holidays!

• Sunday 11th @10.30 - Wee worship in Florence Park, meet at the bandstand.
• Thursday 22nd @ 8pm - Community meal at the Kentishs'
• Saturday 24th 10.30am - 1.30pm - Community gathering including lunch (venue tbc)  

We're joining in with 30 Days Wild by the Wildlife Trusts encouraging us to do something to connect us to the wonderful wild world that God created us to be part of.

Here's a diary of events for the month: