London: Ecumenical Creation Prayer Walk

image: Diana Morgan Gray

As it is not possible this October to meet in the different churches of our Ecumenical friends as we usually do to study and pray together, this walk was suggested as a way of meeting up and spending time together in a socially distanced group to visit gardens in the area. It coincided with the final week of the ecumenical celebration of the 2020 Season of the Creation.

We started at Wesley's Chapel where we were welcomed by the Superintendent Minister, the Revd Canon Dr Jennifer Smith who led us into the garden behind the church. Here we saw the tomb of John Wesley and wandered in the garden to admire the trees and the shrubs and to pray. Here we were reminded of WH Davies' poem, 'What is this life if full of care, we have no time to stop and stare'.

We crossed City Road on the next stage of our journey stopping in Bunhill Fields and the burial ground of many dissenters including William Blake and Daniel Defoe.

It is always a pleasure at any time of the year to walk in the grounds and see the many flowers and shrubs and now the small pale pink cyclamen and the autumn crocus are a joy to see. This fox suddenly appeared and seemed oblivious of us, but we saw that he/she was watching something, and saw a squirrel coming towards him/her. The fox chased the squirrel who was extremely fast too and quickly found safety up in a nearby tree!

Our next stop was the Barbican Wild Garden, an area on the north side of the Barbican that residents have created and looked after for many years. It is another haven of peace and nature with two ponds and a wild meadow.

Our final stop was to the Quiet Garden at St Joseph's. This compact garden beside the church with its trees and shrubs, running water and lighting is another haven of peace and tranquillity.

A plaque on the wall says,

BE STILL AND KNOW THAT I AM GOD.

This quiet garden is dedicated to the memory of Basil Hume, monk and shepherd 1923-1991.

Here we shared some moments of reflection and silence and made our intercessions to God.

Then the final blessing, 'May God who established the dance of creation, who marvelled at the lilies of the field, who transforms chaos to order, lead us to transform our lives and the Church to reflect God's glory in creation,….. now and always Amen.'

So, a gentle and reflective wander with friends at what is a difficult time for us and the world. A time to pause and wonder at the beauty of God's work around us. The weather forecast suggested heavy rain but although the sky looked very black as we finished our time together no rain came.

LINKS

Carmel in the City - www.carmelinthecity.org.uk
(Visit ICN's Facebook page for a picture of the fox.) www.facebook.com/Independent-Catholic-News-ICN-195368037167900/