Week 1: 'Trees of Life' - in a time of crisis and change

“Blessed are those who trust in the Lord
and have made the Lord their hope and confidence.
They are like trees planted along the riverbank
with roots that reach deep into the water.
They are not bothered by the heat
or worried by long months of drought.
Their leaves stay green and they go right on producing fruit.”
(Jeremiah 17:7-8)

This week’s introduction is found in the Trees of Life introduction. Please do have a look at that introduction as a place to begin! In the coming weeks, there will be a brief ‘introduction to the theme’ here.

You can also listen to the introduction, and to Ruth Harley's reflection (below), by clicking on this link.

A ‘cutting’ of tree wisdom (Genny Tunbridge)

Do trees have wisdom? They don’t talk, at least not in ways that humans understand. They don’t think or feel as we humans do. Yet for many centuries people have found inspiration and wisdom in trees – reflected in stories, poetry, mythology, religion, songs and art. Botanical science from recent decades tells us truths about trees which those old poets and storytellers seem to have known instinctively  – and these truths often give us food for thought when we compare human life and tree life.

There are many species of tree, each with unique characteristics – and each specimen is different, varying far more than individual humans vary one from another. But there are some things all trees have in common, which may explain our sense that they have wisdom to offer us. Here are a few:

• Trees are generally much bigger and much longer-lived than humans. The vast height and girth and great age of an old oak are awe-inspiring. Trees give us a sense of perspective.

• Trees stay in one place, and their deep roots and supple branches help them stand strong and weather storms. They teach us the importance of stability and flexibility.

• Trees support a host of other species: insects, birds, fungi, mammals (including humans) benefit from their leaves, fruits, bark, timber. Trees create the oxygen we breathe. They teach us generosity and sustainability.

Each week we’ll be sharing a “cutting” – snippets of observations, stories, poems, science about trees – which we hope will open up more tree wisdom.

Reflection (Ruth Harley)

I wonder if you have ever had the experience of a particular piece of scripture seeming to keep on popping up in different places? It can feel a bit as if it’s following you around! That’s what happened to me with this passage from Jeremiah. And I think often that’s a sign that it’s something God wants to direct our attention to.

I first encountered this passage, with its striking image of the tree rooted by water, when I was on retreat at a convent. As I read the passage, several things struck me straight away:

·         It’s not that the tree doesn’t suffer from drought or heat – it’s that it has what it needs to survive, and even to grow through those adverse conditions, because it has its roots in living water.

·         The roots are rarely the most attractive part of a tree – they aren’t the parts that impress us with their beauty or fruitfulness – but they are essential. Any gardener will know that without healthy roots, you won’t have a healthy plant.

·         The rootedness of the tree by the stream is key. The relationship between the tree and the stream is permanent and intimate. The roots are constantly immersed in the water, not just dipping in and out. The tree will change and grow, but it remains rooted in the stream which gives it life.

Later on that retreat, I went out to the convent’s Water Garden, where there is a pond, with a stream flowing into it, and by the pond is a tree. On the previous page there is a photo of the Water Garden. I couldn’t find one with the tree in, but if you look carefully you will see the shadow of the tree at the water’s edge. You can imagine standing where the photographer is, with the branches above you, the water in front of you, and the roots beneath your feet.

This is where I stood, as I reflected again on those words from Jeremiah. I noticed again the closeness of the tree and the stream, the physical connection between them through the roots by which the stream gives life to the tree. And I noticed too how different the tree’s relationship with the stream was from mine. I would pause a while, admire the stream, watch it, listen to it flowing, maybe even dip my hand into it, and then move on. But the tree remained, rooted and steadfast, its roots submerged deep in the water, providing stability, nourishment and growth, in every season.

What an image for our relationship with God! Rootedness, stability, nourishment, growth, living water… in season and out, sustaining us in the face of whatever droughts or storms may come our way. It is an image I have returned to again and again. And although I often feel a long way from that peaceful Water Garden, every time I see a tree root trying to break through the pavement, I am reminded of it.

So when I came here to Hodge Hill and at my first Church Meeting was given a paper with the picture of the ‘growing tree’ on it, of course this passage came to mind. The tree rooted by the stream, able to withstand adverse conditions, nourished and sustained by living water, seems to me to be an image of our church community here, as we continue to grow together, firmly rooted in the life-giving love of God’s.

We need that rootedness now more than ever. We may be feeling buffeted from all sides, or dried out with heat and drought, but still the stream of God’s grace keeps on flowing, keeps on nourishing and sustaining us, sometimes in hidden ways. Still, in these strange times, we as a church community are a tree that is bearing fruit, though often in unexpected ways. Still there is life and growth.

I wonder where you are noticing growth at the moment – in yourself, in the church, among your neighbours? I wonder what is helping you in this season to stay rooted in Jesus, the Living Water?

Questions for reflection / discussion

As I read / listened to the readings and reflections for this week…

·         what did I notice, or what particularly stood out for me?

·         what did they make me wonder, or what questions am I pondering?

·         what have they helped me realise?

·         is there anything I want to do or change in the light of this week's topic?

Reflection on this week’s theme…

·         In what ways am I noticing myself growing during this time?

·         In what ways am I noticing myself grieving during this time?

·         Where do I notice ‘shedding’ or ‘decomposition’ going on during this time – that might enable new things to grow?

Activities / conversation-starters with young (and not-so-young!) people

• If you’re able to get out on a walk this week, see how many different kinds of tree you can spot.*

• Can you identify them? You might want to take some photos, and identify them when you get home, using a website like:

o   https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/trees-woods-and-wildlife/british-trees/how-to-identify-trees/ (there’s a downloadable app here too)

o   https://opalexplorenature.org/TreeGallery (there’s a great poster you can download here)

• When you’re out and about, spend some time under a tree (or better still, in the middle of a wood!). Use all of the senses you can: what can you see? hear? smell? touch? How does it make you feel, being among the trees?

* This week (and this week only!), there is a special guided ‘tree trail’ around Hodge Hill Common. There will be numbered way-markers hanging from trees. Maps are available from the Old Rectory, for a £3 donation towards Water Aid. Get in touch with Allannah or Genny if you want to find out more!

A prayer for this journey:

God our Maker, Jesus our Grounding, Holy Spirit our Living Water,
in you is our hope, in you is our life, in you we grow and flourish:
in the changes, challenges and uncertainties of our world,
help us to reach down deep, as we root our trust in you;
help us to reach out wide,
in loving connection with our neighbours near and far;
and may we see and share your goodness
as the life of your kingdom springs up in us, around us and beyond us.
Amen.