“…Do not worry…look at the birds of the air…and the flowers of the field. They do not labour or spin… and yet your heavenly Father feeds them.
Are you not much more valuable than they?” (Matthew 6)
Taking inspiration from the above words from Matthew’s gospel, Rev. Naomi set about delivering child-sized portions of imaginative ways to bring the text alive in the latest God Outdoors event.
Flowers and birds in all their natural glory were at the heart of the gathering. Clutching either a flower or a stone, Rev. Naomi and the children looked to the skies to spot birds on the wing, and listened to their song. Together, they dropped their hand-held treasure, to ascertain which felt heavy and which felt light. Their deductions were equated with days we worry about and days we feel less worried. This led seamlessly into the gospel story, ending with the reassurance that whatever our worries, God will take care of us.
Activity stations provided hands-on opportunities to further develop Matthew’s narrative. Crowns were crafted, adorned with fresh flowers and foliage, fit for royalty, a mud pit cooled hot feet and invited hands to make muddy bird silhouettes and a petal potion station offered all kinds of weird and wonderful ingredients to create aromatic concoctions.
Youngsters had the chance to create bird feeders, paint and fill tin flower pots and release their energy hammering petals onto cotton squares, resulting in colourful prints, ready to frame.
As always, refreshments were plentiful. Juice and homemade biscuits were enjoyed in the sunshine and towards the end of the event, a simple meal was shared.
GO!
God Outdoors.
What a brilliant way to spend a couple of hours, at one with nature, in a wonderful setting and surrounded by God’s love.
Church moves beyond pews and walls.
