Walking down through the woods, past the worn oaks which have seen many years pass, a narrow gap leads through to a small open glade with a seat to pause on. In spring it is the home for a rare orchid but now into summer it appears a thriving rush of greenery. It is as if every tree and bush is reaching out towards the sun, stretching to try and make use of the space. You can almost hear the lively Thames running steadily nearby. Maybe one day I will glimpse one of the local deer, but most often it is an ordinary place that most walkers travel on past.

Each month I force time into the diary to walk to the top of Wittenham Clumps, the site of a previous Iron Age fort, then down through an open field and into the woodlands. It is local to us, but seems to span time and provide the outlook I need in order to put life into perspective. Pausing in the ordinary glade is part of my routine, having had time on the walk to shed the concerns that currently ride the surface of my mind. I need the ordinary so that I might be better grounded in life and immersed in God. I simply sit and look, noticing the life that is brought to the trees, plants and grass by the breeze, skies and earth. A steady life which proceeds whether I see it or not. Reminds me of the God who is always there, always with us, active in creative love.

We are increasingly encouraged to take walks and notice nature as the stresses on our mental health increase. Mindfulness has become a growth industry. The irony is that it is not about growth in the usual sense but a slowing down to see what is already there. It is not another task added to life so that we might progress but the reality of life as it already is. We train our minds to slow down and notice what is around us, the life that continues, refreshes and sustains all things. It is a cultural and political challenge to the way we have done things in the modern Western era. To pause in the ordinary is no easy option nor an avoidance of social challenge.

The Christian tradition places practices of silent awareness within an understanding of the God who is always present and active everywhere, in and through all things; the God who invites us into conversation, speaking to us; the God revealed to us in Jesus who immerses us in the Holy Spirit. In the Bible, the Spirit is often linked with life and creation. The call to be immersed (baptised) in the Spirit is therefore to become aware that the ordinary is filled with the glory of God. Often, words that draw us close to Jesus help us to see this such as use of the Jesus Prayer. The awareness of God in Christ by the Spirit may be felt or not but is real. The vital next step is that we then listen to God speaking, tentatively discerning the voice that is so close yet beyond us. This might lead to a conversation, maybe even a debate, as we are nudged and enabled to do something. To be content with awareness, separated from listening, conversing and acting can be to miss out on the practical, social and political implications of seeking to be immersed in God and the world.

As I sit in the glade, I notice the way that the light creates patterns on the ground through the leaves and branches. Fast changing, twinkling, swaying images that have a beauty beyond capture. I can almost imagine the leaves absorbing the light and turning it into energy. Beginning to lose myself in the present my body eases and my mind finds greater peace. It takes time to hear the still silent voice inviting me to ungrasp my hands from one of the strategy papers I’m working on. I’m reminded of the words of Jesus, “Why do you worry? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labour or spin” (Matthew 6:28). My planning may be useful but not the solution to all the problems! I need to allow the Spirit to be at work more through the words of others; to allow people to make mistakes; to pray and trust God.

I leave the glade a bit lighter and glimpsing better ways of acting in the church and world. Heading down towards the Thames I enjoy the simple beauty of creation, marvelling at the unchanging yet ever fresh working of God through the centuries and across this land. May I praise and listen more through each day.

(c) 2025 Andy Lord

Further reading: Peter Tyler, Christian Mindfulness: Theology and Practice, SCM 2018. Martin Laird, Into the Silent Land, DLT 2006. Simon Barrington-Ward, The Jesus Prayer, BRF 2007.