Wildwood Wisdom gathers on the first Sunday of each month for Sacred Sundays, an expression of Wild Church in The Netherlands. What is Wild Church?
The Wild Church movement is an expression of faith that is emerging in response to the desire of some individuals to connect with spirituality and nature in a more direct and embodied way. This movement emphasizes the integration of nature, ritual, and community in a way that steps beyond the confines of domesticated faith, recognizing the harm often caused by institutionalized religion, and lives into human longing for connection to self, others and the sacred permeating all of creation.
The Wild Church movement is as diverse as the varied landscapes we call home forms, but some of its key features include:
- Outdoor worship: Many Wild Church communities hold their gatherings in natural settings such as forests, rivers, or mountains. This allows participants to connect with the beauty and power of nature, and to feel a sense of awe and wonder that is often missing from more traditional forms of worship.
- Embodied practices: Wild Church services often involve physical movement, such as dancing, drumming, or hiking. This allows participants to engage with their bodies in a way that is often lacking in more sedentary forms of worship.
- Ritual and symbolism: Wild Church communities often draw on ancient and indigenous traditions to create their own unique rituals and ceremonies. These may involve elements such as fire, water, stones, or plants, and may be designed to connect participants with the natural cycles of the earth and the seasons.
- Community building: Wild Church communities often place a strong emphasis on building relationships and connections among their members. This may involve sharing meals, participating in group activities, or simply spending time together in nature.
There are manifestations of Wild Church all over the world. Wildwood Wisdom is part of the largest network of wild churches, The Wild Church Network. I also serve as a digital community guide in their online platform, The Ecosystem. You can learn more about Wild Church and find a community to visit at The Wild Church Network.
