Advent & Lost Species Vigil – Sunday 1st December

A quiet afternoon of reflection, silent contemplative and seasonal music at St Barnabas, Brooking, Dartington – all welcome – just drop in at the start times below. Donations invited for the RSBP‘s work with the Curlew LIFE Project.

3-4pm – Advent Quiet Hour – Starting with a few reflections on a wild Advent theme, with an emphasis on the prophetic perspective offered by the ‘more than human’ world. Advent is a time of reflection and fasting as the nights lengthen, in preparation for midwinter and the subsequent celebration of the growth of the light and Christmas. Several sacred traditions celebrate this transitional time. Our reflections will be followed by a time of candlelit quiet contemplative with Advent harp music.

4-5pm – Lost Species Vigil – Our tenth annual interfaith vigil for Lost Species Day (which falls on November 30th). Each year we create three ‘altars’ to focus our thoughts and prayers on species relating to the elements of earth, water and air who have become extinct or are endangered and rare. We particularly draw awareness to UK and Devon special species. The fourth altar, for fire, is dedicated to making prayers and pledges that express our commitment to care and help our /more than human’ companions. Each altar is created by different friends, who also start our hour together by sharing reflections drawn from different sacred traditions. We then have a time of quiet contemplation, including music featuring the Kontakion for the Dead.

5-6pm – Weather permitting, there will be an optional, additional hour, outside by the campfire, to share thoughts, feelings and songs in the spirit of grief tending.