Worshipers explore Forest Church at 1001 gathering
Morning service in Colorado invites participants to encounter ‘God’s first Scripture’ in nature
ESTES PARK, Colorado — Morning light streamed through the large picture window behind the chancel of Hyde Chapel at the YMCA of the Rockies on Tuesday, Oct. 14, casting a golden glow on the exposed wooden beams. The light illuminated the peaks of the Rocky Mountains beyond and silhouetted a herd of elk grazing on the lawn as ethereal praise songs filled the space, led by jazz bassist and composer Ike Sturm and a team of musicians who had never played together before.
The improvisational harmonies, layered with piano, harmonium and voice, created a contemplative atmosphere that invited worshipers into a deeper spiritual space at the 1001 New Worshiping Communities national gathering — setting the stage for a morning ritual that was both elemental and innovative.
“There were so many little nuggets of wisdom in those lyrics and the poetry,” said the Rev. Michael Gehrling, the 1001 New Worshiping Communities associate for recruitment and assessment. Gehrling transitioned the service from the gathering music into the time of reflection, introducing the morning’s worship leader, the Rev. Erin Angeli.
Angeli, co-pastor of the Commonwealth of Oakland near Pittsburgh, introduced an alternative form of worship known as forest church. Drawing from ancient Celtic practices and the book “Forest Church: A Field Guide to a Spiritual Connection with Nature” by Bruce Stanley, Angeli described how her community practices this form of worship as a trauma-informed, inclusive way to encounter God through Creation — what Stanley calls “God’s first Scripture.”
“God is dwelling out there all over the place,” Angeli said. “Taking the time to read what God has written into the land brings a connection to the Spirit that I have found hard to create in a classic worship environment.”
Participants were invited to venture outside and engage with nature through three pathways: awe, study and meaning-making. Some wandered in solitude, while others gathered in small groups to reflect together.
A group of African pastors, many of whom had immigrated from Ethiopia, Kenya, Nigeria, Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo, gathered around an unlit fire pit and chose to share stories communally. “We are Africans. We’re communal,” said the Rev. Princeton Abaraoha of the United African Presbyterian Church in Dallas. “In a journey, you don’t travel by yourself.”
Their reflections revealed how deeply nature informs spiritual wisdom in the lives of Africans. Pastor Edrine Ddungu of Sacramento Uganda Community Fellowship in California described taking young adult congregants to Uganda on “respite trips” to learn from its culture and nature. Others shared that they led similar trips back to Africa, where participants often returned on their own because of the profound human and divine connections they experienced.
The Rev. Dr. Fred Mangeni, pastor of Jubilee International Fellowship in Wake Forest, North Carolina, shared how, during his time with the Maasai people in Kenya, he learned that it wasn’t necessary to build a church but rather to “create a space where they are,” for nature is their constant sanctuary as they migrate with the animals.
“You encounter the divine in your journey,” agreed Abaraoha, recalling how a Maasai leader once advised him to stay with the group because lions only attack those who stray from the line. The guide had urged, “Follow me. I am your way,” echoing the words of Jesus in John 14:6.
“That’s Maasai Scripture,” added Mangeni. “He didn’t have to read you the Gospel of John.”
“There is power in community,” Abaraoha continued. “You achieve more when you travel in community than when you travel by yourself.”
Their reflections emphasized how animals and natural rhythms teach lessons about discipline, care and divine presence — and how these lessons are always grounded in community.
After 30 minutes, the musicians set up on the grass outside the chapel to call the worshipers back indoors to share their discoveries. Angeli invited those gathered to speak about what moved them.
One worshiper described feeling awe at a tree with both living and dead branches, still connected — a metaphor for resilience and spiritual sustenance. “Even when you feel like the life is sucked out, you’re still connected,” they said.
Iesha Williams of Voices of Jubilee, a community that works with incarcerated children in Richmond, Virginia, marveled at the lichen-covered rocks behind her. “It’s a combination of fungus and algae,” she explained. This sight prompted her to research this life form: “The fungus provides a protective habitat for the algae, which does photosynthesis and feeds the fungus. It reminded me of our need for community — how we all have something to give and receive.”
A final worshiper reflected on Psalm 91 while gazing at the mountains: “The heavens declare the glory of God. … I am simply participating in what God is already doing.”
As the group reconvened in Hyde Chapel, Angeli closed the service with a prayer that captured the spirit of the morning: “Gracious God, hold up that sunlight for us just a little while. We thank you for these bright spots, for these times where you turn the kaleidoscope of life, and we can see, feel, smell and touch you in the world.”
In Estes Park, surrounded by towering peaks and sacred stories, worshipers found God not only in Scripture and song but also in the wind, the trees and the wisdom of one another.
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