A place for reflection has been added to the churchyard of St Mary’s Church, Brighstone after locals helped create a new garden and outdoor mosaic.
Volunteers cleared 12ft high shrubs and brambles from graves outside the church and created a new ‘Olive Garden’ that can be used for prayer and worship.
They’ve also created a circular mosaic piece of art, which will hang in the garden and help visitors to reflect. Both the Olive Garden and the Tree of Life mosaic will be dedicated to mark the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee by the team rector, the Reverend Jackie Maw, at 14:30 on June 11th.
The Brighstone churchyard project was started by former NHS dietician, Ali Mascarenhas from St Mary’s, and is the latest step on the church’s journey to becoming more ecologically friendly after having just recently been given a bronze Eco-church Award by the charity A Rocha.
Ali said:
“When lockdown happened, it was good to have a pause from the routine of rotas and church life, and an opportunity to consider life, seek God and rethink what I was doing, I thought there must be more that could be done to connect and reach those outside the church in the village, and that God may be wishing me to do something.”
Meanwhile, one of her gardening clients had a tabletop made from toughened glass that was spare. Ali was inspired to use it as a base to create a ‘Tree of Life’ mosaic, put together by members of the local community and based on the passage in Revelation 22. Around 40 people took part, learning glass cutting and mosaic skills with 1 volunteer creating a wooden frame in which it will be hung.
She added:
“I came and set up all my glass cutting equipment in the church, so people could be creating this mosaic in a spiritual context, and also the church family could see it develop week by week, They really enjoyed creating leaves, animals and fruit in glass and adding them to the overall image. The sky is created with transparent paint, so that the sun will shine through it.”
“It has been a huge learning experience in all ways! I feel in awe of what God has done and how the many volunteers have come together to work on different aspects of the project. I feel privileged to have the opportunity to do this and to develop things as the Spirit has led me and a greater dependence on God.
“Some people ask me what is the future of the project? I don’t know. I have a few ideas, but I will keep stepping out and see where it leads with God’s help and direction.”
As a non-christian, I must say how beautiful is this inspired creation? An amazing piece of art-work, certainly to gaze and maybe meditate on? Congratulations to all those involved.