Reverend Peter Owen Jones is definitely not your usual Anglican priest. He is soft spoken, dresses very casually and often walks wearing a wide-brimmed hat. He seems a symbol of modern spirituality, rooted in simplicity and nature.
On Saturday 15 November he gave a talk at the Chapel of Christ Stillness in Guestling, a spiritual retreat centre. He has written several books, including Around the World in 80 Faiths.
He told the audience he is a seeker from the “secular to the orthodox” who embraces nature and traditions, questions materialism and advocates ecological awareness. He said his journey from working on farms, to London’s advertising world and then the Sussex countryside was inspirational, having embraced being a naturalist and not having to join society’s grapples with existential and environmental challenges. He wanted to impart that “fulfilment does not come through wealth or fame but in meaning, stillness and concentration on the earth”.
It was inspiring to listen to him and the paragraphs he read from the book Battle for the British Soul.
The Chapel of Christ’s Stillness is tucked away at Guestling in beautiful and peaceful surroundings, full of nature and quiet paths to walk along. The chapel was built on that site 200 years ago, possibly for farm workers, for rest and meditation. When it was no longer used, the end wall was taken away and the building used as a tractor shed and later for housing cattle. The ceiling, electric light fittings and high windows (now stained glass) are the remaining original features.
In 2019, it was decided to replace the derelict building with a new chapel on the same footprint, adding modern features but keeping the ambience of its spiritual past.
The chapel is in the path of The Pilgrims’ Way and there is overnight accommodation in the Moon Cottage, which sleeps two. In addition, there is room to pitch a tent and there are two toilets and a shower on site.
The chapel seats about 30 people and for this talk it was standing room only. Afterwards, the audience was invited to a feast of vegetarian and vegan food which was delicious and gave visitors the opportunity to talk to each other and discuss further with Peter Owen Jones.
The chapel is only open by appointment and is well worth a visit.
Moon Cottage, Humphrey’s Farm, Friars Hill, Guestling, East Sussex, TN35 4HJ. 07837933583
Image Credits: Heidi Foster , Heidi Foster .