0:00:04 > 0:00:07Today, I'm in Lincoln - a beautiful cathedral city surrounded,
0:00:07 > 0:00:11on every side, by fields, woods and forests to explore
0:00:11 > 0:00:14the connections between the great outdoors and Christianity.
0:00:14 > 0:00:17Welcome to Songs Of Praise.
0:00:39 > 0:00:45Today, how the UK's trees are being protected with the help of Bishop James Jones...
0:00:45 > 0:00:49You realise how important the whole of creation is,
0:00:49 > 0:00:52and that's why we, as Christians, should be taking care of it.
0:00:52 > 0:00:58..JB Gill meets a Christian tree surgeon who overcame addiction...
0:00:58 > 0:01:00When I look at my old life, it's gone now,
0:01:00 > 0:01:03and now I have a new life and a new purpose.
0:01:03 > 0:01:06..and, to mark the season of Lent,
0:01:06 > 0:01:08we join a group exploring faith in the forest.
0:01:17 > 0:01:21This week, we have hymns and songs from across the UK to
0:01:21 > 0:01:24celebrate the glory of God's creation,
0:01:24 > 0:01:27and we begin with a song which was written just five years ago,
0:01:27 > 0:01:29but it's already popular right around the world.
0:04:15 > 0:04:18The city of Lincoln boasts an impressive cathedral
0:04:18 > 0:04:22and castle which contains one of only four original copies of
0:04:22 > 0:04:27the Magna Carta and another ancient text - the Charter of the Forest.
0:04:27 > 0:04:32It's so precious, it has to be kept in near darkness to protect
0:04:32 > 0:04:33the parchment from damage.
0:04:35 > 0:04:38Telling me more is Bishop James Jones,
0:04:38 > 0:04:41chair of the Independent Panel on Forestry.
0:04:41 > 0:04:44At the time of the Magna Carta, there was
0:04:44 > 0:04:49a charter for forest, and what it did was to open up the forest
0:04:49 > 0:04:53to Freemans so that ordinary people could go into the forest to
0:04:53 > 0:04:56forage for food, to graze their animals.
0:04:56 > 0:05:02Now, 800 years later, we have got new priorities, like climate change,
0:05:02 > 0:05:09and so there's a need for thinking again about why we need trees.
0:05:09 > 0:05:13In 2010, the Government put up a proposal to
0:05:13 > 0:05:15sell off the national forests,
0:05:15 > 0:05:19and there was such a big reaction from the public that they set up
0:05:19 > 0:05:23an independent panel to look at the future of forestry,
0:05:23 > 0:05:26and they asked me to chair that panel.
0:05:28 > 0:05:31Bishop James' recommendations included a call to
0:05:31 > 0:05:35invest in the UK's forests and protect them for the future.
0:05:35 > 0:05:39The Government has now launched a 25-year environment plan
0:05:39 > 0:05:42and, on the 800th anniversary of the original,
0:05:42 > 0:05:46a brand-new tree charter has been launched by the Woodland Trust.
0:05:48 > 0:05:51There's a feeling that we've lost connection with our trees and
0:05:51 > 0:05:55our woods and that they're becoming much more threatened day by day.
0:05:57 > 0:06:02For me, trees in particular are like faith - they sometimes wither
0:06:02 > 0:06:04and shrivel up but, most of the time, they're green
0:06:04 > 0:06:07and they're flourishing and they provide seeds and fruit for us
0:06:07 > 0:06:09to sustain ourselves on.
0:06:09 > 0:06:11And ancient woodland, in particular,
0:06:11 > 0:06:14is like the great bastions of our faith - cathedrals -
0:06:14 > 0:06:18and therefore is in need of just the same level of protection these days.
0:06:20 > 0:06:26Trees appear in the opening pages of the Bible and in the closing pages.
0:06:26 > 0:06:28God is the first forester.
0:06:28 > 0:06:31We're told that he planted a garden in Eden and then
0:06:31 > 0:06:36he planted trees that were good to look at and that were good for food.
0:06:36 > 0:06:39And then, of course, at the end,
0:06:39 > 0:06:43you have this wonderful picture of Heaven coming down to Earth,
0:06:43 > 0:06:46and there are the trees again on the banks of the river,
0:06:46 > 0:06:50and these trees have leaves for the healing of the nation.
0:06:50 > 0:06:53For you, personally, and your faith and your Christian life,
0:06:53 > 0:06:57how important is the environment and preserving our beautiful trees and woodland?
0:06:57 > 0:07:01In the year 2000, I went around schools,
0:07:01 > 0:07:07and I learnt about the environment from young people themselves.
0:07:07 > 0:07:11I listened to their hopes about the future,
0:07:11 > 0:07:16and that challenged me to go back, in fact, to the Gospels and to
0:07:16 > 0:07:22read and to find out what Jesus himself had to say about the Earth.
0:07:22 > 0:07:28And, interestingly, the one title that Jesus takes to himself
0:07:28 > 0:07:32is Son of Man which, in Hebrew, means Child of the Earth.
0:07:32 > 0:07:35And in the Lord's Prayer, he encourages us
0:07:35 > 0:07:40to pray that God's will be done on Earth as it's done in Heaven.
0:07:40 > 0:07:46And when you begin to see the Christian faith through that lens,
0:07:46 > 0:07:49you realise how important the whole of creation is,
0:07:49 > 0:07:52and that's why we, as Christians, should be taking care of it.
0:09:53 > 0:09:56Plenty of us in the UK love the great outdoors,
0:09:56 > 0:09:58even in the cold of winter.
0:09:58 > 0:10:02In Essex, one group combines that love with the Christian faith.
0:10:03 > 0:10:07They're heading into the woods as part of a nationwide movement
0:10:07 > 0:10:12known as Forest Church, and this group is led by Rachel Summers.
0:10:12 > 0:10:16And so we've got a few different activities for us to do today.
0:10:16 > 0:10:20In Forest Church today, we're just taking the chance to come
0:10:20 > 0:10:23and be together outside, enjoy some time together,
0:10:23 > 0:10:30enjoy the beautiful muddy woodland, and find God outside here.
0:10:30 > 0:10:32People are doing Forest Church all around the country in lots
0:10:32 > 0:10:36of very different ways, so some people who are doing it in much more
0:10:36 > 0:10:40formal ways than I am, some people much more liturgically than I am.
0:10:40 > 0:10:43I'm doing it with lots of activities.
0:10:43 > 0:10:46We've been looking ahead to Lent, which is just around the corner,
0:10:46 > 0:10:49and thinking about those 40 days that Jesus spent
0:10:49 > 0:10:53out in the wilderness and how he was travelling on that journey
0:10:53 > 0:10:56out in the desert, thinking about his mission.
0:10:56 > 0:10:59And so some of the activities we've been doing have been to do
0:10:59 > 0:11:03with journeying - watching the movement of the clouds
0:11:03 > 0:11:06and also bashing away at the leaves,
0:11:06 > 0:11:09the things that we're getting ready to put down on our journey.
0:11:11 > 0:11:13You're doing little things that, you know,
0:11:13 > 0:11:15sometimes the textbook can't give to you,
0:11:15 > 0:11:19and you've just literally become more at one with God.
0:11:19 > 0:11:21Seeing some of the early signs of spring
0:11:21 > 0:11:25and nature is really quite rejuvenating, good for the soul.
0:11:25 > 0:11:29I like gathering in church, but I also like worshipping outside
0:11:29 > 0:11:32because I think that's what Jesus coming here is all about -
0:11:32 > 0:11:35being part of the whole of creation.
0:11:35 > 0:11:37It really helps me
0:11:37 > 0:11:40and my family to notice things that we wouldn't be noticing otherwise.
0:11:41 > 0:11:43Sometimes, it's the surprising things that you
0:11:43 > 0:11:47stumble across that show you this beauty from God.
0:11:49 > 0:11:55Making the pancakes - this amazing, beautiful noise from the bubbling fat
0:11:55 > 0:11:59as we're trying to season the pan is almost like a melodic tune.
0:12:01 > 0:12:04Rachel's group come out to this patch of urban forest several
0:12:04 > 0:12:08times a year to mark the main Christian seasons.
0:12:08 > 0:12:11It's always varied, it's always moving.
0:12:11 > 0:12:14It makes me be able to feel part of something that's bigger
0:12:14 > 0:12:19than myself, and that pushes me towards seeing the person of Jesus
0:12:19 > 0:12:22who is here in a relationship with me now.
0:12:25 > 0:12:29One of the symbols that some Christians use during Lent is
0:12:29 > 0:12:30ash on Ash Wednesday.
0:12:31 > 0:12:33So, at the end of our session today,
0:12:33 > 0:12:35we put out the fire together with water
0:12:35 > 0:12:38and use the water to mix around with the ash
0:12:38 > 0:12:41and mark ourselves the sign of the cross with that,
0:12:41 > 0:12:47just as a symbol that here we are, as part of this creation, and we're
0:12:47 > 0:12:51getting ready at this beginning of Lent to follow Jesus in his journey.
0:12:54 > 0:12:58We don't really go out to do this kind of very often,
0:12:58 > 0:13:01so it's quite nice for a change.
0:13:01 > 0:13:05I like the pancakes. I eat them!
0:13:05 > 0:13:08What brings us all together is just this love of being outside,
0:13:08 > 0:13:11this sense of connection with creation.
0:13:11 > 0:13:13It's something that people are able to engage with,
0:13:13 > 0:13:15and I think that's really special.
0:16:16 > 0:16:19Lincoln's majestic cathedral contains
0:16:19 > 0:16:22an abundance of images of the natural world,
0:16:22 > 0:16:25including mysterious figures known as Green Men,
0:16:25 > 0:16:28as explained by Christian author Simon Cross.
0:16:28 > 0:16:31Green Men are little carvings, sometimes in stone,
0:16:31 > 0:16:34sometimes in wood, that are found in various places -
0:16:34 > 0:16:39churches and cathedrals primarily - all over Europe, in fact.
0:16:39 > 0:16:42And, as you can see, he's got leaves and tendrils growing
0:16:42 > 0:16:44out of his mouth and then growing up round his face.
0:16:45 > 0:16:49While Green Men aren't mentioned in the Bible, Simon believes
0:16:49 > 0:16:52they're linked to a medieval Christian story about Adam,
0:16:52 > 0:16:54the first man on the Earth.
0:16:54 > 0:16:57Adam, when he was dying, asked his son to get him
0:16:57 > 0:16:59some fruit from the Garden of Eden.
0:16:59 > 0:17:01His son brought him some seeds,
0:17:01 > 0:17:04but he was too late - Adam had already died.
0:17:04 > 0:17:07So he planted the seeds in Adam's mouth.
0:17:07 > 0:17:11The seeds grew into a massive tree and then, a long time later,
0:17:11 > 0:17:15the wood from that tree was used to form the cross that Jesus died on.
0:17:16 > 0:17:18I think what it reflects, to me,
0:17:18 > 0:17:21is the fact that God is present everywhere -
0:17:21 > 0:17:24God is present out there just as much as God is present within.
0:17:24 > 0:17:28So it reminds us that all ground is holy ground, it reminds us
0:17:28 > 0:17:31that God's presence suffuses everything.
0:20:12 > 0:20:15For thousands of years, trees have provided food,
0:20:15 > 0:20:17fuel and shelter,
0:20:17 > 0:20:21so it's not surprising that many people recognise their importance,
0:20:21 > 0:20:25but they do need looking after, as JB Gill has been finding out.
0:20:25 > 0:20:28- Hello, there. You must be Timon. - Yeah, good to meet you, JB.
0:20:28 > 0:20:32I'm in the Midlands to meet Timon Robins and his team.
0:20:32 > 0:20:38They run a tree surgery business set up by Christian charity Betel UK.
0:20:39 > 0:20:43Timon, what's it like, cutting down trees for living?
0:20:43 > 0:20:47It can be exhilarating, it can be a little bit scary sometimes as well!
0:20:47 > 0:20:50- You've got to keep your wits about you.- I can imagine. And this tree's dead, isn't it?
0:20:50 > 0:20:53Yeah, it failed to come into leaf this year, maybe cos,
0:20:53 > 0:20:56when they built the wall, it went through the root plate,
0:20:56 > 0:20:58and it's got its big brother there is crowding the light out.
0:20:58 > 0:21:02It was covered in ivy as well, so it's got to go cos it's not safe.
0:21:02 > 0:21:03So this is going to come down completely?
0:21:03 > 0:21:07Yeah, we're hoping, maybe if we've got time today, we'll get the stem down as well.
0:21:09 > 0:21:12For Timon, who's recovered from addiction,
0:21:12 > 0:21:15this is more than just a job - it's a calling
0:21:15 > 0:21:17and the culmination of a life-changing journey of faith.
0:21:21 > 0:21:24When I came to Betel, I'd been a heroin addict for 20 years.
0:21:24 > 0:21:28I mean, it started off when I was young - I started smoking, started
0:21:28 > 0:21:33taking so-called soft drugs, and it spiralled out of control, really.
0:21:33 > 0:21:38And, by the time I was 21, I was hooked on heroin and crack cocaine.
0:21:38 > 0:21:42I tried so many different things to try and break free -
0:21:42 > 0:21:45all types of different rehab programmes and everything.
0:21:45 > 0:21:49When I came here, I was seven and a half stone, I was stinking,
0:21:49 > 0:21:53all my friends had died, I was in a lot of trouble.
0:21:53 > 0:21:56I came here, I wasn't even sure if I was going to survive,
0:21:56 > 0:21:57I was very fearful.
0:21:57 > 0:22:00But, when I came here, through there,
0:22:00 > 0:22:02the people in the house were amazing,
0:22:02 > 0:22:05the guys really looked after me.
0:22:05 > 0:22:09There was a lot of care, a lot of love.
0:22:09 > 0:22:12I experienced the life of Christ and the love of Christ through
0:22:12 > 0:22:16people who'd been through the same thing that I'd been through.
0:22:16 > 0:22:20And I think I had to come to a place of real brokenness
0:22:20 > 0:22:22before things got better, really.
0:22:22 > 0:22:24It was when I accepted the Gospel.
0:22:25 > 0:22:29I got to a point where I wanted to allow Christ to take over
0:22:29 > 0:22:32and I think, when I look at my old life, it's gone now,
0:22:32 > 0:22:36and now I have a new life and a new purpose.
0:22:36 > 0:22:39I have a fantastic relationship with my family now.
0:22:39 > 0:22:41They sometimes ring me up for advice on problems
0:22:41 > 0:22:44- whereas before- I- was the big problem.
0:22:45 > 0:22:48Timon is now leader of this residential community,
0:22:48 > 0:22:51supporting others on their journey of restoration through
0:22:51 > 0:22:53the work of the tree surgery business.
0:22:55 > 0:22:58It's quite therapeutic, working outdoors, isn't it?
0:22:58 > 0:23:03I think so, yeah, and I think being close to nature is nice.
0:23:03 > 0:23:05Being close to God's creation, I think,
0:23:05 > 0:23:07does something in you that's really cool.
0:23:08 > 0:23:12I get to help people, I get to pass on not just the tree skills
0:23:12 > 0:23:16that I've learnt myself, but I get to pass on the life skills
0:23:16 > 0:23:18and the new life that I've found in Christ.
0:23:23 > 0:23:26So, for you, what's been the most powerful thing?
0:23:26 > 0:23:31Just being able to call on the name of Jesus has been an amazing strength,
0:23:31 > 0:23:34has been an amazing source of power,
0:23:34 > 0:23:36to be able to overcome things in my life.
0:23:43 > 0:23:50# As morning dawns and evening fades
0:23:50 > 0:23:56# You inspire songs of praise
0:23:56 > 0:24:03# That rise from Earth to touch your heart
0:24:03 > 0:24:09# And glorify your name
0:24:09 > 0:24:15# Your name is a strong and mighty tower
0:24:15 > 0:24:22# Your name is a shelter like no other
0:24:22 > 0:24:25# Your name
0:24:25 > 0:24:29# Let the nations sing it louder
0:24:29 > 0:24:33# Cos nothing has the power to save
0:24:35 > 0:24:37# But your name
0:24:49 > 0:24:54# Jesus, in your name we pray
0:24:55 > 0:25:01# Come and fill our hearts today
0:25:01 > 0:25:08# Lord, give us strength to live for you
0:25:08 > 0:25:14# And glorify your name
0:25:14 > 0:25:20# Your name is a strong and mighty tower
0:25:20 > 0:25:27# Your name is a shelter like no other
0:25:27 > 0:25:30# Your name
0:25:30 > 0:25:34# Let the nations sing it louder
0:25:34 > 0:25:39# Cos nothing has the power to save
0:25:39 > 0:25:43# But your name
0:25:43 > 0:25:46# Is a strong and mighty tower
0:25:46 > 0:25:53# Your name is a shelter like no other
0:25:53 > 0:25:56# Your name
0:25:56 > 0:25:59# Let the nations sing it louder
0:26:00 > 0:26:05# Cos nothing has the power to save
0:26:05 > 0:26:09# But your name
0:26:12 > 0:26:15# Oh, Jesus, your name
0:26:17 > 0:26:20# Give us strength for another day
0:26:23 > 0:26:25# Oh
0:26:25 > 0:26:28# Jesus, your name. #
0:26:40 > 0:26:43Earlier, we heard how the Woodland Trust's new tree charter
0:26:43 > 0:26:47resulted from pioneering work by Bishop James Jones.
0:26:48 > 0:26:50- Hi, Anita, great to see you. - Hello.- This is Bishop James.
0:26:50 > 0:26:53- Hello, pleased to meet you. - Very good to meet you.
0:26:53 > 0:26:56And we've come to see the spirit of the tree charter in action
0:26:56 > 0:26:59in a project run by volunteers from Lincoln Cathedral.
0:26:59 > 0:27:03Hundreds of brand-new oak saplings have been planted to secure
0:27:03 > 0:27:09the long-term future of both the cathedral and the countryside.
0:27:09 > 0:27:11Why is it so important to plant these trees here, Anita?
0:27:11 > 0:27:15Lincoln Cathedral needs a constant supply of oak,
0:27:15 > 0:27:18so we've created this project now so, in 100 years' time,
0:27:18 > 0:27:21the oaks that we've planted can be used for the restoration
0:27:21 > 0:27:23of the cathedral roof.
0:27:23 > 0:27:26And what's been the response of the local community?
0:27:26 > 0:27:30It's been absolutely amazing. We could have done it twice over.
0:27:30 > 0:27:34We had families coming over, planting trees in memory of people.
0:27:34 > 0:27:38And do people come and see how their tree's growing?
0:27:38 > 0:27:40They do, yes, and they're all digitally mapped now
0:27:40 > 0:27:44so they can go on Nettleham Woodland Trust's website
0:27:44 > 0:27:46and find out exactly where their tree is.
0:27:46 > 0:27:48And this has really been your baby from the start, Anita.
0:27:48 > 0:27:50How proud are you of what you've achieved here?
0:27:50 > 0:27:53I'm absolutely delighted at how it's gone.
0:27:53 > 0:27:55We even sold a tree to someone in Australia
0:27:55 > 0:28:00and someone in America who are passionate about Lincoln Cathedral.
0:28:00 > 0:28:03I love the thought of the children coming because, in fact,
0:28:03 > 0:28:05it's the children's children who are going to be
0:28:05 > 0:28:08chopping down the trees to use it for the cathedral.
0:28:08 > 0:28:10Absolutely, in 100 years' time, yeah.
0:28:13 > 0:28:14Today, Bishop James
0:28:14 > 0:28:18and I are having a go at planting our own oak sapling.
0:28:18 > 0:28:23If this is the only tree in the copse that doesn't survive!
0:28:23 > 0:28:27A bit more mulch. Lovely. It's wonky no more.
0:28:28 > 0:28:30Amazing to think, in 100 years' time,
0:28:30 > 0:28:33- this could be in the roof of the cathedral.- Yep.
0:28:33 > 0:28:37We'll be dead and gone by then, but the cathedral will still be standing
0:28:37 > 0:28:42to the glory of God, as indeed the trees grow to the glory of God.
0:28:42 > 0:28:44I'm sure you agree it's really important to protect
0:28:44 > 0:28:46the environment for the future, Bishop.
0:28:46 > 0:28:48I love the thought of this tree growing
0:28:48 > 0:28:56and then becoming a home for birds, for insects, for beetles and,
0:28:56 > 0:29:02just as the tree is sort of giving life to nature, so God gives us
0:29:02 > 0:29:06life through the very trees that are growing here and around the world.
0:31:17 > 0:31:20Well, that's almost it for our time here in Lincolnshire.
0:31:21 > 0:31:24Next week, Sean Fletcher meets Graham Kendrick,
0:31:24 > 0:31:27who changed the face of modern worship.
0:31:27 > 0:31:29And we celebrate more great British hymn writers with
0:31:29 > 0:31:31music from the Royal Albert Hall.
0:31:33 > 0:31:37Our closing hymn reminds us that, in both creation and the everyday
0:31:37 > 0:31:40lives of Christians, it's God who's given the glory.