Summer Solstice
Summer Solstice 2008
This year the summer solstice falls on a Saturday (21st June - longest day). The Friday night / Saturday morning is set to draw record crowds estimated at around 25,000 people.
Our heart is to go and be a blessing to people.
In the last two years we have seen such an openness in people to receive prayer, healing and prophesy. We've worshipped, read poetry, sang spiritual songs over people. We've been left with a strong sense of the powerful reality that God loves to visit dark places. As we go, so he goes with us.
If you'd like to join us and other local christian's at this event, then take a look at the info below. For any further questions please contact: admin@citygate-salisbury.com
What is it?
Summer Solstice 2008 at Stonehenge - a celebration of the longest day of the year. Estimated 25,000 attendees. You will encounter a rich and diverse population of people. There will be pagans, witches, and druids there but mostly people out to have a good evening who are very open spiritually. Sunrise will occur at 4.58am
Why are we going?
Are you enjoying how the Holy Spirit is moving in your church? Well, let's go and take His presence into the darkness. This is one huge spiritual supermarket. People who go are looking for a spiritual experience and some supernatural reality in their lives. Please ask God for creative idea's, words of knowledge, prophetic words / objects and boldness. Last year we simply worshipped God and people came and sat with us to receive! There will be more of that this year, we'll worship and pray for each other and then see what God wants next. An adventure for sure! If you are a musician please bring acoustic guitar, hand drums or anything else musically acoustic you feel to play. For last years report on City Gates antics see text at the end of this information.
When will we meet?
There will be a prayer meeting joining with Durrington Christian Fellowship at 9pm. For further details contact admin@citygate-salisbury.com
We will aim to be at Stonehenge by 11pm, hopefully earlier depending on traffic. All individuals will need to bring their own car or get a lift with somebody. There will be a core group from City Gate staying the whole night til after dawn.
What to bring?
Warm clothing, small blanket, torch, mobile phone, (switched on and charged in case you get lost or separated from your driver / passengers) any creative idea's God gives you. Acoustic instrument(s) if you are a musician. An umbrella (golfing ones will be especially useful, we will use these to create a base camp semi-circled by umbrella's on which we can stick signs saying healing and destiny words! We will have ground sheets for resting / chill-out space) It will be eye catching and will provide a place for people to re-group / rest / pray. Food/drink wagons will be available for energy refuelling. There was a splendid donut one there last year!
Please read the following information on items you can bring into the Solstice area. Be assured anything you are told not to bring will be confiscated before you are allowed in!
Hope that gives you all the info you need - look forward to seeing you there.
Things you can bring with you: (taken from terms and conditions of entry to Solstice) - for full details go to: www.english-heritage.org.uk/server/show/ConWebDoc.11610
BAGS
Large bags or large rucksacks, or similar items will not be allowed on site. Small bags/rucksacks (similar size to hand luggage on airlines) will be permitted. Sleeping on the ground creates a trip hazard and therefore in the interest of safety, sleeping bags or duvets will not be allowed on site. Small groundsheets and blankets will be permitted.
MUSIC
Acoustic instruments will be permitted.
CAMPING EQIUPMENT / GARDEN FURNITURE
Please do not put up tents or bring camping equipment (including foldaway chairs), garden furniture, large rucksacks or other large items to Stonehenge; this includes gas cylinders and barbecues. It also includes trolleys, push chairs or buggies that are not exclusively used for a child, wheelbarrows and any other form of porterage. Camping is NOT permitted at Stonehenge, in the Solstice Car Park, or anywhere in the surrounding National Trust land.
BOTTLES AND GLASS
Please note that glass will not be allowed at Stonehenge as many people walk barefoot, and in addition, livestock and wildlife also graze in the area. This also includes any other objects that could cause damage to the Monument or people there. No plastic bottles will be available for decanting, so please decant before you arrive.
UNDER 16's
Children under the age of 16 must be accompanied by an adult.
REFRESHMENT FACILITIES
Authorised catering points selling hot and cold refreshments, will be available throughout the access period and these will be indicated on the map handed out on your arrival. Please do not purchase refreshments from any unauthorised outlets.
DRINKINGWATER
There is a tap for drinking water close to the Monument which will be clearly marked on the map that is handed out on arrival.
To read blog from last years event see below:
Stonehenge Sumer Solstice Report (22nd June 2007)
Well the longest day is upon us again. I thought it would be good to report back from last nights escapades at Stonehenge.
Durrington Christian Fellowship played host to a pre-stones prayer and worship meeting. Its always great to see such a mixture from different ages and walks of life. City Gate folks came too.
The idea was to simply go to the stones and do what we felt God telling us to do... Phil and Anna, I believe, were with the Durrington possee so you will need to get the low down from them as to their experiences last night. Durrington Fellowship may also circulate their tales. This is just our piece of lasts nights action.
We set off before midnight and took the long, long walk to the stones from the car park. Someone gave a helpful reminder that we needed to take stock of where we parked just as we began disappearing off to adventure. It's easy to get swamped amongst the colourful and noisy vehicles belonging to the 24,000 solstice revellers.
We arrived at the stones, excited and if honest, a bit nervous. The usual mix of fire, tribal drumming, cheering and horns sounding (at one point the Rocky theme piped up for good measure). The best place to get a feel for things is in the midst of things, so we wandered into the packed stone circle for no particular spiritual reason apart from well you just have to, right? After all curiosity wins out after normally being held to a careful distance by English Heritage ropes.
The weird thing in the centre is it's very noisy and you'd think there was actually something going on in the centre. In reality it's really a bunch of people drumming and shouting sporadically. There is no focus (unless like the long haired young man who was standing on one of the central stones obviously enjoying the effects of a illegal substance that can apparently take you on holiday. I think he could have been surveying his legion of roman troops from the firm millitant gaze and flowing coat). We however being good clean living Christians eagerly clutching our plastic water bottles and keen to not get into mischief were mildly bemused by the nothingness of the atmosphere. Andre, got into the spirit of the event by shouting really, really loudly "Faaatthhheeeeeer Chriiiiistmaaaaas!!!!!" to which he cheered and whooped with abandon (along with all those celebrating around him). I rest my case. We won't mentioned the Christmas crackers....
We then wandered around the outside of the stones praying in tongues quietly. There was a roaring fire near the entrance so we decided to make that our spot for the night. One, it was warm. Two, it was surrounded by lots of people also trying to be warm. I quoted Woody Allen last year saying, " 80% of life is simply turning up". It's so true. Prophetic evangelism 101. Stand in amongst the fire crowd. Get out guitar and drum. Everyone sing in tongues. Holy Spirit moves. Sometimes things are so simple we wouldn't normally try them. Within 30 seconds a young guy joined our circle with his head bowed. We asked him if we could sing over him. He said "Yes". His name was Ewan. He sits down in the middle of us and receives from God - for ages and ages, no rush. Estelle just felt to put her hand on his head. As she went to do this at the same time he put both his hands on his head. Afterwards I felt to give him one of my old front door keys I'd brought with me (I felt God say on my way to work that morning that there would be people who he wanted to speak life over. The message was that Jesus was closing one pathway in their life and at the same time opening up another). He said what had just happened to him was the most beautiful thing he'd ever experienced. At the same time a lady was standing next to us crying, we asked her if we could sing over her, but she declined saying she was happy being soothed by the singing where she was. We found out later that her friend had died prior to her coming to the solstice.
We just sang in tongues with guitar and drum accompaniment until around 2am. Others came and joined us. One guy called Dan was really affected and joined in singing along too! He got another front door key to take home with him. A girl from Holland who was part of our circle asked us what language we were singing in. We said "tongues, heavenly language". She said, "Oh yes I thought I didn't recognise it, it's lovely". We sang over a man called Mark. I felt that he was facing big career change and to say the path he's about to go down is good. God has good plans for him and not to worry. I found out afterwards he is a mature student literally just finished university. We had a fruitful chat about, his mum dying, God speaking though us, and was able to encouraged him to find a Christian church because he needed the support of others around him. He was really touched. He said he'd come to the solstice looking for guidance.
We were only there for a couple of hours due to work the next day. There is so much more for us to push into. Is this a taster, a trickle of things we long to see? I think so. We all feel bolder and the Holy Spirit stronger wanting to burst out more than we did yesterday.
What could God do with 6 more hours of us being at the stones? What could God do with all of us who hear from him at the solstice? What could God do with more ferverant prayers interceding? What could God do with his heavenly language being sung over more of his creation? The morningstar sang at creation, lets join in the power of sound. It's real.
So there we have it. The field is oh so ripe for harvest. The solstice as Suzanne put it is a, "Great, big spiritual supermarket". People are searching for something that's real. NEXT YEAR 2008 IS A LEAP YEAR THE SOLSTICE WILL BE FRIDAY NIGHT - NO WORK ON SATURDAY. IT WILL BE ABSOLULELTY HUGE. LETS GET THE CITY GATE TROOPS OUT IN FORCE. THE HOLY SPIRIT IS YEARNING AND DESPERATE TO POUR OUT OF US TO TOUCH PEOPLE. HEALING TENTS? PSALM DRUMMERS? PROPHETIC READINGS FROM JESUS, ETC. The fields are white, white, white!
This is for anyone who feels the adventure of God calling you out. Whether you feel to pray on site or at home, hand out leaflets, sing, play, dance, paint, prophesy (well it's all hearing from God and following him anyway). Maybe you read the above and thought but what if there were more conversations, more something ....(else) going on; then please come and be you. That's what being a the body of Christ is all about.
Be encouraged. Watch this space. Lets see what it means to be a prophetic church.
Love
(a very excited yet tired) Tre (on behalf of the rest) x