Your Summer Edition of Earth News

EARTH: Earth Action, Reflection, Theology, and Hope

Prophetic Contemplation: Grounding Our Eco-Activism “Christian life is not a life divided between times for action and times for contemplation. No. Real social action is a way of contemplation, and real contemplation is the core of social action.” — Henri J.M. Nouwen Richard Rohr, who founded the Center for Action and Contemplation, posits that “The most important word in our Center’s name is not Action nor is it Contemplation; it’s the word ‘and.’” Contemplation that does not lead to action becomes centered on the self. It does not improve or transform the world; it does not do the work of Jesus Christ. Action without contemplation can be even more dangerous. Contemplation allows us to examine our motivations and help us get our own ego out of the way. As Rohr explains, “Without contemplation, all our doing comes from ego, even if it looks selfless, and it can cause more harm than good.” Thomas Merton suggests that “Action is the stream, and contemplation is the spring.” But whether action or contemplation comes first, both are important to healthy activism. It is easy in the face of human destruction of God’s great creation to lash out in anger and pain, but that type of activism is rarely well-received and completely unsustainable.  Contemplation allows us to reach into and touch the deep well of love and justice that flows from God. It is from these healthy motivations that we can be effective prophets for the earth, as well as for human community, over the long term. Many of us have images of contemplatives sitting cross-legged and apart from the world. If we are more action-oriented, we may wonder what good that can do when climate change, ecosystem destruction, and pollution hurtle us toward self-destruction. There is no time to sit around and meditate, whatever that means. All the rushing about in the world, however, will not have the effect we desire if it is not grounded in something deeper than our own motivations. Without God’s leading, our hurrying forward can inadvertently trample potential allies in our struggles for justice, keep needed voices from the table, block out possible third-way solutions, or even backfire as we fail to offer a vision for the future that others can believe in. And, of course, being in constant motion without divine direction is guaranteed to lead to burnout. The Bible tells us that faith without works is dead (James 2:17). So too are all the good works of the world worth nothing without love (I Corinthians 13: 3), a love that is found most deeply in meeting God in contemplation.  Worried you may not be the kind of person who can sit still for minutes at a time in traditional meditation? Set your worries aside now. There are as many ways to do contemplation as there are people God has created. This month’s Earth News lifts up a few ways people have found their experiences of prophetic contemplation in nature. For more ideas, consider working with a spiritual director* to learn how you can best tap into the Divine mystery and ground your activism in Love. Rev. Mary Beane, Pastor Windsor Presbyterian Church, Windsor, CA *Spiritual Directors International www.sdiworld.org has resources to help you find a spiritual director that’s right for you.

Wild Church A church doesn’t need walls, a roof, pews, or central air conditioning. A new movement called Wild Journey is turning (or returning) to nature as a place of spiritual practice. Read More

Grounded Through Vision Rev. Eric Beene is General Presbyter of the Presbytery of the Redwoods and an amateur photographer. His photo essay pairs images he captured near his home in Sonoma County, California with scripture that shows how he perceives his own connection with the God of his being.

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Morning Has Broken Earth News editor Eric Diekhans shares how he connects with God through the ritual of an early morning ride.

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The JOY of Worship The Justice, Outreach and Yoga (JOY) New Worshiping Community in St. Joseph, Missouri offers a worship experience grounded and centered in Creation.

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Poetry by Nancy Corson Carter LISTEN What we have gathered in contemplation, we give out in love. -Meister Eckhart Listen— at the heart of the world there is singing. Listen to your own heart: deep in its chambers the ebb and flow of life from the eternities sings. Hum and feel your bones vibrate with the song, the fluted breath of the Almighty from everlasting to everlasting, under, over, around, and within you. Trust this song harmonizing all being. In the breath-notes of every moment it offers rapturous solace. Being born with the Child into Love, the universe sings each of us through the valley of death’s shadow into Light. GIFT On a still June morning just after Solstice, a brilliant red flashed from our garden’s fence— a Summer Tanager! We never know what Light may flare from Creation’s heart into our own— each day a blessing. “But there is a higher light still, not the light by which man ‘gives names’ and forms concepts, with the aid of the active intelligence, but the dark light in which no names are given, in which God confronts man not through the medium of things, but in His own simplicity. The union of the simple light of God with the   simple light of man’s spirit, in love, is contemplation.”                           -Thomas Merton

“The Climate Crisis & Empowering Hope” is our theme for our 2023 national conference. The conference will deal with the greatest moral issue of the day and practical ways that our faith can guide us to act for creation care. We will gather in person in the beautiful Shenandoah Valley and at three satellite locations (California, Arkansas and Minnesota) and we will also stream all presentations online. We will learn from top church leaders, gifted biblical and theological teachers, activists, pastors, and one another. This important conference will make a difference for God’s creation and the Church. Please plan to join us and ask your Presbytery to include this information in your Presbytery newsletter.

CLIK HERE for Info & Registration

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