I am looking out on a very grey and cold morning here in Seattle. There is fresh snow on the Olympic mountains, a surprising contrast to the lilac bush now in full bloom outside my window. Spring is always an uncertain season with winter reluctant to give up its hold on us, while the first glimmers of summer struggle to emerge. It is a season that is always filled with growth and promise, with joy and expectation however, which I am very aware of as I look ahead to the next few weeks.
I am getting ready for The Spirituality of Gardening webinar and am excited to share some of my insights with you. This is not just for gardeners but for anyone who draws close to God in nature whether it be while sitting beside a waterfall, on a beach or wandering through a forest. This is for anyone who wants draw closer to the God who comes to us in the creation story as the planter of gardens and the nurturer of all that is good and beautiful. This webinar is for anyone who wants to discover the enriching awe and wonder of interacting with God’s good creation. I am very much looking forward to the fun interactions and the mutual learning this will provide for us. I hope you will join us on May 11th for this valuable seminar.
My head is still ringing with the sound of wonderful music, poetry and wisdom from the Inhabit conference Tom and I attended over the weekend. Between sessions I raced outside to enjoy the beauty of the Dumas Bay Retreat Centre where the conference was held this year. Watching the sun set over the water was an added delight. I appreciated the cries for lament and justice, for equity, reparation and restitution, and have returned home with renewed zeal for the daunting task that still faces us to bring justice, mercy and God’s love to our world. My one disappointment was that virtually no sessions talked about the climate crisis and our need to face together our destruction of this good earth and the extinction of many of the creatures we share it with.
It is my belief that our concerns for our sisters and brothers who face inequity, poverty, violence and abuse around the world should be grounded in our concern for the planet on which we live. As I commented in yesterday’s Meditation Monday: God’s Dream Unfolding “For me, God’s dream is expansive and whole. It’s a dream for all of creation – plants, animals, people – living in shalom together with God.” This post, like future Meditation Mondays, is available in audio form too for paid subscribers to my Substack. Several people told me how much they enjoy listening to the posts rather than reading them, especially as my emotions and feels come through more clearly. Please consider joining those who support my ministry in this way.
As you can see I am really getting into this podcast business. A year ago it never occurred to me that I would launch not just one but two podcasts. On Wednesday we launched the 6th episode of Liturgical Rebels, a fun interview with my good friend, frequent partner in crime and creative worship leader Lilly Lewin. Our next episode will be a very passionate interview with author and activist Shane Claiborne. This week, together with Forrest Inslee, I will interview Brian McLaren about his new book Life After Doom, and next week will chat to Tony Jones about his book The God of Wild Places. I am also getting ready to interview my yarn bombing friend Naomi Lawrence, and iconographer Kelly Latimore, and have several others in the pipeline. I feel the podcast is gathering steam. We just had the 1000th download and wherever I share about it I find people are very excited about my emphasis on helping people to think outside the box about what it means to worship God, what is a spiritual practice and how do we draw close to the Creator of our universe.
Godspacelight is thriving too. On Saturday, Emily Huff, in her post for International Dance Day shared that wonderful song, Lord of the Dance. She comments: “This song is a beautiful invitation to us as we listen to God saying, “Come dance with me” to us through this day that God has given to us. What might it be like to stand on God’s feet just like a little girl might stand on her father’s feet in learning how to dance? What might it look like to let God take the lead as we twirl and swing together around the dance floor and as everything else fades away as we dance?”
Lilly Lewin’s Freerange Friday Discovering the Garden of Love talks about the boxes we all tend to live in – failure, fear and not enough then reflects on love – not as a box but as a garden. Such a beautiful concept.
On Thursday we reposted an inspiring post Shift #5 An Ecological Mission, by James Amadon from the Circlewood blog, The Ecological Disciple. I love his assertion that “The current ecclesial crisis is an opportunity to reassess, among other things, the Church’s understanding and practice of mission. And this work is well underway”. Lots to reflect on here.
Are we too busy for beauty,
Too distracted to practice wonder?
Do we have the courage,
To live in the freedom of awe
Absorbing the rhythm
Of our God soaked world.
Our bodies carry the essence of God
Within and without,
Alone and in community,.
Eternity pulses within us, around us
All through all creation.
Many blessings
Spirituality of Gardening – A virtual retreat
On May 11 from 9:30-12:30 pm PT (check my timezone) We will discuss connections between community, spirituality and gardening. Explore the wonderful ways that God and God’s story are revealed through the rhythms of planting, growing and harvesting as well as the beauty of nature. This webinar is for anyone who admires the beauty of God’s good creation, likes to walk in nature, sit by the ocean or just relax and listen to the birds in the trees. It is based on Christine Sine’s popular book, To Garden with God and each participant will receive a digital copy of this book.
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