I'm focusing my writing about the Journey of Ecological Discipleship this week on the ways people are finding it helpful. Over the last few weeks, I've been guiding some fellow travelers through the journey at Circlewood's new ecological learning center on Camano Island. Here is a brief summary of the two learning cohorts, along with a few things I have learned.
Thanks for reading! - James
Finding Their Way, Piece By Piece
A few weeks ago we hosted the third retreat for our "Faith and Vocation" cohort. This is a group of young adults who are seeking to deepen the connections between their faith and creation, and to integrate creation care and earth advocacy into every aspect of life - with particular emphasis on their vocational aspirations.
We have been using the Journey of Ecological Discipleship as a framework for exploring these themes. For this recent retreat, we focused on rewilding and reimagining. We sat in contemplative silence and listened to robins, sparrows, and wrens singing, as well as the music of wind flowing through the needled branches of Douglas fir trees. We wandered in the forest and wondered about all the connections going on right around us. We practiced, with varying levels of comfort, asking for permission from the forest to be present and receive its gifts (a practice taught to us by Lenore Three Stars, who is Oglala Lakota and a Circlewood board member).
We also spent time imagining what our lives and communities might be if we lived in more conscious relationship with the Creator and the creation. Each person sifted through various magazines (as diverse as National Geographic and InStyle) and cut out images and words that spoke to them and helped communicate their journey. The collages that emerged from this exercise were fascinating, instructive, and, to my surprise, quite beautiful. As someone who does not practice the visual arts regularly, I was surprised about how engaged I became in the practice and what my collage revealed about me and the way I relate to the world.
It has been interesting to see that this group understood the framework of the Journey of Ecological Discipleship intuitively (outlined HERE). They are rethinking what it means to be a person of faith in a time of ecological crisis. They are repenting from harmful beliefs and practices. They recognize the importance of connecting to our creatureliness through rewilding. They are eager to reimagine their place and purpose in the world. They work hard to reintegrate as contributing members of their communities. And they want to be part of reforming church and culture.
Their understanding of, and comfort with, this journey may be because they have not been solely formed by Christian communities that emphasize human exceptionalism and dominion over Creation. They have seen alternative ways of faith and practice, and are eager to follow that path more deeply. It may also be that this generation has been aware of the harm being done to Earth, and the perilous future we face, since they were very little. They only Earth they know is one that is in trouble and requires humans to figure out how to live very differently. It is a privilege to journey with them in this moment.
Learning to Guide Others Along the Way
This past week, I was the guide for five wonderful leaders who traveled to Circlewood for several days of intensive learning. Our focus was on leading others through the Journey of Ecological Discipleship. We did this by seeking to understand our own journeys more deeply, and by examining the six stages with our respective communities in mind. Participants were from the Midwest, Southwest, and the Pacific Northwest.
We talked, laughed, cooked and ate together. We also interspersed our study time with walks on the beach and in the forest. And the group was kind enough to enhance the new learning center by spreading soil and assembling chairs.
It was interesting to discover our commonalities and differences, and to help one another in our particular leadership opportunities and challenges. I was particularly impressed by the group's willingness to explore the tension of pursuing an ecologically-conscious discipleship in the midst of traditional church communities. Leaders in this context often feel quite lonely as they try to open the minds and hearts of their congregations to new visions of faith.
I was particularly struck by their ability to listen to one another, to creation, and to God, and their creative capacity to put into practice what they were learning. In our session focused on the work of reforming, I asked them to create, in 20 minutes, a worship service that wove together the themes of ecological discipleship and fit our setting (the Circlewood forest). I was genuinely moved by what they created, which was a truly sacred service that opened my eyes in new ways. As we gathered in a clearing, one member read from Psalm 104:30 - "you renew the face of the earth." I turned my face skyward and felt the rain fall on my face, a moment that connected me directly to the Spirit's renewal and to the earth. When the light rain turned heavier, we moved under the outstretched branches of a bigleaf maple - a natural sanctuary that kept us dry and enabled us to continue.
I noticed during the week that the theme of regular celebration was important. In a period of ecological and ecclesial decline, it can be easy to miss all the good that is happening. It was interesting to hear more than one participant reflect on their journey and their community and note how far they have come. Something to celebrate, indeed!
I'm celebrating these initial opportunities to host, teach, and learn at Circlewood's new building. I'm also looking forward to our next group of friends who will be coming through - ten college students and their mentors looking at vocation through the lenses of calling, community, and creation, and then 25 high school students and their leaders coming for our inaugural EDIFY week (Ecological Discipleship Immersion for Youth).
If you are interested in exploring the Journey of Ecological Discipleship with us at Circlewood (or having us come to your setting), drop me a note at james.amadon@circlewood.online.
With you on The Way,
James