The Art of Creation: The Lightest Touch
September 18, 2025 - As Pattiann Rogers demonstrates in this poem, "Poetry is nearer to music than it is to prose." By Louise Conenr
Topics
Poetry
The Art of Creation: Belonging and Brokenness
June 5, 2025 - Today's poem, Every Riven Thing, was written by Christian Wiman. It sees God's presence in everything God has made—all that is riven (broken, sundered, torn apart). By Louise Conner
The Art of Creation: Wall of Wonders
April 10, 2025 - Readers share what wonders they have found outside their doors in recent weeks. By Louise Conner
The Art of Creation: Wild Things Reprise
November 7, 2024 - In April 2021, we launched The Ecological Disciple. Today, I share an update of the first post of this column, as a spark of light against the fear and despair that many are currently experiencing. I pray that these words will be a comfort and an encouragement. By Louise Conner
The Art of Creation: Garden Project
September 5, 2024 - The poem, Set the Garden on Fire, by Chen Chen gives a poignant picture of the contrast between welcome and exclusion. While exclusion keeps out the other, welcome is generous space where the different is made to feel familiar. By Louise Conner
The Art of Creation: Three Poems of a Hallowed World
June 6, 2024 - William Stafford's poetry models an ability to listen and pay attention to a world the poet felt great affection and respect for. He believed nature had the power to teach us about ourselves and how to live in the world. By Louise Conner
The Art of Creation: Opening Our Eyes
March 14, 2024 - The poem, Moving the Woodpile, reveals a perspective into the relationship we, as humans have with the rest of creation as the narrator literally and figuratively, moves the woodpile and reveals to us what is underneath. By Louise Conner
peace
The Power of Beauty in Troubled Times
March 22, 2022 - To see that beauty endures, even if only as a memory, is a pathway to healing. It is also a pathway to hope, helping us see our existence beyond the level or mere physicality, even as it roots us more deeply there. By James Amadon
The Web of War and Peace
March 14, 2022 - The war in Ukraine reaches out and touches every person and every place. From the perspective of ecological disciples, it asks us to reflect on what it means to follow Jesus in this moment, and what we might do to "make peace" in this fragile moment. By James Amadon
Hiding in Plain Sight #6 – Jesus is Not Just For Us
Dec. 27, 2021 - We think Jesus is all about humanity. But the Bible has a lot to say about Jesus' relationship with animals, if we have the eyes to see. By James Amadon
prayer
The Art of Creation: A Prayer of Change
October 9, 2025 - The God of this prayer is a very big God. We may need to take a few step backwards and crane our necks. By Louise Conner
The Art of Creation: All Creatures
June 26,2025 - This prayer from the Episcopal Church recognizes that God's mercy is over all of the creation. By Louise Conner
The Art of Creation: The Earth Cries Out
April 24, 2025 - In light of Pope Francis' strong advocacy on behalf of the planet and all of its creatures, we share a prayer and video through which we hear his voice encouraging us to listen and respond to the cries that come from the earth and its creatures. By Louise Conner
The Art of Creation: Receive and Respond
March 13, 2025 - In looking for more healthy ways to respond to accumulating concerns, I am trying to make prayer my first response. By Louise Conner
The Art of Creation: An Advent Prayer
December 19, 2024 - This prayer for Advent reminds me of how the Incarnation demonstrates honor and love for all of the created world, human and non-human. By Louise Conner
The Art of Creation: Lead Us
October 31, 2024 - This prayer from Archbishop Desmond Tuto recognizes the destruction we have caused and prays for wisdom to follow a better path. By Louise Conner
The Art of Creation: Stop and Listen
August 22, 2024 - A prayer from the Laudato Si' Movement asks God to help us stop and listen better to the voices around us. By Louise Conner
art
The Art of Creation: Shadows and Scars
October 23, 2025 - David Morrison's exceptional attention to detail helps expose the extraordinary designs and patterns of "ordinary" natural objects. By Louise Conner
The Art of Creation: Stones that Breathe
September 4, 2025 - Dry stone walling has been declared as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO. Here are some reasons why. By Louise Conner
The Art of Creation: Place
July 31, 2025 - The art of Phaedra Taylor is delicate—and yet strong enough to elicit strong emotions about place and home. By Louise Conner
The Art of Creation: Walls and Windows
May 8, 2025 - The textiles and wallpaper created by Newton Paisley of Whitstable, England, can be appreciated and enjoyed on a purely aesthetic level, but knowing the story (or more accurately, the stories) behind the designs, makes the art even more compelling. By Louise Conner
The Art of Creation: Real? Or Not?
November 21, 2024 - Among the official and unofficial art exhibits at COP29 was a piece that combined realistic art with a type of playacting that taught about reality by use of what wasn't real. By Louise Conner
The Art of Creation: Loss and Hope
November 14, 2024 - An installation that spans places, times, and mediums aims to bring to the forefront "what is missing" and how humankind can avert further losses on our plant. By Louise Conner
The Art of Creation: Wings, Not Feathers
October 24, 2024 - Shapes, colors, patterns textures are what go into the making of Charley Harper's art—not a particular number of feathers. By Louise Conner
discipleship
But Now I See: The Journey of Reflection
September 11, 2025 - As the years went by, the image that I had created for my life began to crumble as I embarked on what I now recognize as the journey of ecological discipleship. By James Amadon
What If We...:The Journey of Imagination
July 10, 2025 - The loss of hope that many are experiencing is accompanied by the loss of the most powerful force of change we humans have at our disposal - our imagination. By James Amadon
Born to Be Wild: The Journey of Rewilding
Jun 14, 2025 - Ecological disciples seek to follow the path that leads us deeper into creation and the life of the Creator. This is the journey of rewilding; here is what it looks like. By James Amadon
Turn, Turn, Turn: The Journey of Repentance
May 2, 2025 - Many Christians think of repentance as remorse coupled with a promise not to repeat whatever wrong has been done. But true repentance is much more than this; it involves three distinct turns that require compassion, conversion, and courage. By James Amadon
Not the Way It's Supposed to Be - the Journey of Resistance
Fri, April 18 - As questions piled up, I found that I could no longer accept the status quo. I found myself resisting the dominant theologies, cultural values, politics, and everyday practices that have brought us to this point. I started wondering if there was another way. By James Amadon
The Eight Stages of the Journey
April 3, 2025 - While everyone's journey is unique, there are eight common stages, or terrains, that ecological disciples travel through. By James Amadon
A Patterned Journey
March 3, 2025 - The journey of ecological discipleship follows a pattern with common characteristics and stages that everyone on the journey must go through. By James Amadon
Members Mailbag
What's On Your Mind?
Sept. 5, 2022 - Every few months we ask you, our readers, to share your questions, ideas, and resources with us. In this short post, you'll see a link to a brief form that will allow you to share what's on your mind with us. It will only take a few minutes of your time. By James Amadon
Members Mailbag #2
September 7, 2021 - Here is our second “Members Mailbag!” I am grateful for those who have commented on our most recent series - “7 Shifts We Need to Make,” or emailed me thoughts and questions about ecological discipleship in general. By James Amadon
Members Mailbag #1
June 7, 2021 - First ever Members Mailbag! Check out what our thoughtful readers want to know, and the wisdom they have to offer. By James Amadon
creation
The Art of Creation: All Creatures
June 26,2025 - This prayer from the Episcopal Church recognizes that God's mercy is over all of the creation. By Louise Conner
The Art of Creation: Lead Us
October 31, 2024 - This prayer from Archbishop Desmond Tuto recognizes the destruction we have caused and prays for wisdom to follow a better path. By Louise Conner
Shift #6: An Interconnected Church
May 20, 2024 - The ecological crisis we are in presents us with an opportunity to shift us from from splintered sects to creative collaborators. By James Amadon
The Art of Creation: Read the Book of Nature
March 21, 2024 - We welcome guest writer Christine Sine, who shares about how nature speaks to her of God and of God's purposes for her. By Christine Sine
The Art of Creation: Painting with Clouds
February 29, 2024 - You can find photographs of this well-known artist's work in art galleries, but viewing the original pieces which the photographs capture would often require some tramping and some very lucky timing to see in person. By Louise Conner
The Art of Creation: Looking Outward, Looking Inward
September 21, 2023 - NASA doesn't only look outward away from the earth, it looks inward toward the earth as well. Its telescopes and and other instruments point at city lights, melting ice caps, phytoplankton blooms, and wildfires, as wells as stars as they form and explode. . By Louise Conner
The Art of Creation: The Wonder of Rain
January 5, 2023 - This walking in the rain is really a very spiritual thing after all and there is great benefit in embracing and enjoying it whatever season I am in. By Christine Sine
sculpture
The Art of Creation: Loss and Hope
November 14, 2024 - An installation that spans places, times, and mediums aims to bring to the forefront "what is missing" and how humankind can avert further losses on our plant. By Louise Conner
The Art of Creation: Leaf Bowls
September 19, 2024 - Artist Kay Sekimachi transforms the fragility of leaves into bowls of beauty. By Louise Conner
The Art of Creation: Sculptured Ecosystems
September 7, 2023 - Jackie Brookner (1945-2015) was an ecological artist whose work is often both aesthetic and practical, opening people's awareness to their connections with the rest of creation and also functioning to make those connections healthier and stronger. By Louise Conner
The Art of Creation: Weaving Innovation into Tradition
June 28, 2023 - Tanabe Chikuunsai IV's most well-known works catch one's attention, but his sculptures are not stand-alone tributes to one person's creativity and skill. They are rooted deeply in tradition, community, and the earth itself. By Louise Conner
The Art of Creation: Sculpting Sustainability
March 24, 2022 - The art of collaborators Martin Hill and Philippa Jones has much to say about the way we live in this world and the changes we need to make to live more successfully within it. By Louise Conner
The Art of Creation: Sunken Sculpture, Living Art
December 16 - Whenever you create art, there is element of letting go of it. You can’t control the viewer’s response or interpretation and after you make it, you have to release it. For Jason deCaires Taylor, this letting go is more extreme than is usual. By Louise Conner
The Art of Creation: The Hand
August 5, 2021 In Glarus, Switzerland, inside a sliver of park land, between a railroad track and a street, is a sculpture that brings home a simple, but profound point about the role that humans can take in nurturing the natural world around them. By Louise Conner
Bible/Theology
Rethinking the Tree of Life
August 5, 2024 - Guest writer Christine Sine reflects on the way in which trees form communities and theological lessons we can learn from them. By Christine Sine
Shift #7 - A Different Destination
June 10, 2024 - What if heaven is not the final destination we have made it out to be? What if we have been investing our hope in the wrong place and living our lives in the wrong direction? What if the ultimate destination for life is right under our feet? By James Amadon
Shift #5: An Ecological Mission
April 8, 2024 - 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. By James Amadon
Shift #4: Place-Based Discipleship
March 18, 2024 - What does it mean to follow Jesus in this place, at this time, with these people? By James Amadon
Shift #3 - A More Humble Humanity
Feb. 19, 2024 - As a species, we have assumed a place in this world that is not ours to take; we are, collectively, out of place. By James Amadon
Shift #2 - A Bigger Gospel
Feb. 6, 2024 - When I was 15, I was called out by a traveling preacher in the shabby conference room of the only motel in Lancaster, NH. She declared, in front of the small crowd that had gathered for revival, “There’s an evangelist!” By James Amadon
Shift #1 - A New Cosmology
January 29, 2024 - In this series of seven shifts Christians need to make to develop a more ecologically conscious discipleship, James looks at the need to shift our cosmology. By James Amadon
readers
The Art of Creation: Wall of Wonders
April 10, 2025 - Readers share what wonders they have found outside their doors in recent weeks. By Louise Conner
An Invitation
Nov. 29, 2023 - Good writing is slow work. One word is chosen, then another, and another, until sentences, paragraphs, stories, and arguments take shape. Then the real work begins.
What's On Your Mind?
Sept. 5, 2022 - Every few months we ask you, our readers, to share your questions, ideas, and resources with us. In this short post, you'll see a link to a brief form that will allow you to share what's on your mind with us. It will only take a few minutes of your time. By James Amadon
The Art of Creation: A Closer Look
April 28, 2022 - Two weeks ago, at the end of my post looking at the work of Karl Blossfeldt, I invited readers to send in their own close-up pictures and drawings of what they saw when they came in for a closer look at something around them. Here are the results. By Louise Conner
Hiding in Plain Sight #5: Creation Teaches Us How To Praise
Dec. 20, 2021 - By reading Psalm 148, through eco-theological lenses, we can begin to see (and hear) the symphony of praise that echoes through every nook and cranny of creation and calls us to join in. By James Amadon
The Art of Creation: From Our Readers
December 9, 2021 - We hope you enjoy today's post, with contributions sent in by some of our readers. By Louise Conner
Members Mailbag #2
September 7, 2021 - Here is our second “Members Mailbag!” I am grateful for those who have commented on our most recent series - “7 Shifts We Need to Make,” or emailed me thoughts and questions about ecological discipleship in general. By James Amadon
photography
The Art of Creation: Wall of Wonders
April 10, 2025 - Readers share what wonders they have found outside their doors in recent weeks. By Louise Conner
The Art of Creation: EPA's Documerica
March 27, 2025 - Fifty-five years ago, the newly established EPA created a massive collection of images showing the harm we were doing to the earth (and ourselves). There is still much these images can teach us. By Louise Conner
The Art of Creation: Outside Your Door
January 2, 2024 - At the beginning of a new year, Louise shares an invitation to explore the "book" just outside your door at least a little bit each day. By Louise Conner
The Art of Creation: Indigestible
December 5, 2024 - If we need motivation to make changes in our use of plastic, the work of Chris Jordan, a photographer from Seattle, Washington may provide impetus to change. By Louise Conner
The Art of Creation: Teaching a Giant to Step with Care
October 17, 2024 - Palau's approach to the problem has been a friendly, educational ad campaign called the Palau Pledge. By Lousie Conner
The Art of Creation: Stop and Listen
August 22, 2024 - A prayer from the Laudato Si' Movement asks God to help us stop and listen better to the voices around us. By Louise Conner
The Art of Creation: Circlewood Photo Ark
November 2, 2023 - Today we share the photographs that you, our readers sent in for our Circlewood Photo Ark. Thanks to all who responded and feel free to keep them coming! By Louise Conner
history
Rethinking Thanksgiving
Nov. 21, 2023 - When we divorce gratitude from justice, we begin to turn in on ourselves and neglect the Creator's call to live generously, equitably, and sacrificially so that gifts and gratitude are shared by all. By James Amadon
The Art of Creation: An Unfaded Tradition
July 29, 2021 - This artist's work lights up the texts, combining the tradition of illumination with meticulous accuracy, creating pages that are vibrant, intricate works of art. By Louise Conner
Church
Practical Earthkeeping: Cultural Formation and the Church
December 7, 2024 - By insisting on action, we push back on the temptation to just add “sustainability” to the list of issues we discuss at Bible studies, and by insisting on spiritual formation, we affirm that effective environmental action begins with inner transformation. By Noah Guthrie
Shift #6: An Interconnected Church
May 20, 2024 - The ecological crisis we are in presents us with an opportunity to shift us from from splintered sects to creative collaborators. By James Amadon
Searching for Community
May 16, 2022 - It can be difficult to know how to find one’s way when pulled by love and loyalty for the communities and traditions that raised you, and yet pushed toward new forms of community that recognize something significant is not right and are doing something about it. By James Amadon
music
The Art of Creation: Silent Spaces
September 26, 2024 - In a world where noise is pushing into all the corners of the world, Gordon Hempton, an acoustical ecologist, advocates for the preservation and protection of listening and silence. By Louise Conner
The Art of Creation: A New Song
August 1, 2024 - Hymns rooted in our own times and places can give us new voices of praise and guide us along paths of discipleship that are sorely needed for our own particular times. By Louise Conner
The Art of Creation: A Song for Earth Day
April 18, 2024 - In anticipation of the upcoming Earth Day, Louise shares a song of praise, written from the perspective of Earth. By Louise Conner.
The Art of Creation: Healing Light
December 20, 2023 - A painting by Irenaeus Yurchuk and a song from The Porter's Gate point to the great gift of light that we remember during Advent. By Louise Conner
The Art of Creation: The Way the Wind Blows
August 3, 2023 - If you aren’t familiar with Xavier Rudd or the song, Follow the Sun, I hope you enjoy today’s introduction. By Louise Conner
The Art of Creation: Sounds of Sky and Sea
April 27, 2023 - In today's post, I share the music of John Luther Adams, frequently identified as America's "eco-composer," and invite readers to let his music take you to a place of deep listening to this world you are a part of. By Louise Conner
The Art of Creation: Sounding Joy
December 15, 2022 - Like hope and peace, joy is not merely a personal emotion, but a reality we are intended to pass along to others through action—and noise. By Louise Conner
architecture
The Art of Creation: Stones that Breathe
September 4, 2025 - Dry stone walling has been declared as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO. Here are some reasons why. By Louise Conner
The Art of Creation: Stepping Stones
July 4, 2024 - A pathway of 55 stepping stones at a rest area in Norway invites travelers to not just stop for minute on their way to somewhere else, but to take some time to really look and be in this particular place. By Louise Conner
The Art of Creation: The Beauty of Wasting Nothing
October 19, 2023 - In 2003, Kamikatsu, Japan made a bold goal– to become a zero-waste municipality by 2020. As the first Japanese town to have the goal of entirely eliminating waste from within its borders, it moved into a very bright spotlight. By Louise Conner
The Art of Creation: Following the Trail of Pollen
July 20, 2023 - Part zoo, part theme park, part interactive museum, and part time travel machine, Pollinator Park is a free interactive virtual experience intended to create a fun, educational, and emotionally engaging entrance into the world of pollinators. By Louise Conner
The Art of Creation: Living Walls
June 8, 2023 - It might not seem that an essential step in constructing a church building would be to plant some trees. But when New Zealand dairy farmer Barry Cox decided he wanted to build a church building, that is exactly where he began. By Louise Conner
The Art of Creation: Infusion of Light
February 2, 2023 - The Rosary Chapel, created by Henri Matisse, though very controversial at the time of its creation due to the artist's particular style and history, is, to me, a portrayal of how the Church and Creation collaboratively infuse beauty into each other. By Louise Conner
The Art of Creation: Designing with Cardboard
October 13, 2022 - That a well-known architect has found a way to convert commonly discarded items into usable construction materials is an amazing feat of creativity and frugality. By Louise Conner
guest
The Art of Creation: Read the Book of Nature
March 21, 2024 - We welcome guest writer Christine Sine, who shares about how nature speaks to her of God and of God's purposes for her. By Christine Sine
The Art of Creation: The Lure and Illusion of Landscape Art
September 14, 2023 - Today we welcome back Circlewood friend, Jeff Reed as a guest writer for The Ecological Disciple. Today he takes an insightful look at landscape art. By Jeff Reed
Awakening With the Eyes of Nature: The Art of Susan Cohen Thompson
August 17, 2023 - Today, Circlewood friend and guest writer Elaine Breckenridge shares the work of Camano Island artist and neighbor Susan Cohen Thompson. Along with the art itself, Elaine shares how it has influenced her own understanding of the world around her. By Elaine Breckenridge
God the Cosmic Gardener
May 25, 2023 - The whole of creation is a magnificent garden created by God. Every aspect of that creation God looked at and proclaimed “It is good.” By Christine Sine
Practical Earthkeeping: Spring Migration
April 22, 2023 - Practical tips to help birds during their spring migration. By Kevin Vande Vusse.
The Art of Creation: The Wonder of Rain
January 5, 2023 - This walking in the rain is really a very spiritual thing after all and there is great benefit in embracing and enjoying it whatever season I am in. By Christine Sine
The Art of Creation: The Wonder of Sunsets
September 21, 2022 - A sunset is not primarily a photo opportunity. It is an invitation to join God in the closing of one day and experience hope at the beginning of the next, a chance to sing and dance and shout for joy at the changing beauty of each moment. By Christine Sine
animals
The Art of Creation: In a Whir of Wings
July 17, 2025 - The film, Every Little Thing, pays tribute both to a woman who rehabilitates hummingbirds and to the hummingbirds themselves. By Louise Conner
The Art of Creation: Walls and Windows
May 8, 2025 - The textiles and wallpaper created by Newton Paisley of Whitstable, England, can be appreciated and enjoyed on a purely aesthetic level, but knowing the story (or more accurately, the stories) behind the designs, makes the art even more compelling. By Louise Conner
Practical Earthkeeping: Cultivating Empathetic Awe
April 14, 2025 - How can we cultivate the kind of awe, wonder, and love that leads us to action? By Noah Guthrie
The Art of Creation: Indigestible
December 5, 2024 - If we need motivation to make changes in our use of plastic, the work of Chris Jordan, a photographer from Seattle, Washington may provide impetus to change. By Louise Conner
The Art of Creation: Real? Or Not?
November 21, 2024 - Among the official and unofficial art exhibits at COP29 was a piece that combined realistic art with a type of playacting that taught about reality by use of what wasn't real. By Louise Conner
The Art of Creation: Wings, Not Feathers
October 24, 2024 - Shapes, colors, patterns textures are what go into the making of Charley Harper's art—not a particular number of feathers. By Louise Conner
The Art of Creation: Not Your Typical Postage Stamp
October 3, 2024 - Since 1993, the UN has published a series of stamps that highlights endangered plant and animal species across the world. This puts international cooperation on these issues in the spotlight. By Louise Conner
Indigenous
Rethinking Thanksgiving
Nov. 21, 2023 - When we divorce gratitude from justice, we begin to turn in on ourselves and neglect the Creator's call to live generously, equitably, and sacrificially so that gifts and gratitude are shared by all. By James Amadon
Exodus 33-34: A New Start
August 22, 2023 - We have rejected our calling to be earthkeepers, to co-sustain this beautiful earth in ways that reflect God's intentions for a flourishing world. The latest example of this can be seen in the smoldering rubble of the city of Lahaina. By James Amadon
Exodus 17:8-15 - Genocide, Ecocide, and God
Feb. 6, 2023 - This is the part of Exodus I have not been looking forward to writing about. We must acknowledge and wrestle with these "texts of terror," as I heard a biblical scholar once refer to them. And, in the tension, there is often wisdom to be gleaned. By James Amadon
The Art of Creation: From the Roots Up
May 5, 2022 - If all beings are related, there is a responsibility to consider the way we walk and live in this world. By Louise Conner
Living in Circles
Jan. 24, 2022 - A third and final reflection on Becoming Rooted, Randy Woodley's latest book of 100 short meditations to help us reconnect with the earth. By James Amadon
Becoming Rooted
Jan. 10, 2022 - I do not make New Year's resolutions, but I do think about habits and patterns in my life that need to change. This month I invite you to meet my guide. By James Amadon
gardening
The Art of Creation: Flipping Gray into Green
The new Dutch sport of tegelwippen brings the fun of friendly competition together with care of the earth.
The Art of Creation: A Piece of Garden
May 22, 2025 - Though they go by many names, allotment gardens are popular throughout the world, with Denmark the place where the idea first sprouted. By Louise Conner
Practical Earthkeeping: Changing the World One Meal at a Time
November 2, 2024 - Today we welcome back Rev. Elaine Breckenridge as our guest writer. Elaine shares her journey of change in the food she eats, where she purchases that food, and the difference these changes are making in her life. By Rev. Elaine Breckenridge
The Art of Creation: Garden Project
September 5, 2024 - The poem, Set the Garden on Fire, by Chen Chen gives a poignant picture of the contrast between welcome and exclusion. While exclusion keeps out the other, welcome is generous space where the different is made to feel familiar. By Louise Conner
The Art of Creation: Living Amidst Trees
May 2, 2024 - In Turin, Italy, a 63-unit apartment is designed to house trees as well as people (and to end up looking and feeling like a tree house in the process). By Louise Conner
The Art of Creation: Entry Paths
November 30, 2023 - Therapeutic gardens take into the account the special needs of adults and kids so that their encounter with nature that is enriches and protects at the same time. By Louise Conner
Practical Earthkeeping: Embracing the Meadow—A Brief Ethic of Pest Control
July 15, 2023 - We have plenty to share. By S. E. Reid.
trees
Trees as Homemakers
Oct. 1, 2025 - In their quiet wisdom and rootedness, trees have much to teach us about creating home for ourselves and offering a home to others. By Stephanie and Wesley Vander Lugt
The Art of Creation: Silent Spaces
September 26, 2024 - In a world where noise is pushing into all the corners of the world, Gordon Hempton, an acoustical ecologist, advocates for the preservation and protection of listening and silence. By Louise Conner
The Art of Creation: Leaf Bowls
September 19, 2024 - Artist Kay Sekimachi transforms the fragility of leaves into bowls of beauty. By Louise Conner
Rethinking the Tree of Life
August 5, 2024 - Guest writer Christine Sine reflects on the way in which trees form communities and theological lessons we can learn from them. By Christine Sine
The Art of Creation: Trees in the City
May 30, 2024 - In 1982, Joseph Beuys heaped 7,000 stone markers in the middle of a German city to prompt the planting of that same number of trees around the city. Over 40 years later, the effects of that project continue. By Louise Conner
The Art of Creation: Living Amidst Trees
May 2, 2024 - In Turin, Italy, a 63-unit apartment is designed to house trees as well as people (and to end up looking and feeling like a tree house in the process). By Louise Conner
The Art of Creation: Living Walls
June 8, 2023 - It might not seem that an essential step in constructing a church building would be to plant some trees. But when New Zealand dairy farmer Barry Cox decided he wanted to build a church building, that is exactly where he began. By Louise Conner
faith
Shift #1 - A New Cosmology
January 29, 2024 - In this series of seven shifts Christians need to make to develop a more ecologically conscious discipleship, James looks at the need to shift our cosmology. By James Amadon
7 Shifts We Need to Make (Revisited)
Jan. 15, 2023 - As this new year begins, I am convinced, more than ever, that the majority of Christian denominations, churches, and individual disciples need major reform, and that ecological disciples like you can help lead the way. By James Amadon
Living in Exile
October 23, 2023 - We are living in one of those moments in history when the world seems to be changing so quickly we cannot keep up – the ground is now shifting, leaving many of us feeling unsettled. By James Amadon
I'm Back! Notes on a Transition in Progress
August 1 - Tears and laughter have been regular companions as we twist and turn our way through this moment. I'm sure you have been through something similar at some point in your life - after all, change is built into the very fabric of creation. By James Amadon
Finding the Right Words
April 4, 2022 - How do we talk about something that is, for many people, a new and challenging perspective that has not been part of their vocabulary? By James Amadon
The Art of Creation: Ready for Winter but not for Spring
February 10, 2022 - Have you ever wondered how trees survive below-zero weather or why an early warm spell followed by freezing temperatures can kill trees that survive far colder temperatures in a usual winter? The answers are astounding with powerful implications for our faith. By Christine Sine
resources
Celebrating Four Years
April 22, 2025 - Five of The Ecological Disciple's Most-Read Pieces
Bread for the Journey
Aug. 22, 2022 - Every week people send me resource suggestions - here are a few I'm passing on to help you on the journey of ecological discipleship. By James Amadon
Resources for the Journey
Feb. 23, 2022 - I occasionally share resources to help readers in their journey of ecological discipleship. I hope you find something that helps you! By James Amadon
prose
The Art of Creation: Words to See By Part Four
February 22, 2024 - A Sand County Alamanac, published 75 years ago, still has much to teach us about the land and our place upon it. By Louise Conner
The Art of Creation: Words to See By, Part Three
February 15, 2024 - An Altar in the World by Barbara Brown Taylor reminds me that I am far less myself when I am merely passing through this world without being attentive and present within it. By Louise Conner
The Art of Creation: Words to See By, Part Two
February 1, 2024 - A Kentucky farmer and articulate thinker and doer, Wendell Berry consistently points out the destructive results of an American society that separates physical and spiritual, ideas from practice, humans from the rest of creation, integrity from work. By Louise Conner
The Art of Creation: Words to See By, Part One
January 25, 2024 - First up in a short series, Pilgrim at Tinker Creek, by Annie Dillard, is a work that has significantly shaped how I, and many others, see the natural world and our relationship to it. By Louise Conner
The Art of Creation: The Enduring Legacy of Silent Spring
April 22, 2022 - In the 60th anniversary year of Rachel Carson's Silent Spring, the 52nd anniversary of Earth Day, and the first anniversary of The Ecological Disciple, we look at a piece of writing that can help us take on even our current environmental crises. By Louise Conner
pesticides
community
Earth Day 2024 - A Call to Wonder and Joy
April 22, 2024 - I am not going to tell you what to do this Earth Day. If you have an action plan, go for it! But I will invite you to do two things. By James Amadon
Shift #3 - A More Humble Humanity
Feb. 19, 2024 - As a species, we have assumed a place in this world that is not ours to take; we are, collectively, out of place. By James Amadon
The Art of Creation: A Center for Art in the Midst of Loss
January 11, 2024 - On December 23, 2023, a community celebrated the inauguration of a new artistic resource in their midst. What made this particularly noteworthy is that The Music & Art Centre is located within and for the most populous refugee settlement in Africa. By Louise Conner
The Art of Creation: Entry Paths
November 30, 2023 - Therapeutic gardens take into the account the special needs of adults and kids so that their encounter with nature that is enriches and protects at the same time. By Louise Conner
Articulating Grief
Nov. 6, 2023 - Adopting an orientation of grief means choosing to invest in things that are small, that are temporary, and celebrating them in the broken, fragile beauty they bear in the eyes of God. It is soft, cruciform foolishness. By James Amadon
Bread for the Journey
Aug. 22, 2022 - Every week people send me resource suggestions - here are a few I'm passing on to help you on the journey of ecological discipleship. By James Amadon
How We Do It: Earthkeeping Ideas from the Circlewood Community
June 27, 2022 - Last week, since learning from each other is foundational for The Ecological Disciple (and our parent organization, Circlewood), we invited readers to share earthkeeping practices and habits from their own lives. We are grateful for those who shared from their experience.
earthkeeping
The Art of Creation: Cleaning Up Our Messes
August 8, 2024 - The garbage left on the highest mountains in the world is a significant problem. Solving the problem will take the creativity and dedication of many. By Louise Conner
Remembering Environmental Martyrs
Oct. 30, 2023 - I have been hearing a haunting challenge when I look at the picture of Ken Saro-Wiwa: “When are you going to tell my story? When are you going to talk about all of the people murdered for trying to save the planet?” - By Jessica Hetherington
Lawn and Order
May 2, 2022 - A perfect lawn invites us to sit, lay, or play in its soft, green blanket. It presents us with an image of ecological health and connection. But this carefully constructed image masks multiple problems. By James Amadon
How My Faith Has Shifted #6: Finding Connections on My Journey
October 18, 2021 - I see a shift in myself from enjoying and consuming creation to an awareness of the connectedness of all of creation and my responsibility to care for it, for the sake of all of it. By Tonya Wishart
climate change
The Art of Creation: Real? Or Not?
November 21, 2024 - Among the official and unofficial art exhibits at COP29 was a piece that combined realistic art with a type of playacting that taught about reality by use of what wasn't real. By Louise Conner
The Art of Creation: Loss and Hope
November 14, 2024 - An installation that spans places, times, and mediums aims to bring to the forefront "what is missing" and how humankind can avert further losses on our plant. By Louise Conner
The Art of Creation: Lamenting Silence
November 9, 2023 - A marine biologist delves into the undersea world where noise is a sign of health and silence is a signal of a dying world. By Louise Conner
The Art of Creation: The Story the Water Tells
November 17, 2022 - As Susie Ibarra has said, “The cascading effects of climate change create their own sound; but no one has really bothered to listen.” By Louise Conner
The Paths Before Us
August 29, 2022 - We knew nothing about caring for a forest, and it seemed reasonable that leaving it alone would spare it from our ignorance and allow it to grow "as nature intended." We were wrong. By James Amadon
The Doom Boom
August 8, 2022 - Last summer, I opened my front door on the third day of an extreme heat wave and stepped into a furnace of 110 degree heat. A heat dome had settled over the Pacific Northwest, and everything was baking. By James Amadon
The Art of Creation: On Ice
January 6, 2022 - This five-minute dance on the ice of Antarctica has its roots in this New Zealander's interest in Antarctica, concern about climate change, love of dance, and his interest in bringing the art form outside theaters and to a wider audience. By Louise Conner
joy
Exodus
Exodus 33-34: A New Start
August 22, 2023 - We have rejected our calling to be earthkeepers, to co-sustain this beautiful earth in ways that reflect God's intentions for a flourishing world. The latest example of this can be seen in the smoldering rubble of the city of Lahaina. By James Amadon
Exodus 32: An Uncertain Future
Aug 7, 2023 - Exodus is such a powerful story is because it highlights universal themes that have been lived out over and over again - including how to live with God when the future is uncertain. By James Amadon
Exodus 25-31: A Microcosm of Creation
Monday, July 24 - It is tempting to skip these chapters - there's a lot of ink for a little worship tent! We have to ask, however, why the author of Exodus dedicated almost one-third of the book to describing the tabernacle. - By James Amadon
Exodus 24: Altars in the World
May 15, 2023 - Look for altars in the world that fill you with awe and connect you to the More that lies within, behind, and beyond all things. Find some companions, and let your hearts be cracked open to the pain and possibilities that this world has to offer. By James Amadon
Exodus 21-23: The Gift of the Law
April 13, 2023 - When Bible readers come to the law sections of Exodus, many find what is written irrelevant, incomprehensible, and occasionally offensive. But what if we see them as a complicated gift that can help us discern how to live as ecological disciples today. By James Amadon
Exodus 20:1-17 - Ten Words for Life
March 27, 2023 - What is said and done here will set a course for their future. Not just where they are going, though that is important, but who they will be and whose they will be. By James Amadon
Exodus 19 - Mountain Encounter
Mar. 7, 2023 - This story is a turning point for Israel. They've been freed from Egypt - now we begin to see that they have been liberated for a special purpose. By James Amadon
education
A Personal History in Creation Care: Introducing Dr. Joe Sheldon
November 21, 2022 - Meet Dr. Joe Sheldon, a Circlewood supporter who has a rich and interesting history in caring for creation—and teaching others to do so as well. By Joe Sheldon
Learning (and Teaching) the Names of Things
November 14, 2022 - Growing up and throughout my college experience, I always loved being outside and learning about science, but this particular experience allowed me to truly find my passion for outdoor education and caring for creation. By Jessalyn Gentry
How My Faith Has Shifted #2: The Pacific Northwest—A Moveable Classroom
September 19, 2021 - “What is a book, experience, person, moment or series of things in your life that has accelerated your understanding and practice of ecological discipleship?" I have such an easy answer! By Jessalyn Gentry
water
The Art of Creation: Teaching a Giant to Step with Care
October 17, 2024 - Palau's approach to the problem has been a friendly, educational ad campaign called the Palau Pledge. By Lousie Conner
The Art of Creation: Sculpture That Repairs
August 29, 2024 - Artists Daniel McCormick and Mary O'Brien create sculptures that are aesthetic remedies to ways in which a particular landscape has been degraded. By Louise Conner
The Art of Creation: Stepping Stones
July 4, 2024 - A pathway of 55 stepping stones at a rest area in Norway invites travelers to not just stop for minute on their way to somewhere else, but to take some time to really look and be in this particular place. By Louise Conner
Washed Ashore: Art to Save the Sea
May 16, 2024 - Guest writer Rev. Elaine Breckenridge shares a recent experience with an art exhibit that helped her see trash on the beach in entirely new ways. By Rev. Elaine Breckenridge
Practical Earthkeeping: Volunteer Biodiversity Restoration
April 13, 2024 - We welcome back guest writer, Noah Guthrie, who describes his experience of shoveling oyster shells, among other things, to restore habitat along the coast or Florida. By Noah Guthrie
The Art of Creation: Sculptured Ecosystems
September 7, 2023 - Jackie Brookner (1945-2015) was an ecological artist whose work is often both aesthetic and practical, opening people's awareness to their connections with the rest of creation and also functioning to make those connections healthier and stronger. By Louise Conner
The Art of Creation: Cycling into a Different Perspective
February 23, 2023 - A set of cycling paths in Limburg, Belgium invites cyclists and others into experiences that go beyond a nice view, creating immersive experiences that shift from the normal point of view. By Louise Conner
insects
The Art of Creation: What a Person Can Do
February 16, 2023 - In the big picture of the earth's ecosystem, how much good can one person do in their small corner of the world? Quite a bit, as it turns out. By Louise Conner
The Art of Creation: Moving Parts
January 18, 2023 -The work of Catherine Chalmer challenges the easy lines we draw between ourselves and other creatures and between what is of value and what isn't. By Louise Conner
Justice
Shift #5: An Ecological Mission
April 8, 2024 - 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. By James Amadon
Exodus 21-23: The Gift of the Law
April 13, 2023 - When Bible readers come to the law sections of Exodus, many find what is written irrelevant, incomprehensible, and occasionally offensive. But what if we see them as a complicated gift that can help us discern how to live as ecological disciples today. By James Amadon
Exodus 18:1-27 - Expansive Justice
Feb. 20, 2023 - After watching a long line of people wait all day for their turn before Moses, Jethro gives Moses a very straightforward assessment: “What you are doing is not good." - By James Amadon
worship
Practical Earthkeeping: Creating a Nature Altar in Your Home
December 2, 2023 - Guest writer Mary DeJong offers ways to create a nature altar in your home for the Advent season.
Exodus 25-31: A Microcosm of Creation
Monday, July 24 - It is tempting to skip these chapters - there's a lot of ink for a little worship tent! We have to ask, however, why the author of Exodus dedicated almost one-third of the book to describing the tabernacle. - By James Amadon
Hiding in Plain Sight #5: Creation Teaches Us How To Praise
Dec. 20, 2021 - By reading Psalm 148, through eco-theological lenses, we can begin to see (and hear) the symphony of praise that echoes through every nook and cranny of creation and calls us to join in. By James Amadon
The Art of Creation: The Praise of Pollen Dust and Mango Trees
June 17, 2021 - When you listen to creation, do you hear a chorus of praise? By Louise Conner
The Art of Creation: In Celu L'ài Formate
April 29, 2021 - We are all old enough to know that we aren't the center of the universe....right? By Louise Conner
Leadership
activism
The Art of Creation: Receive and Respond
March 13, 2025 - In looking for more healthy ways to respond to accumulating concerns, I am trying to make prayer my first response. By Louise Conner
The Art of Creation: Lead Us
October 31, 2024 - This prayer from Archbishop Desmond Tuto recognizes the destruction we have caused and prays for wisdom to follow a better path. By Louise Conner
Earth Day 2024 - A Call to Wonder and Joy
April 22, 2024 - I am not going to tell you what to do this Earth Day. If you have an action plan, go for it! But I will invite you to do two things. By James Amadon
Practical Earthkeeping: Speaking Up for God's Creation
February 24, 2024 - In this post, we welcome guest writer, Noah Guthrie. In this piece, Noah traces his path into the realm of environmental activism. By Noah Guthrie
Practical Earthkeeping: Attending COP28
January 20, 2024 - We welcome guest writer, Carolina Franca, an undergraduate student, who shares about her recent experience at COP28 in Dubai. By Carolina Franca
Remembering Environmental Martyrs
Oct. 30, 2023 - I have been hearing a haunting challenge when I look at the picture of Ken Saro-Wiwa: “When are you going to tell my story? When are you going to talk about all of the people murdered for trying to save the planet?” - By Jessica Hetherington
The Art of Creation: Planting Home
October 28, 2021 - In 1942, when Japanese Americans were removed from the West Coast to internment camps inland, the new environs were harsh and barren, intentionally isolated and surrounded by barbed wire. Growing green things was a way to grow hope in a desolate time and place. By Louise Conner
grief
The Art of Creation: Lamenting Silence
November 9, 2023 - A marine biologist delves into the undersea world where noise is a sign of health and silence is a signal of a dying world. By Louise Conner
Articulating Grief
Nov. 6, 2023 - Adopting an orientation of grief means choosing to invest in things that are small, that are temporary, and celebrating them in the broken, fragile beauty they bear in the eyes of God. It is soft, cruciform foolishness. By James Amadon
gospel
recycling
Practical Earthkeeping: Specialty Recycling
June 17, 2024 - In the United States, municipal recycling services vary widely. For those in areas where such services are limited or non-existent, specialty recycling services are trying to fill the gaps. By Jessalyn Megerle
Practical Earthkeeping: Recycling Shoes
Feb. 10, 2024 - My husband recently trained for and ran a marathon and we're both big walkers and hikers besides that. Shoes in our household tend to wear out quickly! What could we do with them? By Jessalyn Gentry.
Hiding
Hiding in Plain Sight #6 – Jesus is Not Just For Us
Dec. 27, 2021 - We think Jesus is all about humanity. But the Bible has a lot to say about Jesus' relationship with animals, if we have the eyes to see. By James Amadon
Hiding in Plain Sight #5: Creation Teaches Us How To Praise
Dec. 20, 2021 - By reading Psalm 148, through eco-theological lenses, we can begin to see (and hear) the symphony of praise that echoes through every nook and cranny of creation and calls us to join in. By James Amadon
Hiding in Plain Sight #4: The Ecological Voice and Vision of the Prophets
Dec. 6, 2021 - Reading the biblical prophets can reveal distinctly ecological voices and visions that offer prophetic wisdom for us today. By James Amadon
Hiding in Plain Sight #3: The Law and Creation
Nov. 29, 2021 - If we look at the Law through ecological lenses we will find, hiding in plain sight, a dynamic way of life that is part of creation and given for the sake of creation. By James Amadon
Hiding in Plain Sight #2: God, Brothers, Blood and Soil
Nov. 16, 2021 - The story of Cain and Abel is typically understood as a human story of sibling rivalry and the dangers of giving in to jealousy, resentment, and anger. If we read the story with ecological lenses, however, the story deepens. By James Amadon
Hiding in Plain Sight: The Ecological Vision of Scripture
Nov. 8, 2021 - The Bible speaks of, and to, a world that is deeply interconnected and interdependent, a world in which the personal, social, ecological, cosmic, and divine dimensions of life are woven together into a dynamic and seamless whole called creation. By James Amadon
shift
Shift #7 - A Different Destination
June 10, 2024 - What if heaven is not the final destination we have made it out to be? What if we have been investing our hope in the wrong place and living our lives in the wrong direction? What if the ultimate destination for life is right under our feet? By James Amadon
Shift #6: An Interconnected Church
May 20, 2024 - The ecological crisis we are in presents us with an opportunity to shift us from from splintered sects to creative collaborators. By James Amadon
Shift #5: An Ecological Mission
April 8, 2024 - 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. By James Amadon
Shift #4: Place-Based Discipleship
March 18, 2024 - What does it mean to follow Jesus in this place, at this time, with these people? By James Amadon
Shift #3 - A More Humble Humanity
Feb. 19, 2024 - As a species, we have assumed a place in this world that is not ours to take; we are, collectively, out of place. By James Amadon
Shift #2 - A Bigger Gospel
Feb. 6, 2024 - When I was 15, I was called out by a traveling preacher in the shabby conference room of the only motel in Lancaster, NH. She declared, in front of the small crowd that had gathered for revival, “There’s an evangelist!” By James Amadon
Shift #1 - A New Cosmology
January 29, 2024 - In this series of seven shifts Christians need to make to develop a more ecologically conscious discipleship, James looks at the need to shift our cosmology. By James Amadon
shifted
How My Faith Has Shifted #8: From Abstract Learner to Learner-Practitioner
November 1, 2021 - I feel at home in the soil. My passion for God and God’s people has become integrated with my passion and love for God’s creation. But where did this all begin? By Rev. Sarah Robinson
How My Faith Has Shifted #7: Eco Discipleship of My Mind and Body
October 25, 2021 - I understand my relationship to this planet both through my body and through my mind; sometimes, when I am stuck in one area, I can lean into the other to grow and transform. By Josh Harper
How My Faith Has Shifted #6: Finding Connections on My Journey
October 18, 2021 - I see a shift in myself from enjoying and consuming creation to an awareness of the connectedness of all of creation and my responsibility to care for it, for the sake of all of it. By Tonya Wishart
How My Faith Has Shifted #5: Discovering God's Grandeur in Nature
October 11, 2021 - One iconic experience in particular was emblematic of two shifts in my theological thinking. By Gerald M. Erickson
How My Faith Has Shifted #4: Learning to Be a Caretaker
October 4, 2021 - I realized I have a bigger role here on earth then I had thought. This scared and excited me at the same time. By Julie Stapelman
How My Faith Has Shifted #3: How Creation Spirituality Enriched My Church Based Faith
September 20, 2020 - I began to see that holiness existed not just in church but in creation. By Rev. Elaine Breckenridge
How My Faith Has Shifted #2: The Pacific Northwest—A Moveable Classroom
September 19, 2021 - “What is a book, experience, person, moment or series of things in your life that has accelerated your understanding and practice of ecological discipleship?" I have such an easy answer! By Jessalyn Gentry
household
Practical Earthkeeping: Beyond Ziploc Bags
October 28, 2023 - In this post, Jessalyn shares how her household is cutting down on single-use Ziploc bags. By Jessalyn Gentry.
Practical Earthkeeping: Greening Our Cars
October 14, 2023 - Guest writer Abigail shares about her family's electric vehicles. By Abigail Welborn.
Practical Earthkeeping: Paper Towels
September 2, 2023 - In this practical piece, Jessalyn shares an alternative to paper towels. By Jessalyn Gentry.
Practical Earthkeeping: Greening Around the House
August 19, 2023. Household actions can have a big impact. By Abigail Welborn.
Practical Earthkeeping: Toilet Paper
August 5, 2023 - In this very practical piece for Practical Earthkeeping, Jessalyn shares her own experience with finding a more earth-friendly toilet paper. By Jessalyn Gentry
Practical Earthkeeping: Right to Repair
July 1, 2023 - Right to Repair is a global movement to allow you to fix your own stuff. By Jessalyn Gentry.
Practical Earthkeeping: Three Ways I Started Greening My Life
June 17, 2023. When many people take small steps, we make big change when combined. By Abigail Welborn.
heaven
plants
The Art of Creation: Shadows and Scars
October 23, 2025 - David Morrison's exceptional attention to detail helps expose the extraordinary designs and patterns of "ordinary" natural objects. By Louise Conner
The Art of Creation: Not Your Typical Postage Stamp
October 3, 2024 - Since 1993, the UN has published a series of stamps that highlights endangered plant and animal species across the world. This puts international cooperation on these issues in the spotlight. By Louise Conner
The Art of Creation: Stems and Blossoms
March 7, 2024 - Some artists use broad strokes to portray the vision they want to communicate. Others, like Olga Prinku, lean into the small. By Louise Conner
The Art of Creation: Where There Was Wire
October 19, 2022 - A hated borderland, separating the two halves of Germany, became the seedbed for a project of ecological diversity and connection. By Louise Conner
Practical Earthkeeping
Practical Earthkeeping: Hospitality Toward Nature
October 30, 2025 - Noah Guthrie, a regular contributor to The Ecological Disciple, reflects on his recent time in Peru and what he learned about hospitality. By Noah Guthrie
Practical Earthkeeping: Turning Off Lights
August 21, 2025 - Darkness, a friend to many creatures, is often banished by the ever-shining light bulbs of human habitation. By Louise Conner
Practical Earthkeeping: Cultivating Empathetic Awe
April 14, 2025 - How can we cultivate the kind of awe, wonder, and love that leads us to action? By Noah Guthrie
Practical Earthkeeping: Cultural Formation and the Church
December 7, 2024 - By insisting on action, we push back on the temptation to just add “sustainability” to the list of issues we discuss at Bible studies, and by insisting on spiritual formation, we affirm that effective environmental action begins with inner transformation. By Noah Guthrie
Practical Earthkeeping: Changing the World One Meal at a Time
November 2, 2024 - Today we welcome back Rev. Elaine Breckenridge as our guest writer. Elaine shares her journey of change in the food she eats, where she purchases that food, and the difference these changes are making in her life. By Rev. Elaine Breckenridge
Practical Earthkeeping: Our Church Goes Solar!
October 13, 2024 - Guest writer Mac Taylor shares about his experience with his church in going solar. By Mac Taylor
Practical Earthkeeping: Cloth Diapers
August 17, 2024 - Like any decision, choosing diapers has trade-offs, but don’t let fear of cloth diapers dissuade you. Read here to find out some of the pros and cons as experienced by one mom. By Abigail Welborn.
ecological discipleship
But Now I See: The Journey of Reflection
September 11, 2025 - As the years went by, the image that I had created for my life began to crumble as I embarked on what I now recognize as the journey of ecological discipleship. By James Amadon
An Edifying Journey
August 15, 2025 - A few weeks ago, Circlewood hosted 26 middle school and high school students from four churches based in McMinnville, OR. Here is a brief summary of what we did together, along with what I learned. By James Amadon
Born to Be Wild: The Journey of Rewilding
Jun 14, 2025 - Ecological disciples seek to follow the path that leads us deeper into creation and the life of the Creator. This is the journey of rewilding; here is what it looks like. By James Amadon
We Need to Leave This World(view) Behind
Feb. 3, 2024 - What do you do when you begin to question the world we live in? Can you leave it behind? By James Amadon
The Journey Before Us
Jan. 8, 2024 - We are not experts - we are on the journey as well - but we have learned a lot along the way and are ready to guide others as they set out on this exciting and important adventure. By James Amadon
The Journey of Ecological Discipleship
All Things New: The Path of Reform
September 25, 2025 - There is so much that needs changing in our world that it can be overwhelming to think about where to begin. Here's how you discern the change you are called to make. By James Amadon
But Now I See: The Journey of Reflection
September 11, 2025 - As the years went by, the image that I had created for my life began to crumble as I embarked on what I now recognize as the journey of ecological discipleship. By James Amadon
An Edifying Journey
August 15, 2025 - A few weeks ago, Circlewood hosted 26 middle school and high school students from four churches based in McMinnville, OR. Here is a brief summary of what we did together, along with what I learned. By James Amadon
What If We...:The Journey of Imagination
July 10, 2025 - The loss of hope that many are experiencing is accompanied by the loss of the most powerful force of change we humans have at our disposal - our imagination. By James Amadon
Born to Be Wild: The Journey of Rewilding
Jun 14, 2025 - Ecological disciples seek to follow the path that leads us deeper into creation and the life of the Creator. This is the journey of rewilding; here is what it looks like. By James Amadon
Companions on the Journey
May 29, 2025 - I've been teaching the Journey of Ecological Discipleship to some fellow travelers at Circlewood's new ecological learning center on Camano Island. Here's what I've learned. By James Amadon
Turn, Turn, Turn: The Journey of Repentance
May 2, 2025 - Many Christians think of repentance as remorse coupled with a promise not to repeat whatever wrong has been done. But true repentance is much more than this; it involves three distinct turns that require compassion, conversion, and courage. By James Amadon
The Art of Creation
The Art of Creation: Flipping Gray into Green
The new Dutch sport of tegelwippen brings the fun of friendly competition together with care of the earth.
The Art of Creation: Neither Plant nor Animal
Stephen Axford was looking for a hobby - he found something that changed his view of the world.
The Art of Creation: Shadows and Scars
October 23, 2025 - David Morrison's exceptional attention to detail helps expose the extraordinary designs and patterns of "ordinary" natural objects. By Louise Conner
The Art of Creation: A Prayer of Change
October 9, 2025 - The God of this prayer is a very big God. We may need to take a few step backwards and crane our necks. By Louise Conner
The Art of Creation: The Lightest Touch
September 18, 2025 - As Pattiann Rogers demonstrates in this poem, "Poetry is nearer to music than it is to prose." By Louise Conenr
The Art of Creation: Stones that Breathe
September 4, 2025 - Dry stone walling has been declared as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO. Here are some reasons why. By Louise Conner
The Art of Creation: Place
July 31, 2025 - The art of Phaedra Taylor is delicate—and yet strong enough to elicit strong emotions about place and home. By Louise Conner
The Way Forward
Going to SUNday School
Over the last few years, I have became intensely aware of our nearest star. Here's what the Sun has taught me.
The Imaginative Church
Stories of three church communities that are practicing ecological discipleship in creative ways.
The Way Forward: Wisdom In the Midst of Uncertainty
10-18-25 - How do we remain informed when we are surrounded by a media ecosystem full of disinformation and distraction? How do we remain hopeful when we see the things we care about being pulled apart? By James Amadon
Trees as Homemakers
Oct. 1, 2025 - In their quiet wisdom and rootedness, trees have much to teach us about creating home for ourselves and offering a home to others. By Stephanie and Wesley Vander Lugt
All Things New: The Path of Reform
September 25, 2025 - There is so much that needs changing in our world that it can be overwhelming to think about where to begin. Here's how you discern the change you are called to make. By James Amadon
But Now I See: The Journey of Reflection
September 11, 2025 - As the years went by, the image that I had created for my life began to crumble as I embarked on what I now recognize as the journey of ecological discipleship. By James Amadon
An Edifying Journey
August 15, 2025 - A few weeks ago, Circlewood hosted 26 middle school and high school students from four churches based in McMinnville, OR. Here is a brief summary of what we did together, along with what I learned. By James Amadon
Pope Francis
The Art of Creation: The Earth Cries Out
April 24, 2025 - In light of Pope Francis' strong advocacy on behalf of the planet and all of its creatures, we share a prayer and video through which we hear his voice encouraging us to listen and respond to the cries that come from the earth and its creatures. By Louise Conner
The Art of Creation: That We May
January 13, 2022 - I invite you to pray this prayer, not reading it as words to be assented to, but confession to be made, praise to be voiced, action to be taken: consciously, deliberately, and sincerely. By Louise Conner
Laudato Si
The Art of Creation: The Earth Cries Out
April 24, 2025 - In light of Pope Francis' strong advocacy on behalf of the planet and all of its creatures, we share a prayer and video through which we hear his voice encouraging us to listen and respond to the cries that come from the earth and its creatures. By Louise Conner
The Art of Creation: That We May
January 13, 2022 - I invite you to pray this prayer, not reading it as words to be assented to, but confession to be made, praise to be voiced, action to be taken: consciously, deliberately, and sincerely. By Louise Conner
pollution
Practical Earthkeeping: Turning Off Lights
August 21, 2025 - Darkness, a friend to many creatures, is often banished by the ever-shining light bulbs of human habitation. By Louise Conner
The Art of Creation: Cleaning Up Our Messes
August 8, 2024 - The garbage left on the highest mountains in the world is a significant problem. Solving the problem will take the creativity and dedication of many. By Louise Conner
Practical Earthkeeping: Specialty Recycling
June 17, 2024 - In the United States, municipal recycling services vary widely. For those in areas where such services are limited or non-existent, specialty recycling services are trying to fill the gaps. By Jessalyn Megerle
Washed Ashore: Art to Save the Sea
May 16, 2024 - Guest writer Rev. Elaine Breckenridge shares a recent experience with an art exhibit that helped her see trash on the beach in entirely new ways. By Rev. Elaine Breckenridge
Practical Earthkeeping: Three Ways I Started Greening My Life
June 17, 2023. When many people take small steps, we make big change when combined. By Abigail Welborn.
seasonal
Celebrating Four Years
April 22, 2025 - Five of The Ecological Disciple's Most-Read Pieces
Earth Day 2024 - A Call to Wonder and Joy
April 22, 2024 - I am not going to tell you what to do this Earth Day. If you have an action plan, go for it! But I will invite you to do two things. By James Amadon
The Art of Creation: Healing Light
December 20, 2023 - A painting by Irenaeus Yurchuk and a song from The Porter's Gate point to the great gift of light that we remember during Advent. By Louise Conner
The Art of Creation: Tidings of Comfort
December 7, 2023 - There are many things surrounding us that can make us fearful, but as this poem reminds us, the changes that we see and don't necessarily want or understand, do not need to leave us paralyzed with fear. By Louise Conner
The Art of Creation: Expansive Love
December 22, 2022 - The list goes on and on of who and what we would exclude from God's love, but God's love expands far, far beyond the borders we would make for it. By Louise Conner
The Art of Creation: Sounding Joy
December 15, 2022 - Like hope and peace, joy is not merely a personal emotion, but a reality we are intended to pass along to others through action—and noise. By Louise Conner
The Art of Creation: O Day of Peace
December 8, 2022 - I invite you to experience O Day of Peace by Josh Garrels in three steps: to read the lyrics, listen to the song as sung by Garrels, and meditate and pray using his instrumental version of the song. By Louise Conner
Circlewood
When the Next Step is a Leap
June 6, 2022 - I had never heard of Camano Island. All I knew is that I had prayed for an opportunity to help people of faith rediscover that love and care for the earth and all its creatures is at the very heart of faith, and that prayer had been answered. By James Amadon
A Fistful of Nettles
April 18, 2022 - As I entered the forest for the first time, I was keenly aware of its beauty - and my ignorance. I had no idea how to care for a forest. By James Amadon
How My Faith Has Shifted #4: Learning to Be a Caretaker
October 4, 2021 - I realized I have a bigger role here on earth then I had thought. This scared and excited me at the same time. By Julie Stapelman
performance
The Art of Creation: On Ice
January 6, 2022 - This five-minute dance on the ice of Antarctica has its roots in this New Zealander's interest in Antarctica, concern about climate change, love of dance, and his interest in bringing the art form outside theaters and to a wider audience. By Louise Conner
The Art of Creation: Icebergs and Islands
May 13, 2021 - When you love something, you want to protect it. That is one reason why these artists want you to love the places they love. By Louise Conner
photography
Top 5 Most-Read
The Art of Creation: A Trail of Trolls
July 18, 2024 - When I wrote a piece about Thomas Dambo and his work three years ago, Dambo’s trolls delighted me, but I didn’t know that I would have the opportunity of seeing one first-hand. By Louise Conner
Exodus 15:22-27 - Healing Waters
Dec. 13, 2022 - The Hebrews are out of Egypt but in the wilderness, free of oppressive civilization but surrounded by rock and sand. As they start out, once again water takes center stage. By James Amadon
Exodus 3-4: Call and Response
Oct. 11, 2022 - As Chapter 3 begins, Moses is living his new life in Midian, married, caring for his father-in-law's flock of sheep, and safely out of the reach of Pharaoh. He is not, however, safely out of the reach of God. By James Amadon
The Art of Creation: Standing in Place
January 27, 2022 - The poem Lost by David Wagoner speaks about the movement from being lost to being found—from disconnection and disorientation to connection and placement. This movement from one to the other is accomplished, ironically, according to the poem, by standing still. By Louise Conner
The Art of Creation: Leaf on Leaf, Stone on Stone
September 16, 2021 - Sometimes the only way anyone will see his works is through the pictures he takes of them before they change, melt, collapse, or are brought down by a passing wind. By Louise Conner