Deep Roots and Wild Storms
I hope for days of peace but I have greater hope in seeing a people rise up who are set like anchors and shining beacons amidst the whirlwind. If we are willing GOD will use us to establish ‘villages’ and ‘cities’ of refuge for many in need of shelter…
Towards Eden: A Vision For the Exiles
I fell asleep on the floor among my papers and pen and awoke later – dragging myself into my bed…In that inbetween place the first line came to me from when I went to sleep – “I fell asleep, dreaming, on hardened ground” and I knew that I would write my own ‘riff’ on Wendell Berry’s Mad Farmer poems…
From Farming to Wildlife Management
I still garden and I’m not sure how to fully embrace this vision of Wildlife Management, but I think it points to something closer to what might be our true vocation—not the growing of food in landscapes cleared of the wild given by God, but rather a careful management and cultivation of the abundance already there…
The Duke Summer Institute: Making Peace with the Land
This afternoon I will be headed to Durham, North Carolina for the Duke Divinity School ‘Summer Institute’ hosted by their Center for Reconciliation. I will be taking part in a week-long seminar, titled: ‘Making Peace with the Land’ taught by Norman Wirzba and Fred Bahnson…
A Cure For Nature Deficit Disorder
I see it sometimes in my own children…or even in myself…When I feel it coming on me: I know that it is time for my medicine. I take a short walk down to the edge of our woods and river and stand for a few moments in complete silence…
A Spring Sermon on the Resurrection
We would listen to his sermon on the resurrection of Jesus and sing hymns in the cold, subtle light of early morning. Today…though I’ve begun listening to a different kind of sermon.
Pilgrimage and Thin Places: Seeking Intimacy With GOD
Within days of my salvation, I longed to spend time in nature, seeking GOD and seeing Him reflected through His creation. There were times when a major decision was required in my life, and the mountains and beaches were where I sought GOD’s response…
GOD’s Creation: The Virtues of the Honeybee
The delightful older gentleman’s eyes twinkled as he amazed us with the detail of God’s creation, the honeybee. He smoked them out and pulled out a honey-filled hive for us to observe. The honey drizzled deliciously into our mouths as we lifted bits of honeycomb to chew…
Litany For Japan and the Work of Prayer
Despite feeling overwhelmed though -the work of prayer is still the task at hand…Let us offer up cries for mercy to GOD together as families and church communities in our localities and particular places -for a world in need of redemption. Today I focus on Japan because it is most on my heart…
Learning From the Birds and Their Song In the Dark
Maybe these birds are the greatest of theologians- the most radical of saints – they know the secret of trusting in GOD’s faithfulness. If these birds can sing for joy between the envelope of night and day – can we not learn from them to sing in that in-between place when all seems dark but the clock says day has begun…
