"It is all a question of story. We are in trouble now because we do not have a good one" -- Thomas Berry
We have always lived by a story that told us how we got here, why we are here, and what God and the Universe were up to. Today, the old story, a story of our separation from nature, of the separation of spirit from matter, of reason from intuition, isn't working. The signs are everywhere as we struggle with economic havoc, violence, injustice, environmental degradation, and depression.
As Thomas Berry suggests, the task of our time is to discover and to inhabit new story from the personal to the planetary level. A new story is waiting to be born, but has not yet emerged. We live in a time between stories.
Squirrels can teach us balance within the circle of gathering and giving out. . . As masters of preparing, they also are reminders that in our quest for our goals, we do well to make time to socialize and play. Work and play go hand in hand, or the work will create problems and become more difficult and less fruitful. ~ from ANIMAL-SPEAK by Ted Andrews
Spiritual Journaling in Nature offers a break from our hectic, overscheduled lives by providing space and time to breathe, center ourselves, and play in the woods by ourselves and with others — human and non-human! The program gives an overview of how to set up and keep a nature journal as a spiritual practice. We will talk together about the significant spiritual role the natural world played in the faith formation of our ancestors and discuss the important opportunity for spiritual deepening that nature offers. We will go through the elements of keeping a nature journal and explore how journaling in nature helps us to be centered, mindful and attentive to both Spirit as well as other creatures.
Many know that the path we are on as a global society is not sustainable for people or the Earth. For over 30 years, Permaculture as a grass-roots movement has been growing, deepening, and spreading all over the world with a focus on finding practical sustainable solutions. As an ethical design science, Permaculture offers a relevant strategy for individuals, communities, and organizations who are seeking social and ecological change with a deeper understanding and awareness of natural patterns.
Retreat to the Ridge and bring your art with you. If you draw, dance, sing, write, play a musical instrument, sculpt, sew, or otherwise create—this retreat is for you! Practice in an inspiring mountain setting; share creative experiences with one another; explore the connection between silence, spirit, and creativity; try something new in sampler sessions with guest artists. Parents and younger sibs welcome.
We live in a time between stories. For many, our old stories that tell us who we are and what life and the world is about no longer serve us well. A new story is emerging, but is not yet here. We know it is time to let go of much from our past to fully enter the new. It is time to cast off.
Join us for our traditional "non-traditional" Stations of the Cross at Rolling Ridge on Friday, April 18; this is the walking meditation we have done here for more than a decade, through the sacred spaces and forest paths in and near the Retreat House. The details of the script for this change every year but the core remains the same: re-visioned Stations created lovingly and prayerfully from gathered pieces of our lives (and always visually compelling), time for walking mindfully and in silence together through the springkissed forest, opportunities for speaking aloud the cry from our hearts, and finally a gathered community waiting in darkness and hope.
Much has been spoken about the hero's journey, but what of the heroine? Is she the one who waits, like Penelope, endlessly weaving and unweaving, for the hero to return? Is she merely the place that people are trying to get back to, or does she have a journey of her own? The answer, carried deep within the stories of women around the world, and throughout time, is a resounding yes.