Earth Ministry

Who is the one who longs for life
and wants to see good days?

(Psalm 34:13)

It is Sunday morning at Dayspring. Sunshine greets us after many days of rain. Everywhere on the forest floor mushrooms are springing to life and light. “Look at this one over here,” a child in our Earth Sunday School calls out. What beauty, what wonder, what life surround us in this world of God’s creating! 

On another Sunday morning, children and youth have been off exploring in the fields and woodlands experiencing what it is like to “become” the animal they have chosen.  When they return, they gather around a ceremonial fire: Raccoon and Porcupine, River Otter and Great Blue Heron, Red Fox and Gray Squirrel. Each one speaks about the gifts they bring to the whole community of life. Each one speaks about the challenges they face in our time: loss of fish, loss of trees, the loss of food and shelter, and they ask us a question – what is the way that leads to life?                                                                                                                                    
This is an ancient question. We find it in the Psalms; we discover it in the monastic tradition through the ages. In large part it has been a personal question. It still is, but today it has also become a planetary question. 

In addition to exploring this question with children and youth, we also explore it – in many different ways – with adults. We seek the wisdom of earth – the presence of the Holy – deep in ourselves and deep within the creation all around us. We spend time walking the land in prayer, getting to know our sisters and brothers in the plant world, in the animal world. We have built small, energy-efficient, solar powered cottages to live in, and gardens and a solar greenhouse to grow our food and bring health to our bodies and our spirits.

Come and join us for a prayer walk, a class, a retreat, a tour, stream monitoring, or a few hours in the garden.

For more information, visit Dayspring Earth Ministry.