A Guide for Eco-Spiritual Practice
Introduction
In the tradition of Belden Lane's The Great Conversation, we recognize that the world around us is a living text. Each element of creation speaks a unique word about the character of God. As we journey through this guide, we are invited to slow down, listen, and let the land, the wind, the waters, and the stones tell us again who God is.
Handout: What Creation Teaches About God
|
Creation Element |
What It Teaches About God |
Reflection Question |
| Mountains | God's transcendence, majesty, and stability | Where in your life are you being called to awe and humility? |
| Deserts | God's hiddenness and purification | Where are you experiencing emptiness that could be sacred preparation? |
| Canyons | God's slow, patient artistry | What deep work is God patiently doing in you over time? |
| Trees | God's rootedness and steadfast love | How might you deepen your roots and reach upward at the same time? |
| Rivers | God's life-giving movement | Where is God's Spirit inviting you to flow more freely? |
| Wind | God's unseen power and presence | Where are you being moved by something you cannot see? |
| Fire | God's refining and passionate nature | What needs to be burned away in your life to reveal the essential? |
| Snow | God's mercy and covering grace | Where do you feel God's gentle mercy softening your life? |
| Prairies/Plains | God's vastness and openness | How is God inviting you into greater freedom and trust? |
| Rocks | God's steadfastness and reliability | What unchanging truth are you clinging to in this season? |
| Animals (wildlife) | God's joyful diversity | Where are you being invited to celebrate God's playfulness and abundance? |
| Forests | God's mystery and hidden wisdom | What hidden gifts might be waiting for you in mystery and uncertainty? |
Practice for the Week
- Day 1: Walk somewhere nearby (a park, a trail, even a quiet street) and choose one element (tree, rock, breeze) to "listen" to for 10 minutes. Journal your reflections.
- Day 2: Read Psalm 104 aloud. Pause after each section and picture the element described.
- Day 3: Reflect: What part of creation mirrors the season of life you are in?
- Day 4: Write a prayer based on a place that has felt sacred to you.
- Day 5: Spend 5 minutes with your eyes closed outdoors, listening only to the sounds of nature.
Closing Reflection
Creation does not shout; it whispers. It invites. It teaches patiently. As you walk, hike, sit, or simply gaze upon nature this week, ask: "What is God showing me here?"
Prayer
O Divine Creator, Teach me through the wind, Shape me through the mountains, Purify me through the desert, And soften me through the snow.
Let every canyon, river, tree, and stone become a word from Your heart to mine.
Give me ears to listen, and a heart open enough to learn.
Amen.
Source
Lane, Belden C.. The Great Conversation: Nature and the Care of the Soul. United States: Oxford University Press, 2019.