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Journeying e-news
Creation & Resurrection
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April 2012
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Greetings!
 Many important things happen in this time of year. Two of them are Easter and Earth Day, creation and resurrection. In my mind nobody makes the connection between the two like Wendell Berry. He writes:
A Purification
At the start of spring I open a trench
in the ground. I put into it
the winter's accumulation of paper,
pages I do not want to read
again, useless words, fragments,
errors. And I put into it
the contents of the outhouse:
light of the sun, growth of the ground,
finished with one of their journeys.
To the sky, to the wind, then,
and to the faithful trees, I confess
my sins: that I have not been happy
enough, considering my good luck;
have listened to too much noise;
have been inattentive to wonders;
have lusted after praise.
And then upon the gathered refuse
of mind and body, I close the trench,
folding shut again the dark,
the deathless earth. Beneath that seal
the old escapes into the new.
(From Collected Poems: 1957-1982)
What do you need to "bury in your trench," so that the old will escape into the new?
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| We have a new phone number! | As of Tuesday, April 17th, Lumunos will have a new phone number:
603-827-3113
Our 800 number remains the same: 1-800-245-7378 |
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Wisdom for the S-Ages:
Cradle to Cradle |
Glance at the sun.
See the moon and the stars.
Gaze at the beauty of earth's greenings.
Now, think.
~Hildegard von Bingen
Glancing, seeing, and gazing are the easy parts of what Hildegard von Bingen wrote in the twelfth century. It is her charge, "Now, think" that is hard. Recently, I asked a friend (who is the Director of the MBA Sustainability Program at Antioch-New England) what book I should be reading to learn more about sustainability. She gave me Cradle to Cradle
by William McDonough & Michael Braungart.
What looked like a non-textbook type book (that is, pretty easy to read) has turned out to be a book that is making me think and think hard! I picture the authors William McDonough and Michael Braungart doing a "TED Talk" with Saint Hildegard that challenges all of us to develop an eco-vision for our lives and the lives of generations to come. And that is the point. Whatever we do now with our earth and its environment affects generations to come. Each of us is building an ecological legacy. All three authors-even though separated by 900 years-are urging us to think and use the abundant life all around us so that life goes on "cradle to cradle."
In the words of McDonough and Braungart,
"Consider this: all the ants on the planet, taken together, have a biomass greater than that of humans. Ants have been incredibly industrious for millions of years. Yet their productiveness nourishes plants, animals, and soil. Human industry has been in full swing for a little over a century, yet is has brought about a decline in almost every ecosystem on the planet. Nature doesn't have a design problem. People do."
Sunday, April 22nd is Earth Day. Glance all around you, see with new eyes, and gaze upon the beauty while thinking hard about how you can design your life in a more nature-like way.
~ Betsy Perry
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In our Mailbox:
We received this comment from one of the participants of the Chicago Men's Retreat:
"What another great weekend. Thanks to Doug, Mark and Gary for creating an atmosphere where we could all live a little into who we've been, who we are and who we might be in the future. For me it was another of those steps in my life where God has made his presence known in deeper ways. You were all part of that. Thank you." ~ Paul H.
If you belong to a church, speak to your pastor about our retreats.
Let them know how valuable we can be.
We hope to hear from you soon.
Or, you can just click our Donate Now button...
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Blogs you may have missed...
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Prayer for Listening as God Calls My Name
by Angier Brock
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Cinderella: Seeing the World in a Different Light
by Beverly Bernard
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We hope you'll forward this to a friend.
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