Editorial

Earth, Our Common Home

Ann Hall

Due in large part to a generous grant from the Associated Parishes for Liturgy and Mission (APLM) of the American Episcopal Church and the Anglican Church of Canada for projects on “Worship in a Time of Climate Crisis," the Council for Ecological Discipleship hosted Earth: Our Common Home, A RESTorative Retreat from October 16-18, 2025.

Retreatants from California and as far away as Nebraska and Georgia were led by the Rev. Payton Hoegh, Program Director of the Center for Spirituality in Nature and Fr. Vincent Pizzuto, Vicar of St. Columba’s Inverness, and members of the Council, on a journey from climate grief to imaginative hope.

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Quoting Terry Tempest Williams: "Rather than anchoring our hope beyond the struggle, always projecting ahead, perhaps locating joy within the struggle through our full presence can be our essential gesture at this moment in time. To feel the pain of now and not look away. To act not with the hope of moving forward, always forward, but to see the wisdom of stepping sideways as we create a different space, a more conscious space…"

Read the rest of Ann Hall's reflection on our 2025 retreat here.

Photos: Earth Our Common Home Retreat: Drakes Beach Outing and Rev. Petyon Hoegh

Welcome New Council Members

The Rev. Andrew Walmisley, Ph.D. 

Fr. Andrew was born in England and raised in California. He attended St. Columba’s often as a teenager in the early 70s, and here his priestly vocation was nurtured. After studying Theology at Exeter and Cambridge, England, he was ordained at St. Paul’s Cathedral in London and has served in parishes and schools in Tunis, London, Portola Valley, San Francisco, San Mateo, New York, Redwood City, Berkeley, and Maui...

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Dona Larkin

Dona feels blessed to have grown up in Northern CA during an era of environmental consciousness. She was educated by progressives who taught her to get involved in making change & to be conservative with earth's precious resources. As a student, her environmental group collected aluminum cans to fund efforts to block suburban sprawl onto nearby Mt. Diablo, elect progressive candidates, and go backpacking in the Sierra wilderness, where she first felt united with the Creator's Spirit. 

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GOOD NEWS

The Forest Keepers of Borneo
In the lush rainforests of East Kalimantan (Borneo), a powerful story of ecological stewardship is unfolding. Local communities, especially Forest Guardians from the Dayak Wehea people, are partnering with The Nature Conservancy’s Indonesian arm (YKAN) to protect more than 1.3 million acres of vital orangutan habitat. Their approach blends sustainable logging, wildlife monitoring, and ecotourism, proving that conservation rooted in local leadership can preserve both the forest and its incredible biodiversity.  Read the article

IN THE NEWS

In this section, we highlight one organization that is contributing to the health of the planet

The Center for Spirituality in Nature provides opportunities for deepening spirituality through nature, and for nurturing loving relationships with the Earth.

The Center for Spirituality in Nature is a vibrant nonprofit that marks 10 years this year of cultivating deep, grounded connection with the Earth and the Divine. Through guided retreats, online courses, walks, weekly online meditation, and customized workshops, they help individuals and communities integrate spiritual practices with ecological awareness.

Their offerings include a six-week “Spiritual Wisdom of Trees” program, nature-based spiritual practices, and training for “Spirituality in Nature Groups” (SING) — small, community-rooted gatherings that explore sacred ground in everyday landscapes.