E-Courses

Edward Abbey once described his essays as "prose psalms which celebrate the divine beauty of the natural world." Come along with us on a retreat conducted via email and explore all the ways you can discover and celebrate the Divine in nature. You will receive 40 emails, each with a short quotations and a related practice suggestion.

We will savor the spiritual insights of Barbara Kingsolver, Linda Hogan, Barry Lopez, Jane Goodall, Joyce Rupp, Annie Dillard, Kent Nerburn, Rick Bass, Diane Ackerman, Wendell Berry, and many others. These poets, essayists, and naturalists tutor us in the spiritual practices of wonder, play, reverence, and attention.

Use this retreat as a way to enrich your experiences outdoors any time of year. Find out what prompted Henry David Thoreau to proclaim "My profession is always to be alert, to find God in nature, to know God’s lurking places, to attend to all the oratorios and the operas in nature."

This course will run for 40 days starting on Earth Day, April 22, 2009. Participants will receive an email each morning as well as access to an online Practice Circle where they can share their reactions to the readings and their experiences with the practices with other participants.