A Sustainability Journey

By Deanna Matzen

This last Saturday morning, over 60 friends and members of Earth Ministry gathered to hear Rev. Alan Storey give a talk on his Sustainability Journey, which began after meeting Earth Ministry staff, board members, and friends at Holden Village in July of 2008.

We all fell in love with Alan at Holden Village, so it was a great honor and privilege to hear him speak again. As a pastor in South Africa, his depth of experience with people at the margins of society and in the middle of one of our world's greatest injustices -- Apartheid -- give him an incredibly unique perspective on the gospels. This perspective resonated with and challenged me to the deepest core of my being.

Since Alan's teaching is so profound, and not everyone was able to attend the gathering, I wanted to share with you a few of the things that struck a chord with me.

To start, Alan gave us the framework for his faith. At the risk of completely botching it, I'm going to summarize it as this, "God is love; God is life." The whole of the Bible, if read in this context, is brought to life with new meaning. One of his examples was the Beatitudes. I spent time during church yesterday sitting with the Beatitudes and was moved to tears. "Blessed are those who mourn," Alan said, "because you see that there is no life where there should be life." God wants life in this world and those who mourn see what is missing. "Blessed are the gentle [merciful]...for they do not bring death." "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they are the children of God." God does not want death. God wants life. I challenge you to sit with the Beatitudes in this context and find yourself mourning with God and be set free to work with God to bring forth life in this world.

As Alan read the Bible after his time at Holden, the frame of environmental stewardship brought new meaning to him. For example, he invoked the image of manna in the desert as a reminder that sustainability is taking enough for today and not storing up and hoarding for the future. For those who have more than they need are taking from those who do not have enough. This is the heart of sufficiency. He then told us about a book he had read on the old testament, culture, and agriculture that contrasted the land of Egypt with the land of Canaan. Egypt was a land of great fertility with the Nile River and irrigation channels where food grew easily. Canaan was a hill land with rocky soil. The Hebrew people had to conform themselves to the land in Canaan in order to receive what they need to survive. They couldn't force the land to change or give more. They had to depend on the land in a whole new way. They had to learn to live within the limits of the land. There would be enough, but it would take a change in attitude and relationship to the land.

Alan not only shared with us his new way of seeing the scriptures, but gave us a new agency for hope by invoking the image of the burning bush, "When you go to speak to the leaders of the coal and oil industries, know that you have the power of the God of renewable resources with you - 'The bush was ablaze with fire yet it was not consumed.'" Wow! How often we forget the power of our God!

We hope to bring some of Alan Storey's insights to you in the Spring Issue of Earth Letter. Stay tuned!

Listen to Alan's Bible Study at Holden Village in July 2008

Listen Online to Sessions from Earth Ministry's Retreat at Holden Village!

When we were on retreat at Holden Village during July, we learned that they were in the process of building an audio archive of all the sessions ever recorded at Holden Village - which is a lot!

The audio archive went live at the end of August and includes four of the five sessions provided by Earth Ministry staff, all the sessions provided by our board members, Brian Naasz and Kevin O'Brien (Energy and Ethics, Food & Fuel, Nuclear Power), as well as teaching by Alan Storey, who provided the Bible study that week, plus so much more.

So if you were unable to make our retreat, you can relive the experience in part. Unfortunately, we can't provide an online experience of the hikes, views, conversations, food or fresh air, but you can get caught up on the teaching material!

http://audio.holdenvillage.org/

Worshiping By the Waters

By Deanna Matzen

This was my second visit to Holden Village. But this time, there was an added depth to my experience. As part of the Earth Ministry teaching staff, I was in charge of holding a Caring for All Creation, By the Waters worship service. At first, I was intimidated. The church I worship in today, and have worshipped in for the last 10 years, is not liturgical. So I just didn't even know how to structure a service of that sort. With the Caring for All Creation By the Waters module in hand and God bringing people along to help me, a beautiful creation-honoring service came together.

First, I got a lot of help from the Earth Ministry staff: LeeAnne gave me a copy of her church bulletin so I could get a sense of liturgical structure, Mikaila helped me refine the order of service and musical selections, and Beth and LeeAnne prepared a flute duet for the special music. To lead worship, God brought me Kathy, one of our members who attended the retreat. She emailed me about carpooling and mentioned that she played instruments and wanted to make her skills available. We coordinated over email and practiced at Holden. I have to say, I was so blessed to have her help!

I thought we were set until Brian Naasz, an Earth Ministry board member, told me that Jens, a young man from his church and another retreat attendant, had his cello with him and asked if he could help with the service. The answer was an emphatic, "Of course!" So Kathy played guitar and led singing while Jens accompanied on his cello. His cello brought just the right sound to fill out the music. Not only that, but Jens played a solo with his mom accompanying on piano and it was the perfect fit for the special music during the blessing of the water ceremony. I could not have picked a better song! It was majestic, meditative, and moving! As I reflect on that service, I am in awe of how God brought all these components together.

Part of the service was a Blessing of the Waters ceremony. Almost everyone had brought a sample of water from a nearby body of water whether a stream, a lake, a pond, or a rain barrel. People came up in a line, like communion, and poured their water in a large communal bowl. I especially loved how the couples held each others hands as they poured the water together. After everyone finished we sat and soaked in the song that Jens was playing. I wish I could have stopped that moment in time and held it for eternity.

The other challenge and blessing for me was giving the sermon/homily/message. It was only the second "message" I've ever given, but the first one was rather informal for a childern's retreat. I have to tell you that I was very stressed out about that sermon for several weeks before going to Holden. I just couldn't get my thoughts together. I knew I had the sermon helpers in the By the Waters module, and they were really helpful, but I still had to construct a thoughtful and organized sermon. But again, God showed up and as I rose early and went to the Holden labyrinth in the early morning, my thoughts began to come together. I prayed and studied that passage over and over again as I walked the path. The sermon passage was the story of the Samaritan woman at the well. And I tell you, I have never read that passage with such clarity and excitement for the revelation of God through that story. But I won't give away my sermon now. You'll have to wait til August when it will be posted on Holden Village's website.

What amazes me the most is the way the story, the liturgy, the music, the people, the entire week, wove together in a beautiful tapestry. I heard the same messages with slightly different flavors all week long. There was an amazing synergy at Holden that week. I would venture to guess that there is synergy every week at Holden as people gather together in community and wilderness in the name of God. I am so blessed to have been a part of that week. I will carry it with me for a very long time.

Familiar & Unexpected

Fresh mountain air, bright sun illuminating the backdrop of snowfields and craggy peaks, conversations with friends—new & old, a monstrous dish of butter pecan ice cream at the end of the day…

For me the Earth Ministry trip to Holden was both a return to the familiar (I’ve been there several times before) and a leap into the unexpected.

Holden Village is all about community, so each experience in the Village is different, depending on who happens to be a part of the community on that particular day or week.

I had never been a member of the teaching staff before, and the privilege of adding to that portion of the week’s conversation was very exciting! LeeAnne and I led a movement prayer session, and the response from the participants was wonderful. I heard reports of folks adding movement practices into their daily routine after their experience with us, and I was part of a spontaneous Earth Body Prayer practice on the shores of Holden Lake. Pretty amazing!

The teaching sessions on “The Ethics of Energy,” led by Earth Ministry board members Brian Nassz and Kevin O’Brien, added another element of excitement to my week. Kevin & Brian allowed the Holden community to drive the dialogue, and many of us were able to insert our unique backgrounds and values into the conversation. We each left with a broader appreciation of the issues surrounding energy use—I, for one, plan to challenge myself to ask bigger questions!

Thanks again to all who were able to join us in the Holden community this year--I look forward to seeing you again soon.

Degradation and Forgiveness

By: Mikaila Gawryn
Earth Ministry Intern


If the contrast between silent, lush, mountain forest and dehydrated orange mine tailings wasn’t enough to startle me the white stone cross with mining steaks driven into its extremities surely was. I stood gazing at it, quietly humbled. I had wandered, on a whim, into the graveyard of the Holden Mine, which from 1937 to 1957 produced what is valued at over $500 million in copper, gold, zinc and silver.















As I walked the trail up to the tailings with MaryFrances Lignana, one of our Earth Ministry board members, I realized that I have had the privilege of growing up without seeing the environmental scars of industrial production. I use the word privilege intentionally because only a privileged few see the shiny new “products” created from mines like this one. I have not seen the consequences of a lifestyle dependant on industrial scale use of the environment. I definitely haven’t had to breath, drink or eat the consequences as many in our world do every day. Maybe going to the tailings that afternoon was partially due to my desire to see the harsher side of this industrial lifestyle.

What I found most astonishing was the close proximity of splendor and disfigurement. As we followed a creek up the mountainside, it turned from gurgling clear to chalky white, until the tanned rocks were covered by milky sediment that appeared indifferent to the flowing water. Tracing the creek up to its source led us to a rusty “Danger! Do Not Enter!” sign, and a stagnant pool of water emerging from the opening of the mine shaft. Yet, the fresh green trees and undergrowth extended uninterrupted framing the wide wooden beam entrance. The sounds of forest life could be heard through the thick hot silence of the open tailing plane. Rusting equipment seemed to blend into the dusty rock of the tailings, only yards away from creeping vines and leaves full from a wet spring. It was as if a deep wound had been gashed into the living flesh of the mountainside. The splendor of God’s creation was disfigured here.

















I can’t deny the benefits that industrial “resource” use has brought. Yet the damage done by such use is plain to see. It is these dichotomous situations in life that should lead me to prayer. All too often though, prayer is not where I go. Instead I thought to myself: How can we work against environmental degradation when destruction of the natural world is so systematically part of our society? How could I change these things? Any of these things?

In this mindset it is no surprise that I found the image of the cross startling. The white stones had been clearly visible from the entrance to mine the shaft, though I had to walk a few hundred feet to see the mining steaks driven into the ground. I had to walk closer to read the word underneath it: “forgiven”.

It was a good reminder of where my mind should have been. I shouldn’t have been thinking of what I could do, because when it comes down to it I am only human, and only one. The cross at the mine tailings reminded me of my tendency to despair in the face of degradation. Thankfully, I realized that I can do nothing on my own. We can do nothing on our own. As we live as witnesses to both the splendor and disfigurement of creation let us look to God for guidance and courage and let us lean upon the power of God for forgiveness.

Until my next post,

Mikaila


Sources
http://www.chelanvalley.com/mine_closing.htm

Holden, Home!

After a beautiful week at Holden Village, the staff of Earth Ministry is home.

Sixty-five members, friends, board members and staff of Earth Ministry came together last week for a wilderness retreat. This was officially the second retreat Earth Ministry has held at Holden Village and by far the largest. People came from as far away as Maryland and Wisconsin and they were as warm and friendly as our friends here in Washington.

The staff led five teaching sessions: Toxics and Environmental Health, Greening Congregations, Movement Prayer, Advocacy for all Creation, and a By the Waters Worship Service. Two of Earth Ministry's board members, Brian Naasz and Kevin O'Brien, led a series on the Ethics of Energy. In addition to the sessions provided by Earth Ministry staff and board, teaching staff from around the world were at Holden that week and provided incredible teaching that filled the heart, mind, and soul.

Recordings of all the teaching sessions should be available on Holden's website sometime in August. We hope you will check out Earth Ministry's offerings and we highly recommend the Bible study provided by Allen Storey (a methodist minister from South Africa) - he will blow you away!

In addition to a great time of learning, the staff enjoyed getting to know new members and friends as well as reuniting with old friends while hiking, eating, resting, making music, travelling, and playing. Holden is a unique intentional community and the mix of work and play makes for a dynamic time together. Thanks to all who made the long trek to Holden; you enriched our lives and our work.

You may be wondering, "will there be another retreat"? We have not committed to that yet, but we are seriously thinking about it. Stay tuned... In the meantime, you can enjoy the forthcoming blogs from the Earth Ministry staff as they personally reflect on their time at Holden.