As we begin a new year, let us put the earth first in our priorities, because without a well-functioning planet all our other loves, dreams, testimonies and leadings will spin off in to chaos. Everything we honor, value, and work towards depends on the ecosystem around us. If we follow the threads of war and poverty and racism to their nexus, we will find, at the root, an over-burdened earth.
It’s tempting to let others work on Earth Care issues, because it’s such a tangled problem and so overwhelming. But nature needs us all to set aside our feeling of defeat, find resolution, and take any steps we can!
So, let us each begin the exercise of determining where to start. Quakers have a unique and wonderful process for discerning how to move forward in our lives, and it always begins in worship.
Worship is experiencing the presence of God. … For Friends, inspiration and direction for worship begin as inward experiences. In meeting for worship, the Spirit ministers within the members of the group. Friends, therefore, wait in silent expectation for divine inspiration and direction.
Marsha Holliday, Exploring Quakerism
If you bring your love and concern for nature with you into worship, you will find guidance.
Resources:
Friends General Conference offers this guide to a Quaker Way of Individual Discernment.
Lovely!
PermalinkHappy New Year All.