Wednesday, July 24, 2024

Salt Lake City, Utah during PC(USA) 226th General Assembly (June 15-July 4, 2024)

 by Fred Milligan


First Presbyterian Church, downtown Salt Lake City




Gun to Gardens cutting up firearms (First Pres. After worship anti-violence program)




street-side sculptures




Salt Palace Convention Center – location of General Assembly plenary sessions




A nearby mountain seen from SLC street




Photos of Utah landscapes displayed on wall of Hyatt Regency hotel lounge




Scottish bagpipes participated in the opening of the 226th meeting of the PCUSA General Assembly




PEC Advocacy Co-Chair Fred Milligan, Mission Delegate to GA Mark Hare, and Young Adult Advisory Delegate to GA Andrew Hill


Fred Milligan is a PC(USA) minister member of Highlands Presbytery in North Central New Jersey in the territory of the Turtle tribe of the Ramapo people and the Ramapo mountains but resides in New York City in the historic land of the Linape people along the Hudson River. Fred has been sensitive to ecological issues since his youth when the mayor of Strawberry, Arkansas recruited him to become his town’s first “garbage man” and only later was confronted with the dilemma of where to put it. He has been involved with PEC since 2005 when he served on the General Assembly staff as Associate for Stewardship Education and supported the start-up of the Eco-Stewards program. He then served on our steering committee until 2014, when he moved to Chile as pastor of a congregation there for six years. In 2021 and 2022, Fred represented PEC at COP26 in Glasgow and the follow-up meetings in Bonn, Germany and supervised the writing and editing of our overture to the last General Assembly entitled “The time is now . . . “ Fred is currently serving as co-facilitator, with Jenny Holmes, of the PEC Advocacy Team.


Camino de Santiago Pilgrimage: A Photo Essay

 

by Rev. Mary Beene

Rev. Kate Clayton, pastor of San Geronimo Presbyterian Church in San Geronimo, CA, wanted to share this rainbow as kind of EARTH blessing. The weather was unusually cold and rainy at the beginning of our Camino Frances. many folks we met commented on loving this double rainbow.  She was taking the route over the mountain at St. Jean Pied-de-Port in France.  Many pilgrims start their Camino in France. 



 Rev. Stephanie Ryder, pastor of Redwoods Presbyterian Church in Larkspur, CA, commented that walking 13 miles a day for 7+ days helped me realize I could do a lot more walking and a lot less driving once I returned.”  


She also noted some commonalities between places as she compared this amazing picture in Spain to our beloved San Francisco region.  Even as ecosystems are different, there are commonalities that connect us all. 


Kate also wanted to celebrate the community aspect of walking such distances together.  A quote I really loved, or rather an image, was from a young Polish newlywed person whom we met early on, and met several times until we stopped seeing him and his bride. He had mentioned to another person in our cohort that the Camino was like a village moving along together between stops.  


Its not uncommon to keep seeing the people you began with, but eventually they start moving faster or slower than you. If you are a person who likes to stay at the end stage cities, you are more likely to see others youve seen before.  


She also noted that when it wasnt feeling like a village, it felt like a genuine world community, although Africa was under-represented, except for South Africa.  And of course, the community is over time, as well as we walk with pilgrims through the ages. 



Another friend, Rev. John Chase from First Petaluma Presbyterian Church in Petaluma, CA noticed the toll that thousands of pilgrims take on the route each year. I was quite disappointed to see so much trash along the Portuguese Camino. Much of this was along roads, and were undoubtedly thrown out of car windows, or by other non-pilgrim pedestrians. Portugal in general was not the cleanest country I've been to in terms of roadside trash.” 



However, I also observed a lot of trash along sections of the pilgrim route that were away from roads--trash that was clearly left by pilgrims. For example, during one stage, a man came running out from his shop to give us a plastic bag that included two apples and a cold bottle of water. He had walked the Camino many years ago and he had these bags made up and stored in his shop's refrigerator to give to weary pilgrims as they pass by. Very thoughtful. This sort of thing is common on the Camino. What was a bit surprising and disappointing to me though was for the next mile, I spotted dozens of those exact plastic bags and empty water bottles on the side of the trail, clearly from pilgrims who ate their apples or put them in their packs for later, drank the water and simply tossed the bag and bottle into the bushes. As I walked, I actually thought about the idea of doing a trash pickup Camino. Ask pilgrims to pick one stretch of Camino and do some trash pickup.”  



He continues: It's common for people on the Camino to carry a stone as they walk as a symbol of a burden they are carrying. Then, at some point along the way, they lay that stone down as a way to symbolically lay down that burden and continue on. Some stones are carried briefly, maybe an hour or a day. I knew someone going through a divorce who carried her stone for the entire Camino and set it down when she got to Santiago de Compostela. 


Carrying stones didn't work for me, so I started picking up strips of ribbon, hair bands, bits of fabric. I would carry each one and pray for a particular person while I carried it. After an hour or two or more, I would tie it onto my walking stick. I even found two discarded bandanas that I washed, sometimes used to block the sun around my neck, and also tied them onto my walking stick. I repurposed the trash to use as a spiritual practice. I even found a rubber tip that had fallen off someone's trekking pole. It fit perfectly on the tip of my bamboo walking stick and significantly cut down on the sound my walking stick made when it hit the ground.




"Walking gets you closer to the ground, and you notice more than you would zipping by in a car. I do a lot more walking now here in Petaluma, to the store, to work, etc., and I notice more trash on the side of the road, but, as on the Camino, I also notice the beauty--blooming trees and flowers, lizards, birds, the feel of the sun on my face on a cold morning, a cool breeze on a hot day. Occasionally, I would help small creatures, like snails, caterpillars, and snakes that I found in the middle of roadways, at risk of being hit by cars. You only see that if you're walking. 



 "The Camino provides" is a common saying you hear when you are a pilgrim. It is a way of acknowledging one's dependence on nature and others (pilgrims and non-pilgrims) when on the Camino...no one is ever truly alone when walking the Camino.” 



I remember times when my water was low, and I came to a public fountain just when I needed it, or to a cafe, or some stranger invited me to pick an orange or two off their tree, or simply met me at the roadside and handed me a snack for the road.” 



This was also the case when, for example, I shared bandaids with another pilgrim who had run out, or shared a granola bar with a fellow pilgrim during a rest. I also discovered fruit trees along the way, in public spaces (not on privately owned property), mostly loquat (or Nêspera in Portuguese) and orange trees (but also mulberry trees and wild strawberries) that I would pick and either eat on the spot or put in my pack for later. For me, this was another example of the Camino providing. I would only harvest what I needed, what I could carry in the small front pocket of my backpack, leaving the rest for other pilgrims.



The Camino is both an opportunity to care for Gods wondrous creation and to damage it by overuse and lack of concern.  As we learn profound spiritual lessons on our pilgrimages wherever they may take us, we must also take care that our footprint is as light as possible. 



Rev. Mary Beene is the pastor at Windsor Presbyterian Church in Windsor, CA and a contributor to EARTH NEWS.  She is excited to walk her Camino from July 17-24, 2024 along the Portugues/Coastal route.

Tuesday, July 23, 2024

Shinrin-yoku: Forest Bathing in My Own Front Yard

 

by Nancy Corson Carter

Fascinated by current interest in Shinrin-yoku, I learned that the term emerged in Japan in the 1980s to describe a physiological and psychological exercise, a form of ecotherapy.  The purpose was to offer an eco-antidote to tech-boom burnout and to inspire residents to reconnect with and protect the countrys extensive forests.”1      

Forest bathing, as it is commonly called, can be the reason for people to travel to faraway places like New Zealand or Costa Rica and hire specialized guides, or it can be as simple as walking in any natural environment near you and allowing yourself to relax and consciously open your senses to what is around you.

Ive found that my delight in the natural world often increases as I wander with my camera, and it can be in a place as near as my garden.

When we first moved into our home, I saw some plants in the little garden strip behind the house that were consistently gnawed down to the nubs. I decided to transplant them into the newly fenced front garden. Thus, I was introduced to hostas, no longer just deer candy.”  When they grew their lovely leaves and later their flower stalks, I was fascinated. Over the next few years, I planted new kinds until a lovely variegated circle grew in the shade of our porch-side magnolia.

I discovered how much I enjoyed following their yearly cycle and began taking photos of it.

Here are a few photos that illustrate what I consider a kind of time-lapse” pleasure in the “forest bathing” seasons with these beautiful plants. 






I imagined the just-rising plants as performing a graceful Thai fingernail dance" and the unfurling of beautifully formed leaves in colors of greens and blues with some patterning as another dance with billowing skirts unwinding and twirling like Spanish dancers. 



The elements of light, wind, rain, and the seasonal cycle toward flowering marked the beguiling dance of a life cycle they represented as a whole, with, finally, the disintegration of the leaves (probably nibbled to lace by voles, rabbits, and other animals who could crawl under our fence for a summers end feast), and their final descent through the autumn and winter back into the Earth.

As Ive worked on this collection, I suddenly realized that I have, in my own humble way, copied what the famous photographer Edward Steichen did in his later years with a shad-blow tree in his yard—take multiple shots of a beloved subject throughout its life throughout the year (or more), enjoying its beauty as a kind of contemplative practice.

The beauty of nature and its uplifting sense of Creation as a gift we are part of, to enjoy and to care for, is a constant theme of many of the Psalms. See, for example, the lines from Psalm 104, which open the landmark report RESTORING CREATION FOR ECOLOGY AND JUSTICE, adopted by the 1990 GA of the Presbyterian Church USA

1Sunny Fitzgerald, National Geographic online, October 18, 2019, The Secret to Mindful Travel? A Walk in the Woods.”

Nancy Corson Carter, professor emerita of humanities at Eckerd College, has published THREE poetry books, Dragon Poems The Sourdough Dream Kit, and  A Green Bough:  Poems for Renewal (most recent) and three poetry chapbooks. Some of her poems, drawings, and photos appear in her nonfiction book, Martha, Mary, and Jesus: Weaving Action and Contemplation in Daily Life, and in her memoir, The Never-Quite-Ending War: a WWII GI Daughter's Stories. Website: nancycorsoncarter.com

Summers at Ferncliff: Embracing Sustainability and Creation Care

 



By Joel Gill

Each summer, I have the incredible opportunity to see our mission in action at Ferncliff, a camp dedicated to sustainability and Creation care. As an advocate for environmental stewardship, I have been thrilled to witness and participate in the many "green" initiatives that Ferncliff has implemented over the years.

Ferncliffs commitment to the environment is evident in many aspects of our operations. A decade ago, we won the Sustaining the Rock” award and were recognized as Little Rocks greenest” non-profit. Since then, we have become green camp certified.

One of the most impressive aspects of Ferncliffs sustainability efforts is our use of geothermal heating and cooling. The conference center and most of the youth camp are powered by geothermal units located in both lakes. This innovative approach significantly reduces the camps carbon footprint.

Ferncliffs commitment to renewable energy is also evident in the four separate solar arrays with over 100 solar panels. These solar installations, combined with energy efficiency retrofits on several buildings and programmed thermostats, ensure that electricity use is minimized. We also just installed our first electric vehicle charging station.

Campers at Ferncliff are encouraged to conserve electricity and water and reduce waste. Food scraps are composted and used to enrich the soil in the garden farm area. Recycling is a major priority, with bins readily available throughout the camp.

Our mission is to welcome people to a life of caring for Creation, others, and themselves as an expression of Gods love. We see this mission statement lived out in all of our summer camp programs. Campers can be found throughout camp exploring nature and learning about Creation care. I love to see campers exploring the Farmstead and learning about the animals and plant life in our vegetable and pollinator gardens. From exploring the Blue Hole, where they learn about native aquatic plants and wildlife, to hikes on our numerous trails, campers are immersed in nature and encouraged to explore and learn through play.

Exploration of nature and learning through play is also central to the Ferncliff Nature Preschool. The preschool was founded at Ferncliff in 2016 by Rachel Parker, who was recently named the 2024 Outstanding Environmental Educator for Formal Education by the Arkansas Environmental Education Association. The program has been wildly successful and has grown yearly since its inception. The school focuses on mindfulness, curiosity, asking questions bigger than ourselves, and caring for creatures and nature with a heavy emphasis on play-based learning in nature.

One of the most exciting projects currently underway at Ferncliff is a stream restoration initiative. Historically, a man-made lake with a dam has been a central feature of the camp. However, over time, the lake has filled with sediment, impacting the natural flow of nutrients and aquatic connectivity. We plan to remove the dam and restore the stream, enhancing the habitat for birds and wildlife and creating a more vibrant ecosystem. This project, in collaboration with state agencies and environmental groups, is set to begin in the summer of 2026.

Ferncliffs efforts to care for the earth extend beyond its physical infrastructure. It strives to inspire campers and guests to think about ways to conserve and reduce their environmental footprint both at camp and at home. By viewing earth care as an active form of worship, Ferncliff instills a sense of responsibility and joy in all who visit.

As we look to the future, projects like Ferncliffs stream restoration are a powerful example for other camps and churches within our denomination. We have a collective responsibility to care for the earth, and by taking on significant environmental projects, we can create a ripple effect of positive change.

Please visit Ferncliff's website to learn more about its sustainability initiatives and how you can support them. Lets work together to make our world a better place, one green initiative at a time.

Joel Gill currently serves as the Executive Director of Ferncliff Camp and Conference Center. Ferncliff is a nonprofit organization located just ten miles west of Little Rock, Arkansas.  Ferncliff was founded in 1937 as a place for youth and adults to gather and experience creation in community with one another. Over the years, Fercliff has grown into a multi-faceted organization that has branched in many ways beyond a typical camp and conference center. Today, Ferncliff includes a thriving summer camp program, a retreat and conference center, nature preschool, disaster assistance center, and a Good360 Community Distribution Center.

 

Joel joined the staff of Ferncliff Camp and Conference Center in 2011 as the Program Director and was promoted to Executive Director in 2017. Joel is a native of Arkansas and a graduate of Austin College. His work experience, which includes various camps and youth development organizations throughout the United States, has provided an excellent foundation to lead the team at Ferncliff. Joel attributes his time spent at Arkansas 4-H Center and Heifer International with giving him a valuable perspective on the importance of organizations, such as Ferncliff, on the campers we connect with each year and the business and corporate community. In all aspects of his work Joel is always focused on promoting the Ferncliff mission of welcoming people into a life of caring for Creation, others and themselves. Joel has served on the board of the Presbyterian Church Camp and Conference Association, including a stint as President.  He enjoys trail running, watching his four kids play sports, and kicking around new ideas. Joel believes Ferncliff is a perfect place to work to fulfill his passion for connecting people to God through experiences in nature while also satisfying his need to be creative and give back to others.