I recently returned from a retreat at the Quaker Institute at Pendle Hill in PA. The theme was “Living Our Testimonies in the Fierce Urgency of Now,” taken from a line in Dr. King’s “I Have A Dream” speech. Although it was a great event, the most salient portion for me wasn’t its presentations, presenters or facilitators but the people I met during those four days. They were very ordinary people who were engaged in awe-inspiring work for love, peace, and justice in the world. Literally, “ordinary people doing extraordinary things!”
One of them, in particular, gave me a copy of his book “WHAT IS NOT A MIRACLE?” He autographed it after we talked about things that matter to both of us. It is a book of poems he has written over the years that speak to the wonder and awe of living every day on planet Earth.
It seems the themes of wonder and awe in life have been circling my soul lately. Once I received the book and began to contemplate its message, awe and amazement started crossing my path even more. It reminded me of the time I bought my red car and then noticed that there were tons of other red cars on the road, that I had never noticed before.
So, last weekend at a Centering Prayer Retreat, I was amazed to learn a new practice for my soul—lectio terra. It opened me up even more to the miracle of Life in Creation. Lectio terra is a cousin to lectio divina, the spiritual practice of reading holy texts to encounter the Spirit of G-D in the spaces between the words. In lectio terra, you encounter the sense of G-D’s PRESENCE as you read nature. Meeting G-D in nature is similar to meeting G-D in the Scriptures because they both begin with intention and attention.
The method is the same with small changes. Reading, meditation, prayer, and contemplation are the same EXCEPT we are outside in nature and using all of our senses.
We begin right where we are by standing outside in a moment of stillness. If we close our eyes and breathe deeply several times, we can begin to feel ourselves breathing and our hearts beating. We might notice our feet standing upon the earth and that our bodies are oriented in space, surrounded by all that is around us. Although this is always true, now we are especially aware of it. Beginning in this way cleanses the slate of our souls for a new reunion with the Divine. Since we are already a part of G-D and G-D is already one with us, we are re-meeting with intention. We might silently speak an intention for this time, perhaps asking G-D what she desires that we should know at this moment and in this place and time.
We then open our eyes and begin to walk. There are moments when we stop, look, and listen; we sniff the air and feel its temperature on our skin. We breathe and observe WHAT IS. We do this without mental comment by being truly present. We are reading the landscape.
At some point along the way, something catches our attention; it makes us wonder; we might even say to ourselves, “WOW, I never noticed THAT before.” Whatever it is, it causes us to stop and bring our full attention to this thing that has called to us. G-D has whispered; we are listening.
We begin to meditate upon this thing, whether animal, vegetable, or mineral. It may be a leaf, an ant, a tree, a worn path, or someone’s yellow windbreaker as they pass us by the way, but we use all of our senses to observe it in its fullness. What does it bring to mind? What is it saying to us? Does it raise a certain passage of Scripture from memory? Is there an image of a place or person that comes to mind or drops in? We begin to connect the dots. This is the fodder for our meditation as we ruminate and chew on the possibilities of what Spirit may be speaking into our lives now.
Through meditation, we can respond directly to the G-D’s Spirit in prayer, asking for clarity, insight, and increased understanding. We can begin to converse. If we ask questions, we will receive answers. The stillness of our hearts keeps us open and receptive, allowing us to feel and express gratitude for the gift of the present moment. With this new insight, we might ask for whatever we need to move forward into the rest of the day— or even into the rest of life.
Finally, there is a point of STILLNESS as we sit and simply breathe, allowing ourselves to be ONE with the Mystery of ONENESS, whom we call G-D, the Source of all of Creation and of ALL that is. This is the miracle beyond miracles that the Oneness that Jesus speaks of in John 17 for himself is ours, too, when we can finally receive such a gift.
If you ever have an opportunity to explore lectio terra in a workshop or at a retreat, please DO IT. If you love the outdoors anyway, research it for yourself. What a great spiritual practice to remind me that I am part of the ONE who IS and to feel that PRESENCE. You will be glad you did!
With Love,
Freda Marie+
“Our daily experience of life, God and God’s world are meant to inspire us with awe and wonder. Our failure to notice the miracles around us is a failure of the spirit as well as the senses.” – (Christine Aroney-Sine)