nature Archives

The little Presbyterian church in the big woods

Posted January 24th, 2023

Ten pairs of trail shoes crunch up the carriage road. A dry August has browned trailside grass and prompted some early color amid the maples. Grasshoppers shoot off in all directions. A few monarch butterflies drift by in pursuit of milkweed. We are on our way to Elder’s Grove, an 8-acre stand of old-growth white pines that date to 1675.

‘When the Earth is sick, we are sick’

Posted August 3rd, 2021

Speaking with the urgency of a man whose house is on fire, the Rev. Dr. Cláudio Carvalhaes issued a wake-up call Sunday for everyone to notice the precarious state of the environment and everything living in it, from birds and trees to humankind.

‘Forest bathing’ renews the spirit

Posted April 28th, 2021

Presbyterians are adopting a Japanese spiritual practice of cleansing the mind and spirit by being fully immersed in nature.

Despite hardships and racism, Native Americans find hope during pandemic

Posted November 16th, 2020

A timely and sometimes painful discussion on the impact of COVID-19 and racism on Native Americans ended on a hopeful note recently, with a panelist invoking an image from nature.

Loving God’s creation nurtures our spirit

Posted March 8th, 2019

Count the stars. Open your eyes and see the well of water. Take a stone and use it as a pillow.