This is the fourth reflection in a weely series I am writing for Patheos on practices for Advent to nurture our intimacy with creation: When despair for the world grows in me . . . I come into the peace of wild things . . . I rest in the grace of the world, and am free. -Wendell Berry, excerpted from “The Peace of Wild Things” If what a tree or a bush does is lost on you, / You are surely lost. -David Wagoner, excerpted from “Lost” In the scriptures for this fourth week of Advent we hear in the

This is the third reflection in a weely series I am writing for Patheos on practices for Advent to nurture our intimacy with creation: The bass and trout hiding in the deep pools of the river are canonized by their beauty and their strength. The lakes hidden among the hills are saints, and the sea too is a saint who praises God without interruption in her majestic dance. ~ Thomas Merton For this third week of Advent I invite you to consider the element of water as an inspiration for your prayer and a way to grow in intimacy with creation.

This is the second reflection in a weely series I am writing for Patheos on practices for Advent to nurture our intimacy with creation: Every being is praising God The fire has its flame and praises God. The wind blows the flame and praises God. In the voice we hear the word which praises God. And the word, when heard, praises God. So all of creation is a song of praise to God.   -Hildegard of Bingen In the first week of our Advent series we focused on the scriptural image of awakening and the gift of breath as our connection