Steven Chase s innovative On Earth As it Is uses a compelling blend of theological, scriptural, historical, and cultural discussions to reclaim the role of nature in the formation of Christian spiritual and moral identity. His thought-provoking creation practices will lead readers into more profound knowledge of themselves and their Creator, guide them to greater compassion for their neighbors, instill in them reverence for and companionship with nature, and awaken in them a greater commitment to creation care. · Encourages Christians to read the Bible, pray, and worship out of doors. · Demonstrates the power of nature to soothe and heal the soul. · Advocates befriending God s creation as a crucial element in Christian growth. · Show how the Bible is full of natural images and how nature itself can function as a holy text, testifying to the glory of God. Offers stories, anecdotes, research, scriptural tie-ins, practical advice, and contemplative exercises to help readers experience God in nature.

Chase's innovative work uses a compelling blend of theological, scriptural, historical, and cultural discussions to reclaim the role of nature in the formation of Christian spiritual and moral identity.

After a career as one of the nation's top environmental lawyers, James Thornton spent several years on retreat, culminating in a meeting with the Dalai Lama, who asked him to teach a path of integration and wholeness. In A Field Guide to the Soul, Thornton leads us through a series of contemplative exercises designed to clarify the body, mind, and heart, and make a deep connection with the wisdom encoded in the natural world. His nature writing is joyously lyrical; the book as a whole is immensely practical, drawing on Jungian psychology, and Buddhist, Hindu, and Christian teachings, to give us the tools to work for the benefit of all living beings. At a time when people are desperate to make some sense of their lives, Thornton shows us how to embark on our own hero's journey. Only by taking full responsibility for our thoughts, feelings, and actions can we bring about the revolution in consciousness that is so vital today. In order to discover how to care for the Earth and all its inhabitants, we must first learn how to care for ourselves. Here is a practical manual that shows us the way.

2024 Nautilus Book Awards Silver Winner in "Religion / Spirituality of Western Thought" CategoryWinner of the Living Now Book Award, Church of the Wild reminds us that once upon a time, humans lived in an intimate relationship with nature. Whether disillusioned by the dominant church or unfulfilled by traditional expressions of faith, many of us long for a deeper spirituality. Victoria Loorz certainly did. Coping with an unraveling vocation, identity, and planet, Loorz turned to the wanderings of spiritual leaders and the sanctuary of the natural world, eventually cofounding the Wild Church Network and Seminary of the Wild. With an ecospiritual lens on biblical narratives and a fresh look at a community larger than our own species, Church of the Wild uncovers the wild roots of faith and helps us deepen our commitment to a suffering earth by falling in love with it--and calling it church. Through mystical encounters with wild deer, whispers from a scrubby oak tree, wordless conversation with a cougar, and more, Loorz helps us connect to a love that literally holds the world together--a love that calls us into communion with all creatures.

Undertake a sacred passage into the temple of nature, guided by meditation master and vision quest leader John P Milton. Since the 1940's, this pioneering spiritual teacher has led over 10,000 vision quests into the wilds of Colorado, the Himalayas, Bali, the Arctic, Mexico, and other sacred sites around the world. Now this pathfinder guides readers back to the wilderness within themselves, to discover how they are connected with the vast and sacred mystery of nature. Highlights include: why meditation in nature is unequaled in its power to transform lives, a full-body meditation for the deepest relaxation of one's life, how nature's healing energy can renew the body, how to clear and open blocked internal pathways to open them to earth's energy, and a 10-minute practice to restore one's internal balance with the natural world.

Brimming with insights and packed with information, this book draws you out, quite literally, into nature to experience a new, well thought through pattern of spiritual practice. Bruce Stanley gives you all the resources you'll need, both practical and theoretical, to get going with a group or on your own. The Forest Church movement begun by Bruce Stanley is gaining momentum in the UK, and has now been brought to the United States.

Just One Moment of Close Attention Can Be a Prayer to God "Does God communicate through the natural world? Through the slug on the compost pile, the leaf on the lawn, the stone tumbled on the beach, the air that feeds my lungs, the dreams that fill my nights? How will I know unless I pay attention?" --from the Introduction Paying attention is rarely easy to do. It requires focus, patience and a willingness to slow down--traits that are hard to come by in this hurry-up world. But close attention to even one small piece of creation, one object, person, routine, image, word or scripture, can become a prayer to God, opening a channel of communication between you and the Divine to allow for deep spiritual growth. In this inspiring guide, you will discover ways to develop a practice of attention as a means of talking--and listening--to God. Framed on the Christian liturgical year and paired with images of the seasons of the earth, each chapter includes an insightful and poignant narrative which illustrates the surprising richness to be found in every attention-getting moment. Following each narrative is a prayer, suggested scripture readings and a specific exercise you can use to develop your own practice of attention as a means to better connect with God. Accessible, humorous and meaningful, these words and practices will lead you further along your path toward discovering a deeper awareness of yourself and your relationship to all that is around you--and within you.