early harvests

I’ve been away, and took a break from the website and blog. I will continue to put up some pictures and reflections from the workshop and garden, as well as from friends and guests. You can expect posts every other week. They will continue to lift up the seasons of earth and church year, practices and projects, invitations, art, craft, outdoors, cooking, and contemplative living and prayer.

I’ll continue the series of posts on monastic and medieval theologians and mystics, and how they can, in my view, fruitfully influence life, faith and practice today. I believe it's important that we find treasure, resources, guidance and delight in the past.

But lately I’ve been reading Rupert Sheldrake’s recent book “Science and Spiritual Practices.” He is a doctor of botany and a christian whose writing has sought to invite greater consideration of the spiritual vitality of the entire cosmos, and move out habits of mind and heart away from secular materialism. He discusses such spiritual practices as meditation, music, gratitude and cultivating our relationship with plants and the more than human world, and points to how these fit even with fairly traditional visions of spiritual practice. I recommend the book.

You remain welcome to stop by the workshop, just call ahead. I’m working on some small joinery projects, garden and propagation tools making use of scrap wood.

And I continue to encourage you to find and connect with a local christian congregation, give alms, and pray for the sick and lonely, and for the birds, for insects, and trees.