Episode 69: God’s Good Earth and the power of awe and wonder in creation
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Anne Rowthorn, Ph. D. is a passionate, long-time environmentalist. She has written or compiled 12 books, of late specializing in the area of religion and ecology. Long an admirer of John Muir, she took particular pleasure in compiling the book, The Wisdom of John Muir: 100+ Selections from the Letters, Journals and Essays of the Great Naturalist,which is available in most book stores and national park gift shops.
The Rt. Rev. Jeffrey Rowthorn was one of the founding faculty members of the Institute of Sacred Music, and a professor of Liturgy at Yale Divinity School, and was the school’s first Chapel Minister. In 1987 he was elected Suffragan Bishop of Connecticut and then from 1994 to 2001 served as Bishop of the Episcopal congregations in Europe. Over the past forty years he has compiled and edited three hymnals and written hymns, among them the school hymn for Berkeley Divinity School and a hymn commissioned to mark the tercentenary of Yale University. His most recent hymnal is Sing of the World Made New: Hymns of Justice, Peace and Christian Responsibility. |
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Together in November 2018, Anne and Jeffrey compiled the book God’s Good Earth: Praise and Prayer for Creation. It has won two first place prizes as the best liturgy book of the year and a first prize for best liturgical collection of the year.
Alli starts the conversation by asking about the writing process of writing God’s Good Earth, together. Anne shares that the invitation came from a friend’s desire for resources, which was a jumping point for a much larger project. The book is a collection of 52 liturgies from a variety of backgrounds covering the good and bad aspects of creation. There are sections of liturgies, prayers and hymns, which Anne and Jeffrey wrote.
In response to the process of compiling this collection together, Jeffrey mentions that at church he had some light humor from fellow congregants if him and Anne were still married. Jeffrey then shares a story about writing his first hymn and the opening invitation, “Creating God…” Alli asks Jeffrey why he things hymns are so powerful for individuals. Jeffery said that most of that is due to the repetitive nature of singing hymns over and over again, the same with liturgy.
Writing can be a deeply personal and vulnerable thing for people, and for some can have an impact on their spiritual life. Alli asks Anne and Jeffrey how compiling this book influenced their mutual and connected spiritual life as spouses. Anne shares that they were constantly moved by the range of sources found in their research. Anne said that through the process they gained a greater sense of creation in the Bible because every liturgy offered has a section of the Psalms and a scripture reading. Nothing was repeated, which surprised Anne and Jeffrey. They also used the Book of Common Prayer (BCP), which also includes the Psalter, and said that there are 33 Psalms contains references to creation, 14 Collects, creeds, Eucharistic Prayer C & D, and the outline of faith. Jeffrey said that all of these resources allowed his growing pessimism to transform into growing optimism.
Alli asks how they see these prayers can move people to action. Anne quotes liturgist Leonel Mitchell that “praying shapes believing,” and Anne said that liturgy is the most usual corporate thing every Sunday, and if the words are there the conviction and Spirit may come. Anne shares an example of how praying has shaped action with the German church of Leipzig. Jeffrey believes that if people sing, reflect, and pray together they become like dried tinder — and God raises up a spark to set fire to the tinder.
Why and how, Alli asks, should Christians care for and about the Earth? Anne said that as Christians our focus has been on the human neighbor but have neglected the planet in need and the biblical understanding that the wonder and glory of God is revealed through the natural world. John Muir understood that, Anne said, and referred to nature as Nature, referring to the Divine’s revelation through nature. Jeffrey says that as Episcopalians in our Baptismal Covenant, we have taken great strides to care of our human neighbors, but that early Church fathers and mothers took it further. Jeffrey quotes one saying, “in looking at nature you see the face go God, and if we deface nature we are defacing the face of God.”
Jeffrey shares his experience about his true understanding of awe and wonder with Anne at the Grand Canyon. He said that humanity has suppressed that sense of awe and wonder with nature. Alli shares a reflection on the wildfires in California and the Bible scripture of which it reminded her.
Shifting the conversation to John Muir, Alli asks Anne what she has taken from his writings and the call to care for the natural world. Anne said that John Muir never recovered from his awe of nature. Anne quotes a line from A Better Planet: Forty Big Ideas for a Sustainable Future by Daniel Esty. Jeffrey shares a story from when he was a young boy in South Wales and his delighting in nature in the fields.
To close, Anne and Jeffrey share their first memory of their awe of God’s beauty in creation and the call to care for it.
Alli starts the conversation by asking about the writing process of writing God’s Good Earth, together. Anne shares that the invitation came from a friend’s desire for resources, which was a jumping point for a much larger project. The book is a collection of 52 liturgies from a variety of backgrounds covering the good and bad aspects of creation. There are sections of liturgies, prayers and hymns, which Anne and Jeffrey wrote.
In response to the process of compiling this collection together, Jeffrey mentions that at church he had some light humor from fellow congregants if him and Anne were still married. Jeffrey then shares a story about writing his first hymn and the opening invitation, “Creating God…” Alli asks Jeffrey why he things hymns are so powerful for individuals. Jeffery said that most of that is due to the repetitive nature of singing hymns over and over again, the same with liturgy.
Writing can be a deeply personal and vulnerable thing for people, and for some can have an impact on their spiritual life. Alli asks Anne and Jeffrey how compiling this book influenced their mutual and connected spiritual life as spouses. Anne shares that they were constantly moved by the range of sources found in their research. Anne said that through the process they gained a greater sense of creation in the Bible because every liturgy offered has a section of the Psalms and a scripture reading. Nothing was repeated, which surprised Anne and Jeffrey. They also used the Book of Common Prayer (BCP), which also includes the Psalter, and said that there are 33 Psalms contains references to creation, 14 Collects, creeds, Eucharistic Prayer C & D, and the outline of faith. Jeffrey said that all of these resources allowed his growing pessimism to transform into growing optimism.
Alli asks how they see these prayers can move people to action. Anne quotes liturgist Leonel Mitchell that “praying shapes believing,” and Anne said that liturgy is the most usual corporate thing every Sunday, and if the words are there the conviction and Spirit may come. Anne shares an example of how praying has shaped action with the German church of Leipzig. Jeffrey believes that if people sing, reflect, and pray together they become like dried tinder — and God raises up a spark to set fire to the tinder.
Why and how, Alli asks, should Christians care for and about the Earth? Anne said that as Christians our focus has been on the human neighbor but have neglected the planet in need and the biblical understanding that the wonder and glory of God is revealed through the natural world. John Muir understood that, Anne said, and referred to nature as Nature, referring to the Divine’s revelation through nature. Jeffrey says that as Episcopalians in our Baptismal Covenant, we have taken great strides to care of our human neighbors, but that early Church fathers and mothers took it further. Jeffrey quotes one saying, “in looking at nature you see the face go God, and if we deface nature we are defacing the face of God.”
Jeffrey shares his experience about his true understanding of awe and wonder with Anne at the Grand Canyon. He said that humanity has suppressed that sense of awe and wonder with nature. Alli shares a reflection on the wildfires in California and the Bible scripture of which it reminded her.
Shifting the conversation to John Muir, Alli asks Anne what she has taken from his writings and the call to care for the natural world. Anne said that John Muir never recovered from his awe of nature. Anne quotes a line from A Better Planet: Forty Big Ideas for a Sustainable Future by Daniel Esty. Jeffrey shares a story from when he was a young boy in South Wales and his delighting in nature in the fields.
To close, Anne and Jeffrey share their first memory of their awe of God’s beauty in creation and the call to care for it.
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In Christ and Coffee,
Alli
In Christ and Coffee,
Alli