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CIRCLEWOOD
FALL WEBINAR WEEKLY RESOURCES
OCTOBER 21 - NOVEMBER 18, 2020
Week 1 Anchor
WEEK 1: October 22-28
The Bible's Ecological Vision and Message
GROUP STUDY
"God's Word to the Church" - 45 minute sermon/presentation
This sermon from Rev. Dave Bookless, Director of Theology for A Rocha International, a global organization focused on environmental conservation, gives a solid biblical basis for caring for God's world and clarifies some misinterpretations of the Bible that may have led Christians to an incomplete understanding of the gospel and God's good earth.
"Where the Salmon Go" - short essay
This brief reflection, written by Circlewood Executive Director James Amadon, makes the case for an ecological approach to faith. Click on the photo to go to the article.
PRACTICES FOR THE WEEK
Bible Reading for the week:
Genesis 1 - 2
Psalm 104
This brief guide to Lectio Divina will help you in your reading. Click on the Word icon for access.
Daily Walking
Take a walk (or find a place to sit) and notice all the people, plants and birds you can. Walk this route every day and see how your observations grow.
OPTIONAL RESOURCES FOR GOING DEEPER
“The Bible and the Environment" - Podcast on Genesis 1
This is a podcast with Dr. Richard Bauckham, a biblical scholar whose work focuses on the Bible's ecological vision. More of an academic conversation than the Bookless sermon - but still comes with a British accent :) Fantastic Content! Click on the photo to go to the podcast.
Week 2 Anchor
WEEK 2: October 29-November 4
Life in a Groaning Creation
GROUP STUDY
PODCAST:
Connecting Faith and Climate with Dr. Katharine Hayhoe
Dr. Katharine Hayhoe is an atmospheric scientist and the director of the Climate Science Center at Texas Tech University. As an evangelical Christian and daughter of missionaries, Dr. Hayhoe resides in the unique space between religion and science. Recently, Time magazine listed her among the 100 most influential people in 2014.
"The Age of Humans" - 4 minute video
Short video introducing the idea that we have entered a new era called the "Anthropocene." Invites us to ask if this is what God had in mind when humans were commanded to "fill the earth." If you want to learn more, there's a documentary on the topic in the Going Deeper section below.
PRACTICES FOR THE WEEK
Bible Reading - Genesis 3, Romans 8
These two passages highlight the undoing and groaning of creation. You can use the lectio divina guide from week 1 if it helps.
Daily Walking
As you walk this week, in addition to noticing the beauty and grace of God's world, look for its suffering. Also look for human activity on the landscape, and note whether it seems to have a positive or negative impact, or both.
GOING DEEPER
Documentary: "Food, Inc."
This 90 minute film features interviews with such experts as Eric Schlosser (Fast Food Nation), Michael Pollan (The Omnivore's Dilemma, In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto) along with forward thinking social entrepreneurs like Stonyfield's Gary Hirshberg and Polyface Farms' Joel Salatin, Food, Inc. reveals surprising—and often shocking truths—about what we eat, how it's produced, who we have become as a nation and where we are going from here. You'll need an account with iTunes, Amazon, or Hulu to watch.
Week 3 Anchor
WEEK 3: November 5-11
Salvation Means Creation Healed
"All Things Reconciled" - 3 minute video
Short video reflection on the comprehensiveness of God's love and care for all creation from our friends at A Rocha US.
PODCAST:
The Art of Being Creatures with Dr. Ellen Davis and Wendell Berry
In this intimate conversation, we ponder the world and our place in it, through sacred text, with fresh eyes. We’re accompanied by the biblical scholarship of Ellen Davis and the meditative and prophetic poetry of Wendell Berry, read for us from his home in Kentucky:
“Stay away from anything / that obscures the place it is in. / There are no unsacred places; / there are only sacred places / and desecrated places. / Accept what comes of silence.”
PRACTICES FOR THE WEEK
Bible Reading - Colossians 1:13-20
This passage highlights the creation-wide scope of God's work in Christ - it is well worth reading slowly each day this week. You can use the lectio divina guide from week 1 if it helps.
Food Tracking
Make a list of all the locations your food comes from. Do you notice any patterns or anything that sticks out to you from this?
GOING DEEPER
PODCAST from Circlewood's own Earthkeepers series
Indigenizing Our Worldview
In this episode we’ll be talking to Rev. Dr. Randy Woodley—Keetoowah Cherokee teacher, theologian, activist, farmer, and the author of several books. In our conversation today, we focus on a Native theology of land and environment—a subject of particular interest to Earthkeepers, who have come to understand the Western world’s desperate need for new ways of being in and with creation.
Anchor 4 - Week 4
WEEK 4: November 12-18
Earthkeeping Core Practice: Food and Farming
EARTHKEEPERS PODCAST from Circlewood - 40 mins
Urban Farming and Environmental Justice - In this episode we talk to Matt Ryan, an urban farmer in Chicago whose makes it his mission to educate the community about the social and environmental justice dynamics of growing food. The conversation includes crucial topics such as the intimacy of a farmer’s relationship to the land; the sustainability of small-scale farming; urban and backyard farming; the global food supply chain; and winter gardening.
PRACTICE FOR THE WEEK
Bible Reading - Psalm 65
This psalm pictures God as a farmer, tending to the earth.
GOING DEEPER
Documentary: "Biggest Little Farm"
This beautiful film chronicles the eight-year quest of John and Molly Chester as they trade city living for 200 acres of barren farmland and a dream to harvest in harmony with nature. Through dogged perseverance and embracing the opportunity provided by nature's conflicts, the Chester’s unlock and uncover a biodiverse design for living that exists far beyond their farm, its seasons, and our wildest imagination. You can watch it on YouTube, Google Play, Amazon Prime Video, and Hulu.
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