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OCTOBER 2019 NEWSLETTER
“In the Temple of Autumn”
By Duane Tucker
I.
Look! In the choir on the hills,
Trees are singing,
Chalice gold with praise.
II.
In the glen below, sun blurts a brief
But dazzling sermon. Lime and lemon maples
Whisper their amazements.
III.
It’s so still you can almost hear the hymns
Of the leaves
As they sail
Down to give
Earth
Communion.
IV.
You see in the pond’s perfect placidity
Where years of prayer
And stillness will take you.
On its shoulders leaves drift blissfully,
Sensing they are on the periphery
Of eternity.
V.
Trees meditate plunging deeper,
Ever deeper into the tar
Dark of wisdom.
VI.
Here and there circles silver. Softly,
Shyly the depths are offering you
Their secrets, too.
VII.
Autumn exhales.
Incense fills the forest. And you,
At last, become the temple.
We hope this newsletter supports your own work for the flourishing of the Earth community in these challenging times.
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Faiths for Forests Campaign
Faiths for Forests is a global campaign and call to action by the Interfaith Rainforest Initiative. The campaign supports religious leaders, faith communities, and places of worship around the world to get involved in efforts to protect, restore, and sustainably manage tropical forests and to advocate for the rights of the indigenous peoples and forest communities that are on the front lines of the fight to halt and reverse tropical deforestation. The Faiths for Forests campaign provides faith-based organizations, networks, and places of worship around the world a space to: 1. endorse the Faiths for Forests Declaration, 2. access educational materials for religious leaders and faith communities on forests (issue primers, country fact sheets, and faith toolkits), and 3. share the campaign with others on social media.
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“Amazonia: New Paths for the Church
and for an Integral Ecology”
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“Confucianism and Cosmology”
(Yale Center Beijing)
On October 12, Yale Center Beijing in China will host “Confucianism and Cosmology.” The event will address this question: How does Chinese thought energize and elevate an evolutionary worldview? Journey of the Universe (with Chinese subtitles) will be shown, followed by a panel discussion with Tu Weiming, Lu Feng, Qiao Qingju, and Yao Xinzhong. Mary Evelyn Tucker will moderate the panel. This event will also celebrate the 80th birthday of Tu Weiming. View the program and bios here.
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“Thomas Berry and ‘The Great Work’”
(Conference at Georgetown University)
On October 30-31, Georgetown University in Washington D.C. will host “Thomas Berry and ‘The Great Work.’” This special conference will explore the life and legacy of ecologist and theologian Thomas Berry and will celebrate the publication of Thomas Berry: A Biography (Columbia University Press, 2019) by Mary Evelyn Tucker, John Grim, and Andrew Angyal. The conference will include presentations on Berry’s intellectual journey, “The New Story,” the “Journey of the Universe,” Laudato Si and the “Dream of the Earth,” and the challenge of “The Great Work.” Speakers include Mary Evelyn Tucker, John Grim, Dan Sheridan, Steve Dunn, C.P., Brian Brown, John Borelli, Kusumita Pedersen, Kathleen Duffy, S.S.J., Kathleen Deignan, Leo Lefebure, Heather Eaton, Brian Thomas Swimme, Catherine Amy Kropp, Dan Scheid, Nancy Wright, and John Robert McNeill. This event is free and open to the public. RSVP is required. View the flyer and visit the event website.
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Journey of the Universe Podcasts:
“Healing and Revision” and “Sustainable Energy”
This month the Journey of the Universe Project features two podcasts: “Healing and Revision” with Belvie Rooks and “Sustainable Energy” with Paula Gonzalez. These podcasts explore how we can heal our past and empower our future through a broader sense of self, place, and participation in the story of the Universe. Learn more by visiting the Journey of the Universe website. You can sign up for the Journey newsletter here.
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