Patrick Gordon-Wendell Berry's view on organized Religion

Wendell Berry complains that the organized church typically makes peace with a destructive economy and divorces itself from economic issues because it is economically compelled to do so. The church is too closely tied with militarism and exploitative industry. If they began to actively try and conserve the environment, they would step on a lot of powerful people’s toes. He deepens the need for a commitment through the study of the Bible. He argues that if it is read deeply and sympathetically, gives powerful support for respecting the sanctity of creation. Through this interpretation, he states that God’s spirit is in our wilderness. Furthermore, he calls us to celebrate our relationship with the Earth as a sacrament. He states that “to approach the Earth as a sacrament is to embrace its materiality while reverencing its worth beyond the horizon of visible use”. He praises that, although some land might not bear fruit in the beginning, it all has an inherent worth that can eventually be brought forth; and even though we cannot totally live in harmony with all creation, if we kill respectfully and only for our direct benefit it too is a sacrament.

In “Making Nature Sacred” the author talks about a Quaker John Woolman. Woolman describes an experience he had in his childhood to explain human connection with the “brute creation.” He says that when he was a child he threw a rock at a robin and killed her. He then climbed up the tree and killed all of the babies in the robin’s nest. He felt it was the right thing to do. It was his ethical duty considering he killed their mother. He even quotes Prov. 12:10 as he decides what to do. “The tender mercies of the wicked are cruel.” Rather than having to suffer a cruel death with no mother to give them food and nuture, he thinks it's better to save them from that and just killing them. I don't know if I could have done that but he had said he felt it was his duty. My neighbor killed a bird when we were all younger and I remember him talking about how he didn't feel bad but felt cooler. It is so sad to see people's different morals through something as small as killing a bird.

The Grand Canyon - Laura Ramey

(Picture courtesy of Me) Another place that I got to go with my family over the summer was the Grand Canyon. It really is a site to see. You fell tiny compared to the massive valleys you can see there. The picture I took was during a rare storm. This was before it hit us standing on the rim, but it was raining so hard, you could see it coming down from about 40 miles away. Every day that we were there, the visibility was about 60-70 miles, it was amazing. Driving though the park, away from the rim, all you can see are scorched trees that are burned to a crisp, but somehow are still standing. Some of them would make amazing photography shots from the way they are bent and twisted from the heat. I can definitely see how the a visit to the Grand Canyon would be a spiritual thing. When you stand on the edge of this massive canyon (yes, you can stand on the very edge... You should have see what some of the "more adventurous" [crazy] people were doing) you can't help but think that there has to be something, some power, bigger than you.

Mesa Verde - Laura Ramey

Over the summer I was forunate enough to visit some extraordinary sites. As a family, we traveled to Colorado for our ti-annual Graves Family Reunion. We had a lot of fun and actually went to some amazing places. We went to Mesa Verde, which is this old Indian site where they used to build their homes into the side of the cliffs. (ignore the rest of my family in the picture...) They had special pits where they would hold spiritual ceremonies and other sorts of events. It was amazing to see how it worked. And, referring back to my earlier post, there were books for sale explaining the curses and spells they would cast and book of stories of people who claim to have seen ghosts of the aboriginies from the area.

Outside Reading: When We Were Saints - Laura Ramey

Over the summer I read this amazing novel by Han Nolan titled When We Were Saints. It was an inspiring story about a little boy and little girl who decide to live as Jesus did. They climb to the top of a large hill behind the boys family farm and pray for hours a day. They eat only things from the land: no meat or animal products. They give up all material possessions and the boy doesn't even visit his grandmother when she's in the hospital, begging for him to come. The young teenagers end up taking a road trip and even though the boy is only 13, take his deceased grandfathers truck and drive from the countryside of Virginia to New York City. They don't sleep for the entire ride, the boy just listens to the girl hum while praying. They get to the Cloisters, a religious museum, and start making their way though the exhibits. They live in the museum after hours and hardly eat the whole time. Though out the journey, Archie, the boy, realizes that he has gotten closer to God, but when Claire, the girl, shows signs of undergoing a stigmata, brandishing the crucifix wounds of Jesus, Archie realizes that he will never be as close to God as her and wants to go home to be with his grandmother. The story was amazing. The willpower that Claire had to go for so long with no food was amazing. She thought that as long as she had God on her mind and was constantly thanking him for everything in her life, she would be safe. You should definitely pick it up.

Chris McCandless - Laura Ramey

I didn't get to attend the talk with McCandless' parents because of a conflict with another class but I'd still like to through my thoughts on the book out there. I thought McCandless was a selfish guy. He didn't need to run off into the wild all by himself for years to try to "find himself". He didn't need to burn his money or wreck he car and he definitely didn't need to ignore his parents. I don’t think his adventure was spiritual at all. I think it was his immature way of getting away from his “problems” that never really existed. He was from Mclean, VA. Have you seen the houses there? Yes, I’ll give him that it was a few years ago, but it was still the nice part of Northern VA. I think he wanted something different, like 99% of the people I know from Northern VA and ran away from what he had. Sure, he wanted a life of his own, but he didn’t need to make the irrational decisions that he did.

Topic of Choice- Ryan Dunn

Earlier this summer, a few of my friends and I decided to check out an abandoned factory in Gloucester. We had heard some rumors about the place, and figured it was worth a night’s trek into the woods. Once we arrived at the gravel path leading to the site, I was a bit skeptical and suspicious of the structure I saw in the distance. Thankfully there were few clouds in the sky, so the moon was shining full force so that it was nearly as bright as day, except the atmosphere had a blue aura. Eventually we reached the structure, and entered into its foreboding shadows. On the outside, the buildings simply took on the shape of 6, sixty foot tall silos. Although on the inside, it looked more like some haunted house pulled out of a Hollywood slasher film. Rusty, decaying stairs wounded up towards the upper levels, where the floors were littered with random holes that plummeted all the way to the bottom floor. Finally, we reached the roof and were in awe of the sight before us. At that height, light from neighboring houses was no longer an issue and allowed us to view a plethora of stars in the night sky. In the distance, we could see a broad river, glittering brightly in the moonlight. It was definitely a sight worthy of the trip it took to experience it.

Other- Ryan Dunn

Last night I saw the movie “I Am Legend”, starring Will Smith, in Imax. First of all, it was a pretty decent movie, more or less what I expected from it. So I would definitely recommend it if you like post-apocalyptic movies like 28 Days Later. Anyways, the reason why I’m making a blog about it is because many of the scenes in the movie reminded me of conversations we’ve had in class about the Wilderness. After a deadly virus had spread throughout New York and killed all of its inhabitants expect for the Fresh Prince of Belair, the city eventually became a Wilderness, overrun with plants and even wild animals such as deer and lions. Although I’m not quite sure how lions came into the picture…I guess a few got loose from the zoo, survived the disease, and started mating? Anyways, it was interesting to see the city in the state it had degraded into. It was almost as though the Wilderness was finally taking back the land that humans had stolen from it, and thoroughly polluted with technology and civilization.

Outside Reading- Ryan Dunn

I’m a subscriber of National Geographic, and the most recent issue had an article about dinosaurs with awkward, and often amusing, qualities. For example, one dinosaur had a mouth shaped like a hammer, as though it used its snout to try and put a hole in a large rock. Another looked like a mini version of a T-Rex, except with even stubbier appendages that only wished they could be called arms. All these weird adaptations had to serve some purpose to the creature according to what we’ve established about evolution. But in my opinion it would be much easier and more efficient for evolution to take the less creative path and give the dinosaurs adaptations that would work well, and yet not be overly ridiculous. Which leads me to believe that Mother Nature just might have a sense of humor.

Outside Reading- Ryan Dunn

Recently I read the book On the Road by famous author Jack Kerouac. It was recommended to me by a friend with an undying thirst of wanderlust, so of course the book appealed to him. Being somewhat adventurous myself, I decided to read it as well. At first I didn’t like the book because of the author’s style. It was extremely jumpy, and would often skip large lapses of time within a few paragraphs several times while explaining some of the main character’s experiences. Obviously this style of writing was hard to get used to, but eventually the book slowed down somewhat and the true character and plot development began. I started to envy the main character, and wished I led a helter skelter life like that. Sure, luxuries would be scarce, and often times I would be suffering rather than having the time of my life, but the concept of not knowing what the next day brings is extremely exciting in my mind. Then again, that is essentially the definition of an adventure, like the one Jack Kerouac describes in his book. In conclusion, this book made me want to go on a road trip…badly.

Chris McCandless Presentation

The presentation Sunday changed my perspective of Chris in several aspects. First, the physical presence of his parents made his tale, and even his person, seem much more real. It also seemed as though I had read a book about a person that I had known to some extent, instead of some well-known character. As his parents presented pictures and offered us information of his childhood, I slowly began to obtain a better grasp of what sort of person Chris was and why he embarked on his journey. In fact, the presentation gave me a slightly different perspective on the book as a whole. I began wondering why Chris didn’t at least contact his sister, if only to let her know he was doing well. Is it because his new persona, Alexander Supertramp, didn’t have a family and he wanted to roleplay this character to the fullest extent? Obviously we will never know Chris’ reasons, however after the presentation I began to question Chris’ maturity in certain aspects. Although I do still retain a great amount of respect for him.

Making Nature Sacred-Chelsea Gilbert

In the book Making Nature Sacred, there are many depictions of the relation between nature and older historical days of America. Well-known writers such as Jonathan Edwards, Emerson, Thoreau, and Rachel Carson are used in this book to describe the trip for pursuing spiritual revelation through nature. I enjoyed reading this book because I think it was more personal based, relating to more events that have happened in history. The book's focus is about America's loss of spirituality in nature and how we, as Americans, should seek it. On page 187, Gatta speaks of Barry Lopez's words. "An image I have from childhood is of a group of men and women praying somewhere in the desert. The reason chronically myopic and selfish people have not destroyed us with nuclear weapons is that, in a rarefied and metaphorical way, there have been these enclaves of monastics praying. What keeps these things from exploding, perhaps, is that each of us in his own way is saying his prayers." I believe this quote is a perfect example of how nature and spiritual-based writers want us to live. They want us to find use in nature and connect it to our religious life. I believe this quote also exemplifies the good that a spiritual life serves for our community and America.

Outside Readings-Chelsea Gilbert

In an article found online about Rachel Carson, a famous environmentalist, there is a specific quote from the book Lost Woods: The Discovered Writings of Rachel Carson that I believe directly relates to John Gatta's book Making Nature Sacred. Carson writes, "The exceeding beauty of the earth, in her splendor of life, yields a new thought with every petal. The hours when the mind is absorbed by beauty are the only hours when we really live. All else is illusion, or mere endurance." In Gatta's book he directly speaks about how nature provides the most calming, living experience of someone's life. He writes that we as human beings have yet to find the idea of nature fulfilling, so we have yet to be thankful for its beauty. It can easily be seen how Rachel Carson's writings and John Gattas writings go hand in hand. They both counteract each other with their persuasion and intelligence. "Both in space and time we seem to be brought somewhat near to that great fact-the mystery of mysteries-the first appearance of new beings on Earth." Rachel Carson's words here show us the connection she has with Belden Lane's book and how she relates her views on the environment to time and space as well. In class we learned about Lane's view on time and space and studied his diagram comparing the two. There is a great connection between Rachel Carson and the books that we were required to read in class.

Outside Readings-Chelsea Gilbert

There are many reviews posted online for Lane's book Landscapes of the Sacred and all provide worthy and true comments about the significance of the book. One particular, from the Journal of Cultural Geography, states the meaning of the book perfectly. "Both scholar and pilgrim, Belden Lane provides us a remarkably informed, reflective, personal account of Americans' sense of sacred space." I believe this quote is a good description of the book. Throughout reading Lane's book, I gained more intelligence and belief in the idea of sacred places and space. I saw the meaning of wilderness and nature in a much different way, one that positively affects every person who experiences a natural event or setting. Another description of the book, by George Graham, says "[Lane] points to things I have quietly suspected, though never have been able to articulate . . . For a culture obsessed with time and time management, Lane's study is a quiet reminder of the formative effect of space." This is another good way to show nature at its true depiction. We, as Americans, are focused on schedules, time, punctuation, trying to do everything at once. If we would just step back from time to time to enjoy the weather, the outdoors, take a trip, or even relax, we will realize that there is a whole other world out there that needs enjoying too. Belden Lane's book tells us that; how we shouldn't just focus on the worrisome, everyday things, but how we should take a breather too. Space was created by God so that we could experience it and that's what we should do. There is an overabundance of it that is always worth taking advantage of.

There are many reviews posted online for Lane's book Landscapes of the Sacred and all provide worthy and true comments about the significance of the book. One particular, from the Journal of Cultural Geography, states the meaning of the book perfectly. "Both scholar and pilgrim, Belden Lane provides us a remarkably informed, reflective, personal account of Americans' sense of sacred space." I believe this quote is a good description of the book. Throughout reading Lane's book, I gained more intelligence and belief in the idea of sacred places and space. I saw the meaning of wilderness and nature in a much different way, one that positively affects every person who experiences a natural event or setting. Another description of the book, by George Graham, says "[Lane] points to things I have quietly suspected, though never have been able to articulate . . . For a culture obsessed with time and time management, Lane's study is a quiet reminder of the formative effect of space." This is another good way to show nature at its true depiction. We, as Americans, are focused on schedules, time, punctuation, trying to do everything at once. If we would just step back from time to time to enjoy the weather, the outdoors, take a trip, or even relax, we will realize that there is a whole other world out there that needs enjoying too. Belden Lane's book tells us that; how we shouldn't just focus on the worrisome, everyday things, but how we should take a breather too. Space was created by God so that we could experience it and that's what we should do. There is an overabundance of it that is always worth taking advantage of.

(Reviews found on John Hopkins University Press website)

Outside Readings-Chelsea Gilbert

When doing my reseach paper I read many articles and critiques of the new movie Into the Wild. In an article entitled, "Tracing McCandless' journey into the wild" there was much discussion on the movie and the journey itself. Some movie reviewers thought this movie would be one of the greatest of the year. One that would tell the story of all those who walk out into the world to discover a new meaning of life. Others thought it was a stupid movie that depicted the life of a spiritual seeker in the wrong way. They said that Chris McCandless made an ill-prepared mistake that cost him his life. They called him stupid for thinking he would make it out alive and do not see how it could be viewed as a "spiritual" movie or a sacred place. Based on the book and the critiques I read of the movie, I think it depicts a perfect true story of someone's life and joy. I think he made the path for all present day journey seekers and although I have not seen the movie, I am sure it is an excitement to watch, full of adventure and great meaning. I do find where he died to be sacred and I do believe it is a spiritual journey. From reading the critiques, I guess it all depends on how you look at the situation.

Ben stewart - my sacred creek

when i was a kid in middle school there was this creek behind my house. After school i would go back there and just chill there by myself. It sounds kind of lonely i know but it was a good feeling. It was a peaceful place away from where other people said things and did things. I could sit there and just think. I think that if i had to say one place was my sacred place it would be here. I would sit there and just think. I could feel really close to nature because it was all around me and there were not distractions from it. It really wasnt much of a creek or anything special to anyone else. To me though it will always have special meaning.

Ben Stewart - Lost part 2

As i was writing that last post i was thinking about the other way that i am lost. I realize that i have no idea what i want to do with my life or where i want to go. It is a scary feeling not knowing what to do or where to go. I hear about people that know there major and know exactly where they want to go in there lives and i get extremely jealous. I know nothing about that and it is scary. I think that as time goes on i will figure it out and hopefully live a meaningful life but it is just worrisome for me right now.

Ben Stewart - Lost

I was out the other day and i got completely lost. I had absolutely no idea where i was. I realized that it was kind of like the drawing of place and space that we learned about. Its like the bottom part of the picture that talks about being lost in the world. Now obviously that isnt supposed to be so literal when it says that but i mean i think it applies. I was lost and i did not know where i was going in the world.

Ben Stewart - Africa

A couple of years ago i went to africa. While we were there we went to a safari in Kenya just off of the peak of Mt Kilimanjaro. It was very amazing. If i had to recount the most sacred moment in my life i think that it may have happened while i was in kenya. We had nice rooms to stay in on the safari. The rooms were right next to an electric fence that on the other side had elephants and lions and wildebeasts and gazelle, all types of animals. I decided on the last night that i would sleep outside rather than in the room. So i pulled my sheets and pillow outside and slept right outside with only a fence and 100 feet in between me and lions and wildabeasts. It was an amazing feeling. It got kind of cold and in the middle of the night i woke up from it. I opened my eyes and when i opened my eyes i saw something that i cannot even begin to explain. Billions of stars bright as day were in the sky above me. I had never seen stars like this ever in my life. I was awestruck and i just lay there staring at them for a very long time. I felt so close to nature and god.