“Wandering in nature may be the most essential soulcraft practice that any of us can have in a society like ours,” says Bill Plotkin. Belden Lane draws on his years of solo backpacking (hiking with the saints along Missouri trails) to suggest a pattern of Wilderness Spirituality that can be lived in everyday life.
Lessons from the trail include the importance of traveling light with Dag Hammarskjold, the practice of mindfulness with Thich Nhat Hanh, failure and forgiveness with Martin Luther, and the celebration of Holy Folly with Thomas Merton. The retreat offers opportunities for various types of wilderness wandering, exercises in meditation, small group work, storytelling, and rituals drawn from the natural world. “Going out” into nature, as John Muir said, is really a way of “going in” to the heart of things.
Instructor(s)
Belden Lane is a Presbyterian minister and Professor Emeritus of Theological Studies at Saint Louis University. His books include The Solace of Fierce Landscapes: Exploring Desert and Mountain Spirituality and Ravished by Beauty: The Surprising Legacy of Reformed Spirituality. His new book Backpacking with the Saints: Trails into the Heart of Wilderness is due out in 2014. He serves as a Wisdom Elder and Weaver with Illuman, an organization of men transforming men, growing out of Richard Rohr’s work.
Need more info? Call Evelyn at 505.685.1001 or Angela at 505.685.1002.
Three ways to register:
- Download printable registration form and mail to: Ghost Ranch Registrar, HC77 Box 11, Abiquiu, NM 87510. OR scan and email your completed form to: [email protected]
- Register by telephone at 877-804-4678, extension 4152 or 4155 — available Monday-Friday 8:30 a.m. – 4:45 p.m. MST.
