There is wisdom in living our lives in sync with the seasons of nature and that is equally true for the ebb and flow of action and reflection in our human cycles within the church and beyond. For those living close to the land, spring is a time of preparation and planting, shifting seasons and hard work. Within the church we have just moved through a busy spring of Lent, Easter, and Pentecost, and a VERY extended season of preparation and action at General Conference. While the good work of annual conference sessions is still underway, we have thankfully arrived at the usually quieter season of summer or “ordinary time” in the liturgical calendar.

During this summer season, I hope we can all make space in our lives, in our churches, and in our movement organizing to catch our collective breath, rest, reflect on what has just happened and let ourselves dream about what is next.

To help you sink into a summer spirit of rest and reflection and perhaps dream just a bit about the fall, we have collected and created a number of resources that we hope inspire you and your church communities. They can be used alone but will be most fruitful in conversation with others. Use the booklet, Prayers for Earth Day, for daily devotions. Explore the book list to organize a book club for friends or family, or use the General Conference Study Guide to organize a study session with church or conference colleagues this summer, or maybe prepare for one in the fall. Be inspired by sermons in the new Creation Justice Sermons Collection.

We offer these resources as gifts that we hope will generate fruitfulness in your hearts, in your congregations and in our Movement in the next season.

Cathy Velasquez Eberhart
Minnesota Hopeful EarthKeeper
UM Creation Justice Movement
Coordinating and Communication Teams