If prayer is attention, is it possible that our trees were filled with hundreds of prayers during our recent children’s camp in the 103 degree heat? I think French philosopher and mystic Simone Weil would likely agree.  She says, “Attention, taken to its highest degree, is the same thing as prayer. It presupposes faith and love. Absolutely unmixed attention is prayer.”  Our “good friend” here at The Trees, Mary Oliver, also speaks of this simple act of just paying attention in her poem, “Praying.”

Sitting in the outdoor gathering space patiently and joyfully listening to the sounds of birds, attending to the box turtle nestled in the cool mud, witnessing awe at the sound of the turkey vulture’s wings taking flight, noticing the baby house wren struggling to fly and offering it water, being present to the rosyside dace, the American toad, and the eastern crayfish in our creek, thirsty for more water but still offering a peaceful habitat.  Slowing down, noticing, expressing awe, attending…perhaps the practice of being open and awake to the present moment is a doorway into a deeper experience of connection with the Divine.  Dr. David Benner in his book Lectio Divina and Life as Prayer says, “Regardless of how insignificant the object may seem, being truly aware of anything has enormous potential to aid our spiritual awakening.”  

Our children modeled the gift of unmixed attention throughout our three days together in the intense heat.  Whether it was noticing all our creatures and caring for them, listening to the story of Jesus calming the storm, joyfully taking part in recreating the 7 days of Creation in drama, or participating in the shaving cream art activity in our peaceful garage art space, these children were not on phones, devices, or the most engrossing youtube channel, they were (mostly) fully present in our peaceful wooded place. 

Join us at The Trees this summer, be like our kids…slow it down, listen, pay attention, be filled with a new sense of wonder and perhaps…. a prayer.  

Starting in September, a trained Spiritual Companion will be available on Quiet Days to offer deep listening and prayerful conversation to support your spiritual journey.  We will also offer a guided Quiet Day experience for those who are interested.  Stay tuned for more information! 

Coming this fall …

see the whole series

We have so many volunteers at The Trees who quietly do the work of maintaining this property and helping with day-to-day operations.  Our hearts stay so filled with gratitude. 

O hear us as this day we say grace;
this day we say grateful;
this day we say blessing;
this day we release you in God’s keeping
and hold you in gladness and love.
– Jan Richardson, Circle of Grace 

The Seekers Shortlist of Spiritual Advice: 

(1) Keep it simple, keep it sacred, 
(2) Ask yourself "why" at least once a day, 
(3) Make silence since it is hard to find naturally, 
(4) Be mindful of being mindful,
(5) Use all the different ways you pray, 
(6) Spend as much time in mystery as in understanding, 
(7) Do what you liked to do when you were a child, 
(8) Practice listening as a skill, 
(9) Give what you can to as many as you can, 
(10) Turn worry into hope by doing something you would define as positive change. 

– Steven Charleston

We are so filled with abundance, trust, and deep hope here at The Trees. We are grateful for all donations to The Trees or gifts in honor or memory of a friend. Gifts are tax deductible. Please let us know if you'd like your donation to support a particular project.