We are excited to announce a new ministry/fellowship/learning opportunity for the good folks of Good Shepherd and their friends. We have decided to call it “Altars in the World” (adapted, with her permission, from the title of Barbara Brown Taylor’s book An Altar in the World: A Geography of Faith; HarperOne, 2010).
Our goal is to provide “field trips” into the natural world, perhaps with a knowledgeable guide, to help participants appreciate the glory and beauty of nature in a more in-depth way. For example, we may have a bird-watching excursion. Or an evening (perhaps a camping trip) in a “dark skies” area, to appreciate the beauty of the heavens. Or we may just walk a trail and see what we notice—by sight, smell, sound or feel! And, at some point in each adventure, we will set up an “altar” and pray—either a eucharist or one of the Daily Offices.
We have tentatively scheduled the first two events (more details will follow!);
Saturday morning, September 18: Waterton Canyon walk. Waterton Canyon, just south of Littleton, follows the S. Platte River upstream of Chatfield Reservoir to Strontia Springs Dam, following the old Denver, South Park and Pacific railroad bed. It is home to lots of wildlife, including a herd of Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep. At some point along the way, we’ll stop for lunch and celebrate the eucharist on an “altar in the world”.
Saturday evening, October 16, we will take a slightly easier walk on the newly finished East-West Trail, departing the trailhead in Lone Tree in time to arrive at an “altar” and watch the sunset. And we will say Evening Prayer together.
But there’s more! For the Faith Forum during September and October, we will be discussing Barbara Brown Taylor’s book. It is not just about being out in nature, but explores many ways and places where one’s spirituality can be deepened, including “sabbath”, “prayer”, “labor” and, of course, “wilderness”. We will make a number of books available for folks, but it is available on Kindle and as an audiobook.
The members of the planning team have been: Jim Ives, Whit Hill, Kip Travis and Fr. Gary. To join the team, for more information, or ideas about possible outings, please contact Fr. Gary.