This was a wonderful writing. I had not thought about the reference to cedar trees in the Bible until reading your message. In the spirituality of the Coast Salish and other indigenous peoples of
Vancouver Island, BC the cedar trees are the most sacred of trees. They are the bridge to their ancestors, in fact, some would say that they are the embodiment of the ancestors. Some of the trees in the old growth around the Fairy Creek watershed just outside of Port Renfrew are named Grandmother Tree and Grandfather Tree. This is the most important reason why the indigenous people have been protesting the clear cut logging in this area. Isn’t it amazing that a people from the middle east and a people from the south coast of British Columbia believe that the Spirit can be found in the same trees. God is truly amazing.
Such beautiful words used for description. Yes, only God can make a tree. And how wonderfully made we, His children, are. He tends and grows us to bring us to a place where He can use us to bring beauty to His kingdom.
Yesterday I heard a great sermon about the parables in the lectionary. The first one was not about an sane farmer and the second one was not about a good nesting place for birds. Our pastor instead said anyone hearing these parables in Jesus’s time would have laughed. They were dad jokes.
I have a BS in Forestry: Environmental Education/Environmental Interpretation. When I went to Seminary years later, I began blending the world of forestry and theology. Most people thought it was a wide chasm I was crossing but for me is made perfect sense! Your writing reminds me of the joy of reading scripture with many lenses, for me that includes the wonder of the environment and the use of metaphor throughout scripture. Thank you!
"Tend the forest" If you really wanted to tend the forest as Diana suggests you should seriously consider adapting a vegan diet and lifestyle. Look it up, do some research, animal agriculture leaves an enormous scar on our beautiful earth.
Years ago, before the internet was everywhere, I was advocating for disability inclusion for kids like mine in our Children’s ministry in our diocese and was told emphatically, “No! We don’t know how to teach it.” So I contacted a Catholic university that was developing curriculum, joined the team and bought it for our whole community. Then ”No, our volunteers won’t know how to teach it!” So I worked with several parishes to develop a training curriculum. Then, Children’s ministry leaders said “parents won’t want their kids in classes with ‘those’ kids (remember the R word-yea, it was used)”. Well, we created an inclusion curriculum for parents, teachers, and students. “Not enough time in the year to teach this.” Frustrated, I went to the Bishop of our diocese, with my parish priest, to update him on all these roadblocks. He listened and then quoted this passage from Ezekiel. He blessed my daughter, who was in 1st grade, and me, and gave me a medallion with a mustard seed. He then issued a memo to every parish in our diocese to include this curriculum. 💟
I forgot about this blessing … until today. I feel blessed again! ☺️✨💟. Thank you, Diana! Your words resonate in my soul.
Wow! Never in my life have I heard of the Toothbrush Tree! Amazing! And of course mis-used and over used in order to make money...big money for a few, small coins for those doing the heavy lifting. The idea of safety for all creatures under and within the branches of a healing tree forgotten. Something about how beautiful to the eye the apple appeared comes to mind. A poet of Iraqui heritage has said the fruit in question was a pomegranate! Talk about seeds! The eye seems easily fooled.Maybe that's one
reason Paul calls us to see with the eyes of the heart. Thanks for this terrific reflection!
Thank you for this. As someone who majored in botany (a long time ago) this mustard seed thing has always bothered me. I don't know the size of the Biblical mustard seed, but the wild mustard in the fields here doesn't have a really tiny seed, and the kind you use when you make bread and butter pickles has a large seed. I guess I've been lazy in not investigating it, but so be it. And again, thanks.
I think more of the symbolic meaning of the mustard plant. Jesus used it to illustrate how small things become large. The survival of the species more important to a naturalist.
Bronze making is said to have consumed the cedars. Trees into swords. And no reforestation, ever. Very sad so-called advance.
Beautiful writing, selection of images, and poetry --thank you, Diana!
This was a wonderful writing. I had not thought about the reference to cedar trees in the Bible until reading your message. In the spirituality of the Coast Salish and other indigenous peoples of
Vancouver Island, BC the cedar trees are the most sacred of trees. They are the bridge to their ancestors, in fact, some would say that they are the embodiment of the ancestors. Some of the trees in the old growth around the Fairy Creek watershed just outside of Port Renfrew are named Grandmother Tree and Grandfather Tree. This is the most important reason why the indigenous people have been protesting the clear cut logging in this area. Isn’t it amazing that a people from the middle east and a people from the south coast of British Columbia believe that the Spirit can be found in the same trees. God is truly amazing.
How well written and eich in Spirit - thank you very much and God bless you Diana and the Cottage.
Such beautiful words used for description. Yes, only God can make a tree. And how wonderfully made we, His children, are. He tends and grows us to bring us to a place where He can use us to bring beauty to His kingdom.
Yesterday I heard a great sermon about the parables in the lectionary. The first one was not about an sane farmer and the second one was not about a good nesting place for birds. Our pastor instead said anyone hearing these parables in Jesus’s time would have laughed. They were dad jokes.
Amen!
I have a BS in Forestry: Environmental Education/Environmental Interpretation. When I went to Seminary years later, I began blending the world of forestry and theology. Most people thought it was a wide chasm I was crossing but for me is made perfect sense! Your writing reminds me of the joy of reading scripture with many lenses, for me that includes the wonder of the environment and the use of metaphor throughout scripture. Thank you!
"Tend the forest" If you really wanted to tend the forest as Diana suggests you should seriously consider adapting a vegan diet and lifestyle. Look it up, do some research, animal agriculture leaves an enormous scar on our beautiful earth.
“We don’t plant or build a forest. Our job is to tend the forest.” I pray enough of us will realize this soon enough, and act.
Years ago, before the internet was everywhere, I was advocating for disability inclusion for kids like mine in our Children’s ministry in our diocese and was told emphatically, “No! We don’t know how to teach it.” So I contacted a Catholic university that was developing curriculum, joined the team and bought it for our whole community. Then ”No, our volunteers won’t know how to teach it!” So I worked with several parishes to develop a training curriculum. Then, Children’s ministry leaders said “parents won’t want their kids in classes with ‘those’ kids (remember the R word-yea, it was used)”. Well, we created an inclusion curriculum for parents, teachers, and students. “Not enough time in the year to teach this.” Frustrated, I went to the Bishop of our diocese, with my parish priest, to update him on all these roadblocks. He listened and then quoted this passage from Ezekiel. He blessed my daughter, who was in 1st grade, and me, and gave me a medallion with a mustard seed. He then issued a memo to every parish in our diocese to include this curriculum. 💟
I forgot about this blessing … until today. I feel blessed again! ☺️✨💟. Thank you, Diana! Your words resonate in my soul.
How could you have missed it?!
Wow! Never in my life have I heard of the Toothbrush Tree! Amazing! And of course mis-used and over used in order to make money...big money for a few, small coins for those doing the heavy lifting. The idea of safety for all creatures under and within the branches of a healing tree forgotten. Something about how beautiful to the eye the apple appeared comes to mind. A poet of Iraqui heritage has said the fruit in question was a pomegranate! Talk about seeds! The eye seems easily fooled.Maybe that's one
reason Paul calls us to see with the eyes of the heart. Thanks for this terrific reflection!
Thank you for this. As someone who majored in botany (a long time ago) this mustard seed thing has always bothered me. I don't know the size of the Biblical mustard seed, but the wild mustard in the fields here doesn't have a really tiny seed, and the kind you use when you make bread and butter pickles has a large seed. I guess I've been lazy in not investigating it, but so be it. And again, thanks.
What initially caught my attention as I was reading - "Under it EVERY KIND of bird will live;
in the shade of its branches will nest winged creatures of EVERY KIND. " So I thought about diversity of humankind; gender, race, culture, beliefs...
Lovely!
I think more of the symbolic meaning of the mustard plant. Jesus used it to illustrate how small things become large. The survival of the species more important to a naturalist.