This event, exploring the Living Spirituality Connections’ theme for the year, has been empowering, encouraging, informative and inspiring, according to the feedback from participants. Our keynote speaker, award-winning environmentalist and solutionist Nicola Peel, was “Awesome, inspiring, deeply moving, deeply sad” but, “I was so glad of the solutions put forward” said a participant. Nicola’s explanation and illustration of biomimicry was particularly interesting and encouraging. The “What can I do?” section of her talk was very useful and gave people thoughts about what to follow up.
Workshops by Philip Roderick, Sandy Elsworth, Alex Mabbs, and Nicola Peel, were described by participants as follows:
Philip “I was reminded again of the incredible value of carving out time and space to replenish my spirit and thereby renew my activism.”
“Wonderful leadership – quiet presence and acceptance. Interesting tool for learning and reflection.”
Alex “Well navigated around the spiritual and Christian. Really thought-provoking.”
“Very helpful in terms of identifying a positive and practical approach, avoiding hopeless despair or judgmentalism.”
“Linking the health of the planet and people, with a deep seated spiritual dimension.”
Sandy on the Great Water Challenge:
“The scientific input was particularly interesting with the implications helpfully dawn out.”
“Fantastic, informative, animated.”
Nicola “Good to combine experience and practice.”
“Really worthwhile. Enjoyed discussion and I added to my to do list.”
“Lots of thoughtful and inspiring stuff.”
Writing about the whole event, Deborah Colvin (Sustainability Champion at St James’s Piccadilly) said:
“I really appreciated the explicit co-mingling/admixture of science, spirit, activism and contemplative approaches in this event. This is the third time I have heard Nicola talk about how human flourishing and earth flourishing can coincide, using her work in the Amazon as examples. Each time I hear Nicola, I have more ideas e.g. this time, making a water-catching sail for my porch roof to fill a water butt.
The workshops were excellent. Philip Roderick’s Green Grace was great, and gave me ideas we can implement in the Eco Contemplative Liturgies we put on in the church garden. Sandy Elsworth’s Great Water Challenge gave us really good practical information. Water is not considered nearly enough when we are thinking about the environmental crisis.
I would like to see more of this kind of event, with outputs from the groups which go directly to politicians.”
The day was co-created by Earth Church at Brighthelm http://brighthelm.org.uk, Living Spirituality Connections, and Spirit of Peace http://www.spiritofpeace.co.uk.
People in several areas are thinking of doing a similar event in the future.
