RNA Blog
Dead of Winter
Laura Emerson The term, “Dead of Winter” sounds negative, doesn’t it? Maybe even dire? How about the synonym, Fall, for Autumn? Actually, the cold season is as necessary and beneficial to plants as nightly sleep is to humans. It is a period of rest and rejuvenation....
Autumn and a Lesson in Aging with Splendor
In the vibrancy of seasonal change, nature reminds us that our richest time of life is when we become seed-bearers. I turned seventy this year. The number is so inconceivable to me that I almost whisper it in my own head. How did I get here is the constant question we...
The Rise of Religious Naturalism
The Rise of Religious Naturalism: A New Public Theology of Sacred Nature Wayne Martin Mellinger, Ph.D. Abstract The Rise of Religious Naturalism: A New Public Theology of Sacred Nature explores the emergence of Religious Naturalism (RN) as both a theological...
Savor More; Feel Better
Indulging your senses in nature not only awakens your awareness, but can increase your joy. Of all the seasons, in my opinion, summer is the one that most deserves the title, “season of succulence.” The word that means juicy, moist, lush, and ripe, simply belongs to...
Nature’s Tonic for a Noisy World Isn’t Silence
In the wild, peace and quiet come wrapped in water, thunder, birdsong, and snake rattles. What a relief! I’m an introvert. Too much conversation, ringing phones, the constant pinging of message notifications on my mobile, pile up in my brain like fall leaves in a...
Agency Matters
Agency matters, because it is unique to each of us. Agency matters because it is a fluid expression from all of Life through us, and therefore reflects the whole. Agency matters because in all our individual spaces and places we thread to make one. Today we see...
Little in Nature is Straight
Laura Emerson When I fly into a city, what strikes me most are all the straight lines: long grids of streets and highways bisected at neat 90 degree angles, set with rectangular buildings, miles of telephone wires and railroad tracks. This is especially striking in...
Nature’s Spiritual Gatherings
“The only good mass gatherings or groups that I know of are for the generally inclusive celebration of life;such as music, dance, the arts, weddings, funerals, etc.” – Jacqueline Payne We can and should assemble outdoors. Nature walking, Group meditations, hiking,...
The Pope and the Religious Naturalist: Reflections on Laudato Si
Diversity: life’s Living Philosophy
by CARI TAYLOR Photo by Andrew Ridley on Unsplash Life is diverse, in its wholeness. Diversity is the Natural Universal Law that builds all of life and it holds reason and it carries moral justice. There is unity in our diversity - as we find ourselves we find each...