Nature Practice
The word nature comes from the Latin word natus, which means to be born. As Christians, we are familiar with the phrase, “deus incarnatus est”—God is born in flesh. God is born into nature. Recognizing and affirming this truth is a critical aspect of nature practice, as is the recognition and affirmation that we have been born into nature. When we recognize and affirm both of these things, we come to understand also that nature is the ground upon which the two are joined—human and divine, earth and heaven, material and immaterial, corruptible and incorruptible, finite and infinite. It is here—in the reality of soil and leaf, rodents and big cats, water and fire, storm and earthquake, petals and stalks—that we have the opportunity to become one with God, to have our heart knit to God, as the Psalmist says (Psalm 86:11).
Nature practice is more than simply appreciating and being grateful for the beauties of creation. It is finding the path for divine union within the vehicle of nature.
—From Strength for the Journey: A Guide to Spiritual Practice
Written and read by Renée Miller
Photography by Diane Walker
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