I am thankful others are interested in reading Victoria Loorz’s book Church of the Wild together which I mentioned in my previous post, Reconnecting Land, Spirit and Community. Here are a few details to help us get started.
Facilitated Group Discussions:
I am planning on hosting two groups - In Person and Virtual
In Person:
DATES:
May 3rd 3:00-5:00 pm
June 7th 3:00-5:00 pm
July 12th 3:00-5:00 pm
LOCATION: My House, Appomattox VA
Virtual:
DATES:
May 3rd 6:30 - 8:00 pm
June 7th 6:30-8:00 pm
July 12th 6:30-8:00 pm
LOCATION: Zoom
Reading Schedule:
May 10th - Chapter 1
May 17th - Chapter 2
May 24th - Chapter 3
May 31st - Chapter 4
June 7th - Chapter 5 and Group Discussion of Chapters 1-5
June 14th - Chapter 6
June 21st - Chapter 7
June 28th - Chapter 8
July 5th - Chapter 9
July 12th - Group Discussion Chapters 6-9 and Celebration
Format:
On Mondays, I will post a few quotes from the chapter and discussion questions along with a link to a discussion guide on Facebook and on Substack.
I will invite you to share your reflections on the Discussion Guide Thread, which will be hosted on Substack.
When we gather, I will pull insights, questions, and other shared information from the discussion guide responses as a guide for our group discussion.
This process of reading, reflecting, and then digging deeper into what stands out or challenges us makes for a much richer group discussion, so I hope you all will take the time to share your reflections on the discussion guide weekly.
NOTE: In order to comment on Substack, you have to create an account. It is super easy and totally free to do so.
If you would like to join the book study, please do the following:
Let me know if you will be joining virtually, in person, or some combination.
Send me a private message with your email address if I do not have it already. I will be emailing further details about the group discussions.
Set up an account on Substack if you do not have one.
Subscribe to my publication if you are not already a subscriber. I will notify you when the discussion guide has been updated.
Feel free to invite others you think might resonate with this discussion.
I know some of you have read the book previously. Let me know if you are willing to be a co-facilitator and, if so, which group you would be willing to co-facilitate.
Order or download the ebook version and get a jump on the reading!
Additional Resources:
As I shared in my previous post, this is one of many books I have read on this topic. I also know many of you have been on this journey awhile and have other resources that may be helpful. I will also be using a Google Doc to capture our favorite supplemental resources for those who want to deepen their learning, and will email that document to the group before our first conversation.
Quotes from the Endorsements and Prologue:
“This book is a luminous love song to the body of the earth, a sober celebration of interconnection, an elegant entreaty and a bold proposal for a new way, the renewal of the ancient way, a way of healing and holiness and prophetic enkindling. This book is a prayer. Intelligently shaped and beautifully written.”
“This book is dedicated to the wild ones who have heard the whispering call from Earth and Spirit to restore the great conversation.”
“Once upon a time, all humans knew their lives, their food, their survival, their sense of meaning and kinship with God or the gods was connected with all their relations: the hawks and soil and ferns and mosquitoes…The time has come to lift that veil of fog and return to intimate relationship with the living world. More and more of us are taking our place, once again, as full participants in the web of life, which we remember is held together by love. There are no magic words to incant, no spiritual laws to memorize, no ruby-slippered heels to click three times. You don’t need to read a hundred new ecotheology books or leave the church or become an animist or pantheist. (But you can if you want to.) You simply need to learn how to listen.”