Our August forest church gathering was led by Michele and Henriette. They guided us in an 8-direction prayer, and read from John 1:1 which is often translated, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God."

Referencing the book, Church of the Wild, by Victoria Loorz, Michele shared an alternative translation of the Greek word logos, translated in most modern bibles as "word," but which can also be translated as "conversation," or a relational force. Consider how this sounds:

In the beginning was the Conversation, 
and the Conversation was with God,
and the Conversation was God.
This was with God in the beginning.
All things came into being through this,
and apart from this nothing came
into being that has come into being...
And the Conversation became flesh
and dwelt among us.
(John 1:1-4)

Before our wandering time, Henriette invited us to reflect on the land that raised us, and as we wandered, to see if any conversation between that place and this place where we were gathered arose. What did the land want us to hear or remember or know? 

Walking through the forest at Bechtel Park in a mid-August heat wave, I noticed many signs of stress and damage on the plants in the forest. 

I respectfully found a few items that seemed appropriate to use in the making of a mandala down by our worship spot along Laurel Creek. When I make mandalas, I like the simple, repetitive nature of the circular pattern. It feels complete and whole. I also like the ephemeral nature of them - it will succumb to the elements, or to disturbances by other creatures. It is a celebration of creation, decay, and decomposition. 

As I walked back to the parking lot, I reflected on how nothing in nature is wasted. Everything that comes into existence eventually returns to the earth, offering back nourishment for new life to arise again. The circle of life.