Listening and Looking with Jesus…in February!

 

This morning I invited the Trenton United Church congregation into what I hope will be a spiritual exercise in attention during the month of February. I heard an intriguing interview with Dr. Holli-Anne Passmore by Matt Galloway on CBC Radio's The Current not long ago. Dr. Passmore is doing research on the connection between attending to the natural world and positive emotions. This is psychological research but the intertwining of mind/body/spirit is so important I was hooked.

I came up with the idea of putting a calendar page for February on one side of a page and the explanation below on the other. Following Dr. Passmore's lead I asked folk to take the page and record something, great or small, each day in the month or as often as they choose. Then on the first Sunday of March we'll take some time at the conclusion of the worship service to share our observations and delights. 

Our TUC administrator made up 30 sheets and I wondered if this was too optimistic. What do I know! We have to create at least 10 more for all the people who wanted one. Some immediately shared what they are experiencing, including a woman who just had major surgery and went for her first walk yesterday to lift her mood. Another said that three deer have been visiting her backyard and I could see the delight on her face. A family across four generations is going to participate. I was really heartened by this. As children of the Creator we are enlivened by the natural world, a realm of true enchantment. 

Holli-Anne Passmore is an associate professor of psychology at the Concordia University of Edmonton. (Submitted by Holli-Anne Passmore)

I reached out to Dr. Passmore  following the interview with an email and she quickly responded. We ended up chatting for an hour thanks to a Google link and while her work is a scientific endeavour she appreciates the spiritual aspect, if maybe not religious for her. I enjoyed the conversation immensely. She has also been interviewed by Britiain's The Guardian and the New York Times about this research. 

February is tough for a lot of people so, God willing, this will help to make it a bit more hopeful. I reminded Ruth yesterday that about six weeks from this date we paddled for the first time in 2024. She didn't roll her eyes for too long. Who knows what 2025 will hold!

Please join in this endeavour of listening and looking, should it appeal to you, wherever you are. 

Listening and Looking with Jesus…in February!

“Instructions for living a life.
Pay attention.
Be astonished.
Tell about it.” ― poet Mary Oliver

 "When people notice nature, and not necessarily even just spend extra time, but just [notice] it, we know it enhances our positive emotions…"

Dr. Holli-Anne Passmore -associate professor of psychology at the Concordia University of Edmonton who studies the correlation between nature & well-being

You are invited to take time each day during the month of February to pay attention to the natural world we Christians call Creation. We will look, listen, engage all of our senses, for a few minutes or longer during this shortest month. You might:

Notice your houseplants or the lengthening days from the comfort indoors

Pay attention to the birds at feeders (or the squirrels!)

Go for a walk, skate, ski & consider tracks in the snow, ice on the bay/river, the changing sky, birdsong

Create a snow angel (providing you can get back up again!)

Jot down what you experienced in the squares of the February calendar page, or perhaps create a tiny drawing.

On Sunday March 2 you’ll have the opportunity after worship to share what was meaningful for you as you paid attention to the world around you.

“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, or about your body, what you will wear… Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?  Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them…. Matthew 6: 25 -26 NRSVue

CBC The Current interview with Dr. Passmore

https://www.cbc.ca/radio/thecurrent/noticing-nature-experts-1.7434315