An old friend of mine used to say, “People will walk a thousand miles to kill a peaceful man.”

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I have just recently been made aware of a "house church" movement called Transmission.  A couple of young friends of our community attend weekly meetings in NYC.  Each meeting is hosted by a member of the group who crafts the liturgy and makes dinner.  This is so exciting!  Basic elements of the early, early church are operative--the meal and the work of the people.  But the very best part from my point of view is that young people are doing it.   The church has new life--such a happy realization in Eastertide.

(I freely adapted this prayer found online from a few Earth Day's ago...)

Good God, Creator of the world, draw us into prayer and celebration as we gather to remember the gifts of Earth that you have entrusted to us as tillers and tenders in your garden.

Help us to know that in the gathering of the people, power is present among us: your Holy Spirit stirs and moves and gives us courage to engage the Great Work that lies before us.  Help us to so love Earth that our very lives will heal the soil and refresh the air and water.  Inspire in us the ambition to add our happy voices to the chorus of praise that daily rises from the rest of all your creatures.   Mitigate our heavy, noisome, oppressive presence on the blighted patches that are strip mine, clear cut, slurry pond and cafo. 

We pray in the name of your Anointed One who taught us from seaside and river, grassy plain and mountain top, grain field and vineyard that Your Presence is at hand, not even a breath away, beautiful and holy in all respects, and that in your presence Earth rings with Alleluias.  Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia. 

Over forty years ago Mother Ruth sent Sr. Elise downtown to join the newly formed American Teilhard Association.  Herself a scientist, Mother Ruth evidently thought this something important for our community.  As in so many things, she was absolutely correct.   We can now trace the lineage of the theological thought and practice underlying our community's current work in sustainability, social justice, and spiritual fulfillment right back through to our founder.  Along with Thomas Berry, Briane Swimme, Miriam MacGillis, Green Mountain Monastery, Mary Evelyn Tucker and John Grim, and a host of others, many of whom are Religious and all of whom are forerunners, we can name our very own.  We are not new to the great work of the new cosmology and universe story.  But we are now claiming our place in the movement with happy voices.