UP WILD CHURCH
Behold
& Awaken Wonder
WELCOME TO U.P. WILD
U.P. WILD is a diverse faith community that cultivates the roots of Christianity recognizing that the wilderness has always been and still is a place of holy connection, revelation, wonderment, & healing.
Gathering together we bear witness to the holiness around us within a living breathing eco-system.
We open the Book of Nature.
THE PRAYER OF THE BEE:
God, let my small span of ardent life melt into our great communal task; to lift up to Your love this temple of sweetness, a citadel of incense, a holy candle, myriad-celled, moulded of Your graces and of my hidden work.
PRAYER OF THOMAS MERTON:
What a thing it is to sit absolutely alone, in the forest, at night, cherished by this wonderful, unintelligible, perfectly innocent speech, the most comforting speech in the world, the talk that rain makes by itself all over the ridges, and the talk of the watercourses everywhere in the hollows! Nobody started it, nobody is going to stop it. It will talk as long as it wants, this rain. As long as it talks I am going to listen.
PRAYER OF MECHTILD OF MAGDEBURG:
The day of my spirtual awakening was the day I saw, and knew I saw, all things in God and God in all things.
PRAYER OF SAINT BASIL:
God teaches us through creation. [The natural world] is the supreme icon
of Christian faith which leads to knowledge of the Supreme Artisan.
PRAYER OF HENRI NOUWEN:
I am afraid that in a few decades the Church will be accused of having failed in its most basic task: to offer people creative ways to communicate with the source of life." (1972)
Hear from some of the local leaders of UP Wild branches across the UP, about how communion with nature is guiding their spirit, strengthening their faith, and calling them to God’s creation.
"I saw an announcement for a nature hike and prayer service that was being put on by a group called U.P. Wild in the Keweenaw. I volunteered to be in charge of communications. Fast-forward to today. We just celebrated our two year anniversary. We have had our services in various locations across the Keweenaw, with different service leaders. Each one has connected me closer to my faith in God and my love of the outdoors. I have found a new calling and look forward to continuing my journey.” — Rob B. UP Wild in the Keweenaw
"I am with a new UP Wild chapter in Paradise that holds a nature prayer service at the lower Tahquamenon falls, along with a monthly blessing of nature in the area. I had a great showing for the monthly blessing of the water this month and it seems that is where my ministry is heading… I love what I’m called to do; it’s been a great experience so far."
— Cindra M. UP Wild in Paradise
"This month, we gathered to celebrate water. We experienced more than just the shoreline, with a few sprinkles from the clouds above. We had a great turn out and I am really grateful everyone could be together and explore our world. I shared the following poem about land snorkeling:
We walk the earth, at a slower pace
Observing wonders in this open space.
A tiny beetle, glistening in the dew,
A hidden mushroom of a vibrant hue.
The whisper of the breeze, a gentle sound,
the rustling leaves upon the mossy ground.
Each blade of grass, a story to unfold,
a natural tapestry, as precious as gold."
—Katie C-B. UP Wild at the Bridges (East)
"Finding out about UP Wild and starting up a branch was identifying a deep need and longing I had that I wasn’t fully aware of. The gatherings meet needs of faith, connection and inspiration that I don’t find in any other way. I can go for a solitary walk in nature, but having others to walk with in this way is a profound blessing in my life. Sharing the awe of nature while pondering meaningful readings together meets a very deep need in my soul."
— Lois B. UP Wild in the Keweenaw
"First, let me say Wild Church sets the most welcoming standard I have ever experienced. Not only is it non-denominational, but all faith based religions, the world over are welcomed with open arms. There have been two important threads in my life – my church life (Methodist tradition) and my devotion to creation. As I began to be here, these weren’t two different interests but one and the same. I began to understand that my religious beliefs were met in the wild! It was an important insight for me: Wild Church is My Church. Many, like me, consider Wild Church to be “our church”." —Ken K. UP Wild in Marquette
"For me, this quote from Wendell Berry best encompasses what UPWild church means to me. It takes nature, which was God’s first book, and the Bible and melds them into a meaningful whole:
“I don't think it is enough appreciated how much an outdoor book the Bible is. It is a "hypaethral book," such as Thoreau talked about - a book open to the sky. It is best read and understood outdoors, and the farther outdoors the better. Or that has been my experience of it. Passages that within walls seem improbable or incredible, outdoors seem merely natural. This is because outdoors we are confronted everywhere with wonders; we see that the miraculous is not extraordinary but the common mode of existence. It is our daily bread.”" —Carol S. UP Wild in Delta County