Project Defined + Our Mission + Our Board and Staff + FAQ
"Faithfully exploring and living simply, in community with our nation's parks"
TWO CENTRAL QUESTIONS
(about The Sacred Parks Project)
NPS sign at Sequioa/Kings Canyon NP
Sacred Parks is a project designed by a recent seminary graduate and chaplain to help bring together religious and spiritual people and organizations around God's Creation. More specifically, the project focuses on connecting with the parks around us - the municipal, state, and (especially)national parks - which bring people of all backgrounds and nationstogether to walk, hike (and camp) amidst all that God has made, and also call us to have responsible dominion of, but not domination over, all of God's Creation.
The Sacred Parks Project is a non-profit endeavor that aims to expand knowledge and experience of parks in your area, and help you and your faith community answer two questions: (1)what brings you to the parks, and (2) what do you take away from your experience there?
The second question is initially the most important, because seeing parks as merely places to drive in and out of, or check off one's travel "to-do" list, is to miss the opportunity for real relationship with some of our country's most sacred lands, islands and waterways, and the lessons they can teach us in our daily lives of stewardship and fellow children of God.
As the project faith statement implies, the core values are "faithfully exploring" (with God, scripture, neighbor and nature), "living simply" (by actively reducing our carbon footprint and living in a just and environmentally responsible way) and being "in community" with God, neighbor and Creation, and more specifically, "with our nation's parks."
Sacred Parks is not about worshiping nature, or worshiping Creation, but instead invites people of faith to engage with those sacred places set aside under the principles of preservation, conservation, and love for Creation. Because parks are some of the last places on earth where God can still come to us in the wild, our lives necessarily change when the wilderness frees us to become better stewards of the entire planet - a planet that is God's (with us as its keeper and protector.) The aim of the project hopes to come full circle when one's answer to question #2 above (what do you take away from your park experience?) inspires you to become a leader in your community in matters of eco-justice and faith, beyond the parks. Then, question #1 becomes something else entirely.
Sacred Parks call(s) upon you to boldly fill in the blanks between those questions....and go forth in peace!!
The Sacred Parks Project is a non-profit endeavor that aims to expand knowledge and experience of parks in your area, and help you and your faith community answer two questions: (1)what brings you to the parks, and (2) what do you take away from your experience there?
The second question is initially the most important, because seeing parks as merely places to drive in and out of, or check off one's travel "to-do" list, is to miss the opportunity for real relationship with some of our country's most sacred lands, islands and waterways, and the lessons they can teach us in our daily lives of stewardship and fellow children of God.
As the project faith statement implies, the core values are "faithfully exploring" (with God, scripture, neighbor and nature), "living simply" (by actively reducing our carbon footprint and living in a just and environmentally responsible way) and being "in community" with God, neighbor and Creation, and more specifically, "with our nation's parks."
Sacred Parks is not about worshiping nature, or worshiping Creation, but instead invites people of faith to engage with those sacred places set aside under the principles of preservation, conservation, and love for Creation. Because parks are some of the last places on earth where God can still come to us in the wild, our lives necessarily change when the wilderness frees us to become better stewards of the entire planet - a planet that is God's (with us as its keeper and protector.) The aim of the project hopes to come full circle when one's answer to question #2 above (what do you take away from your park experience?) inspires you to become a leader in your community in matters of eco-justice and faith, beyond the parks. Then, question #1 becomes something else entirely.
Sacred Parks call(s) upon you to boldly fill in the blanks between those questions....and go forth in peace!!
Ministry colleagues in Yosemite National Park, June 2010