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 Programs and Projects
Follow these links for more details:
Cultivating Spiritual Practices
Overview
Meditation Courses
Enneagram Courses
Transformative Learning Opportunities
Overview
Cosmology I - Symposium: Awakening the Dreamer, Changing the Dream
Cosmology II - The Great Story: Embracing the Life We Are Given
Cosmology III - The Great Work: Reflecting on the Earth as a Sacred Community
Cosmology IV - Understanding Christian Beliefs Anew – Eco-Spirituality
Conversations That Matter – Discussion Courses
Summer Camp for Kids
Living in Harmony
Environmental Justice Tour
Pilgrimage To India 2012
Caring for God’s Creation: Church Programs
Overview
Church Renew Programs
Adult Education Programs
Conversations That Matter: Discussion Courses
How the Courses Work
Calendar of Discussion Courses
Voluntary Simplicity
Healthy Children-Healthy Planet
Global Warming
Choices for Sustainable Living
Discovering a Sense of Place
Globalization & Its Critics
Eating Sustainably: Menu for the Future
Exploring Deep Ecology
Connecting to Earth: Garden and Food
Community Garden
CSA
The Garden Educational Opportunities
Blessing of the Animals and Benefit Concert
Brochure for Passionist Earth and Spirit Center
Cultivating Spiritual Practices
Spiritual practices help open an individual to the presence and power of the Sacred Mystery that permeates all of reality. These classes are designed to initiate participants into a deep, loving relationship with the God. Through step-by-step guidance, participants become familiar with the inner dimension of their mind and emotions as they move toward the innermost experience of Spirit. The practices can initiate a personal transformation which alters our way of being in the world. Thomas Merton describes the goal of spiritual practices as an awakening of the True Self which expands the capacity for experience, for awareness, for understanding, for a deeper and more authentic life.
MEDITATION COURSES
A ten-week series of classes is offered every fall and spring. Each series teaches the basic skills and practices of meditation from a different vantage point – using the insights from Christian and Jewish mystics, Eastern spiritual traditions, transpersonal psychology and current studies in human consciousness. The study includes an investigation of the levels of human consciousness, the psycho-spiritual dynamics of inner growth, and the foundations of an integral spirituality which honors and includes all aspects of life. These classes are for experienced meditators who wish to deepen and mature their practice.
MEDITATION FOR BEGINNERS
This class is for those interested in learning or becoming re-familiar with the practice of meditation. It includes: basic instructions in a method of Christian insight meditation; the psychological and scriptural underpinnings of the practice; a map of the inner world; and guidance for applying these teachings in daily life. Meditation is taught as a way of self discovery and accessing the Kingdom of Heaven within.
Current Offering for Beginners– Encountering the Inner Christ
- Saturday, February 11, 2012– 9:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Orientation to Meditation (prerequisite for Wednesday classes)
- Ten Wednesday classes: beginning February 15, 22, 29, Mar 7, 14, 28, Apr 4, 11, 18 25 from 10:00 a.m.–11:30 a.m. OR 7:00–8:30 p.m.
- The same class will be presented mornings and evenings.
Participants can arrange to attend either session.
- Text: The Kingdom Within by John Sanford
- For more information: contact Beth Zangari at the Earth & Spirit Center weekdays between 9:00-3:00 OR email earthandspirit@passionist.org.
- Suggested donation: $140. No one will be refused for lack of funds.
- February 2012 Meditation Class Information
MEDITATION FOR EXPERIENCED STUDENTS
This class is for experienced meditators who wish to deepen their practice. The study will focus on cultivating the skills and understanding of Insight Meditation--insight into the nature of things, leading to inner freedom. It will guide participants toward emptying themselves of identification with the false self of ego so as to be available to the inner Spirit.
Calendar of Meditation Classes
• Saturday, February 18, 2012- from 9:30 to 12:30 p.m.
• Ten Tuesday classes:beginning Feb 14, 21, 28, Mar 6, 13, 27, Apr 3, 10, 17, 24
from 10:30am to 12:00noon OR 7:00-8:30pm
• The same class will be presented mornings and evenings.
Suggested donation: $140. No one will be refused for lack of funds.
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February 2012 Meditation Class Information
Pilgrimage to India
January 14-31, 2012
Make your world bigger. For thousands of years, spiritual seekers have been drawn to the wisdom of India. Now there is an opportunity to explore the spiritual traditions of India on a pilgrimage led by Fr. Joe Mitchell and Fr. Nelson Alphonse. Significantly different from a tour, this pilgrimage will visit various Christian and Hindu ashrams, exotic temples and off-the-beaten-track villages. There will be opportunities to meet and dine with families from the Passionist parish church in Palliport, a fishing village along the Arabian Sea. The cost of Pilgrimage is $1250 (this includes accommodations, ground transportation within India, tuition costs, porter fees, tips, entry tickets, and almost all meals). Each participant will arrange and pay separately their international air travel, arriving in Bangalore and departing from Cochin. Registration is limited to 15 people. More information and registration form are on the downloadable brochure.
“INDIA ... the sole country under the sun that is endowed with imperishable interest for alien prince and alien peasant, for lettered and ignorant, wise and fool, rich and poor, bond and free, the one land all desire to see, and having seen once, by even a glimpse, would not give that glimpse for the shows of all the rest of the globe combined.” — Mark Twain
Download a Brochure
ENNEAGRAM COURSES
Enneagram: Part 1 - Introduction to the Enneagram
The Enneagram is a powerful tool for understanding one’s personality – how the mind and emotions function. This workshop is an introduction to the nine personality types described by the Enneagram. It includes the history of the Enneagram; analyzes how personality is formed; offers information on the three centers of perception; identifies the difference between personality and the True Self; and shows how to use this knowledge as a tool for finding new strengths, destroying illusions, and growing personally as well as spiritually. Participants come to appreciate why they see the world as they do and how other people can validly experience it so differently. The goal of this workshop is insight into oneself and compassion for others.
- Beginner Enneagram class on
Mar 10, 2012 -- Intro to Enneagram - 9 to 5:30
- Instructor: Fr. Joe Mitchell, CP
- Where: the BARN behind the Passionist Monastery at 1924 Newburg Road in Louisville, KY
- Suggested donation: $40. However, no one is refused for lack of funds.
- For information call: 502.452.2749 or email: earthandspirit@passionist.org
Enneagram& Transformation will be held on March 31, 2012
This workshop will explore the relationship between personality and higher awareness — called by the Enneagram: "connect- ing to one's essence." It will focus on personal transformation through self-observation enlightened by an understanding of the Enneagram as a sacred psychology. Participants should already have a basic familiarity with the Enneagram.
- Instructor: Deborra Oser.
- Time: 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.. Bring bag lunch.
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Enneagram: Part 2 – Spiritual & Transformative Dimensions
This workshop explores the relationship between personality and higher awareness called essence. It examines the task of personal growth, which the Enneagram describes as the transformation of thoughts and emotions defined by each type into their higher capacities. One objective of spiritual development is to become a more complete human being — learning to live from the inner core and adopting higher states at will. The goal of this workshop is personal transformation through self-observation enlightened by an understanding of the Enneagram as a sacred psychology. Process will include lecture-input and group interaction. Participants should have previous experience and familiarity with the Enneagram.
- Cancelled due to scheduling conflict
- Time: 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Bring bag lunch.
- Instructor: Fr. Joe Mitchell, CP
- Where: Earth & Spirit Center
- Suggested donation: $35. No one will be refused for lack of funds.
- For more information: contact Beth Zangari at the Earth & Spirit Center weekdays between 9:00-3:00 OR email earthandspirit@passionist.org.
Course Description and Mail-In Registration Form
Register
Transformative Learning Opportunities
How do we understand the human condition? We have speculated on this perennial question for thousands of years. Ever since our ancestors developed the capacity to think and wonder, we have been fascinated with a desire to understand our place in the world. As we witness the amazing experience of life from the miracle of birth to the finality of death, we cannot resist pondering: What does it mean to exist as a human being? What is our role here? What is our destiny? Today, this inquiry is so confusing not because there is a shortage of answers, but because our understanding of the human condition itself is shifting so profoundly. We live at an extraordinary moment when our conceptual framework of the world is being challenged and new perceptions of what it means to be human are emerging. These transformative learning opportunities explore the inter-connectedness of all life and expand awareness of the Earth as a sacred community.
Cosmology I - Symposium: Awakening the Dreamer, Changing the Dream
Through dynamic group interactions, leading edge information, and inspiring multimedia presentations, participants of this half-day (3-4 hour) event are inspired to reconnect with their deep concern for our world, and are empowered to make a difference. Designed by the Pachamama Alliance, the symposium explores the current state of our planet from a new perspective, and connects participants with a powerful global movement to reclaim our future.
It is an exploration of four questions:
Where Are We? an examination of the state of environmental, social and personal well-being
How did We Get Here? tracing the root causes that lead to our current imbalance
Whats Possible for the Future? discovering new ways of relating with each other, with the Earth and looking at the emerging Movement for change
Where Do We Go from Here? considering the stand we want to take in the world and our personal and collective impact
If you are ready to be disturbed, inspired and moved to action, and to be introduced to a thriving community of committed cohorts, then join us in exploring the most critical concerns of our times, and discover new opportunities to make a real difference in accelerating the emergence of an environmentally sustainable, spiritually fulfilling, and socially just human presence on this planet! (Length: 3-4 hours)
- Where: Passionist Earth and Spirit Center
Download Brochure and Registration Information
Discription of Cosmology Courses
Cosmology II: The Great Story: Embracing the Life We Are Given
From the scientific evidence available today, we know the world is more expansive and interconnected than anyone previously imagined. In down-to-earth terms, this study program explores the shift that is taking place in our understanding of the world, the opportunities it presents to the human community, and the implication is has for people of faith. How do we develop a new intimacy with the world in which we live? Can we once again get caught up in the grandeur of existence and mysterious Divine power from which all this has emerged?
Participants in this workshop will: grasp the shift taking place in our perception of the world; learn about the amazing web of life; understand the worldview they have adopted; explore the global challenges facing the human community; become acquainted with the universe story; and explore possibilities for cultivating a viable and hopeful future for our children. Our hope is to make sense of a world in transition. Our responsibility is to make something beautiful of it. Our dream is to find a meaningful home and a sense of belonging.
• Instructor: Fr. Joe Mitchell, CP
• Location: The BARN behind the Passionist Monastery at 1924 Newburg Road in Louisville, KY
*
July 11-15, 2011 from 9:30 am to 12:30 pm.
• Suggested donation: $75. No one is refused for lack of funds.
• For more information: contact the Passionist Earth & Spirit Center at: earthandspirit@passionist.org or call 502.452.2749
Download Brochure and Registration Form
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Discription of Cosmology Courses
Cosmology III: The Great Work: Reflecting on the Earth as a Sacred Community
The old familiar ways seem to be falling apart. Not only are many of our cultural institutions in crisis, but the fabric of life is being threatened. How can we find our way into a hopeful future?
This workshop will explore how we can make a transition from a period of human devastation of the Earth to a period when humans would celebrate the sacredness of all creation. It will offer
an expansive understanding of the human capacity to shape a viable future. Employing the observations and insights of Thomas Berry, we will examine the current ecological and cultural crises as well as consider the values and vision we need for the healing of our world. The goal is to engage in the Great Work of our time: to bring forth an environmentally sustainable, spiritually
fulfilling and socially just human presence on the Earth.
• When: July 18-22, 2010 from 9:30 am to 12:30pm (Monday to Friday)
• Instructor: Fr. Joe Mitchell, CP
• Location: The BARN behind the Passionist Monastery at 1924 Newburg Road in Louisville, KY
• Suggested donation: $75. No one is refused for lack of funds.
•For more information: contact the Passionist Earth & Spirit Center at: earthandspirit@passionist.org or call 502.452.2749
Download a Brochure
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Discription of Cosmology Courses
Cosmology IV - Understanding Christian Beliefs Anew – Eco-Spirituality
Many churchgoers are struggling to make sense of their faith in the complexities and challenges of the modern world. This workshop is based on a conviction that Christianity is a storehouse of spiritual wisdom and a reliable guide navigating a meaningful life. The challenge is to reclaim the traditions in a way that makes sense in the contemporary world. In practical and inspirational ways, the workshop explores the spiritual wisdom contained within the Christian faith. It is an opportunity to consider the traditions from perhaps a new perspective and to have meaningful conversations about them. The goal is to help make the central tenets of Christianity a little clearer, a little more acceptable, and a lot more hopeful.
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Environmental Justice Tour
Get on Board for the Louisville Community Environmental Justice Tour. The tour takes place on Saturday, May 26 at 5 pm.
These tours are available for church or school groups also. Contact the Earth & Spirit Center for more information.
The tour will feature:
- A visit to Louisville area contaminated sites and information about the threats they pose to the community.
- An introduction to a range of environmental health concerns including toxic chemicals, particulate matter emissions, air and water quality
- Opportunities to learn how our health is impacted by the environment and receive resources for action
Space is limited – please reserve a place on the bus by calling
the Earth & Spirit Center at 502.452.2749
or email: earthandspirit@passionist.org.
Download a Brochure for the Environmental Justice Tour
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LIVING IN HARMONY - A FOUR WEEK PROGRAM TO CARE FOR CREATION
Be part of the solution!
. . . save money . . . save energy . . . save the planet
Most people now accept that damage is being done to the Earth. But few people understand what they can do about it. Here’s an opportunity to learn about the issues and how to live in greater harmony with creation.
The primary cause of climate change is carbon dioxide emitted into the atmosphere
through the burning of fossil fuels– gasoline, coal, oil, and natural gas, which power our homes, transportation, and the factories that produce the goods we consume. Large-scale solutions
are necessary, such as switching to cleaner energy sources. But there are also dozens of things each one of us can do, right now, to begin making a difference. This workshop is full of positive, practical advice. Government and business each have crucial roles to play. But individual Americans must also start taking positive action, or else our children and grandchildren will surely pay the price.
Living in Harmony - Changing Personal Habits
Download Brochure and Registration Form
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SUMMER CAMP ODYSSEY FOR KIDS
Camp Odyssey is a program of fun and education to help children connect with the Earth. It is designed to awaken a sense of awe and wonder in children. Campers will experience an interactive educational camp for children K-6 to experience the beauty of nature, the joy of gardening, the basics of nutrition, food preparation, science, nature, hiking, music & movement, yoga and the arts on 20 acres of the Earth & Spirit Center.
2012 Kids Camp
- Who: grade school children who have completed kindergarten to 6th grade.
- What: Camp Odyssey is an interactive program of fun and learning. It will connect children to nature, gardening, science and sustainability, food justice, responsible eating, hiking, music & movement, yoga and the arts..
- When: June 18-22, 2012 or June 25-June 29 from 9:00 a.m. to 4 p.m.
- Where: Earth & Spirit Center
- Cost: $180.00 per child. (or 9-12: $90} Some scholarships available; inquire by emailing earthandspirit@passionist.org. Limited space.
- For more information: contact Beth Zangari at the Earth and Spirit Center 502.452.2749 - weekdays between 9:00-3:00 OR email earthandspirit@passionist.org.
Download Brochure and Registration Form
Caring for God’s Creation: Church Programs
One of the great challenges to contemporary religions is how to respond to the environmental crisis. Religious traditions have always had a deep reverence for life on Earth. Many people of faith are now beginning to feel a sense of urgency about what is happening to creation. Environmental concerns are on the front page. Now your church community can become more familiar with these timely issues and explore appropriate responses.
Caring for creation requires a new moral awakening to the compelling demand – clearly articulated in the Bible, expressed in church statements from all major religious denominations, and supported by science – that humans must be stewards of the natural world in order to preserve for ourselves and future generations a beautiful, rich and healthy environment. This is a religious obligation, rooted in a sense of gratitude for creation and reverence for its Creator.
CHURCH RENEWAL PROGRAM
The Passionist Earth & Spirit Center offers a spiritual formation and education program conducted at a church or house of worship. It is designed to help people of faith develop an understanding of their responsibility of caring for God’s creation.
The program usually opens on Sunday evening and goes for two or three consecutive nights. It is designed to facilitate a spiritual awakening through proclamation and prayer. Each evening a practical and inspirational lesson will be presented in a way that helps bridge the gap between faith and scientific discoveries. Topics will include: Why must the church be concerned with caring for creation? How do Christians view the natural world? How does a Christian understand evolution? What contributions has modern science made? Why is there environmental degradation? Is there hope for the Earth?
The Church Renewal program focuses on:
- Worship – where people of faith articulate their fundamental beliefs and where they are transformed anew each week in God’s grace. When possible, a priest from the Earth & Spirit Center team will preach at each of the services on the weekend that the program opens. Music and prayer options will be made available.
- Education – know your tradition and know your world. In responding to environmental concerns, faith communities draw deeply on the resources of their own traditions. Their approach to particular issues is not driven by any political agenda, but by their most fundamental convictions about God and creation. Recent scientific discoveries have presented a unified picture of reality which the mystics have always intuited.
- Discipleship – love your neighbor and care for God’s creation. Faith communities have the responsibility of teaching and practicing the message of creation care and integrating it into the whole of religious life. Action steps will be offered.
As the time for the renewal program draws near, the church leadership will be furnished a booklet of practical suggestions on ways to promote and prepare for the program.
The Passionist Earth & Spirit Center can help religious leaders and people of faith become familiar with the issues necessary for building a just and sustainable world. Without politicizing a perspective or alienating people, the Church Renewal Program explains the religious responsibility to be faithful stewards of God’s creation.
Too often a discussion of environmental matters leaves people feeling overwhelmed, exhausted and helpless. We have discovered that solutions must inspire participation and action rather than frighten or disempower. The human heart is not changed by facts alone, but by engaging a hopeful vision and a positive future. Religion has a vital role to play. They are one of the few institutions in modern society that posit some goal other than accumulation for human existence here on this planet.
Please contact the Earth & Spirit Center if you are interested in scheduling a program for your church community. Contact us
Download Brochure
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ADULT EDUCATION PROGRAMS FOR CHURCHES
Discussion Courses offered by the Earth & Spirit Center provide an enjoyable, supportive setting for people of faith to examine personal values and habits, engage in stimulating discussion, and make personal changes if desired. Many churches, schools and people concerned about caring for God’s creation are involved in these courses designed by Northwest Earth Institute.
Organizing a discussion course is easy. Gather at least eight people together at your church or school for a one-hour introductory meeting and contact the Earth & Spirit Center to set a date. A staff person will be assigned as a mentor to help start the group to ensure the best possible experience. The mentor will come to the initial gathering to describe the course. Those who are interested will form a discussion circle. The group will continue to meet for the weekly sessions. The only charge for participating is a nominal fee of $25 to cover cost of the book of readings and materials. The Earth & Spirit Center provides brochures, bulletin announcements, and course descriptions to help promote the courses.
Please contact the Earth & Spirit Center if you are interested in scheduling a discussion course for your church community.
Download Brochure
For a description of available Adult Education courses go to:
Voluntary Simplicity
Deep Ecology
Eating Sustainably: Menu for the Future
Globaization
Healthy Children-Healthy Planet
Global Warming
Choices for Sustainable Living
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Conversations That Matter: Discussion Courses
Overview – How the Courses Work
Discussion Courses offered by the Passionist Earth & Spirit Center provide an enjoyable, supportive setting in which to examine personal values and habits, engage in stimulating discussion, and make personal changes if desired. Since 1995, churches, schools and concerned groups of people throughout the country have been involved in these courses designed by Northwest Earth Institute.
Organizing a discussion course is easy. Gather at least eight people together for a one-hour introductory meeting and contact us to set a date. A staff person from the Earth & Spirit Center will be assigned as a mentor to help start the group to ensure the best possible experience. The mentor will come to the initial gathering to describe the course. Those who are interested will form a discussion circle. The group will continue to meet for the weekly sessions. The only charge for participating is a nominal fee of $25 to cover cost of the book of readings and materials. The Earth & Spirit Center provides brochures and course descriptions to help promote the course.
8 to 12 people meet weekly for little over an hour to discuss readings from a course book. The course books contain a diverse collection of short essays, articles and book-excerpts organized around weekly themes to create lively discussion. Discussion questions and a suggested meeting format are included as well. The first session is led by a mentor from the Earth & Spirit Center. Remaining meetings are facilitated by members of the group. There is no “set” outcome. The goal is for people to examine their own values and habits, listen to others talk about theirs, and ultimately allow their thinking to be transformed, deepened and inspired.
Voluntary Simplicity
This five-session course addresses the distractions of modern society which keep us from caring for ourselves, our relationships, and our environment.
In a society that enjoys such unprecedented prosperity and abundance, why is there so much personal unhappiness and discontent? Why is there so much poverty and hunger? Why in a finite world do we continue to act as if there are no limits to growth, while polluting our air, water and soil and using Earth’s resources faster than the natural systems can be replenished? Simplicity is a movement, a practice, and for many, a purposeful way of living in a complex consumptive society. To simplify is to reduce to essentials, to streamline and to clarify. Simplicity results in a life that is outwardly simple and inwardly rich.
Purpose of this course:
- To understand the meaning of voluntary simplicity;
- To explore the material and psychological distractions that prevent us from caring for the Earth;
- To consider the connection between our lifestyle choices and the condition of the Earth.
Download Course Description
For more information: contact Beth Zangari at the Earth and Spirit Center 502.452.2749 - weekdays between 9:00-3:00 OR email earthandspirit@passionist.org
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Healthy Children-Healthy Planet
This seven-session course explores the pervasive effects advertising, media, and our consumer culture have on a child; considers ways to create meaningful family times and healthful environments for children.
They say that our children are our future. As such, parents today must be intentional and countercultural in raising their children to teach and expose them to a natural world that they can experience and fall in love with. But first, parents must understand the affects of our culture that is systematically destroying the support systems that sustain us and disconnects us from the natural world without knowing it.
Purpose of this course:
- To address the cultural pressures, the impact of advertising on a child’s worldview, the link between diet and learning, and the impact of technology and media on a child’s development;
- To discover ways to create meaningful family times and healthful environments for children;
- To explore ways to develop a child’s connection to nature, to foster creativity, and release a child’s inborn sense of wonder.
Course Description pdf
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Global Warming
This four-session course focuses on the issues surrounding global warming and considers practical strategies for creating a viable future.
Purpose of this course:
- To explore personal values and habits as they relate to climate change.
- To understand the history and science of global warming.
- To empower individuals to take action to curb global warming.
Course Description pdf
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Choices for Sustainable Living
This five-session course considers environmental implications of daily choices and provides information for alternative options.
Sustainable living is an approach, a practice, and for many, a purposeful way of living in a society that separates itself from the natural systems that make life possible. Sustainability is a belief that we should meet our needs today in a manner that does not compromise the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.
Purpose of this course:
- To explore the meaning of sustainability;
- To consider the ties between lifestyle choices and their impact on the Earth;
- To learn about steps that can be taken to move toward ecologically sustainable organizations, lifestyles, and communities.
Course Description pdf
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Discovering a Sense of Place
This nine-session course focuses on the importance of knowing and protecting our own bioregional place on Earth.
With the wisdom that comes from truly knowing the place in which we live, we can create lifestyles and social institutions in harmony with their unique place, fitting culture to nature rather than the reverse. This means providing for energy, food, shelter and transportation in a manner that promotes local self-reliance and long-term sustainability.
Purpose of this course:
- To understand the meaning of a bioregion and what it would mean to develop a bioregional perspective;
- To discover how an understanding of and commitment to a place affects our willingness to accept personal responsibility to care for that place;
- To explore what it might mean to protect the place where we live.
Course description pdf
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Globalization & Its Critics
This nine-session course attempts to define and address the broader implications of globalization, a force that is shaping our world, our society and our local communities.
To its supporters, globalization is an inevitable force that will bring prosperity to Americans and raise the standard of living around the world. With this prosperity will come enhanced human rights in autocratic countries, healthy ecosystems all over the Earth, and a world of peace. To its detractors, globalization threatens ecosystems that support all life, it benefits the holders of capital over workers of the world, and it facilitates the centralization of power in transnational corporations. It objectifies humans in terms of their utility to the economy; natural resources in terms of their utility as raw materials for the industrial process; and the air, oceans and fresh waters as a free dumping place for toxins and pollutants created by economic development.
Purpose of Globalization and Its Critics course:
- To understand the structural aspects of globalization – its institutions, processes and effects;
- To examine how globalization impacts food production, the environment, social equity, public opinion and cultures;
- To explore a variety of possible future visions and how they can be cultivated.
Download registration form
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Eating Sustainably: A Menu for the Future
This is a six-session discussion course on the connection between food and sustainability.
Food is not simply fuel. Eating is an agricultural act, an ecological act, a social act, and a moral act. Every time we sit down for a meal, we are supporting a food system that has reverberating effects on the sustainability of the Earth. Farming policies and practices can help or harm the natural world. This discussion course offers a diversity of voices and a helpful study guide which can direct both individuals and communities toward a healthier and more equitable world through the food we eat.
Purpose of Food For Life course:
• To explore food systems and their impacts on culture, society and ecological systems.
• To gain insight into agricultural and individual practices that promote personal and ecological well-being.
• To consider your role in creating or supporting sustainable
food systems.
There will be a "Sustainable Food" course at Thomas Jefferson Unitarian Church beginning Tuesday, October 4 at 10 a.m. for 8 Tuesdays. They welcome others to join the class by calling Marlene Killian at 244-5040.
Course description pdf
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A World of Health is a six-session discussion guide that discusses limitations of the current medical model and its approach to health, then addresses the places where our personal health intersects with the environment -- from our food and homes, to our communities and society. Throughout the course you will find individual actions that promote good health and in turn, promote a healthier environment.
http://nwei.org/files/world-of-health-flyer
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EARTH AND SPIRIT CENTER PRESENTATIONS
For Church, School, and Civic Groups
By Phyllis Fitzgerald
The following presentations may be scheduled for groups at the location of your choice: church, school, business, or a home.
Living in Harmony with Creation: 1 hour presentation or 2-4 hour workshop
The primary cause of climate change is carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases emitted into the atmosphere through the burning of fossil fuels which power our homes, transportation, and the factories that produce the goods we consume. Large-scale solutions are necessary by government, industry, and businesses, each of which have crucial roles to play. But there are also dozens of things each one of us can do to begin making a difference; many of them very easy. Learn to start taking the best positive actions, so that our children and grandchildren will inherit a more sustainable world.
Minimum donation for a presentation: $125
Intentional Living: 1 hour presentation or 2-4 hour workshop with group activities.
Voluntary Simplicity means living intentionally, or living a meaningful life to the fullest. It means choosing the activities that will be rewarding in our lives instead of doing what we think “the world” expects us to do. It involves choosing the resources we wish to use instead of being pushed and pulled by society to use more resources than we choose to use. Practitioners of voluntary simplicity may choose to be as busy and as focused as they want—to achieve the goals they set for themselves.
Minimum donation for a presentation: $125
Taking the Commercial out of Christmas: 1 hour presentation or 2-hour interactive workshop
Do the Christmas holidays leave you exhausted and unfulfilled? Do you run yourself and your family ragged with gift giving, parties, and activities that are no longer meaningful or rewarding? Maybe it's time for a new tradition; one that takes the "commercial" out of Christmas. Find new traditions and learn to prioritize in ways that will leave you enriched with the true meaning of the season. The program includes an array of activities, gifts from the hands and heart, and celebration ideas that will help your family experience the joy of Christmas. The presentation—best scheduled in October or November—may be held in any location. Minimum donation for presentation: $125
Contact the Earth and Spirit Center at 452-2749 or earthandspirit@passionist.org to schedule a presentation.
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Connecting to Earth: Our Land
DEMONSTRATION ORGANIC GARDEN
• It’s about Health
• It’s about Helping
• It’s about Great Food
• It’s about Community
• It’s about Caring for the Earth
The Garden Educational Opportunities
Educational Outreach Programs - Kids and Nature
The Earth & Spirit Center is nestled on 20 acres behind the Passionist Monastery within the city of Louisville. The garden and red barn, originally established in 1915, make an ideal setting for eager learners to explore topics including growing food, life sciences, sustainable agriculture and caring for creation. Your children can have an enjoyable and interactive experience connecting with the Earth in this wonderful outdoor classroom.
The Garden at the Earth & Spirit Center offers creative, hands-on, interdisciplinary field trips for students K through 8. Psychologists tell us children are happy and healthier when they feel a personal connection to the natural world. The benefits of an educational field trip to the Earth & Spirit Center Garden are:
• Connect young people to the wonders of the natural world
• Experience an edible classroom within a urban setting
• Educate students on nutrition and food issues
• Nurture lifelong practical skills Educational Outreach Programs Kids & Nature
Grades K-8
The Earth & Spirit Center's Environmental Educational Outreach Programs are designed to promote within children a curiosity and care for the Earth through individual growth and sensory awareness training as they explore the spiritual connection between nature and science. Children will be encouraged to creatively engage the natural world and cultivate a sense of stewardship for God's creation.
Register now! Field trips to Kids and Nature Education Outreach Programs can be scheduled for anytime through the 2010-2011 school year.
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Students from St. Francis starting the first seedlings for the garden.
The Earth & Spirit Center is located on 20.6 acres of wooded and grass land in the Highlands area of Louisville. The original red brick barn was built in 1915 to accommodate the animals and equipment used on the farm to support the monastery of Passionist priests and brothers.
BLESSING OF THE ANIMALS
Sunday, October 2, 2011 from 2-3pm at the Earth & Spirit Center behind the Passionist Monastery
The annual Blessing of Animals and Prayers for the Planet will be celebrated with an outdoor service at the Earth & Spirit Center. This event will highlight the gift of animals, the delights of the natural world, and our responsibility as stewards of God’s creation. Please have your pets leashed, in a cage or in a bowl.
ALL PETS AND THEIR HUMAN FRIENDS ARE WELCOME! see attached pdf
MEDITATION GARDEN
Under construction
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