June 2023
COMMUNITY OF PEACE IS SPREADING IT’S WINGS - HERE’S HOW WE’RE GROWING THE PROJECTS WE’VE STARTED.
Friends,
Blessings from Community of Peace here in Louisa, Virginia! As summer begins we are going deeper into both soil and soul. Our garden is being tended, quartz stones are being dug out for the labyrinth. We are clearing the barn and preparing to put down a dance floor so we can hold regular barn dances with the neighbors. All the while we gather three times a day for sung prayer, silence, and evening meals. The days are long and full.
I love the play of meanings between the words soil and soul. Not much difference. One little letter. As we live our lives together in community we experience the soil and soul of our common life. There is rich nutrition. There are rocks. There is surface. There is depth. Each day we need to be watered and receive the warmth of the sun and the tender touch of others growing side by side. We need each other. We need room to breathe. We are called to push through and struggle when necessary. And at the end of the day we so enjoy the rest and conversation sitting round the living room with a favorite drink or dessert.
I am grateful for the soil and the soul of Community of Peace. I am grateful for each person here. We are barely beginning. A fragile garden. An emerging labyrinth. A parable of communion. A joyous dance!
Grace and Peace to you, my friend,
Br. Stefan
Meet Tree Mama
I met Tree Mama one day when Tim and I went for walk in the forest on the far side of the creek. We had just come through some thick brush when Tim stopped short right in front of a hollow tree. I caught up and became very still. It was two trees actually. It appeared like they started out separate, grew very close together, then branched out again in four branches. A broken branch points down into the opening. Both sides are hollowed out. As I moved forward, I became aware of something; I wasn’t sure what it was at first. I said to Tim, “I’m feeling a story here”. As I spoke those words, I became aware of another voice and I could sense a figure materializing. A very, very, very, very old woman began to take shape. Her skin was brown and wizened but her eyes were a sparkling dark blue. Her hair resembled a birds nest and her clothing looked like tattered patches of cloth sewn together. She seemed to have an ability to levitate and to loose materiality. She seemed quite small too as she began to follow us through the forest intent on sharing her story with us. Parts of it came clearly in soft words which I kept repeating to Tim as we walked. Other things she showed me in pictures. She said she is called Tree Mama by most beings. A couple hundred years ago, when she was already very old, she was an elder and a healer for more than one native tribe in this area. Chiefs from distant tribes also traveled here to consult with her. She counseled some of the four-legged families in this region as well. As foreigners arrived and brought troubles to the land and to the peoples, she began to spend more time asleep. One day, she just didn’t wake up. Not very long ago, she began to awaken again, for short period’s at first, then for days on end. She felt something in the air that was familiar to her. Her friends, dragonfly and frog, were reporting strange happenings. Peaceful beings were on the land nearby and they were walking in the forest. Deer and beaver were becoming playful again. Some of the beings began collecting her precious quartz to share it’s beauty with others, which made her heart sing. She hopes now to stay awake and to share her wisdom once again with those who will use it for good. Much of her wisdom involves the plant life in the forest. She showed me piles of greens, roots and flowers. She pointed to one pile and indicated that they were good to eat if they were prepared properly. Another pile, she said, were for healing. I saw a small pile in a corner, so I asked what they were for. She said “they’re for forgiveness”. I was puzzled but I let it go for the present. Later in the day, I thought about sage and sweetgrass and saw how plants can influence our thoughts and feelings through aroma. I‘ll have to ask her about that next time we meet. She mentioned a renewed relationship with small animals and rodents and her work with crystals but she didn’t elaborate. On our way back for midday prayer, Tim and I stopped again at her tree home. As I peered into the darkness I could just barely see her face. She was smiling a very big smile. I strongly felt an invitation to return for more learning. I would very much like to do that. I believe she will also welcome others who come with open hearts and who desire to hear her wisdom. Find her tree and look inside. If she’s home and your heart is open, I’m sure you will see her face.
Barb
ANGEL SHADOW
The shadow of an angel’s wing brushed my cheek
Awakening my senses to the splendor of creation,
My earthy home.
Like pappus from a dandelion
Sailing on a mountain breeze
It blessed my skin with a tickle.
A canary’s song engenders the delicate tones of a heavenly chorus.
Woodpeckers evoke ancient drumbeats.
Fireflies in the night transport me to worlds beyond.
One tear holds an ocean of grief or of joy,
A branch tapping on the window welcomes an unseen guest.
Laughing children echo the jangle of crystal chimes.
It’s the minutiae that herald the magnificent;
The smallest, the seemingly insignificant
That opens my heart to the Whole.
By Barb Miller
Preparing for our Labyrinth
Every day, Monday through Friday, I collect quartz with Changyeon. These stones will be used to build a beautiful labyrinth on our land. We hope to build such a beautiful labyrinth that people from all around the country will want to come here to walk it and to experience the peace of this place. I’ve learned that you never know what you will find when lifting a stone from the ground. So far, I’ve found colonies of ants, an assortment of spiders, a tiny brown snake, frogs, a salamander-like creature and a huge millipede. I relocated all of them except for the spiders and ants. I look forward to seeing what creatures I will uncover next and I look forward to actually building the labyrinth. Grace and peace to all.
Jason
Permaculture
One of my favorite projects is developing a permaculture garden here. The initial garden is quite small but it is designed to expand year by year as our work force and funding increase.
There is an immense value to learning about and demonstrating permaculture beyond getting a lot of delicious and healthy organic food. Permaculture is significantly different from traditional American gardening. Traditional gardening disrupts the biome or collective life system in the soil. Commercial farming destroys that biome completely with its chemicals and exposure to the sun. Permaculture nurtures and regenerates that biome. Instead of digging up and loosening the soil, permaculture plants on top the soil. Some form of mulch is used around the plants which suppresses weeds and retains up to ten times the moisture than tilled soil exposed to the sun can hold. The mulch decays over time and creates a new layer of rich topsoil on top of the soil that was underneath. So, permaculture actually creates better and better soil as time goes on instead of depleting the soil. Worms and such move this new soil down into the existing soil so it improves too.
There is a lot of fascinating information about the biome and the connectedness of life that you can explore. Our use of permaculture here is part of our dedication to helping to restore wholeness to Creation as was originally intended. Worshiping God means feeling His Presence in Creation – working with the land instead of abusing the land in a destructive manner. As more and more humans use the Earth for food, it is extremely important that we do so in a harmonious and regenerative manner. So, we are learning about, and want to demonstrate, that permaculture is productive, and actually a lot easier and less expensive than the traditional destructive farming methods – no digging or tilling, much less weeding and watering, and fertilizing with homemade compost instead of chemicals. And you still get the joy of watching seeds sprout and magically grow into huge plants with an abundance of fruits.
Tim
Shall we Dance?
“We shall dance. Restore the sparkle to my eyes.”
We will build it in the barn. A floor to dance, to host a contra dance. We all are working hard cleaning the century’s worth of rocks, and barn animal debris and accumulated stuff to make it happen. And we are looking for callers and a live band to volunteer to make it happen. The music is Celtic medleys and if you can walk, and count to eight and follow directions you can contra dance.
The neighbors will come, maybe you will too. We want the world to dance with us, wherever you may be, and see the sparkle in your eyes.
Changyeon surprised us recently with these tasty cinnamon buns. He also makes delicious kimchi pancakes.
Enjoy a quiet stroll through this serene forest - Breathe the fresh scented air
and perhaps discover Tree Mama’s home.
EVENTS
“A Pilgrimage of Peace” is scheduled beginning July 15, (see flyer below-left).
“The Wisdom of Wilderness” is happening this summer - Come and camp with us for the entire summer or part of it, (see flyer below-right).
We are looking forward to our first BARN DANCE - coming soon.
More outdoor experiences are in the planning stages. We will let you know as they are scheduled.
Monthly drum circles continue on the third Saturday and you are always invited to share our daily sung prayer morning (8 weekdays, 9 weekends), midday (1) and evening (7).
Opportunities to visit us for a retreat or camp in or near our beautiful forest await you. Please call Br. Stefan to plan your unique experience. If you are unable to visit us or wish to share your experience with a group, call to schedule a time for Br. Stefan to visit you (flyer below).
We hope to see you soon.
