Finding A Way: Developing practice of contemplation with land to reckon with trauma
‘Walk it Back’ Weekend - June 20-22, Church of the Holy Spirit, Orleans
In April 2024 the Rev. Rita Powell offered the weekly online course, ‘Finding our Way: Developing practice of contemplation with land to reckon with trauma’. Following the success of that course, we were delighted to offer an opportunity to explore this idea over a weekend, residential course in June 2025:
Finding A Way: Developing practices towards healing historical trauma with the help of the and and Waterways
Many of the challenges facing our world and church today, such as racism, climate crisis, inequity, misogyny, are the result of patterns with deep historical roots. Our past has created legacies which we are struggling to disrupt. This emerging movement Finding A Way uses the contemplative arts to train ourselves to listen to the wisdom of land and body, to help reckon with, witness, grieve, and honor our complex past, with the hope of slowly undoing these patterns of harm.
The ‘Walk It Back’ immersive learning experience was a weekend in which participants saw and explored how to develop a land-based, historically informed walking practice in their own context. Offered through The St. Paul Center for Theology and Prayer, as an event of the Province I network, this weekend was hosted by the Church of the Holy Spirit, Orleans, MA. The Leadership team for the event included the Rev. Dan Smith (UCC Chaplain, Harvard University), Peggy Jablonski (Creator of the Cape Cod Camino Way), and the Rev. Patrick Ward (Rector and our host at Holy Spirit, Orleans).
Participants spent 3 days exploring the local geography and history surrounding the parish. Local indigenous leaders and faith based partners from the Cape shared their process and wisdom. Through shared meals, times of reflection and learning, prayer, and walking, we practiced pilgrimage toward the dream of healing. Participants left with experience in the building blocks needed to create a contemplative healing practice in their own contexts and parishes.
The weekend concluded with church on Sunday, where the rector, the Rev. Patrick Ward, delivered a powerful homily connecting the work to scripture and tradition. You can read his words here.
Circle of learning and community
This emerging movement has begun with the Episcopal Chaplaincy at Harvard, First Church in Cambridge, and the Harvard Chaplains. We are grateful to have learned from and worked with the Harvard and Legacy of Slavery Initiative, Harvard University Native American Program, Harvard Divinity School, Church of the Woods, the Upstander Project, and Province I of the Episcopal Church, including the Province I Indigenous People's Justice Network, and The St. Paul Center for Theology and Prayer, as well as the emerging Find A Way Coalition.
