John A. Creasy is an urban farmer, spiritual director, and organizing pastor of Wild Indigo Guild, a ministry that helps faith communities connect with God through nature as they design landscapes of food production and ecological restoration. He also helped found Garfield Community Farm, a 2.5-acre nonprofit permaculture farm in urban Pittsburgh. Through permaculture design, he helps communities of faith and homeowners consider the most faithful and ecologically restorative uses of their land. Creasy lives in Pittsburgh with his wife, three children, and their three dogs.
Description
Introduction
Chapter 1: Wonder and the White Oak Wolf Tree: Quercus alba
Chapter 2: Pando, Pawpaws and Sacred Interconnection, Populous tremuloides
Chapter 3: Creations Restorative Nature: Sequoia sempervirens
Chapter 4: Relearning the Jesus Prayer, Sequoiadendron gigantium
Chapter 5: Imagine a New Way, Tsuga canadensis
Chapter 6: Adirondack Wanderings and the Peregrin Way, Pinus strobus
Chapter 7: Committing to the Long Way, Pinus ponderosa
Chapter 8: Bristlecone Pines and Deep Time, Pinus Longeva
Chapter 9: The Three Sisters Swamp, Taxodium distichum
Chapter 10: Trees of the Old World, Quercus petraea
Chapter 11: Rewilding the Sacred Forests of Scotland, Pinus sylvestris
Chapter 12: Myth and Mystery, The Fortingall Yew: Taxus baccata
Conclusion: The Work of our Hands
Afterword
"I love this book. I love the way John Creasy writes, but even more, I love the way he sees- the way he sees trees, and life, and forests, and what it means to be human. I am already thinking of people with whom I want to share this wise and joyful book." --Brian D. McLaren, author of Life After Doom and The Last Voyage trilogy
"Tree Pilgrim is an antidote to despair. John Creasy is a humble, gentle guide, shining light on his own journey as a tree pilgrim and inviting each of us to join him on the path. We get to meet some amazing trees, learn about the connection between nature and contemplative practice, and shape our own pilgrim journey. This book will lead you into a deeper relationship with God and Gods creation. It is a gift." --Lauren Burdette, spiritual director and author of This Life That Is Ours: Motherhood As Spiritual Practice
"There has been a renaissance in recent years of wonderful nature writing, good authors telling of their experience in the wilderness. John Creasys stories are a wonderful example of what happens when a follower of Jesus loves creation in such a way as to embody a sense of spirituality-the sacred, the holy-in their relationship with other creatures in the wild. One of the things that makes Tree Pilgrim so very special (and why youll enjoy reading it) is that it is so down-to-earth, local even. John knows his tree science, and hes been a theological urban farmer through an innovative church-related plot in Pittsburgh. But despite his lovely ability to teach us so much about the joys of plants and glories of fungi and trees, he also knows they are under attack, here in the Anthropocene. Part of his response is to become a pilgrim-one who takes hopeful steps, learning to love the world anew. This book is a joy, a good read. More, it could be life-saving." --Byron Borger, Hearts & Minds Bookstore
"Tree Pilgrim is a breathtaking reminder that the natural world is not just a backdrop for our lives, but a sacred text waiting to be read. Through his evocative journeys into ancient forests, John Creasy invites us to trade the frantic pace of modern life for a more grounded, contemplative spirituality. This book is a soulful guide for anyone looking to re-enchant their faith and find the Divine in the deep roots and towering canopies of the world around us." --Doug Pagitt, pastor and activist
"I love this book! I yearn to see and walk in the world as my friend John Creasy does-with a posture of artistic wonder, scientific curiosity, practical care, and prophetic lament. Tree Pilgrim is a gentle invitation to an embodied spirituality that addresses the earths cry and the souls longing for a new world to be born." --Mark A. Scandrette, author of The Ninefold Path of Jesus and other titles