Why do we engage with others in The Practices for Awakening Leadership?
Like millions around the world who find commonality with those seeking recovery from the destructive effects of growing up in addictive and dysfunctional systems, we in EcoFaith Recovery discovered that we also had many experiences in common. While understanding that not all of these characteristics describe all of us, many of us experienced the following:
- We found that we were not spiritually grounded, that our current institutional faith practices were not sufficiently rooting us to weather the storms (ecological, economic, social, political and spiritual) of climate change and ecological degradation.
- We often felt overwhelmed by the incessant bad news, finding ourselves either compulsively acting to the problem or “checking out” emotionally.
- We sought ways to get involved in actions or activities of our congregations and local organizations, but sometimes left these experiences and meetings feeling more isolated than when we came.
- We found ourselves exhausted and “burned out” by actions and activities, even and especially from those that were for a “good cause.”
- We kept our feelings of grief, fear and anger inside for lack of a community that could hold and honor the emotional impact that climate change and ecological degradation were having on us.
- We found that we were unconsciously allowing fear of disapproval to keep us from taking risks for the sake of our own development and for the healing of creation.
- We struggled but failed to find words to explain why taking action for the sake of the healing of God’s creation was deeply important to us, thus increasing our isolation and feeling of being overwhelmed.
- We believed that we had no unique gifts to offer our congregation or the larger environmental movement, that we were not leaders, and not worthy of investing in our own development, unless we were prepared to stand up and lead a big group.
- We believed that we had no story, that we had no wisdom, that we had no power, that we were fundamentally victims of a system rather than actors within it.
In response to experiences like these, we are coming together and engaging in the The Practices described here. In the process, we are recovering our true vocation as people of faith and citizens of earth.
We welcome you to join us.
You will find the The Practices for Awakening Leadership here.