Gardening as Spiritual Exercise

A Talk by Daniel Deffenbaugh

February 28, 2010 at 1:30 PM

7300 Holdrege St.
Lincoln, NE

While many Christians are content to see the natural world simply as the stage upon which the drama of salvation history is enacted, there is a long tradition in both the Hebrew Bible and New Testament that calls on us to be "tillers and keepers" of creation, to fulfill the original vocation of Adam and Eve in the garden.

Drawing on insights from the Psalms, Wisdom Literature, and the words of Jesus and Paul, this lecture will propose that our gardens, no matter how small, can serve as "sacred texts" in which we can find the word of God spoken, if we only have the faith and patience to look for it there.

Daniel Deffenbaugh is Professor of Religion at Hastings College in Hastings, Nebraska, and author most recently of Learning the Language of the Fields: Tilling and Keeping as Christian Vocation. His approach to gardening as a spiritual exercise has been informed by his experience over the past fifteen years as an organic gardener and beekeeper.

This event is free and open to the public. Hosted by Common Good Farm and First Mennonite Church Lincoln. Doors open at 1 PM; 7300 Holdrege St, Lincoln. Parking on north side. Questions: Call First Mennonite at 402.467.1526 or Common Good Farm at 402.783.9005.