Pray and Paddle

Frederick Buechner, the Vermont writer, philosopher, theologian believed that 'we are all more mystics than we choose to let on, even to ourselves.' Do you believe this to be true?

'MYSTICISM IS WHERE RELIGIONS START. Moses with his flocks in Midian, Buddha under the Bo tree, Jesus up to his knees in the waters of Jordan—each of them is responding to Something of which words like Shalom, Nirvana, God even, are only pallid souvenirs. Religion as ethics, institution, dogma, ritual, Scripture, social action—all of this comes later and in the long run maybe counts for less.

Religions start, as Frost said poems do, with a lump in the throat—to put it mildly—or with a bush going up in flames, a rain of flowers, a dove coming down out of the sky. "I have seen things," Aquinas told a friend, "that make all my writings seem like straw."
~ Frederick Buechner 1926 - 2022

Uncle Walt Whitman put it this way..."I swear to you there are divine things more beautiful than words can tell."

Ever been surprised by awe or goosebumps on your skin? A moment when you whisper an involuntary 'thank you' to the cosmos? When you sense, (actually, you know) that you are part of a fabric that is awesome and luminous and eternal?

If the answer is 'yes', then there is an inner mystic in you too. Good company to keep.

Yesterday three lifelong friends, worked the rocky bottom of Jacobs Point...with their rakes seeking the quahog, that largest of clams....perfect for chowder. Note these are Rhode Island waters, so the quahog will find itself in a chowder of clear broth (not creamy New England style, not tomato based Manhattan style). Clear broth, just as God intended.

To work a cove at low tide, in conversation with good friends, in search of supper ... does it get any better? Here's wisdom from the poet Mary Oliver ...

Messenger

'My work is loving the world.
Here the sunflowers, there the hummingbird-
Equal seekers of sweetness.
Here the quickening yeast; there the blue plums.
Here the clam deep in the speckled sand.

Are my boots old? Is my coat torn?
Am I no longer young, and still not half-perfect? Let me
Keep my mind on what matters,
Which is my work,

Which is mostly standing still and learning to be astonished.
The phoebe, the delphinium.
The sheep in the pasture, and the pasture.
Which is mostly rejoicing, since all the ingredients are here,

Which is gratitude, to be given a mind and a heart
And these body-clothes,
A mouth with which to give shouts of joy
To the moth and the wren, to the sleepy dug-up clam,
Telling them all, over and over, how it is
That we live forever.'
- Mary Oliver, poet, mystic ... her inspiration for 50 years the coastline, forest, meadows of Provincetown, MA

“What is religion? That which is never spoken.”
- Thoreau’s journal, mid August 1858

Henry was a deeply spiritual person. And, suspicious of any attempts to codify or constrain his journey. Any religion which required a creed or adherence to dogma wasn’t for him.

Rather, he trusted what he could smell, see, feel, taste. His spiritual self soared with the song of a wood thrush and was grounded in the mud of a river.

Nature was his cathedral and in the midst of earth and sky he experienced a connection, a sense of belonging. And even as a writer, he knew that words weren’t enough.

'My work consists (mostly) of standing still and learning to be astonished.'
~ Mary Oliver, poet, mystic

Each season we host a Pray and Paddle with the Wisdom of Mary Oliver ... choosing a poem to accompany us on Lake Cochichewick ... Always, Mary inspires us to open up to the wonder of the moment.

Whether you’ve loved Mary Oliver for years or her words have only recently found you, here’s a chance to know the woman behind the poems—and why her work has endured.
Stream MARY OLIVER: SAVED BY THE BEAUTY OF THE WORLD free for four weeks beginning August 25 on the PBS App. The AMERICAN MASTERS documentary traces the Pulitzer Prize-winning poet’s life, from a solitary childhood to literary fame.

Thomas Berry was a Catholic priest who embraced wisdom from indigenous and interfaith traditions. He referred to himself as a 'geologian', experiencing beauty and wisdom in the natural world.

Berry believed that the natural world is not a commodity to be exploited, rather a sacred trust to be stewarded with restraint and respect. Listen ....

"The Earth is our origin, our nourishment, our educator, our healer, our fulfillment. At its core, even our spirituality is Earth derived."
— Thomas Berry, "The Spirituality of the Earth," in The Sacred Universe , 1914 - 2009

Pray and Paddle on August 22nd wrapped up our 5th season on Lake Cochichewick! In partnership with Rolling Ridge Retreat & Conference Center. Here are a few highlights:

* We hosted 85 people on the water (1/3 new to Rolling Ridge...age range 4 - 70s).
* Five public paddle events, one reserved.
* No paddle rescheduled due to weather (a first!)
* Water level was at a historic low due to drought
*Wildlife put on a show: Thrill of eagle sightings, loons, osprey, geese and Mrs. Chauncey (an 80 year old snapping turtle made her annual appearance).
* Thanks to support from Rolling Ridge staff (Marin as registrar, Mark and Eric helping take boats off and on racks)
* Thanks to Tricia, Mark, Brandon for assisting Kent with guiding.
* Wisdom readings from Bill McKibben, Psalms, Mary Oliver, Pelagius, Joy Harjo (good company indeed!)

What can't be measured, is the experience each person had ... of slowing down, the shedding of stress, moments of 'being' present to a source of wisdom greater than oneself, a Sacred Source that is both cosmic and close …

Thank you to all who shared in these moments on the lake (and one ocean paddle). You graced my life with your wisdom, positive energy and openness to the beauty and wonder of nature. Friends, look forward to seeing you on the water in 2027. Paddle well!
~ Kent Harrop, Pray and Paddle coordinator

On a Saturday morning the clouds felt close...water rippled by wind, 14 intrepid souls paddled on Lake Cochichwick. Accompanied by a wisdom reading from Native American poet, Joy Harjo....her 'Eagle Poem', ends like this:

Breathe in, knowing we are made of
All this, and breathe, knowing
We are truly blessed because we
Were born, and die soon within a
True circle of motion,
Like eagle rounding out the morning
Inside us,
We pray that it will be done
In beauty.
In beauty.

At the end of the paddle, we saw an eagle....who had shared the water with us. Truly, 'we are made of all this' ... A blessing to be in such good company.

Our old friend Henry, suggests being youthful is not so much about one’s age, rather about how you live…About being present to what matters …

“It is a test question affecting the youth of a person---Have you knowledge of the morning? Do you sympathize with that season of nature?”
- Thoreau’ journal, mid Summer 1851

As we move through August, what do you see, smell, feel? What enlivens you?

To pray you open your whole self
To sky, to earth, to sun, to moon
To one whole voice that is you.
And know there is more
That you can't see, can't hear;
Can't know except in moments
Steadily growing, and in languages
That aren't always sound but other
Circles of Motion.
~ Joy Harjo, excerpt’Eagle Poem’, first Native American as poet laureate of the United States, elder Muscogee and Cree Nations

photo: sky over kayak, Salem Sound, August 2026

On August 22 Pray and Paddle will be accompanied by the wisdom of Joy Harjo …

“Bless the poets, the workers for justice,
the dancers of ceremony, the singers of heartache,
the visionaries, all makers and carriers of fresh
meaning—We will all make it through,
despite politics and wars, despite failures
and misunderstandings. There is only love.”
- Joy Harjo, poet, mystic, national poet laureate, elder Muscogee and Creek Nation

Note: Paddle is full with wait list