Awakening to the world of soul and the soul of the world
Whatever draws those who find community here, we share at least one thing in common - the desire to encounter the sacred embodied within the natural world and in our own body. Re-membering ourselves as part of nature, as interrelated in the wild web of being, changes how we be in the world, and how we live out our daily lives. When we open to the conversations going on between our own Soul, the ground beneath our feet, the trees, birds, worms and rocks, and with each other, our sense of belonging expands our identity and our hearts.
We are not led by doctrine or dogma, but by Divine Mystery that indwells us all. The following realities shape the foundation of Church of the Wild:
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The land we gather on, and the Indigenous Peoples who lived on this land before we did, were unspeakably harmed by European colonization and white supremacy. We seek to heal this wound.
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There is a connection between justice for the earth and justice for people of color, marginalized people, and disadvantaged people. We seek justice.
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The natural world is animate, conscious and inspirited. All beings are a source of some aspect of Universal Intelligence.
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The more we get to know the living beings within our watersheds, the more we will love them and protect them.
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Restoring relationship with our Soul, with nature, with each other heals the world.
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All creatures, all of life, is interconnected physiologically, energetically, and spiritually.
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Spirituality and quantum science are pointing to the same truth with different language.
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The ecology of geographic landscapes and the ecology of our inner landscapes are connected, and healing is mutual.
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Transformed people transform culture
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In this time of unravelings, destruction, and the escalating effects of climate change, environmental and racial injustice, we realign ourselves interdependent with the rest of the world for our mutual common good. Awakening to the reality of our own sacred Soul and the sacred found in all beings, we seek to live more present to life. Shifts take place not just in our minds, but in a deeper place within, resulting in shifts around us - in our families and communities - for the healing of the world.
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“Our origins are of the earth. And so there is in us a deeply seated response to the natural universe, which is part of our humanity.” Rachel Carson
A bit about our facilitator/guide
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Valerie Luna Serrels started Shenandoah Valley Church of the Wild, with the help of her husband, Craig, in April 2017 following a series of spiritual experiences that changed her theology and spiritual awareness along with changes to her theory of social change. She walks the edges of her roots within the Christ tradition, shaped by the values of social justice and nonviolence from the Mennonite church, by her ancestral heritage within the Celtic spiritual tradition, and by the mystics. She holds an M.A. from the Center for Justice & Peacebuilding at Eastern Mennonite University focused on Restorative Justice, and is a Minister ordained by the Association for the Integration of the Whole Person. Valerie is a Reiki practitioner, a spiritual director, and a graduate of the School for Celtic Consciousness.
