The Green Devotional: Active Prayers for a Healthy Planet [Paperback]

Karen Speerstra (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1, 2010

Our planet, our home, is in crisis plain and simple and this collection of quotes, poems, essays, and prayers will inspire all to actively reverse the man-made cause of global warming, stem the tide of environmental destruction, and to reconnect to the good earth. Short essays of topical interest introduce each of the eight sections of this book, and the 250 voices inside, most of them contemporary, began to harmonize together as they seem to call out for their own canonical structure -- one bounded by the ancient elements: Earth, Air, Fire, Water. This collection of voices is like a "green book of devotional hours," reminiscent of the Books of Hours medieval people used to hold in their palms. It was called "a cathedral in your hands." And like that medieval book, The Green Devotional reminds us that we are connected to something broader and wiser than ourselves. Included are selections from such people as Rachel Carson, Cornel West, Bill McKibben, Alice Walker, Sue Monk Kidd, Dean Koontz, Barbara Kingsolver, Daniel Pinchbeck, Arundhati Roy and many others. The Green Devotional ends with a section of "Closing Prayers" that prepare us no just to go to sleep but to rest up for another day of passionate action. Printed on 100% recycled paper.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"This lovely book could be read without blushing in the company of large trees and solemn animals, and even if you're in a room somewhere they may conjure themselves up from its pages. But hopefully it will spur you out into the great world, to soak in its beauty and to defend its future!" --Bill McKibben, author of The End of Nature

About the Author

After a distinguished career in business book publishing (while at Butterworth-Heinemann, a division of Reed-Elsevier, Karen Speerstra served as Executive Director and Publisher as well as editor/creator of a line of transformative business books), Karen founded a publishing consulting business called "Sophia Serve," where she coaches and edits writers from around the country. She is also the author of several books and lives near Burlington, VT, on a small mountain, where, in addition to writing and editing, she teaches and plays the piano and gardens and tends her nationally registered Chartres-style labyrinth.

Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Conari Press (January 1, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1573244597
• ISBN-13: 978-1573244596
• Product Dimensions: 7.4 x 5.5 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,827,097 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Books and writing have been a part of my entire life--at least since second grade when I was awarded my very own copy of Pinnochio for reading the most books that year. I was a free-lance writer in Wisconsin when our two sons were young and then entered the publishing world to view that world from the other side of the desk. So, if anyone's counting, I have twenty seven years of publishing experience. Nine years of free lance writing and public relations; eighteen years in book acquisitions and management within two major publishing companies: a college textbook publisher, William C. Brown (now part of McGraw Hill) in Dubuque, Iowa, and an East Coast professional-trade/scientific, technical, medical publisher, Butterworth-Heinemann, including managing for a while, the imprint Focal Press, a division within Reed Elsevier as well as Publishing Director for the Butterworth-Heinemann technical division.

Now I'm back on the "writing side" of the desk again. My blog site, www.sophiaserve.com has information on my books to date. SophiaServe is the name of my little consulting business. I work with select clients who need "thought partnering," actual help with putting book proposals together, editing, etc. I'm busy on several websites besides my own and my next book will be about Sophia's presence in our world. Today. Sophia is only one of Her many names...Divine Feminine Wisdom. Not that I'm all that wise, mind you; I just know "She's" very important right now. For all of us.

On my website you'll also find out about another passion of mine: making one of a kind hand sewn hats from recycled wool. (mostly from sweaters). I call them Kelsey Mountain Hats named after the area in Vermont where my husband, John, and I live. You can read there about why I started making them. And view about 150 of them...depending on how many craft shows and farmer's markets I've been attending.

We have one son (Nathan) in Colorado. He helps to make people's houses safe and energy efficient. His beautiful wife Traci is a chemist and together they take loving care of our clever little granddaughter, Josie. Our other son in Gothenberg,Sweden (Joel) helps people know and understand early keyboard instruments and all things musical. He's an author and illustrator as well--in fact, my co-author on Hunab Ku:77 Sacred Symbols for Balancing Body and Spirit.

Besides gardening--mostly flowers--we have a Chartres-style labyrinth in our south meadow. Visiting ancient sites is one of our many passions. John and I love to travel and have made our way to all fifty states as well nearly everywhere in Canada. And Knossos, Delphi, Istanbul, Ephesus, Mayan sites, Alaskan fishing villages, Baltic cities... Then we happily return to central Vermont where we feel fortunate to be surrounded by "calendar art" every season of the year.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Suzie Housley, Midwest Book Review, August 8, 2010

By 

Suzie Housley (Oak Ridge, Tn United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Green Devotional: Active Prayers for a Healthy Planet (Paperback)

"Ask yourself whether the dream of heaven and greatness should be waiting for us in our graves - or whether it should be ours here and now and on this earth."

~ Ayn Rand

The world in which we live in is a majestic place to live. Its beauty can be found each day as the sun rises. In order to preserve this beauty it is our duty to respect our land and live by the philosophy that the way to love anything is to realize that it may one day be lost.

From the first pages of The Green Devotional: Active Prayers for a Healthy Planet you will discover a book that is a dedicated to showing how precious the earth is to our existence. It provides an overabundance of quotes, prayers, and chants that remind us to live ever hour to the fullest. The soothing mint green font that the book is printed in allows your eyes to relax as you begin to feel the peaceful presence that is encompassed throughout the pages.

One of the most fascinating articles I found in this book was written by Andrea Thompson and Ker Than, from their website [...]. It provides a timeline of what the earth will look like in the next 200 years. This timeline starts at 2008, and reveals shocking facts that have already come true since it was published.

The Green Devotional: Active Prayers for a Healthy Planet is a book that overflows with the beauty of the earth. It will give anyone a deeper appreciation for how precious the world we live in is; unless mankind realizes that they hold the power for future generations to experience this greatness the world as we know it could one day be in jeopardy.

Karen Speerstra's writing has opened my eyes to how much I have to do to preserve our world for future generations. I feel others who read The Green Devotional: Active Prayers for a Healthy Planet will also gain an eye opening experience. This one book could literally change the way we live in our own existence.

5.0 out of 5 stars In Faith, February 14, 2010

By 

Penny M. Hauser (Vermont) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Green Devotional: Active Prayers for a Healthy Planet (Paperback)

Yes, there is something for everyone. The quotes that speak to me are the ones of faith and power. "Our faith imposes on us a right and duty to throw ourselves into the things of earth." "...love is the most powerful and still the most unknown energy of the world." de Chardin And Frederich Buechner "The place God calls you to is the place where your deep gladness and the world's deep hunger meet." These quotes speak to me of hope and responsibility. The wide range of quotes speaks to each of us in language we can respond to of hope and responsibility. A lovely treasure to read and reread.

Penny

4.0 out of 5 stars More useful on the second read, January 14, 2010

By 

Kaeli Vandertulip (Irving, TX USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Green Devotional: Active Prayers for a Healthy Planet (Paperback)

I was originally going to rate this book lower than 4 stars because of the author's writing (more later), but I noticed that after putting the book down, I kept thinking about ways to improve my impact on the Earth and remained mindful of the effect of my actions. This is the goal of this book. The Green Devotional is written and its quotes collected from a clearly New Age mindset--there is something spiritual about all things and all faith traditions have something to contribute. It also falls into the 'Noble Savage' idea a few too many times.

I think there must be something in here for everyone (at least, something for everyone likely to be attracted to a book like this). Some of the more stirring quotes.meditations for me include:

"Blessed Goddess, hear the prayers of your children,

and make the increase of the fruits and grains your constant care,

with the fertile seasons your handmaidens,

draw near, and bless your supplicants." -This was one of the few actual prayers included.

"To forget how to dig the earth and tend the soil is to forget ourselves." -Many quotes were more like this; thoughts that could serve as motivation or ideas upon which to meditate.

There was also one I liked for my kids:

"It really isn't garbage till you mix it all together.

It really isn't garbage till you throw it away.

Just separate the plastic, paper, compost, glass and metal

And then you get to use it all another day."

But far more seemed silly inclusions, pointless, or completely random inclusions (especially in the sections she created), such as:

"An open bank account allows money to flow in. An open heart allows money to flow out. In the end, it's flowing love that counts." -Far too many quotes were random book extracts or illogical statements like this.

I really like the idea of this book and have noted some of my favorite quotes in it, so that when I want something to turn back to, I can skip some of the less poignant quotes. I also wanted to skip the introductory texts at the start of each chapter. Some were well-written or thought through. Most were a bit banal and took away from the idea of a Green Book of Hours. It was also rather distracting to have the book separated into eight sections based on elements, then to have her not follow any kind of theme within them. Oh well. It's still a good addition to any environmentalist's library and could be very useful for Unitarian ministers looking for help writing sermons.

As a random aside, for anyone who has read Margaret Atwood's The Year of the Flood: A Novel, this book struck me as something that the God's Gardeners would have used as their prayer book.