Pray and Paddle

Program Details

On Lake Cochichewick we share in Lectio Divina, an ancient practice of listening to a piece of sacred wisdom, three times. Each reading includes aquestion to ponder followed by an extended time of paddling in silence. On this paddle we will be accompanied by the wisdom of poet and prophet Wendell Berry.

A prophet’s gift and calling is to know the present with such penetrating insight that the community the prophet serves gains a sense of God’s truthand will. Such is the gift of Wendell Berry a Kentucky farmer, environmental prophet and poet who calls us to connect to the Creator as we learn from and seek to be wise stewards of the natural world. Berry’s sentinel poem: ‘The Peace of Wild Things’.

About the Leaders

Kent Harrop

Kent Harrop is an avid outdoorsman and ordained American Baptist minister. He was introduced to contemplative paddling on a Zen meditation kayak trip to the Tongass Wilderness in Alaska in 2002. Since that time, Kent has enjoyed introducing both novice and experienced kayakers and canoeists to the joy of 'listening on the water'. A favorite verse is "Listen, and your soul will live." ~ Isaiah 55:3 Kent is a graduate of Andover Newton Theological School, Shalem Institute for Contemplative Leadership, and the Franciscan Spiritual Direction Certification Program. For 40 years, he pastored congregations in Montana, California, Ohio, Oregon, and Massachusetts. He leads paddling retreats for a variety of groups: Recovery, environmental, congregations, interfaith. Kent currently serves as a Spiritual Director and leads Pray and Paddle events for Rolling Ridge. Kent can be reached at kentdharrop@gmail.com.