On a beautiful sunny Friday morning in September, 11 hikers joined Bishop Mark Beckman on a Smoky Mountain adventure organized by the Diocese of Knoxville’s Care of Creation Ministry.
The group gathered at the Middle Prong trailhead near Townsend and began with a reflection from Pope Francis’ Laudato Si’ encyclical—“A Prayer For Our Earth”—and a blessing from the bishop before beginning a four-mile walk to Indian Flats Falls.
The trail, being wide and moderate, allowed for conversation and fellowship as most hikers attempted to keep up with the bishop and enjoy blessings of mind, body, and spirit.
The hike was a special event to celebrate the Season of Creation, time set aside in the ecumenical calendar (Sept. 1 through Oct. 4) to emphasize both gratitude and concern for God’s created earth and all its creatures.
Look for future Season of Creation and other events on the diocese’s Care of Creation website, dioknox.org/care-of-creation, and consider starting or joining a Creation Care Team.