A different sort of ministry sometimes begins with a call from a different sort of voice. After a 20-year career in business, Phyllis Strupp was not expecting a call to ministry from a hummingbird!
Upon moving to the Sonoran Desert in 1997, she experienced a profound spiritual awakening after a nesting female Costa's hummingbird took her under her wing and taught her something about life and death in the desert. She became intrigued with the plants and animals in this harsh land--how they do so much with so little and their amazing survival strategies.
Her spiritual connection to the desert was further strengthened by learning about the desert's role in the Bible as well as the scientific findings on evolution and the ecology of the Sonoran Desert.
To open hearts and minds to the desert, she wrote her first book entitled "The Richest of Fare: Seeking Spiritual Security in the Sonoran Desert," which won the 2005 Independent Publisher Book Award in the New Age/Mind-Body-Spirit category.
Now, her ministry is to lead programs that show how the desert and nature can enhance the wellness of mind, body and spirit. Next spring, she will lead "Sacred Secrets of Renewal: A Spring Pilgrimage to the Sonoran Desert" in conjunction with the Cathedral College at Washington National Cathedral.
She is also developing a 30-day wellness program for home use that will bring the desert's wisdom to the challenges of daily life.
Phyllis is an Education for Ministry mentor and a CREDO faculty member. Also, she chairs the newly formed Nature & Spirituality Program of the Diocese of Arizona.
Learn more about Phyllis' work at: www.desertspirituality.com
