By the Rev. Kim Fox, (she/her) Province VI Representative
Updates from the UTO Formation and Development Committee

Recommended reading: “The Serviceberry: Abundance and Reciprocity in the Natural World” by Robin Wall Kimmerer, author of the bestselling book, “Braiding Sweetgrass.”

“The Serviceberry” takes its title from the berry that is common to the traditional food of the author’s Potawatomi tribe and in whose abundance Kimmerer sees a metaphor for giving: The abundance of berries yield food not just for human creatures, but for other living beings, as well. In the Native way, there is no me, but we: Sustenance is not just for the individual, but for the community. In conventional economics, the land is viewed as a resource, not as a gift to be stewarded, as Indigenous people have always known and done.

The well-being of the planet necessitates more and more a culture and practice of respect and gratitude for the gifts so freely given by serviceberries and other “natural resources” that are not meant to be depleted, but cared for. Not to have dominion over, but to serve and preserve natural gifts.

As Kimmerer so eloquently asserts, we can only flourish when that flourishing is mutual. She writes, “When we speak of [non-human beings] not as things or natural resources or commodities, but as gifts, our whole relationship to the natural world changes.”

Further, “If our first response to the receipt of gifts is gratitude, then our second is reciprocity: to give a gift in return” not out of obligation, but out of thankfulness; and in this way a healing and thriving cycle of mutual blessing can continue.

The gift economy is not one of scarcity, but abundance: “Gratitude and reciprocity are the currency of a gift economy, and they have the remarkable property of multiplying with every exchange, their energy concentrating as they pass from hand to hand, a truly renewable resource.”

Kimmerer asks us to consider our place in the world, not as consumer, but as caretaker of the gifts of Mother Earth. She reminds us that the root for “economy” comes from “home” and that this signifies relationship and a call to stewardship instead of rampant consumption and depletion that ultimately benefits no one and indeed compounds damage. 

The humble serviceberry is an example of how we can live in the world with our own service, our own giving out of love: “If the Sun is the source of flow in the economy of nature, what is the ‘Sun’ of a human gift economy, the source that constantly replenishes the flow of gifts? Maybe it is love.”

It is out of love that we will revere our plant elders and teachers and honor their gifts by giving back and not taking more than we need, only our daily bread—or berries. Kimmerer invites us to consider a society in which “status is determined not by how much one accumulates, but by how much one gives away.”

Materials for Lent 2026: Gratitude and Reciprocity

We are pleased to present our materials for Lent 2026 (you can read more about them and see all the materials here.) Our Lenten materials will focus on the themes presented in the book “The Serviceberry: Abundance and Reciprocity in the Natural World” by Robin Wall Kimmerer. Each week you’ll have a theme for reflection, gratitude, engagement, and self-care that helps ground your Lenten journey on giving thanks and giving back. 

Our Lenten materials are a bit different this year because we’ve heard from a lot of you that the materials we make for our families sometimes are more appealing than the daily reflection question. We get that! We are all busy, and sometimes doing something once a week is easier than once a day. This year the Lenten materials are formatted like a newsletter, with information about Lent on the front, the daily calendar in the middle, and the weekly activities on the back. Choose whichever process works best for you. Lenten kits will come with a faith formation lesson plan, bulletin insert, and digital kit for bulletins and newsletters…you get everything in one place. Kits ordered through our shop (you can order your kit here) will also come with a Lent 2026 bookmark and a blue seed paper butterfly that you can plant to grow wildflowers. Materials are available in English and Spanish but must be ordered by Jan. 16 to allow time for processing and shipment by Jan. 30 in order to arrive in time for Lent. 

This year we’re also bringing back some of our favorite traditions: UTO Book Group and Lenten text messages. (You can sign up for either or both here.) Our Lenten Book Group will focus on “The Serviceberry: Abundance and Reciprocity in the Natural World” by Robin Wall Kimmerer. The final week will feature a panel of Indigenous Episcopal leaders talking about the book from an Episcopal perspective as well as from their own life experiences, community teachings, histories, and beliefs. This is a panel discussion you won’t want to miss, so mark your calendars now for Tuesday, March 24, at noon Eastern time. Last year we found it helpful to record the presentations that we use to open book group so that folks can use it for small group discussions at their church. We’ll continue that tradition again this year—just be sure to register for book group to get access to those recordings as soon as they are available on Wednesday.

If you have any questions about our Lenten materials for 2026, please email Heather for more information.