Lists and Lima Beans: A Tactile Practice of Grief and Gratitude

Grounding: How do we make space for both sorrow and joy?

In this tender and tactile episode, Jessica David steps out of her hosting role and into practice leadership, guiding listeners through a deeply personal ritual that blends lamentation and gratitude — with help from candles and beans. Drawing inspiration from her love of list-making, Jessica offers a sensory-rich experience for naming griefs and exaltations, helping us hold the complexity of life in a climate-changed world.

Main Practice: This episode’s practice invites listeners to physically express emotions using small, everyday objects. With humor and heart, Jessica guides us through a sequence of lamentations and exaltations — statements of grief and gratitude — placing one object down for each.

Through this embodied ritual, we’re reminded that:

• Grief and joy often coexist
• Tactile practices help us stay grounded in the moment
• Honoring loss is itself a sacred, healing act
• Even impermanent gestures can hold deep meaning

This practice is accessible, creative, and well-suited for individuals, groups, and even children — with plenty of room for improvisation and personalization.

What You’ll Need:

• A candle and lighter (optional but recommended)
• A flat surface (floor, table, ground)
• Two types of small objects (8 of each)
  • One type represents grief or lamentation
  • The other represents gratitude or exaltation (Examples: beans, stones, buttons, leaves, shells)

Next Steps:

• Try the practice using what you have on hand: beans, buttons, shells, or stones
• Explore it alone or with a group
• Consider bringing it to your faith community, youth group, or a climate-related gathering

Share your experience with us: Email: [e-mail] Text or Call: 207-200-6986

Revisit the earlier practices in this series, offered by Madeline Bugeau-Heartt, Ash Temin, and Peterson Toscano.

Meet the Guest / Host: Jessica David is a Harvard Divinity School student and intern at The BTS Center. She is a curious and courageous spiritual leader who finds meaning in honest conversations, tactile rituals, and community-based exploration of climate, faith, and care. She’s also an excellent list-maker and lover of beautiful beans.

Meet the Guest / Host:

Peterson Toscano is the producer of the Climate Changed podcast and a longtime collaborator with The BTS Center. A skilled storyteller, performance artist, and climate communicator, Peterson brings creativity and depth to every episode. Learn more at his website, PetersonToscano.com

This episode concludes our Behind the Scenes mini-series — four practices for spiritual grounding in a climate-changed world. Learn more at: thebtscenter.org