Connections - I Am Part of God's Creation.
Debby Luquette
Anke Deibler, editor
Schedule:
2/18 - 2/24
2/25 - 3/3
3/4 - 3/10
3/11 - 3/16
3/17 - 3/21
3/23 - 3/28
3/23 - 4/4
4/6
Prologue/Introduction to the concept
Water
Food/Soil
Economy
Energy/Atmosphere/Weather Climate
Humanity
Sustainability
Epilogue
1
About This Devotional
As we go through a typical day, we rarely think about how using water, eating food, putting on a particular shirt,
etc., connects us to God's other children and the natural world. This devotional is a study meant to show us how
we humans - individually and collectively - are a part of creation. We will use the Bible as our textbook and
engage in activities to further enhance and reinforce learning.
As you begin to read through the material, it looks like this is going to be a lot of work; it seems as though it is
far too much to accomplish. In reality, it is. But no one expects you to do everything in the study. There are
activities for individuals, for families, and for groups. The activities include a range of resources - the internet,
your home, your neighborhood and your favorite outdoor places. Sometimes the activity for one day may be a
good one to do later in the week; feel free to do it as you have the opportunity.
However, you should read the material for each day. The readings and activities are arranged by topics. They
build as you progress through the topics, and the topics will all converge on the theme of how we fit in God's
creation and how we can effectively be stewards of creation. Activities reinforce learning, but as already stated,
an activity for any given day may not be practical. But one activity is important. Each Sunday is set aside to
observe a Sabbath rest, a time of refection on the readings and activities in which you participated earlier in the
week. Take time each Sunday to quietly think about the week, or with your family or study group, talk about
how the week went and new ideas and impressions you developed.
Most of all, ask God to give you wisdom, for " If any of you is lacking in wisdom, ask God, who gives to all
generously and ungrudgingly, and it will be given you." (James 1:5) . . . May God bless us in this journey
together.
- Debby Luquette
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Ash Wednesday - Prologue
“The ecological teaching of the Bible is inescapable. God made the world because God wanted it made. God
thinks the world is good and God loves it. It is God’s world; God has never relinquished title to it. God has never
revoked the conditions . . . that oblige us to care for it. If God loves the world, then how might any person of
faith be excused for not loving it or caring for it? If God loves the world, then how might any person of faith be . .
. justified in destroying it?” Dave Rhodes.
http://www.webofcreation.org/archive-of-resources/590-reading-the-bible-with-care-for-creation
A group of Lutherans, both pastors and laity, sat around a table one Saturday morning with the desire to help
share our commitment to creation with the congregations of our synod. The comment was made that too many
Lutherans do not see the connection they have with the earth and the systems which sustain life, our lives, and
the rest of God's living world. From my experience with students as a community college professor of
environmental science, I also noticed that there is a disconnect, a lack of understanding of how all creation holds
together to sustain life. As we become more and more disconnected from the earth by our modern lifestyle, our
understanding is diminished, and it becomes easier to abuse earth's life-support systems put in place by our
loving Father.
Jesus came to earth to redeem mankind from the sin that separates us from His Father. That sin affects not only
all people, but all creation, which groans, waiting to be freed from its bondage (Romans 8:22). Jesus' redemption
is helping to usher in a new creation. Our redemption makes us stewards of God's kingdom, and that includes
our planet and its life. God, our Father and the creator of all that is, gave us curiosity and intellect to help us
understand how creation works. Humans don't have all the answers yet, but enough to help us today in our role
as stewards. We don't have to be scientists and engineers to make life better for ourselves and for the rest of
earth.
As in any employment we take on in life, we need to know more than just the skills that make us suitable for
that job, we need to understand why we work a particular way to accomplish a specific outcome. We know we
have the skills for the work "God prepared beforehand to be our way of life." (Eph 2:10); they are the gifts of the
Holy Spirit. We all have vocations as stewards, and we are expected to use the gifts to fulfill that vocation in
whatever path of life we may be following. We have each other to help us encourage one another. Wherever
you are in your commitment to environmental sustainability, let this devotional challenge you to understand
your vocation and to carry it out to the best of your ability.
As you receive ashes on your forehead today and hear the words, that you are dust and you shall return to dust,
ask your heavenly Father to show you, that while you are alive, you are connected to the rest of creation and
you can be very useful dust indeed.
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Part 1. Introductory Days
Day 1 - Feb. 19, Thursday
Psalm 65
1
Praise is due to you,
O God, in Zion;
and to you shall vows be performed,
2
O you who answer prayer!
To you all flesh shall come.
3
When deeds of iniquity overwhelm us,
you forgive our transgressions.
4
Happy are those whom you choose and bring near
to live in your courts.
We shall be satisfied with the goodness of your house,
your holy temple.
5
By awesome deeds you answer us with deliverance,
O God of our salvation;
you are the hope of all the ends of the earth
and of the farthest seas.
6
By your strength you established the mountains;
you are girded with might.
7
You silence the roaring of the seas,
the roaring of their waves,
the tumult of the peoples.
8
Those who live at earth’s farthest bounds are awed by your signs;
you make the gateways of the morning and the evening shout for joy.
9
You visit the earth and water it,
you greatly enrich it;
the river of God is full of water;
you provide the people with grain,
for so you have prepared it.
10
You water its furrows abundantly,
settling its ridges,
softening it with showers,
and blessing its growth.
11
You crown the year with your bounty;
your wagon tracks overflow with richness.
12
The pastures of the wilderness overflow,
the hills gird themselves with joy,
13
the meadows clothe themselves with flocks,
the valleys deck themselves with grain,
they shout and sing together for joy.
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I'm not going to make comments on this reading. I'm going to let you do that. Spend a few minutes praying this
Psalm to God; give special attention to each verse that is rich in meaning for you.
Activity:
Make a list of everything that surrounds you - not just your stuff, but people and locations, too. Add all the
activities you do during a typical week - work, school, sports, etc. Think about why they are important to you,
why these people, places and things give your life meaning.
First thank God for all his care for you and the things you love, all those things that give your life meaning.
Now, put an star in front of ten of them. Think about what would change in your life if they were no longer
there. Can you think of anything that could cause these starred things, places, activities to cease to exist? Can
you think of ways you might try to protect these things, keep them from changing?
(Keep this list. We'll be using it again during the time of this devotion.)
Day 2 Feb. 20, Friday
Luke 15:4 & 8
4
“Which one of you, having a hundred sheep and losing one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the
wilderness and go after the one that is lost until he finds it? . . . 8 “Or what woman having ten silver coins, if she
loses one of them, does not light a lamp, sweep the house, and search carefully until she finds it?
God gives us many good thing - everything we need to live our life. Martin Luther comments on them in the
Small Catechism: "I believe that God has made me and all creatures; that He has given me my body and soul,
eyes, ears and all my members, my reason and all my senses, and still preserves them; that He richly and daily
provides me with food and clothing, home and family, property and goods, and all that I need to support this
body and life; that He protects me from all danger, guards and keeps me from all evil; and all this purely out of
fatherly, divine goodness and mercy, without any merit or worthiness in me; for all which I am in duty bound to
thank and praise, to serve and obey Him. This is most certainly true."
(http://www.evangelicallutheransynod.org/beliefs/luthers-small-catechism/part-2-the-apostles-creed/)
Martin Luther lived over five centuries ago, and life was a bit different then. Yet we cannot deny that we have
many of the same needs which God provides, and more besides, if we are to remain mobile and connected.
Martin Luther, and most people alive up to about the beginning of the Industrial Revolution, had more sense of
connection with the natural world. Once people became insulated from the earth, they began to lose touch with
weather, forests, rivers, animal life, etc. This study is meant to help you reconnect to the natural world, to see
your place as part of creation.
Activity:
Think about what your life would be like without a few of your favorites from the list you made yesterday.
(Make this something or some place; don't remove the people you love from your life!)
Does this change the circumstances of your life? How? Do you need to change how you continue an activity?
Does it disrupt your life? Does it disrupt your lifestyle?
How might this change happen, or what caused the circumstance to change? A natural disaster? A disruption of
services (water, electricity, wifi, etc.)?
Now, thank God for the life and livelihood that He lovingly controls, the stability He gives us in order to live our
lives as His children.
5
Day 3 Feb. 21, Saturday
Here is an example of God's care and guidance for His children, the Israelites, as they crossed the desert on their
way to the Promised Land:
Deuteronomy 2:2-7
2
Then the LORD said to me: 3 “You have been skirting this hill country long enough. Head north, 4 and charge the
people as follows: You are about to pass through the territory of your kindred, the descendants of Esau, who live
in Seir. They will be afraid of you, so, be very careful 5 not to engage in battle with them, for I will not give you
even so much as a foot’s length of their land, since I have given Mount Seir to Esau as a possession. 6 You shall
purchase food from them for money, so that you may eat; and you shall also buy water from them for money, so
that you may drink. 7 Surely the LORD your God has blessed you in all your undertakings; he knows your going
through this great wilderness. These forty years the LORD your God has been with you; you have lacked nothing.”
This is just a short example of God's care for the wandering Israelites during their journey from slavery in Egypt
to freedom in the Promised Land. Do you see how God took care of the Israelites for forty years?
Activity:
Draw a timeline of your life. Note important events in your life that formed who you are today, that changed
your circumstances.
You saw how God took care of the Israelites for forty years. Can you see how God has taken care of you? Don't
limit your list of blessings to the material things He has given you, but look at your circumstances, too.
Feb. 22, Sunday - The Day of Worship and Reflection - 1st Sunday in Lent
A Jewish tradition holds that honoring the Sabbath goes beyond worshipping and learning in the synagogue and
obeying all those regulations. The Sabbath is a day of rest, a day which is more than sitting with our feet up and
physically resting, as much as we need it in our crazy, busy lives. The Sabbath is a time to reflect on God and His
goodness in our lives and the lives of others. If the weather is favorable go outside. If being inside is better, sit by
a window and look at some of the activity outdoors - clouds, rain or snow, birds, children playing, etc. Reflect on
this week's exercises and what you learned from them.
Day 4 Feb. 23, Monday
Genesis 1: 1-28
1 In the beginning when God created the heavens and the earth, 2 the earth was a formless void and darkness
covered the face of the deep, while a wind from God swept over the face of the waters. 3 Then God said, “Let
there be light”; and there was light. 4 And God saw that the light was good; and God separated the light from the
darkness. 5 God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was
morning, the first day.
6
And God said, “Let there be a dome in the midst of the waters, and let it separate the waters from the waters.”
So God made the dome and separated the waters that were under the dome from the waters that were above
the dome. And it was so. 8 God called the dome Sky. And there was evening and there was morning, the second
day.
7
6
9
And God said, “Let the waters under the sky be gathered together into one place, and let the dry land appear.”
And it was so. 10 God called the dry land Earth, and the waters that were gathered together he called Seas. And
God saw that it was good. 11 Then God said, “Let the earth put forth vegetation: plants yielding seed, and fruit
trees of every kind on earth that bear fruit with the seed in it.” And it was so. 12 The earth brought forth
vegetation: plants yielding seed of every kind, and trees of every kind bearing fruit with the seed in it. And God
saw that it was good. 13 And there was evening and there was morning, the third day.
14
And God said, “Let there be lights in the dome of the sky to separate the day from the night; and let them be
for signs and for seasons and for days and years, 15 and let them be lights in the dome of the sky to give light
upon the earth.” And it was so. 16 God made the two great lights—the greater light to rule the day and the lesser
light to rule the night—and the stars. 17 God set them in the dome of the sky to give light upon the earth, 18 to
rule over the day and over the night, and to separate the light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good.
19
And there was evening and there was morning, the fourth day.
20
And God said, “Let the waters bring forth swarms of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across
the dome of the sky.” 21 So God created the great sea monsters and every living creature that moves, of every
kind, with which the waters swarm, and every winged bird of every kind. And God saw that it was good. 22 God
blessed them, saying, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the
earth.” 23 And there was evening and there was morning, the fifth day.
24
And God said, “Let the earth bring forth living creatures of every kind: cattle and creeping things and wild
animals of the earth of every kind.” And it was so. 25 God made the wild animals of the earth of every kind, and
the cattle of every kind, and everything that creeps upon the ground of every kind. And God saw that it was
good.
26
Then God said, “Let us make humankind in our image, according to our likeness; and let them have dominion
over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the wild animals of the
earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth.”
27
So God created humankind in his image,
in the image of God he created them;
male and female he created them.
The words "In the beginning . . . " are rich in meaning when referring to the opening words of the Bible. We
know God created the universe, that there was a beginning to all that we have the power to see and
understand. We realize there are things in this universe that are beyond the comprehension of the most astute
astronomers, things that we may understand someday but we take on faith today. Biochemists plumb the
depths of cell activity to see how life is formed and maintained, but how it came to be cannot be described in
the vocabulary of science today. Before there was a universe, there was chaos, and God formed what we
experience as the universe from that chaos. The most important concept we can draw from God's action is that
God ordered the chaos; our God gives order to the universe.
Activity:
What is the one question you would like God to answer about creation or how it works? Why is that question
important to you?
If the night sky is clear, walk outside and look up. Can you stand in awe of the immenseness of the sky?
(Hmmm . . . You probably know you aren't seeing all that should be visible. Is there a problem?)
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Day 5 Feb. 24, Tuesday
Genesis 1:27-30
27
So God created humankind in his image,
in the image of God he created them;
male and female he created them.
28
God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it; and have
dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the air and over every living thing that moves upon the
earth.” 29 God said, “See, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is upon the face of all the earth, and
every tree with seed in its fruit; you shall have them for food. 30 And to every beast of the earth, and to every
bird of the air, and to everything that creeps on the earth, everything that has the breath of life, I have given
every green plant for food.”
Humans are made in God's image. Two concepts are put forth here. First, we are created in God's image, and
second, we are given work to do , similar to God's work. Our work? Similar to God's work? Think about
everything you do in a typical day, from brushing your teeth to sweeping the floor, to your tasks as a student or
an employee or an employer. God gave Adam and Eve the task of maintaining the garden, maintaining creation.
In the same way we are given the task to maintain the creation in the place where we are, doing the tasks for
which He has gifted us through the Holy Spirit.
Activity:
It's February and you may not be ready to go outside and find plants growing. If you look, though, right about
now is when maple sap is beginning to flow, and they will bud soon. But we can bring some plant life inside,
tending a little patch of Eden. Get a plant and maintain it until Easter - and beyond! Grow a garden! Everyone
can grow some herbs in a pot on a windowsill, including most windowsills in the city. Seeds are available at
garden centers now. If your windowsills are dim, use an LED light indoors. (LED lights have emit wavelengths of
light that encourage photosynthesis and plant growth.)
(This is a good Sunday School activity, as well.)
Week 2 - Water
Day 6 Feb. 25, Wednesday
Gen 1:6-10, 20
6
And God said, “Let there be a dome in the midst of the waters, and let it separate the waters from the waters.”
7
So God made the dome and separated the waters that were under the dome from the waters that were above
the dome. And it was so. 8 God called the dome Sky. And there was evening and there was morning, the second
day.
9
And God said, “Let the waters under the sky be gathered together into one place, and let the dry land appear.”
And it was so. 10 God called the dry land Earth, and the waters that were gathered together he called Seas. And
God saw that it was good . . . 20 And God said, “Let the waters bring forth swarms of living creatures, and let birds
fly above the earth across the dome of the sky.”
How did God ever imagine a substance like water? It is a strange molecule in its size and shape, in its polarity
(it has a positively charged side and a negatively charged side), and in the fact that on earth it can exist in three
8
states of matter - solid ice, liquid 'water,' and a vapor - all at the same time. Water is the basis of life on earth;
life came into being first in water.
Water is a substance that we use every day; indeed, we cannot live without it. But how often do we use it
without even thinking about it? From a chemist's perspective, it is a molecule with characteristics that make it
unique. There is almost nothing else like it on earth. It attracts many other substances, including itself, while
repelling a number of molecules. Many of the molecules water attracts are necessary for life, and even some of
the molecules that are repelled by water make them necessary for life too. The cells that make up your body are
full of dissolved materials, and the reactions that keep cells functioning need to happen in a water environment.
At the same time, cells are encased in a water repellant material that can regulate what goes into the cell and
what is expelled.
Thank God for His infinite wisdom in creating a substance like water.
Activity:
For most of your life, perhaps for all of it, you may never have thought about water. Today I want you to think
about water. Make a list of every time you used water or had contact with it throughout the day. That means
every use and contact . . . It might help if you go through your house and in each room look for where you use
water, especially the kitchen, bathroom, and laundry area.
Day 7 Feb. 26, Thursday
The ancients may not have known about the "water cycle," but they did understand the movement of water.
Deut 11:11-12
11
But the land that you are crossing over to occupy is a land of hills and valleys, watered by rain from the sky, 12 a
land that the LORD your God looks after. The eyes of the LORD your God are always on it, from the beginning of
the year to the end of the year.
Job 36:27-29
27
For he draws up the drops of water;
he distills his mist in rain,
28
which the skies pour down
and drop upon mortals abundantly.
29
Can anyone understand the spreading of the clouds,
the thunderings of his pavilion?
At some point in our education, we learned about the water cycle. (If you need to review, look at a copy on
line. A good example is at http://water.usgs.gov/edu/watercyclekids/watercycle-kids-beg.jpg It's meant for
grade schoolers, but it does show some interactions you may have forgotten, like how water moves through
soil.) Take time to review the water cycle.
Water is not a stagnant substance. Like everything else on earth, it is pulled downhill by gravity, not just on
land to the oceans, but also through soil. Sometimes plants will take up this water and it evaporates from pores
in their leaves. Sometimes it reaches the aquifer that supplies your well. As water runs downhill along the
ground surfaces, it can enter streams that eventually make their way to a reservoir, your drinking water source if
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you live in a large community. And if the water goes unimpeded, it can reach the ocean. And, as mentioned
earlier, water dissolves many chemicals - ions and molecules - in it. As it flows downhill or through the soil,
chemicals dissolve in it. Some are necessary, like nutrients plants need. Some are excessive, as when too many
nutrients are in the soil and plants cannot use all of them. Even too much of a good chemical can become a
pollutant. And there are some wastes from human activities (and a few natural processes, too) that become
pollutants, making water unsafe for life.
Activity:
Trace a drop of water that falls near your house, uphill from it if possible. This works easier if you have a sheet of
paper (scrap paper, the back side of a used sheet, is fine) and draw the path from the point it hits a tree or the
ground, and makes its way to the Chesapeake Bay. Be sure to consider all the ways that drop can encounter
something human in origin - oil on a driveway, a reservoir that supplies your house (then what does it
encounter in your house?), sewage (does it go to a septic tank or a treatment plant?), and so on . . .
Day 8 Feb. 27, Friday
Drawing water:
Genesis 24
Abraham's servant sits by the spring outside of Nahor when the young women come to draw water for their
households.
Watering fields:
Job 5:9-10
9
He does great things and unsearchable,
marvelous things without number.
10
He gives rain on the earth
and sends waters on the fields;
Water for food:
Isa 30:23-24
23
He will give rain for the seed with which you sow the ground, and grain, the produce of the ground, which will
be rich and plenteous. On that day your cattle will graze in broad pastures; 24 and the oxen and donkeys that till
the ground will eat silage, which has been winnowed with shovel and fork.
Water for livestock:
1 Kings 18:5-6
5
Then Ahab said to Obadiah, “Go through the land to all the springs of water and to all the wadis; perhaps we
may find grass to keep the horses and mules alive, and not lose some of the animals.” 6 So they divided the land
between them to pass through it; Ahab went in one direction by himself, and Obadiah went in another direction
by himself.
The activities of the last two days have made you aware that our encounters with water are many. We use it
for a lot of things - nourishing us; washing ourselves, clothes, dishes; keeping animals, plants and gardens alive
when rain cannot supply enough; a valued part of our landscape for recreation and aesthetics; removing our
wastes . . . We see that we cannot live without it, and not just because our bodies require it.
Take a moment to thank God for water that we have, and that in the eastern US we have more water than we
need. (This is currently true, but this will change as development brings more need to our area and more
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infrastructure is necessary to clean water and distribute it. ) Ask God to help you be more aware of how you use
water, and what you can do to insure water quality for everyone in your area.
Activity:
Read the brochure, Using Water Wisely in the Home, published by the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Link: http://esa21.kennesaw.edu/activities/water-use/using-water-wisely-epa.pdf
Go through your house and see if there are ways that water is being wasted - water running while it's not
actually being used? (Does the water need to run while you are brushing your teeth, or only while you are
rinsing your mouth and toothbrush? Is the laundry or dishwasher load full? Are there any leaks? Was the outside
hose left running? Anything else?) Even in your home wasted water costs you money and energy, constantly
refilling your tank if you have a well, or making your water use - and water bill - higher if you are on 'city water.'
Target at least one habit you can change, or one problem you can fix, to decrease your water use.
Day 9 - Feb. 28, Sat.
Genesis 2:10-14
10
A river flows out of Eden to water the garden, and from there it divides and becomes four branches. 11 The
name of the first is Pishon; it is the one that flows around the whole land of Havilah, where there is gold; 12 and
the gold of that land is good; bdellium and onyx stone are there. 13 The name of the second river is Gihon; it is
the one that flows around the whole land of Cush. 14 The name of the third river is Tigris, which flows east of
Assyria. And the fourth river is the Euphrates.
To the ancients who were reciting this story to their clans, possibly around the fire at night, this was the extent
of the world they knew. The concept was that God provided water for the entire earth. In our days of satellite
imagery, we can not only map bodies of water and water movements, we can tell where in the world
precipitation is falling and how much. We can also compare this data over days and decades, and using
information in nature, like tree rings, over centuries.
Worldwide, water is the one resource that may become the most limiting to human populations, even before
fossil fuels resources are depleted. Clean water is already limiting in many drought prone and desert areas. In
poor nations, retrieving water usually falls on the women and children of a family, limiting opportunity for
educating children and limiting economic opportunity for women. Clean water availability is a factor in
maintaining health; water polluted with disease bacteria, viruses and parasites kill children. The World Health
Organization sates: "Contaminated water can transmit diseases such as diarrhea, cholera, dysentery, typhoid
and polio. Contaminated drinking-water is estimated to cause more than 500 000 diarrheal deaths each year."
(http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs391/en/, retrieved 10/7/14)
Activity:
Read the web site for Lutheran World Relief regarding water and water related programs:
http://programs.lwr.org/water
and
http://lwr.org/ourwork/water
This week as part of the Sunday School or Sunday Fellowship, set up a short term mission project with other
members of the congregation that are using this Lenten Devotional Guide to make a congregational donation for
a LWR water project. Plan an activity - perhaps a small donation (for a week, month, or the rest of Lent), or a
pledge to take the money from one morning coffee bought on the way to work - and give it to the project. Start
this week, announce it during the time the collection would be made, make posters or a banner. Be sure to
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select one person who will be the organizer to collect and send the funds. Be sure to clear it with your pastor,
church council, stewardship committee or whichever group has authority in this area.
March 1 - The Day of Worship and Reflection - 2nd Sunday in Lent
As a reminder, the Sabbath is a day of rest, a day which is more than sitting with our feet up and physically
resting, as much as we need it in our crazy, busy lives. The Sabbath is a time to reflect on God and His goodness
in our lives and the lives of others. We have engaged in many activities that are meant to engage you in getting
to know the earth and how we interact with the resources God intended it to provides. You might even be
engaged in raising money to help children and their families overseas cope with the lack of good, clean water.
Reflect on the gift of abundant clean water available to you today and to think about where our water comes
from and how it gets from us to the Chesapeake Bay, including what happen to it along the way.
Day 10 - Mon. March 2
Ex 15:22-27 - Polluted Water
22
Then Moses ordered Israel to set out from the Red Sea, and they went into the wilderness of Shur. They went
three days in the wilderness and found no water. 23 When they came to Marah, they could not drink the water of
Marah because it was bitter. That is why it was called Marah. 24 And the people complained against Moses,
saying, “What shall we drink?” 25 He cried out to the LORD; and the LORD showed him a piece of wood; he threw it
into the water, and the water became sweet.
There the LORD made for them a statute and an ordinance and there he put them to the test. 26 He said, “If you
will listen carefully to the voice of the LORD your God, and do what is right in his sight, and give heed to his
commandments and keep all his statutes, I will not bring upon you any of the diseases that I brought upon the
Egyptians; for I am the LORD who heals you.”
27
Then they came to Elim, where there were twelve springs of water and seventy palm trees; and they camped
there by the water.
God enabled Moses to clean the undrinkable water at the well in the Wilderness of Shur. God gives us the ability
to learn about water, to gain the necessary knowledge and use wisdom to make a polluted resource usable.
Unless we have the education and an organization behind us, we cannot clean polluted water over an entire
watershed. But we are accountable for the water that runs over land for which we are responsible. We can
build and maintain rain gardens (bioretention areas) to clean water flowing down hill across our property. It is
easier to prevent this type of pollution to start with. We should think of ourselves as God's hands and feet in
performing His work on earth.
Most of us live in the Chesapeake Bay watershed, and organizations associated with protecting the Bay will give
you a lot of information about land use and water quality. (The ideas work if you live in the Delaware Bay
watershed or the Ohio River watershed, too.) Activities that occur within our house or in our yard will affect the
water of the Bay less because of processing by a septic tank or a sewage treatment facility. What happens
outside your home has a bigger impact. While most of the nutrients, bacteria and other chemicals can be
removed by effective sewage treatment, what falls on our lawns and driveways has no effective filtration.
Nutrients - that is, fertilizers - are removed if plants can use them; the rest run off in surface or ground water,
creating oxygen-depleted dead zones in the Bay.
12
Activity:
Here is a link to an University of Maryland Extension Service brochure telling us about controlling 'pollution' we
might cause around our house. Take a look at it:
http://extension.umd.edu/sites/default/files/_docs/programs/bay-wise/BW-Yardstick5pager.pdf
Since it is still winter we won't be engaged in many of these lawn care activities, but now might be a good time
to think of taking care of our property using sensible techniques. After you read this brochure, take a look
around your property and give yourself credit (a check, or an inch on the yardstick) for good practices. Think
about improvements that will help your property be more "Bay-wise."
Day 11 March 3 - Tuesday Water pollution
Jeremiah 18:12-17
12
But they say, “It is no use! We will follow our own plans, and each of us will act according to the stubbornness
of our evil will.”
13
Therefore thus says the LORD:
Ask among the nations:
Who has heard the like of this?
The virgin Israel has done
a most horrible thing.
14
Does the snow of Lebanon leave
the crags of Sirion?
Do the mountain waters run dry,
the cold flowing streams?
15
But my people have forgotten me,
they burn offerings to a delusion;
they have stumbled in their ways,
in the ancient roads,
and have gone into bypaths,
not the highway,
16
making their land a horror,
a thing to be hissed at forever.
All who pass by it are horrified
and shake their heads.
17
Like the wind from the east,
I will scatter them before the enemy.
I will show them my back, not my face,
in the day of their calamity.
How did we get to the point where we are polluting our water, air, soil and even our homes? Our parents
certainly did their best to raise us to be considerate and clean up after ourselves. Is it that we don't think about
the effect our actions have on one another, much less the environment? Bill Holland, the manager of the Little
Patuxent Waste Water Reclamation Plant (sewage treatment for eastern Howard Co.) says, "We are a flush-andforget society." We don't want to live with our waste, in whatever form, so we hide ourselves from it. If we don't
live near the factory that makes our computer, we won't see the acids and heavy metals seeping into the ground
and into the river next to the factory. But be sure you find out where your farm raised tilapia came from!
13
In the reading above, Jeremiah sees the devastation the people of Judah are making of their own land, the
land of 'milk and honey' prepared by God and given to His people Israel. Because they strayed from His
Commandments and began making idols to replace Him as God, they began to get careless in how they cared for
the good land God gave them. What idols are we following? Or are we just getting so busy that we forget God?
(Isn't that an idol, too?) Perhaps we should stop and rethink even the simplest activities we carry out. Thoughtless activity is replacing "praying without ceasing," (1 Thes 5:17), and that will lead us back to caring for one
another and God's creation.
Activity:
The simplest activities we do every day usually involve some personal care or household product - hand soap,
dish detergent, degreasers, etc. What is in them? Over the years, some of their formulations have changed,
removing phosphates that cause algal blooms, for instance. But do we know what is in some of these products?
Most of them don't list their ingredients, but where do we find out what's in them? (To be fair, most products
used to list their ingredients, but they have been replaced with more safety information, in both English and
Spanish.)
Find a few products around the house you really like. Think about why you like them - the aroma? the feel on
your hands? it works? your mother used it? Look up the following web sites:
a.) for household cleaners: http://www.ewg.org/guides/cleaners
On the home page there is a line with "Search more than 2000 products." Enter your product there, by brand
and name (for instance "Lysol bathroom cleaner), then click on "search." Since there are several products fitting
this category, scroll through the choices until you find yours.
(This index seems a little finicky, you may have to use a general product type and find the specific product in the
list it gives you.)
Click on the picture of the product to the left or the underlined name. You will get a list of the health and
environmental concerns for the product, if any. These cleaners are rated on a scale of A (least risky) to F (most
hazardous). Scroll down and you get a list of ingredients in the product and their relative hazard. Click on one
or more of the ingredients to see their ratings.
(If you are really ambitious, look up one or more of the chemical ingredients in wikipedia to find out its chemical
nature.)
b.) for personal care products: http://www.ewg.org/skindeep/
On the home page, enter the name of the brand and product, such as 'Pert Shampoo.' Click on search. Find the
product that you use in the list they provide.
The product gets a score, based on a scale of 0 (least hazardous) to 10 (most hazardous)
Click on the picture of the product to the left. You will get a list of the health and environmental concerns for
the product, if any. Scroll down and you get a list of ingredients in the product and their relative hazard.
(If you are really ambitious, look up one or more of the chemical ingredients in wikipedia to find out its chemical
nature.)
Once you have investigated the product, or products, do you feel you should continue to use this product? Go
back to the question you answered first - Why do you like the product? Is it worth changing what you use?
(This was an exercise I developed for environmental science students.)
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Day 12
March 4, Wednesday
Water
Ezek 47:6-12
6
He said to me, “Mortal, have you seen this?”
Then he led me back along the bank of the river. 7 As I came back, I saw on the bank of the river a great many
trees on the one side and on the other. 8 He said to me, “This water flows toward the eastern region and goes
down into the Arabah; and when it enters the sea, the sea of stagnant waters, the water will become fresh.
9
Wherever the river goes, every living creature that swarms will live, and there will be very many fish, once
these waters reach there. It will become fresh; and everything will live where the river goes. 10 People will stand
fishing beside the sea from En-gedi to En-eglaim; it will be a place for the spreading of nets; its fish will be of a
great many kinds, like the fish of the Great Sea. 11 But its swamps and marshes will not become fresh; they are to
be left for salt. 12 On the banks, on both sides of the river, there will grow all kinds of trees for food. Their leaves
will not wither nor their fruit fail, but they will bear fresh fruit every month, because the water for them flows
from the sanctuary. Their fruit will be for food, and their leaves for healing.”
We can think about our watershed - for most of us, it will be the Chesapeake Bay or Delaware Bay. But closer to
home we live within the watershed of a river that flows into one of these bays. Do you know where it starts,
where its headwaters are? As a river increases in size, the amount of life that it should be able to support
increases as well. But, the May 2014 report card for the Chesapeake Bay health shows the rivers I live near are
not doing well - the Patuxent River got a D (up from the F awarded 3 years earlier) and the Patapsco River
maintained a steady D-. Will we be able to turn our rivers into the Rivers of Life they were created to be?
(http://www.chesapeakebay.net/blog/keyword/report_card Retrieved 10/7/14)
The answer is going to depend on us. In all our dealings, as responsible home owners doing the best we can for
God's creation, to maintaining a political climate that fosters care for God's creation and God's children
(remember that watermen make their living using the Chesapeake Bay as a resource), we are called to have
responsible dominion over creation, not domination.
Activity:
For which ever Bay you live near, what resources do
you get from it? Food? Recreation? Transport of some of
your possessions? If for some reason the Bay could no
longer be used for this resource, how would your life
change? There are many forms of pollution that can
affect the resource. For beauty or for food, the answer
may be obvious. But even if you only own a car that
came to your dealership through the port of Baltimore
or Philadelphia, transportation can be disrupted if the
shipping channel fills in from sediment, a form of
pollution.
Consider how your Bay affects your life; that's an
environmental service. What could disrupt that
environmental service the Bay performs? Check the pie
chart at the right for the most common forms of
nitrogen pollution. Other forms of pollution have one or
more of the same sources. Can you eliminate one or
more sources of pollution which you generate?
15
http://www.epa.gov/airtrends/2010/graphics/Nitrogen
LoadingtoChesapeakeBay.gif
Week 3 - Food/Soil
Day 13 March 4 Wednesday
Genesis 1:9-12
9
And God said, “Let the waters under the sky be gathered together into one place, and let the dry land appear.”
And it was so. 10 God called the dry land Earth, and the waters that were gathered together he called Seas. And
God saw that it was good. 11 Then God said, “Let the earth put forth vegetation: plants yielding seed, and fruit
trees of every kind on earth that bear fruit with the seed in it.” And it was so. 12 The earth brought forth
vegetation: plants yielding seed of every kind, and trees of every kind bearing fruit with the seed in it. And God
saw that it was good.
The Israelites who told this story had a much closer relationship to the land than we do today. They probably
didn't refer to the soil as 'dirt,' and they probably didn't treat it like a platform on which food was grown and
taken. I also doubt that they could look at a handful of soil and realize that it is filled with atoms and molecules
that nurture the plants that grow in it, that it supports all sorts of bacteria and fungi that help move these
nourishing chemicals into the plants that need them. It's all part of what we call a "nutrient cycle."
The ancient Israelites did understand enough about their environment and soil conditions to take measures to
maintain healthy soil. We don't have any evidence from the Bible, but most cultures did replenish the soil with
animal manures. The Bible tells us in Leviticus that the soil was to be given a Sabbath every seven years, just as
people get a Sabbath every seven days. In dry climates like Israel's, this helped redistribute the minerals that
accumulate near the soil surface and keep plants from growing well.
left: http://www.goes-r.gov/education/comet/hydro/basic/HydrologicCycle/print_version/04-surface_water.htm
right: http:// http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/detailfull/soils/health/biology/?cid=nrcs142p2_053868
Activity:
Go outside and get a handful of soil, assuming it's not wet or frozen. Place it on a clean white surface, like a
piece of paper, if it's dry enough to handle. You may have to get the sample today and look at it tomorrow. See
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what's there and make a list of everything you see. Use a magnifying glass if you have one, since several things in
the soil are just barely visible to our eyes. Keep in mind that many things are invisible to our eyes - soil bacteria
and fungi - scientists need special techniques to find them. They are even good microbes (not germs), and they
are necessary to keep the nutrient cycles going.
Day 14 March 5 Thursday
Joel 2: 21-24,26
21
Do not fear, O soil;
be glad and rejoice,
for the LORD has done great things!
22
Do not fear, you animals of the field,
for the pastures of the wilderness are green;
the tree bears its fruit,
the fig tree and vine give their full yield.
23
O children of Zion, be glad
and rejoice in the LORD your God;
for he has given the early rain for your vindication,
he has poured down for you abundant rain,
the early and the later rain, as before.
24
The threshing floors shall be full of grain,
the vats shall overflow with wine and oil . . .
26
You shall eat in plenty and be satisfied,
and praise the name of the LORD your God,
who has dealt wondrously with you.
This passage was written by the prophet Joel who predicted that after a time of famine, aggravated by the
destruction of crops by insect pests,there would be a time of plenty of food for everyone. When God sends the
rain the fields will be green, trees and grapevines will be loaded down with fruit, and all the animals, not just
domesticated animals that provide food, would have plenty. What were the people supposed to do in response
to God's abundant provision? Be glad and rejoice!
The people who lived in biblical times had a much closer relationship to the earth than most of us do today.
Some of us still farm, or maybe have a vegetable garden. Some of us may even go to farmers' markets, pickyour-own farms, or farm stands to get some of our food. When we meet the farmers who provide us with food,
we can talk to them about how food is grown. We will gain a better understanding of how God uses these
people to provide for His children. That doesn't mean you cannot understand more about where your food
comes from if you get it from a supermarket. It just means you have to think about it; maybe you can find a
video on-line featuring an interview with farmers.
Activity:
What did you eat for dinner, lunch or breakfast today? Do you know where the food came from?
Write a table grace and use it at your next family meal. Be sure to thank God for the people He used to provide
it. (If it didn't come from your backyard, you should say thanks for the people who drove it from the farm to the
store or farm market, and then to your house!) If you are using this devotion as a family, write the grace as a
family effort.
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Day 15 March 6 Friday
Deut 30:8-10
8
Then you shall again obey the LORD, observing all his commandments that I am commanding you today, 9 and
the LORD your God will make you abundantly prosperous in all your undertakings, in the fruit of your body, in the
fruit of your livestock, and in the fruit of your soil. For the LORD will again take delight in prospering you, just as
he delighted in prospering your ancestors, 10 when you obey the LORD your God by observing his commandments
and decrees that are written in this book of the law, because you turn to the LORD your God with all your heart
and with all your soul.
The ancient Israelites were an agrarian culture; their abundant life came from tilling the soil and raising
livestock. It's natural that blessings like the one above would feature abundance in food production. Since we
are now removed from our sources of food, we often don't think of abundance this way. But should we? We
know we cannot live without wholesome food and clean water, but we don't think about where it comes from.
In fact, sometimes we look at food as medicine. We eat five servings of colorful fruits and vegetables loaded
with antioxidants, five servings of grain, etc., to be sure we stay healthy.
Food does provide nutrients, and we need those nutrients to lead a healthy life. We saw that soil is important to
the health of plants that nourish us, and healthy plants from good soil give us better nutrition. Producing food
also takes energy. Plants take carbon dioxide from the air, and water and minerals from the soil. They use the
sunlight energy and chemicals to build the molecules they need to grow. We can get our energy and nutrients
from the plants when we eat them. We can also feed the plants to animals so they can grow and produce food
for us. (Farming also takes energy in the form of fossil fuels to run machinery and to make fertilizers, herbicides
and pesticides. We'll look at this later.) For now, consider where you are in the agricultural food web.
Vegetables,
Fruits, Grains, etc.
PEOPLE, PETS
PLANTS
Pasture, Grain,
Dairy cattle, Egg layers,
Livestock for meat
Activity:
Look at the fact sheet: http://css.snre.umich.edu/css_doc/CSS01-06.pdf
Read the "Patterns of Use" facts.
- From the Agricultural Production section, what is one fact that surprises you? Why?
- From the Consumption Patterns section, what is one fact that surprises you? Why?
Then, looking at the Material Flow diagram, you can get an idea of how energy flow works. Notice all the sources
of energy going into food production, and all the energy that becomes food products we consume:
 In this depiction the energy is 100% God-provided sunlight energy.
 When we follow the energy that becomes plant products - grains and vegetables - there are losses, but
not much.
 When we consider the plant energy that goes into producing meat, dairy and eggs, there is a
tremendous loss of energy. In fact, a little over 80% of the energy contained in the plants goes into
18
animal products. (This is almost twice as efficient as nature. This works because of the additional energy
people provide in fossil fuel use to maintain agricultural production.)
Summarize in a sentence or two (more if you are inclined) what this means to you as a consumer of food.
Day 16 March 7 Saturday
Leviticus 26:14-16a, 19b-20
14
But if you will not obey me, and do not observe all these commandments, 15 if you spurn my statutes, and
abhor my ordinances, so that you will not observe all my commandments, and you break my covenant, 16 I in
turn will do this to you: . . . 19bI will make your sky like iron and your earth like copper. 20 Your strength shall be
spent to no purpose: your land shall not yield its produce, and the trees of the land shall not yield their fruit.
Would farmers today be subject to the commandments laid out in the Old Testament? Things are so much
different today. Modern agriculture uses large equipment, fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides. And they must if
they are to produce food on huge industrial farms; it's the practical only way to farm these large tracts of land.
Many farmers are also caught in a financial bind; they need to farm large tracts to pay for the land, the modern
equipment, fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides.
From the U Michigan fact sheet:
 Despite a tenfold increase in insecticide use between 1945 and 1989, crop losses due to insect damage
nearly doubled.
 In 2007, 1.73 billion tons of topsoil was lost to erosion, equal to about 200,000 tons each hour. (Much of
this ends up in the Gulf of Mexico, creating a large dead zone.)
 Many parts of the U.S., including agricultural regions, are experiencing groundwater depletion
(withdrawal exceeds recharge rate) at increasing rates.
 Large-scale family farms account for 9% of all farms and 66% of agricultural production.
 Just 16¢ of every dollar spent on food in 2011 went back to the farm; in 1975, it was 40¢. (A corollary: In
2011, farmers were reliant on income sources outside the farm to make up 83% of their household
income, on average.)
Citation: http://css.snre.umich.edu/css_doc/CSS01-06.pdf Retrieved 10/16/14)
There are other problems with large scale agriculture that involve energy use, soil degradation, release of
greenhouse gases. What started this cycle? There are a lot of people we could blame, but in the end, who buys
their products? For several summers Maryland has supported a "Buy Local" program to help consumers explore
their fresh produce buying options. (Keep in mind that "local produce" in the supermarkets can come from more
than 100 miles away.)
The Buy Local Challenge in Maryland says: "In Maryland, if every household purchased just $12 worth of farm
products for eight weeks (basically the mid summer season), over $200 million would be put back into the
pockets of our farmers." (http://www.buy-local-challenge.com/why.html ret. 10/16/14) If we did that we could
also get fresher, better tasting food, and we would be giving the farmers more money for their effort. If you ever
bemoaned the fact that another farm is becoming a housing development, it might be because farmers just
cannot financially handle the farming way of life. Many would like their children to carry on, but the children
want easier, higher paying jobs. Could "buying local" support more farmers and keep land out of development?
Activity:
This is March. It's cold and there is no fresh local produce now. See if you have another choice for getting local
food this coming growing season. You can plan a garden. If this is your first time, start small. Consult the "Grow
19
It Eat It" program of the University of MD Extension Service, which has some good garden starting information.
(http://extension.umd.edu/growit) Even better, find a local gardener to mentor you; you can grow a
relationship as well as food.
OR
Make a commitment to enjoy local food and support local farmers. This could be just a few items a week, orit
could be a season long commitment with a CSA farm (CSA = Community Supported Agriculture). Go on line and
find information about
*The buy local challenge for 2014 (http://www.buy-local-challenge.com/). Be ready for the 2015 challenge.
*Community Supported Agriculture:
Howard County - http://livegreenhoward.com/green/health/buy-local-organic-csas-farms/
Carroll County - https://www.facebook.com/pages/CSA-of-Carroll-County-Maryland/163915313662104
Frederick county - http://farmersmarket.discoverfrederickmd.com/html/detail.htm?cat=113&store=1259
Montgomery County - http://mocoalliance.org/newsroom/community-supported-agriculture/
Your county?
*Farmer's Markets:
Howard County - http://howardcountyfarmersmarkets.com/
Carroll County - http://carrollcountytourism.org/farmers-markets-2014/
Frederick County - http://www.frederickfarmfresh.com/markets/
Montgomery County - http://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/agservices/agfarmersmarkets.html
Your county?
3rd Sunday in Lent - The Day of Worship and Reflection - March 8
Day 17 March 9 Monday
Amos 4:9
I struck you with blight and mildew;
I laid waste your gardens and your vineyards;
the locust devoured your fig trees and your olive trees;
yet you did not return to me,
says the LORD.
These are the words of Amos to the Israelites of the northern kingdom. God is saying that He was trying to get
their attention. Why? The people were falling away from their relationship to God. This was evident not only in
the way they worshiped idols, but in the way they treated one another and the land given to them by God.
When they failed to obey God by worshiping Him as the only true God, they also started to slip into bad habits.
They didn't let their land recover every Sabbath year. They were harvesting fields right to the edge and not
leaving any for the poor to glean. The soil began to lose its fertility. The rules set out in Exodus, Leviticus and
Deuteronomy were not harsh; they were common sense agricultural tips, with a sprinkling of care for the poor.
Activity:
Below is a list of some of the Torah rules. Pick one or two of them and consider why they make sense. Is there a
reason or circumstance why we do not follow this practice today? Discuss your thoughts with someone else
engaged in this devotion.
Exodus 23:12
12
Six days you shall do your work, but on the seventh day you shall rest, so that your ox and your donkey may
have relief, and your homeborn slave and the resident alien may be refreshed.
Exodus 34:26a
20
26
The best of the first fruits of your ground you shall bring to the house of the LORD your God.
(This is part of the tithe, or the tenth part of the harvest. It goes to the Levites who did not engage in agriculture.
They in turn used this themselves and gave a share to support the poor, widows and orphans.)
Leviticus 19:9-10
9
When you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not reap to the very edges of your field, or gather the
gleanings of your harvest. 10 You shall not strip your vineyard bare, or gather the fallen grapes of your vineyard;
you shall leave them for the poor and the alien: I am the LORD your God.
Lev. 19:23-25
23
When you come into the land and plant all kinds of trees for food, then you shall regard their fruit as
forbidden; three years it shall be forbidden to you, it must not be eaten. 24 In the fourth year all their fruit shall
be set apart for rejoicing in the LORD. 25 But in the fifth year you may eat of their fruit, that their yield may be
increased for you: I am the LORD your God. (Hint: Think about how long fruit trees live and how long it takes
them to become strong and yield a good crop of fruit.)
Leviticus 25:3-7
3
Six years you shall sow your field, and six years you shall prune your vineyard, and gather in their yield; 4 but in
the seventh year there shall be a sabbath of complete rest for the land, a sabbath for the LORD: you shall not sow
your field or prune your vineyard. 5 You shall not reap the aftergrowth of your harvest or gather the grapes of
your unpruned vine: it shall be a year of complete rest for the land. 6 You may eat what the land yields during its
sabbath—you, your male and female slaves, your hired and your bound laborers who live with you; 7 for your
livestock also, and for the wild animals in your land all its yield shall be for food.
Deuteronomy 4:5-6
5
See, just as the LORD my God has charged me, I now teach you statutes and ordinances for you to observe in
the land that you are about to enter and occupy. 6 You must observe them diligently, for this will show your
wisdom and discernment to the peoples, who, when they hear all these statutes, will say, “Surely this great
nation is a wise and discerning people!”
Deuteronomy 19:14
14
You must not move your neighbor’s boundary marker, set up by former generations, on the property that will
be allotted to you in the land that the LORD your God is giving you to possess.
Deuteronomy 22:1-3
You shall not watch your neighbor’s ox or sheep straying away and ignore them; you shall take them back to
their owner. 2 If the owner does not reside near you or you do not know who the owner is, you shall bring it to
your own house, and it shall remain with you until the owner claims it; then you shall return it. 3 You shall do the
same with a neighbor’s donkey; you shall do the same with a neighbor’s garment; and you shall do the same
with anything else that your neighbor loses and you find. You may not withhold your help.
Deuteronomy 22:4
4
You shall not see your neighbor’s donkey or ox fallen on the road and ignore it; you shall help to lift it up.
Deuteronomy 22:6-7
6
If you come on a bird’s nest, in any tree or on the ground, with fledglings or eggs, with the mother sitting on
the fledglings or on the eggs, you shall not take the mother with the young. 7 Let the mother go, taking only the
young for yourself, in order that it may go well with you and you may live long.
Deuteronomy 22:9
9
You shall not sow your vineyard with a second kind of seed, or the whole yield will have to be forfeited, both
the crop that you have sown and the yield of the vineyard itself.
Day 18 March 10 Tuesday
Leviticus 23:22
21
22
When you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not reap to the very edges of your field, or gather the
gleanings of your harvest; you shall leave them for the poor and for the alien: I am the LORD your God.
Ruth 2:2-10
2
And Ruth the Moabite said to Naomi, “Let me go to the field and glean among the ears of grain, behind
someone in whose sight I may find favor.” She said to her, “Go, my daughter.” 3 So she went. She came and
gleaned in the field behind the reapers. As it happened, she came to the part of the field belonging to Boaz, who
was of the family of Elimelech. 4 Just then Boaz came from Bethlehem. He said to the reapers, “The LORD be with
you.” They answered, “The LORD bless you.” 5 Then Boaz said to his servant who was in charge of the reapers,
“To whom does this young woman belong?” 6 The servant who was in charge of the reapers answered, “She is
the Moabite who came back with Naomi from the country of Moab. 7 She said, ‘Please, let me glean and gather
among the sheaves behind the reapers.’ So she came, and she has been on her feet from early this morning until
now, without resting even for a moment.”
8
Then Boaz said to Ruth, “Now listen, my daughter, do not go to glean in another field or leave this one, but
keep close to my young women. 9 Keep your eyes on the field that is being reaped, and follow behind them. I
have ordered the young men not to bother you. If you get thirsty, go to the vessels and drink from what the
young men have drawn.” 10 Then she fell prostrate, with her face to the ground, and said to him, “Why have I
found favor in your sight, that you should take notice of me, when I am a foreigner?”
When God's people reached the Promised Land, they were to use the land suitable for agriculture to produce
food. There were laws in place to make provisions for smart agricultural practices, but there was another
concern. The reading from Ruth is an example of how the gleaning system worked. Ruth was Naomi's daughterin-law, widowed when Naomi's son, her husband, died. When Naomi made the journey back from Moab where
she has traveled to escape a drought in Israel, Ruth accompanied her, willing to live among the Israelites. They
were destitute when they reached the ancestral lands of Naomi's husband, and gleaning was their only hope of
food. This cultural practice ensured that the destitute would have provision made for them.
In any culture, there are going to be some people who are poor, and for many reasons. God never asked us to
judge the reasons for poverty, but to share what we have with those who have less. Along with sharing material
goods, we could help teach less fortunate people about God, a step that might put them on the path to knowing
Him and have a fuller life.
Activities:
Most of us have something extra, whether it is a little cash or some food that got pushed to the back of the
pantry that won't get used. We could easily 'glean' some change from under the sofa cushions or the floor of the
car, some extra nonperishable food items from the pantry (Check the expiration date! Only share what is
suitable - Remember to "do onto others . . . "), or save the change accumulated in your wallet. Purposely use this
gleaned money to purchase food and take the food you took from your pantry for a community food pantry.
Week 4 - Economy
Day 19 March 11 Wednesday
Deut 8:11-19
11
Take care that you do not forget the LORD your God, by failing to keep his commandments, his ordinances, and
his statutes, which I am commanding you today. 12 When you have eaten your fill and have built fine houses and
live in them, 13 and when your herds and flocks have multiplied, and your silver and gold is multiplied, and all
that you have is multiplied, 14 then do not exalt yourself, forgetting the LORD your God, who brought you out of
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the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery, 15 who led you through the great and terrible wilderness, an arid
wasteland with poisonous snakes and scorpions. He made water flow for you from flint rock, 16 and fed you in
the wilderness with manna that your ancestors did not know, to humble you and to test you, and in the end to
do you good. 17 Do not say to yourself, “My power and the might of my own hand have gotten me this wealth.”
18
But remember the LORD your God, for it is he who gives you power to get wealth, so that he may confirm his
covenant that he swore to your ancestors, as he is doing today. 19 If you do forget the LORD your God and follow
other gods to serve and worship them, I solemnly warn you today that you shall surely perish.
If you think about it, the Israelites had it pretty tough getting from Egypt to the Promised Land, even after they
were no longer slaves. Once there, they had to clear the current residents out to get the wealth - houses and
walled cities, farms, vineyards and olive groves . . . We might believe that we cannot identify with their
experience, yet most of what we own and have, what economists like to call our 'wealth,' is built on a
foundation of resources. Some of these resources were built by previous generation and it is our responsibility
to maintain them. Some are extracted from the ground to be made into products we use now.
Our economic well-being is intimately tied to resources. Graphs comparing resource use over time consistently
show increases in extraction of materials over time, with several dips. Each dip in resource use is accompanied
by an economic downturn - WW1, the Great Depression, WW2, the oil embargo of the 1970s, recessions, the
recent global financial crisis. Do you get the idea? Material wealth is built up over time, built on natural
resources and the labor of others, and it is always precarious.
Once the ancient people of Israel reached the Promised Land, they inhabited a rich land with abundant
resources of the sort an agrarian society needed. They got comfortable. They began worshipping the gods of the
people who previously inhabited the land. It was just easier. That worship style matched their current life style.
They forgot that the real Provider of all their wealth - the resources that underpinned their economy - was God,
their Father.
Activity:
Make an inventory of your "stuff." Start with your clothes, the contents of your pockets, purses and backpacks.
Move onto your room in your house, then out to the rest of the house. Don't neglect the electronic gadgets.
Don't neglect the appliances (washer, dryer, water heater, furnace/heat pump). Look around the kitchen, too.
Then look in the garage. How about the storage shed? What insurance do you carry? What's in your portfolio?
You get the idea. (Keep this list; you will use it again.)
Now, determine how much of this needs attention - vehicles (washing, regular maintenance, etc,), mowers,
kitchen gadgets, etc. Yes, they are probably necessary to the way we live, but they take energy and resources.
And don't forget your portfolio and the time it takes to keep track of the wealth. Yes, we do need to plan for
retirement and unforeseen interruptions in our lives.
The point is not to declare these things "bad." The point is, do we look at them as gifts from our Father so we
can live the life of a Christian servant? Or have they become our gods, the focus of our physical, mental and
emotional energy? Spend some time in prayer, thanking your Father for the provision He has given you. If
necessary, ask for forgiveness if the pursuit of the provision has distracted you from seeing His goodness to you.
Day 20 March 12 Thursday
Matt 6:25-33
23
25
“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, or about your
body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds of the
air; they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of
more value than they? 27 And can any of you by worrying add a single hour to your span of life? 28 And why do
you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin, 29 yet I tell
you, even Solomon in all his glory was not clothed like one of these. 30 But if God so clothes the grass of the field,
which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you—you of little
faith? 31 Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear?’
32
For it is the Gentiles who strive for all these things; and indeed your heavenly Father knows that you need all
these things. 33 But strive first for the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to
you as well.
Almost any time we hear a sermon on stewardship or creation care, this part of the Sermon on the Mount is
presented. We tend to think of this as radical and certainly not practical in our day and age. Funny, but in 30 AD
they thought the same thing. Even people who had three or four changes of clothes at the most and no means
of food preservation thought that Jesus was a little absurd in asking them not to care about food and clothing.
(Keep in mind that Jesus used exaggeration, stretching a point, to make a point.) The point is that worrying
about material things can cut us off from a relationship with our Father in which we rely on Him for our wellbeing.
Yes, we need to take care of our material goods, in fact, it would be poor stewardship if we did not. The
difference between worry and care, though, is that worry distrusts God to provide, and good stewardship is
thankfully caring for what He has provided. Sometimes good stewardship is realizing that we have more than
necessary and it wouldn't hurt to share it.
Activity:
Go through your closet, attic, back of the appliance cabinet in the kitchen, garage . . . whatever location gets the
unused and seldom used "stuff." Take stock of these things and ask yourself why you have it and if you are using
it wisely. If the answer is "I don't know why I still have it," or "There's no reason to keep it," put it aside. Collect
the stuff you no longer need and give it to an organization, such as the Lutheran Mission Society.
Day 21 March 13 Friday
Luke 12: 13-21
13
Someone in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the family inheritance with me.” 14 But
he said to him, “Friend, who set me to be a judge or arbitrator over you?” 15 And he said to them, “Take care! Be
on your guard against all kinds of greed; for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of possessions.” 16 Then
he told them a parable: “The land of a rich man produced abundantly. 17 And he thought to himself, ‘What
should I do, for I have no place to store my crops?’ 18 Then he said, ‘I will do this: I will pull down my barns and
build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. 19 And I will say to my soul, Soul, you have
ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.’ 20 But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night
your life is being demanded of you. And the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’ 21 So it is with those
who store up treasures for themselves but are not rich toward God.”
Did you ever hear the one about the student learning the parts of speech? When asked what parts of speech
"my" and "mine" are, he answered, "Aggressive pronouns." This parable about the rich farmer is full of the
possessive pronouns I, me, my, and mine. The farmer should, of course, be congratulated for his successful
season. This kind of success indicates hard work as well as an abundance of God-given resources - rain at the
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right time, seasonable temperatures, good soil and abundant sunshine. He might have thought he was living the
"abundant life," or was rewarded for his faithfulness. The farmer reacted to abundance with greed. There is no
indication he thought of sharing his success, not to mention giving the required tithe.
What would we do in this situation? If we are successful in our work, investments, or other enterprises,
shouldn't we share? Remember the origin of the tithe in the Old Testament was to share with the Levites who
didn't have work other than maintaining worship and administration. In turn the Levites were supposed to use
some of the tithe to help the poor. We could simply take some of our money and donate it to an organization
that distributes it as needed. We could donate food to a food pantry, or unneeded stuff that's been sitting
around, like in yesterday' activity. We could use our income locally, to support the local economy, similar to the
earlier exercise in which we bought some of our groceries from local growers.
Activity:
Does your congregation have a program for feeding the hungry? Bring some non-perishable food items to the
collection area this week to share the abundance with which you are blessed.
Day 22 March 14 Saturday
Luke 10:38-42
38
Now as they went on their way, he entered a certain village, where a woman named Martha welcomed him
into her home. 39 She had a sister named Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to what he was saying.
40
But Martha was distracted by her many tasks; so she came to him and asked, “Lord, do you not care that my
sister has left me to do all the work by myself? Tell her then to help me.” 41 But the Lord answered her, “Martha,
Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things; 42 there is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the
better part, which will not be taken away from her.”
You might be wondering what this reading has to do with creation care. If you haven't caught on yet, creation
care is about attitude as well as action. In fact, attitude might be as important as action, since attitude often
influences action. So, look at the interplay between Jesus, Mary and Martha. Ask yourself what was Jesus'
priority? (Keep in mind this incident happened as Jesus was heading to Jerusalem before Palm Sunday.) What
was Martha's priority? What was Mary's? Were any of these priorities frivolous? Taking the time to listen and
appreciate the other's feelings and perspective is important to communicating. Communicating is important in
caring for one another and the world around us.
Communication and understanding are important to creation care. We need to take the time to listen to others
to understand their concerns about creation care. Some people are afraid creation care asks them to give up
things and attitudes that are important to them. Some people are afraid that humans have completely ruined
the world and it's impossible to fix. Some people are tired of being told they are wrong, or stubborn, or hardhearted, or they need to give up their comfort, money, lifestyle or . . . Jesus points us to what's important listening to each other and understanding one another.
Activity:
Find someone who does not agree with you about your feelings for creation care. For example, if you are an
'eco-nut,' find someone who likes riding gas-powered dirt bikes. Or if you are someone who loves your steak,
talk to a vegan. Or someone who doesn't believe climate change is occurring. Find someone with a different
outlook from yours . . . The idea is to listen . . . Do not explain why your view is correct, but listen to the other
person as he/she tells you why they like whatever it is. Ask questions. Be sure you understand what the person
says. Understand what is special to him about his activities, or why she believes she is correct. Do NOT try to
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change the person's mind. Once you have the conversation, write down what the other person said, and why
his/her attitude is important to that person.
4th Sunday in Lent - The Day of Worship and Reflection - March 8
Day 23 March 16 Monday Restoration When God's Principles are Back in Place
Psalm 85: 8-13
8
Let me hear what God the LORD will speak,
for he will speak peace to his people,
to his faithful, to those who turn to him in their hearts.
9
Surely his salvation is at hand for those who fear him,
that his glory may dwell in our land.
10
Steadfast love and faithfulness will meet;
righteousness and peace will kiss each other.
11
Faithfulness will spring up from the ground,
and righteousness will look down from the sky.
12
The LORD will give what is good,
and our land will yield its increase.
13
Righteousness will go before him,
and will make a path for his steps.
As we take in the plight of the physical world - pollution, extinction of species, disappearance of wild lands,
climate change - we wonder why the Bible doesn't address it more clearly, like the way it addresses injustice,
bribery, etc. In Jesus' day, the population of the Roman Empire was about 5 million people
(http://www.unrv.com/empire/roman-population.php). Many of the problems mentioned above did exist, but
in small pockets; on a global scale they were diluted by the extent of the unpopulated land and large oceans.
Today there are over 7 billion people on the planet and our world cannot absorb the consequences of all these
people living on this world together with our current use of resources.
Are we doomed? God sent the prophets to wake us up, to warn us of our plight. We are given the time to take
stock of where we are and how it is affecting our earth's life support system. While the prophets warned that
the injustice and self-centered life styles of Old Testament Israel and Judah would lead to their downfall, the
people had a chance to turn around, repent, and avoid becoming the target of the hostile world powers of their
day.
Will we see a day when righteousness will go before the Lord again, when righteousness and peace will kiss? We
can take stock of our life style and its effects on the poor who underpin our economy. We can see how our
resource use is affecting the ability of the earth's systems to maintain life - the continued ability to produce
enough food for everyone, the climate and the weather, the movement of insects and other disease-carrying
animals, replacing open space with development (causing increased local flooding) - and the list can go on. We
have the choice of paying attention to the warning signs around us, or ignoring the warnings and suffering the
consequences. We experienced advances in amazing technologies which help education, communication, heath
. . . But they might culminate in threatening life on our earth. And the next generation will see changes, too.
Perhaps the changes they experience will encourage life and abundance in a new way.
Activity:
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Take a walk in a 'wild' (undeveloped) area with a young person. Ask him or her to observe the surroundings. Is
there something really fascinating? Is there an ant working to get food, or a spider building a web? Observing
the world through the eyes of a youngster may not always lead to 'scientific discovery,' but there is usually a
unique view of the world to be discovered. After you return home and have a quiet moment, reflect on what the
child showed you and why it impressed him/her. Ask yourself why it is important for you to notice it, too.
Week 5 - Energy/Atmosphere/Weather Climate
Day 24 March 17 Tuesday
Amos 4:7-13
7
And I also withheld the rain from you
when there were still three months to the harvest;
I would send rain on one city,
and send no rain on another city;
one field would be rained upon,
and the field on which it did not rain withered;
8
so two or three towns wandered to one town
to drink water, and were not satisfied;
yet you did not return to me,
says the LORD.
9
I struck you with blight and mildew;
I laid waste your gardens and your vineyards;
the locust devoured your fig trees and your olive trees;
yet you did not return to me,
says the LORD.
10
I sent among you a pestilence after the manner of Egypt;
I killed your young men with the sword;
I carried away your horses;
and I made the stench of your camp go up into your nostrils;
yet you did not return to me,
says the LORD.
11
I overthrew some of you,
as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah,
and you were like a brand snatched from the fire;
yet you did not return to me,
says the LORD.
12
Therefore thus I will do to you, O Israel;
because I will do this to you,
prepare to meet your God, O Israel!
13
For lo, the one who forms the mountains, creates the wind,
reveals his thoughts to mortals,
makes the morning darkness,
and treads on the heights of the earth—
the LORD, the God of hosts, is his name!
When God created the world, He declared that it was good. He set up a pattern of climate; He set up seasons.
We understand now that seasons are the result of the tilt of the earth and its position as it orbits the sun. The
27
atmosphere - air and water vapor - move and flow as a result of temperature difference caused by earth's
position orbiting the sun as well as the turning of the earth, dragging the atmosphere along with it. As scientists
look for evidence of life in other planets in space, they realize how unique our earth is in its ability to maintain
life-giving conditions.
If our earth were an apple, our atmosphere could be compared to the apple's skin - thin and fragile. Yet we take
it for granted, we think it can support us indefinitely, regardless of how much abuse we give it. But think - of the
gases that make up the earth, less than one per cent are the gases that affect climate - water vapor, carbon
dioxide and other components. The amount of water vapor in the air (that is, humidity) makes the earth just the
right temperature to support life. Carbon dioxide helps regulate the temperature by holding heat. What
happens if there is too much carbon dioxide? There are also other pollutants in the atmosphere; some of these
pollutants also hold heat, while some pollutants reflect sunlight, preventing the atmosphere from warming.
(Unfortunately, these also aggravate respiratory disease.) God created earth with a fine balance of conditions
that support life. If we disregard or change this balance, we change the ability of earth to support life, including
us.
Most electricity in the US is produced by burning coal or natural gas, about 70%, and the result of this
combustion is carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxides, sulfur oxides and other polluting substances. Carbon dioxide and
nitrogen oxides are also the byproduct of the gasoline and diesel used in the engines of cars and trucks. By far,
the best way to stabilize - or better, reduce - the carbon dioxide and other pollutants in the atmosphere is to
produce less of it.
Activity:
Earlier we looked through our stuff to take an inventory. Get that list out again and look at everything in your
house that uses electricity or another fuel (gas for a stove, or oil for a furnace, for instance). From your list pick
five things you can do to decrease your carbon dioxide use. If you never tried this before, some of the ideas will
be easy fixes. If you already started trying to reduce your carbon use, you probably accomplished the easy fixes
and you will be challenged. Either way, begin making a difference. As more and more people engage in this
activity, the results add up. Think about how much difference it will make when everyone is doing this! Think of
the difference you can make if you go beyond the easy fixes and get really serious about reducing your carbon
output. (We call this reducing your carbon footprint.)
Here is some help:
Additional information on energy efficiency can be found at the following organizations:
 General: U.S. DOE Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, www.eere.energy.gov
 Residential & Commercial: U.S. EPA Energy Star, www.energystar.gov
 Transportation: U.S. DOE and EPA Fuel Economy Guide, www.fueleconomy.gov
 Industrial: U.S. DOE Industrial Technologies Program, www1.eere.energy.gov/industry
 Increase Renewables: (http://css.snre.umich.edu/css_doc/CSS03-11.pdf)
Day 25 March 18 Wednesday
Isaiah 24:1, 4-6
1
Now the LORD is about to lay waste the earth and make it desolate,
and he will twist its surface and scatter its inhabitants . . .
4
The earth dries up and withers,
the world languishes and withers;
the heavens languish together with the earth.
5
The earth lies polluted
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under its inhabitants;
for they have transgressed laws,
violated the statutes,
broken the everlasting covenant.
6
Therefore a curse devours the earth,
and its inhabitants suffer for their guilt;
therefore the inhabitants of the earth dwindled,
and few people are left.
The words of Isaiah seem like the Israelites' doom was inevitable. The people had the chance to turn around,
though. Scientists are generally agreed that on our present track, our planet is in trouble. If we could hold our
carbon output at current levels, the conditions for life on this planet are still going to change, but less drastically
and with more time to adjust to warmer conditions.
What sort of changes are in store because of the increased carbon dioxide in the atmosphere? Here are a few:
 Sea level rise, to be sure. Inhabitants of land at or near sea level are already feeling the effects of rising
sea levels when storms push water farther inland . . .
 Insects and other disease carrying creatures are moving farther north . . .
 Growing food in the more productive temperate regions of the world is becoming more difficult.
Growing more food in areas farther to the north, but these are regions from which we currently harvest
timber, and they are less fertile. (How will we feed the 9 1/2 billion people predicted to be living on
earth by 2050?) . . .
 Some areas are getting less rain while others are getting more rain, and usually harder rain that does not
soak into the ground easily . . .
 Species are being lost because they cannot migrate quickly enough, or if they are already at the cold
extremes of the planet, they are likely to go extinct . . .
 Another ocean effect is becoming evident - carbon dioxide dissolved in water makes water more acidic.
As our oceans are becoming more acidic, animals that depend on less acidic water to make shells and
carry on other metabolic processes are less able to cope. Many of them are at the bottom of the ocean
food webs. (Just for perspective, we eat sea food from the upper levels of the food web.)
Activity:
Let us reflect on our current condition some more. Rethink your life, maybe one aspect at a time. You could
bake a loaf of bread instead of buying one. That might actually use more energy than a factory that makes
thousands of loaves at once. But what if you make it with organic ingredients, which take less energy to grow
and harvest? And what if you make it with your kids, teaching them the fun of getting their hands floury? What
if this gives you time to relax as you knead the dough? One homemade product and activity at a time may
change your perspective on what is needed to enjoy a comfortable - and God-centered - life.
Day 26 March 19 Thursday
Jeremiah 2:7-8
7
I brought you into a plentiful land
to eat its fruits and its good things.
But when you entered you defiled my land,
and made my heritage an abomination.
8
The priests did not say, “Where is the LORD?”
Those who handle the law did not know me;
29
the rulers transgressed against me;
the prophets prophesied by Baal,
and went after things that do not profit.
Huh? Isn't our economy about maximizing profit? Maybe what we think of as "profit" and "necessity" needs to
be reexamined. How does the land we inhabit now differ from the land the first European colonists settled?
Granted, when the English colonists settled the east coast of North America, they found it a foreign, even
somewhat frightening, endeavor. They solved this by trying to make it look like the England they left - trees cut
down, square fields planted, hedgerows between fields, and roads connecting the farms with a coastal harbor.
The natives on the soil showed the colonists the best techniques for procuring food, but the rest of the natives'
lifestyle was largely ignored.
As time went on, more Europeans landed on the shores, while more were born on these shores. Eventually the
English took over most of Canada, but lost the area that we call the United States of America. In Europe, James
Watt developed a steam engine and the Industrial Revolution began. Soon manufacturing and transportation
transformed Europe and North America. While we can say this led to all the problems we have today, we must
not forget that worldwide, more people were fed, education became systemized and available to all the classes,
and medicine and public health was improved. Even slavery was eliminated on these shores. (Keep in mind that
there still is an active slave trade in the world today). In fact, the world population was set on the trajectory we
are experiencing now - moving towards 9.5 billion people, with some statisticians telling us it may reach 12
billion!
A trip through the Smithsonian's Museums in Washington, DC, gives us a good idea of how life has been
transformed on this continent. Along with manufacturing came the ability to make stuff - stuff we didn't really
need. Advertizing developed to convince us we needed to have this stuff. And if we want to buy stuff, we have
to work to earn wages. And the more we work, the more we need stuff to make our life easier. So we work
more to earn more to get more stuff . . . Did we lose sight of the Creator of all the important stuff we really need
to exist as we accumulated more unnecessary?
Activity:
God gave us a lot of good things, though maybe we were not thinking of His Providence when we were
purchasing them. Go back to that list of stuff again. Prayerfully think about why you own each item and what it
does for you. Categorize all the items using the headings Necessity, Convenience, and Luxury.
Now, focus on the categories of Necessity and Convenience most closely. Examine the reasons you placed these
items in their categories. Why is an item a necessity? Could it be a convenience or a luxury if you had more time
or the inclination to make use of your skill and time instead? Were you convinced by advertizing that you
needed it? Could items in your convenience list really be luxuries? And what could be eliminated from the lists
altogether?
You own the stuff now, and the energy and pollution associated with them is already a fact. The point is to
consider each future purchase and ask yourself if buying the item will help all the people in the world live well in
God's kingdom. More time spent with family or in quiet gives you more time to focus on your Father, which
really is prayer.
(If practical, a visit to the Smithsonian is a worthwhile family activity, especially the Museum of American History
and Museum of Arts and Industry.)
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Day 27 March 20 Friday
Eccl 1:4-7
4
A generation goes, and a generation comes,
but the earth remains forever.
5
The sun rises and the sun goes down,
and hurries to the place where it rises.
6
The wind blows to the south,
and goes around to the north;
round and round goes the wind,
and on its circuits the wind returns.
7
All streams run to the sea,
but the sea is not full;
to the place where the streams flow,
there they continue to flow.
It was good that God gave us fossil fuels until we figured out there were other ways to power our lives. But
really, there were technologies to use these other forms almost since civilization began. Windmills ground grain
and sails powered ships in the Mediterranean Sea in Jesus' day. Water energy was harnessed fairly soon, first to
grind grain, but then to power sawmills and other industrial processes. As soon as glass became abundant,
greenhouses were used to grow exotic plants or plants out of season. Hot springs provided warm water and
heat for buildings. Humans have a lot of ingenuity.
There are uses for fossil fuels that cannot be replaced by alternative forms. We know that gasoline, diesel and
aviation fuel carry more energy per unit of volume than almost any other source; they cannot be eliminated
from our economy altogether, at least with our present technology. Electricity depends primarily on coal, but is
being replaced more often with fracked natural gas as aging coal-fired plants are replaced. Nuclear electric
power production makes up about 20-30% of electric generation, depending on the state, and it creates a
different set of problems. But what if we were able to trade some fossil fuel use for sustainable alternatives?
There are solar panels and wind generators that can be used by households. We could support energy
production by large wind farms.* Running water already generates power everywhere it is practical to use it.
(* There are arguments that wind farms kill birds. First, more birds are killed by pesticide use, by flying into
buildings and by collisions with vehicles than by wind turbines. Also wind turbines in the path of bird migrations,
where most wind farms are strategically placed, can be shut down as the birds pass. Weather radar set to the
altitude of bird flight picks up large flocks and can be used to determine when to stop the turbines as the birds
pass.)
Activity:
Most of us do not live where a back yard wind turbine is a good investment. You may not be ready to put solar
panels on your house. Geothermal is really costly alternative and its installation needs a backyard larger than an
acre. (The need for space comes from the need to replace your septic system at least once in the life of your
home as well as the space for the geothermal system.) But there are several ways to work with nature to
optimize energy capture from the sun during cool months and shade during warm months.
For today, investigate one of the following. As time and finances allow, consider actually implementing one of
these suggestions or any others not mentioned here.
- Investigate how you can reduce your carbon footprint in your house with insulation, sealing drafts, thermal
curtains, planting trees, or other easy fixes. (Consider a home energy audit.)
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- Investigate one or more options for replacing some your conventional home energy use. (Nearly all electricity
in Maryland comes from fossil fuel or nuclear. For those of us supplied by BGE, we can chose an alternative;
go to http://www.bge.com/smartenergy/pages/choice.aspx)
- You may even consider buying an electric car or a hybrid, though these are currently pricey.
- Consider planting trees that shade the south and west sides of your house in the summer.
- If you are thinking of moving, consider how the house is placed and where windows are located.
- If you think of building a home, consider working with an architect or a builder who is knowledgeable in
sustainable building techniques.
Finally, if any of these fixes are in your budget and currently practical, consider investing in a lower energy
future by implementing that idea. You will help reduce carbon dioxide and other pollutants spewing into the
atmosphere, and you just might save some money, too.
Day 28 March 21 Saturday
Matthew 5:14-16
14
“You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hid. 15 No one after lighting a lamp puts it under
the bushel basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light
shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.
Jesus wasn't talking about wasting lamp oil here. He was talking about getting the word out, telling His audience
to proclaim that the Kingdom of God had come among them. While we often think of the Kingdom of God
referring only to us humans, Jesus came to save all creation, including us humans. Remember that "God so loved
the world that He gave His only Son." (John 3:16) Paul says, "the whole creation has been groaning in labor
pains until now ." (Romans 8:22) God and Jesus are concerned for the well-being of all creation. Part of kingdom
work for us involves taking care of the earth, taking care of the systems that support us and the rest of the living
world.
This week is about saving electricity and of fossil fuel energy. Why are we talking about shining lights and not
turning them off? Well, are you turning off unneeded lights? Replacing incandescent light bulbs with LED bulbs?
Using natural light where possible? Microwaving instead of using an oven or stove top burner when
appropriate? Sure you are! And if you are not, try one or two energy savers . . .
Activity:
. . . Then, brag about it! Shine your light on Facebook, Twitter or whatever means you use to get the word out.
The idea is to tell others what you are doing to save energy, to tell your friends why this is important to you, and
most of all, to encourage them to save energy, too. The more people who turn off an unneeded light, the more
energy we save. If you already do these things, try something more challenging, and brag about it!
5th Sunday in Lent
March 22 Day of Worship and Reflection
Week 6 Humanity
Day 29 March 23 Monday
Genesis 1:26, 2:15
32
26
Then God said, “Let us make humankind in our image, according to our likeness; and let them have dominion
over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the wild animals of the
earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth.”
15
The LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to till it and keep it.
How often we forget our roots. We are so caught up in the activities that just keep us going, moving from one to
the next. Is it that we forget that God made us for a purpose? Or is it simply that we forget God? We hustle from
home to work and back home again. We hustle to school, through extracurricular activities and homework and
home again. We hustle to get through the chores. We hustle through our family time so we can get back to
something that interests us more. We say a quick grace at mealtime; sometimes we do a quick devo (That is,
devotional - I can't even get all four syllables in!)
Somewhere in our religious upbringing, we were taught that people are God's special creation, that we have
dominion over the earth and all that's in it. Our concept of dominion comes from the European concept of
monarchs and their dominion over their realm - people and land. For the king dominion meant absolute rule,
being able to do anything he/she wanted with the land and the people. As the colonies threw off the yoke of
England's monarchy and our nation became a democratic republic, the idea of dominion became one of each
man (read: white male) having land and/or resources that were at his own disposal. Some men gathered more
land, resources, and eventually money than others. The more money and resources a person had, the more
power that person had. (Eventually blacks gained citizenship and the right to vote, and women got the right to
vote.)
Somehow the idea of dominion that God intended mankind to have over the earth, that of stewardship and
care, evolved into an idea that humans were given the world and its resources for their exclusive use. And this
use leads to abuse when we fail to see our relationship to God and His divine plan as He does. God's work for us
is dominion over His creation, not domination.
Activity:
When the US was a new country, it seemed like there were endless resources available. There were endless
economic opportunities. Part of our history is the story of developing technologies that utilize resources to make
products for us to purchase and use. In the course of that history, the economy went from local to regional to
national to global. Now we don't know the people who produce crops or extract minerals. We don't know how
raw materials are turned into thread or computer chips. But our lives are tied together through this economic
bridge. Take a few minutes to watch the NPR Planet Money presentation on the production of a t-shirt. It will
introduce you to the people involved from producing the cotton seeds, the machines making the thread, to the
garment workers and longshoremen that load the shirts on ships. I think that once you see the faces behind one
simple product you will appreciate interconnectedness of our economy, how all of God's children are dependent
on one another.
http://apps.npr.org/tshirt/#/title
Day 30 March 24 Tuesday
Job 12:7-10
7
“But ask the animals, and they will teach you;
the birds of the air, and they will tell you;
8
ask the plants of the earth,[c] and they will teach you;
and the fish of the sea will declare to you.
33
9
Who among all these does not know
that the hand of the LORD has done this?
10
In his hand is the life of every living thing
and the breath of every human being.
Nature teaches us a great deal about how the world works. It is interesting that when Jesus told the parable of
the sower and the seed, everyone understood the context of the story. Competition between sown seed and
weeds, seed predation by birds, and the necessity of a good environment for optimal yield were all understood
by the listeners. Today, one takes courses in a specialized field called ecology to learn about such relationships!
Those living closer to the land - farmers, and especially organic farmers - are more aware of the relationships of
created things to each other. Perhaps if we develop an appreciation for being outside and studying the natural
world, we can regain some of nature's education. And this in turn will help us preserve our world and its
inhabitants.
Activity:
Fortunately, God gave us animals to which we can relate. Our pets instill in us a sense of responsibility for
another creature. In fact, cats, dogs and other animals sometimes show us how little control we really have over
them. But we have a bond, a relationship with them, in which we fill their needs and they give us friendship,
pleasure, and a glimpse into nonhuman creation. Take at least a half hour today to be with your non-human,
and thank God for the companionship. If you don't have an animal, take a walk in a park or another area where
you can observe birds and animals carrying out their work, their lives. They are getting ready for the busy season
of rearing young.
Day 31 March 25 Wednesday
Amos 3:1a, 3-6
1
Alas for those who are at ease in Zion,
and for those who feel secure on Mount Samaria . . .
3
O you that put far away the evil day,
and bring near a reign of violence?
4
Alas for those who lie on beds of ivory,
and lounge on their couches,
and eat lambs from the flock,
and calves from the stall;
5
who sing idle songs to the sound of the harp,
and like David improvise on instruments of music;
6
who drink wine from bowls,
and anoint themselves with the finest oils,
but are not grieved over the ruin of Joseph!
In a recent Bible study of Jeremiah, a friend commented that those times before the fall of Jerusalem sound so
much like what's happening today. In fact, like in the days of Noah, "27 they were eating and drinking, and
marrying and being given in marriage." (Luke 17:27a). They were working on the Sabbath, not resting and
reflecting, and forcing their slaves and servants to work without adequate rest, too. They were using resources,
forcing their fields to work without the rest needed to restore soil health. Those with more power, money and
resources grabbed even more. (For an example see 1 Kings 21.) Clearly the laws and commandments written by
Moses before the Israelites entered the Promised Land were being ignored. As the people turned inward, away
from God, pleasing themselves with material luxury, they were not able to see what this life style was leading to.
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The Israelite leaders were engaged in this behavior, too, and it led to a destabilized government. They became
easy prey to invaders; first the Northern Kingdom fell, and then Judah fell and Jerusalem was destroyed.
Activity:
Most of us wouldn't think we are relaxing on couches and eating choice meats. Most of us don't entertain
ourselves by singing idle songs when we have iPods and phones full of music. But let's look for some similarities.
Think about how we entertain ourselves, what grabs our attention, what we watch on television or online. What
values are being presented to us? How do they suggest we should live?
Purposefully watch television tonight. A sporting event might be a good venue to watch; this is about the time of
March Madness, isn't it? Watch the advertisements and fill in a table like that below:
Product or
Service
Company
producing the
product or service
What lifestyle value is used to
sell the product of service?
How does the ads' message
compare with God's message?
Summarize your impression of the advertizing you evaluated. Do you think that these cleverly conceived and
executed ads manage to convince you that you want or need what is being sold?
Day 32 March 26 Thursday
Hebrews 2:10-15
35
10
It was fitting that God, for whom and through whom all things exist, in bringing many children to glory, should
make the pioneer of their salvation (Jesus) perfect through sufferings. 11 For the one who sanctifies and those
who are sanctified all have one Father. For this reason Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers and sisters,
12
saying,
“I will proclaim your name to my brothers and sister]
in the midst of the congregation I will praise you.”
13
And again,
“I will put my trust in him.”
And again,
“Here am I and the children whom God has given me.”
14
Since, therefore, the children share flesh and blood, he himself likewise shared the same things, so that
through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, 15 and free those who all
their lives were held in slavery by the fear of death.
Jesus was sent by God to rescue humans from their basest, sinful nature. He did this by His death and
Resurrection. After He ascended to take His throne at the right hand of God, His Father, Jesus sent His Holy Spirit
to indwell those who He calls His own. That's us! We believe Jesus is God, sent by His Father to rescue us, risen
from the dead, and living in us now through His Holy Spirit. That Spirit enables us to understand His call as His
hands, feet and voice on earth. We are called to be Jesus on earth.
What this means is that we need to act like Jesus would act if He were in our place, to see people as He saw
them, to listen to them, to help them. A book written over a century ago called, In His Steps, by Charles M.
Sheldon, tells the story of what happened in a community when the Christians asked themselves, "What would
Jesus do?" whenever they had choices to make. Think about how our community might change if we did this . . .
Would it spread through the nation?
Activity:
Read a few stories of Jesus' life, especially from the Evangelists Matthew, Mark and Luke; these are the synoptic
Gospels and deal a lot with Jesus' activity. Get a feel of Jesus' work in the world. Ask yourself if you can act like
he did. You cannot raise the dead, but could you comfort a hurting friend? You cannot heal deafness and
blindness, but you can help someone who is physically challenged get around. Find an opportunity to be Jesus to
someone today.
Day 33 March 27 Friday
Psalm 146
1
Praise the LORD!
Praise the LORD, O my soul!
2
I will praise the LORD as long as I live;
I will sing praises to my God all my life long.
3
Do not put your trust in princes,
in mortals, in whom there is no help.
4
When their breath departs, they return to the earth;
on that very day their plans perish.
5
Happy are those whose help is the God of Jacob,
whose hope is in the LORD their God,
6
who made heaven and earth,
the sea, and all that is in them;
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who keeps faith forever;
7
who executes justice for the oppressed;
who gives food to the hungry.
The LORD sets the prisoners free;
8
the LORD opens the eyes of the blind.
The LORD lifts up those who are bowed down;
the LORD loves the righteous.
9
The LORD watches over the strangers;
he upholds the orphan and the widow,
but the way of the wicked he brings to ruin.
10
The LORD will reign forever,
your God, O Zion, for all generations.
Praise the LORD!
Many of the Psalms are praising God for His creation and for his protection. Many of them are laments by
people who are downtrodden and calling to God for help. Can you hear their voices? This Psalm praises God his
help to His poor, exploited and oppressed children. But how does God help them? Except for Jesus' brief time on
earth, God does not come down to physically feed, clothe and render judgment. His people are commissioned to
be His hands, His feet, His voice on earth. God outlined how He wanted this done when He spoke through Moses
and the prophets. The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America focuses much of its ministry, its financial and
people resources, on the task of doing God's work here on earth. We are God's hands, His feet and His voice.
The people in need are helped when we act and speak on their behalf.
Activity:
Find last Sunday's church bulletin, or an earlier one if you have it. Read through the activities in which your
church is engaged. Note the activities that help others who are less fortunate. This category is not just the poor,
though they are important. Look for activities which reach out to the elderly, to those coping with mental illness
and loss, to other marginalized people in our community. Is there an activity in which you can take part? If you
can, join in. If your church can engage in some activity which is not on its current roster, talk to people who can
assess its feasibility and make it happen.
Day 34 March 28 Saturday
1 Peter 2:2-10
9
But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s own people,[c] in order that you may
proclaim the mighty acts of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.
10
Once you were not a people,
but now you are God’s people;
once you had not received mercy,
but now you have received mercy.
It looks like we're getting back to this energy and light thing again. Yes. Today many people on the world will
celebrate Earth Hour, an hour in which they purposely stop using as much energy as they possibly can in order
to remind themselves and show others that using energy wastefully hurts people around the world. This hurting
happens on several levels - increased atmospheric and oceanic levels of carbon dioxide; pollutants including
nitrogen oxides, sulfur oxides, mercury and others; changes in climate; rising sea levels; and if they live near
places where fossil fuels are extracted, they might also be exposed to the pollution and political consequences
such extraction causes.
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We are God's people, His priesthood. As His people we worship Him and obey Him. As His priests, we serve Him.
Activity:
Observe Earth Hour. Over the last several years, people worldwide have joined in using only the barest
minimum of energy, only what is needed to safely carry out activities, for one hour on one Saturday evening in
March. This year, Earth Hour falls on Saturday, March 28, and it is celebrated between 8:30 pm and 9:30 pm.
Think of activities you can do as a family, in one room - games, reading aloud, playing music, etc. Turn back the
heat a little. Have snacks ready by 8:30.
Earthhour.org (http://www.earthhour.org/) is a non-religious organization using the one hour "energy fast" to
bring attention to the needs of disadvantaged overseas. As Lutherans, we have Lutheran World Relief
(http://lwr.org/) to focus benevolent activity. If you are led to consider helping in world relief, consider finding
out more about their work.
6th Sunday in Lent - March 29 - Day of Worship and Reflection
Week 7 - Sustainability
Day 35 Monday March 30
We are created, and we are called. Our redemption is meant to free us from ourselves, free to serve the God's
world.
Psalm 8
1
O LORD, our Sovereign,
how majestic is your name in all the earth!
You have set your glory above the heavens.
2
Out of the mouths of babes and infants
you have founded a bulwark because of your foes,
to silence the enemy and the avenger.
3
When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars that you have established;
4
what are human beings that you are mindful of them,
mortals that you care for them?
5
Yet you have made them a little lower than God,
and crowned them with glory and honor.
6
You have given them dominion over the works of your hands;
you have put all things under their feet,
7
all sheep and oxen,
and also the beasts of the field,
8
the birds of the air, and the fish of the sea,
whatever passes along the paths of the seas.
9
O LORD, our Sovereign,
how majestic is your name in all the earth!
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Psalm 8 is a praise song that Adam and Eve could have sung in response to God. After all, God created a
wondrous earth for them with all the necessities - food, water, air, beauty, spiritual companionship and a
vocation, a purpose. Even after they left Eden (God's response to their disobedient attitude, that of wanting to
put themselves in the place of God), He didn't leave them without the six necessities of life. As they had children
and the human family grew, the gift of community was added as well. Today, concentrate on the calling, the
vocation, God gave you to care for Creation.
Activity:
By now you have engaged in many exercises meant to draw you into your role in Creation Care. This week, we
will reflect on putting all the pieces together to see how we fit into God's plan to live sustainably, to help those
with less, and to bring others along with us as companions on the journey. We can be a community of God's
workers on earth, in bringing about God's kingdom, easing the burden of 7+ billion people living on this earth.
If you have not changed some aspect of your life in even a small way, make a commitment to do that now.
Have you made a committed change in your life to help the earth, or some aspect of it? Good! Evaluate how it
has gone so far, where you could do better, and how you think this change affected you, especially your
relationship to your heavenly Father, and your relationship with those around you. You can even rewrite Psalm 8
in your own words to celebrate God's love for you and your 'creation care' vocation.
Day 36 Tuesday March 31
We live here, in the midst of the Kingdom of God on earth, while we wait, groaning, with the whole creation, for
a restored creation, a New Jerusalem. Our creation care work helps others not just live, but realize that the
Kingdom of God is in their midst, now, in the present.
Isa 9:6-7
6
For a child has been born for us,
a son given to us;
authority rests upon his shoulders;
and he is named
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
7
His authority shall grow continually,
and there shall be endless peace
for the throne of David and his kingdom.
He will establish and uphold it
with justice and with righteousness
from this time onward and forevermore.
The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this.
Thanks to George Friedrich Handel, we usually associate this passage with Christmas. But the reading does talk
about a son, the Son, Jesus. And through the evangelists, we believe that Jesus was born in the line of David. We
know Jesus is the Son of God, a King, whose realm includes all of creation. Again we can look at this passage and
see that we are servants of King Jesus, given the task of stewardship over creation, and given the task of sharing
the Gospel. We can look to Francis of Assisi (Italian, 1182-1226)as an example of simplicity and evangelism. He is
reputed to have said, "Preach the gospel, and if necessary, use words."
(http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Francis_of_Assisi)
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We are King Jesus' servants, stewards, in the present. We represent His reign to those we meet, and if we are to
act like Him, this means we act according to His kingdom's values with justice and righteousness. We show
people who watch us what the kingdom should look like, and they should be impressed by our actions on behalf
of Jesus. Will they want to know more about us, about why we behave as we do? Are you ready to tell them of
the "prize of the heavenly call of God in Christ Jesus?" (Phil 3:14)
Activity:
Pray for God to show you someone who needs a hand today, a little extra help. Maybe it's holding a store's door
while a mother tries to corral several children and bags through it. Maybe it is someone who asks you in which
aisle the Easter egg dye can be found. Perhaps it's a friend who needs someone to listen, even if it takes awhile.
Be ready to explain, if asked, why you are taking the time for him or her.
Day 37 Wednesday April 1
We have discussed the difference between dominion over nature and domination of nature. Part of sustainable
living is appreciation for the earth and the systems that maintain life. If we appreciate nature's role in our lives,
we find that the call to stewardship is not a burden, but a joy.
Isaiah 11:1-2, 6-9
1
A shoot shall come out from the stump of Jesse,
and a branch shall grow out of his roots.
2
The spirit of the LORD shall rest on him,
the spirit of wisdom and understanding,
the spirit of counsel and might,
the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD.
6
The wolf shall live with the lamb,
the leopard shall lie down with the kid,
the calf and the lion and the fatling together,
and a little child shall lead them.
7
The cow and the bear shall graze,
their young shall lie down together;
and the lion shall eat straw like the ox.
8
The nursing child shall play over the hole of the asp,
and the weaned child shall put its hand on the adder’s den.
9
They will not hurt or destroy
on all my holy mountain;
for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the LORD
as the waters cover the sea.
This passage has inspired many people through history, but one person it had a deep affect on was the Quaker
preacher and painter, Edward Hicks. Most of us have seen a representation of one or more of his "Peaceable
Kingdom" paintings, if not an original. (One is part of the collection of the National Gallery in Washington, DC.) It
is interesting that in most of the paintings, the foreground shows animals that we label "predator" and "prey"
resting next to each other, while a young person is pictured among them. There is usually a group a dark-clad
men in wide brimmed hats, reminiscent of the man on the "Quaker Oats" box. They are Quakers, a sect
dedicated to living peaceably with one another and the rest of the world. This is not the place for studying
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Quaker beliefs, but maybe we can be inspired by the emphasis this painter makes in his work. A good web site
to look at a few of them is http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_Hicks.
Activity:
Go to the website, the biography of Edward Hicks, mentioned above and look at the paintings. How do they
depict the relationship between humans and the natural world? If time allows, read a bit of Hicks' biography.
There are many differences between Lutheran theology and Quaker theology. Is there anything about the
Lutheran and Quaker values that agree in regards to sustainable living?
Day 38 Thursday April 2
On the sixth day of creation, after God created Adam, He said that it was not good for Adam to be alone. The
commandments and Old Testament regulations assumed the need for people to live in community. In the New
Testament Jesus, Paul and other epistle writers assume that Jesus' followers are a community of believers.
Acts 2:44-47a
44
All who believed were together and had all things in common; 45 they would sell their possessions and goods
and distribute the proceeds to all, as any had need. 46 Day by day, as they spent much time together in the
temple, they broke bread at home and ate their food with glad and generous hearts, 47 praising God and having
the goodwill of all the people.
Sustainability is about putting together a life style that cares for God's creation. This includes all of us, a
community of believers. After these weeks of readings, meditations and activities, we understand that we are
each connected to this planet and to the rest of the life on this planet, including the rest of the people inhabiting
it. When we act in a way that uses fewer resources, pollutes less, and shares our wealth with others, we are
obeying the commandments that Jesus said were most important - “You shall love the Lord your God with all
your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as
yourself.” (Luke 10:27)
Activity:
Today is Holy Thursday, when we remember the Seder dinner during which Jesus instituted the sacrament we
call Holy Communion. Jesus formed his apostles into a community with the purpose of bringing in the good
news of the kingdom of God. In Holy Communion, a common union, a common gathering of all God's children,
we celebrate as one Family across the world. Tonight, when you receive communion, pray for the members of
your global family.
Day 39 Friday April 3
People may have only inhabited the earth for tens of thousands of years, but we are in it for the long haul. The
earth has seen many changes, even as far back as 8000 years ago, when humans began to flourish. But in the
last 500 years the pace of change has kept getting faster. We don't know when Jesus will return, but we are
entrusted with the care of the planet, its life, and each other until He does.
Revelation 1:10, 12-13, 21: 1-2
10
I was in the spirit on the Lord’s day, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet . . . 12 Then I turned to
see whose voice it was that spoke to me, and on turning I saw seven golden lampstands, 13 and in the midst of
41
the lampstands I saw one like the Son of Man, clothed with a long robe and with a golden sash across his chest .
..
1
Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea
was no more. 2 And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a
bride adorned for her husband.
It is Good Friday, when we remember the sacrifice of Jesus, who was treated inhumanely by His own nation and
died the cruel death of a criminal on a cross. We believe this death broke the separation of God and people, that
our sins are forgiven and forgotten by God, and He invites us into a relationship with Him and the rest of the
human family. Jesus ascended to sit on a throne at the right hand of His Father in heaven. He said He went
ahead of us to prepare a place for us (John 14:2). We often refer to this as the New Jerusalem and imagine it as
the city that John describes in his Revelation.
Activity:
In the meantime, we are called to be part of the kingdom of God on earth. We are fellow workers with citizens
of earth who call God, "Father." Today, as you see the news online or on television, note someone who is not
from the US, whose story catches your attention. Pray for him or her to know God's touch in his/her life. Pray
that he/she would know the peace and joy that comes to God's family through the sacrificial miracle of Good
Friday.
Day 40 Saturday April 4
We've inventoried what we own. We've looked at the resources we need and how we use. The question we
need to ask is: do we have enough, or too much?
John 6:1-13
1
After this Jesus went to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, also called the Sea of Tiberias. 2 A large crowd kept
following him, because they saw the signs that he was doing for the sick. 3 Jesus went up the mountain and sat
down there with his disciples. 4 Now the Passover, the festival of the Jews, was near. 5 When he looked up and
saw a large crowd coming toward him, Jesus said to Philip, “Where are we to buy bread for these people to
eat?” 6 He said this to test him, for he himself knew what he was going to do. 7 Philip answered him, “Six months’
wages would not buy enough bread for each of them to get a little.” 8 One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon
Peter’s brother, said to him, 9 “There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish. But what are they
among so many people?” 10 Jesus said, “Make the people sit down.” Now there was a great deal of grass in the
place; so they sat down, about five thousand in all. 11 Then Jesus took the loaves, and when he had given thanks,
he distributed them to those who were seated; so also the fish, as much as they wanted. 12 When they were
satisfied, he told his disciples, “Gather up the fragments left over, so that nothing may be lost.” 13 So they
gathered them up, and from the fragments of the five barley loaves, left by those who had eaten, they filled
twelve baskets.
We often say that Jesus came to give life and give it abundantly. What exactly is abundant living? It is abundant
forgiveness and grace. It is abundant gifts of the Holy Spirit, given so we can perform God's work. It is abundant
resources which can be shared.
Jesus was able to feed so many people because He used what someone was willing to share, miraculously
multiplying it so everyone not only had enough to eat, but there was food left over. Since we are responsible
stewards of God's gifts, and we are also Jesus' hands and feet on earth, we are also called to take our abundance
42
and let it be used by God. Easter brings the celebration of renewal and new life, and we can rejoice. We can live
as we were called to live - abundantly, as part of God's redeemed family.
Easter Sunday - Day of Celebration!
Epilogue
"Christ is Risen . . . He is risen Indeed."
Romans 12:1-5
1
I appeal to you therefore, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living
sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. 2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be
transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God—what is good and
acceptable and perfect.
3
For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of yourself more highly than you ought
to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. 4 For as
in one body we have many members, and not all the members have the same function, 5 so we, who are many,
are one body in Christ, and individually we are members one of another.
You write the commentary:
Activity:
By now you should have the idea . . .
In every action and project you undertake, ask yourself:
What can we do and how can we do it so as to promote:
1) ecological sustainability (Is it earth-friendly?);
2) economic sustainability (Does it support a just and equitably sharing of life’s resources?);
3) social sustainability (Does it create and strengthen community?); and
4) spiritual sustainability (Does it deepen our faith relationships with and commitments to Earth?).
These considerations will not only promote sustainability; they will also enable your efforts to have the greatest
impact.
http://www.webofcreation.org/archive-of-resources/584-learn-about-sustainability
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