Ponderings
January 18, 2012
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Listen to the sermon preached to you by the flowers, the trees, the shrubs, the sky, and the whole world. Notice how they preach to you a sermon full of love, of praise of God, and how they invite you to glorify the sublimity of that sovereign Artist who has given them being. -St. Paul of the Cross
Job 12:7-10
But ask the animals, and they will teach you, or the birds of the air, and they will tell you; or speak to the earth, and it will teach you, or let the fish of the sea inform you. Which of all these does not know that the hand of the LORD has done this? In his hand is the life of every creature and the breath of all mankind.
Psalm 24:1-2
I.The Resurrection of Jesus
The earth is the Lord's and all that is in it, the world, and those who live in it; for he has founded it on the seas, and established it on the rivers.
I love this quote by St. Paul of the Cross and the corollary quotes from the Book of Job and the Psalms. Creation does indeed speak to us, preach to us, invite us to see and know the wonders of God, woo us into the gift of beauty and blessing, and ultimately remind us that all is a gift.
I really believe that most of you are sincere in your desire to be faithful stewards of this blessed gift called creation. I find here at Germantown Methodist a growing number of folks who want creation care to be a natural part of your faithful discipleship. I'm certainly appreciative of our Creation Care ministry team chaired by Anne Fritz. They welcome your participation I can assure you. And by the way, this group is leading a special study on Wednesday nights; it started on January 11 and concludes February 15. You could even attend tonight's session.
I think as we continue into 2012 it would be a notable commitment if each of us sought to take on at least one additional means of simpler and more sustainable living. We don't necessarily have to take on some grand venture but we can do something more. Are you recycling as you should? Are you more attentive to the products you buy and their impact on our planet? Are you consciously seeking to avoid waste? Are you seeking to become more knowledge about things we can do to make a difference?
One of my favorite songs is "Colors of the Wind" by Stephen Schwartz; from the movie Pocahontas. Among the verses are these:
Come run the hidden pine trails of the forest
Come taste the sunsweet berries of the Earth
Come roll in all the riches all around you
And for once, never wonder what they're worth
The rainstorm and the river are my brothers
The heron and the otter are my friends
And we are all connected to each other
In a circle, in a hoop that never ends
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