Healing Our Earth – preparing for Earth Day, April 22, 2021
Almighty God, in giving us dominion over things on earth,
you made us coworkers in your creation.
Give us wisdom and reverence to use the resources of nature
so that no one may suffer from our abuse of them,
and that generations yet to come may continue to praise you for your bounty;
through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ, who in your self-emptying love
gathered up and reconciled all creation to the Father.
Innumerable galaxies of the heavens worship you.
Creatures that grace the earth rejoice in you.
All those in the deepest seas bow to you in adoration.
As with them we give you praise,
grant that we may cherish the earth, our home,
and live in harmony with this good creation,
for you live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and forever. Amen.
Beloved community,
The two beautiful prayers above are from the collected resources in our hymnal, Evangelical Lutheran Worship. We are creatures of an abundant and extraordinary creation, and we are to give thanks to our Creator God for God’s rich benevolence to we who are sojourners on this planet. As we approach Earth Day 2021 next week, it is ‘meet and right’ to give thanks to God the Creator for this good creation.
Last Friday, April 9, the Kaufman Interfaith Institute shared in its “Weekly Watch” the following little clip of the Dalai Lama offering a Buddhist perspective on creation care and challenging all of us to recognize the “new reality” of climate change. Kaufman also launched its “Healing Our Earth” programming for our ‘Earth Month’ observance. The first session was last Sunday, on “Christian Imperatives for Environmental Care.” Although the live offering has past, you can follow the link to a video of the two-hour “Grand Dialogue” moderated by former Grand Rapids Mayor George Heartwell.
The other events below are upcoming on Sunday through Wednesday of next week.
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Blessings good people of Trinity. As we seek to be good stewards of this planet, may you be safe, may you be well, and may you be held in love.
It remains a privilege to serve as one of your pastors.
Grace and peace,
Pastor Robert Linstrom