EarthWords - connecting Scripture
and Creation
"Creation flavored" thoughts on the lectionary texts
Date: October 8
Text: Psalm 26 A righteous
person asks to be spared the consequences (punishments?) coming to the wicked
Thoughts
How fair is it when we all suffer because a few dump chemicals into the air or tires and refrigerators into the river?
Can/will God protect us from the consequences brought on by those "whose fingers are active in mischief"?! (NEB) What
would the world have to look like for these words to make sense, to have a chance, to not be totally in vain? Would
it involve changes in how we ourselves live?
Text: Job 1.1, 2.1-10 Job develops sores
and his wife suggests "Just curse God and die"!
Thoughts
Job has already lost family and wealth, now he develops sores! Where do illnesses, rashes, sores, asthma come from?
Where do we lay the responsibility? God? Life? Environment?
Job's wife says "Just curse God and die!" Sometimes we also get tempted to just give up the struggle, use up, throw
out, pollute the world and go extinct. But this is not what God has in mind, this would not be faithfully living God's
dream?
Text: Mark 10.2-16 What about divorce?
Welcoming children.
Thoughts
When asked (confronted) about divorce, Jesus acknowledges the Law (Moses) but continues past it to the beginning, the
Creation. The Creation apparently shows God's dream even more clearly than the Law. Creation trumps Law!
Thomas Berry would challenge us to learn as much from the creation as we have from the Bible. Extra credit question:
what does the creation teach us about marriage?
Jesus blesses the children, and note that here he doesn't simply say "treat children well because they are important
to God", but "learn from them how to live in order to receive the kingdom." What "child-quality" does Jesus have in
mind - joy in natural thinigs? being satisfied with what they have? If we fill our children's worlds with video games,
with soccer and hockey teams, with ipods and cell phones, with all the things of popular culture, will they still be
"child-like enough" to teach us how to live in this world?
Prayer
We confess we have lived in ways that are wasteful and harmful to the creation.
Forgive us, Lord, and help us learn prudence to live carefully in your world.
We confess we sometimes get discourages and think about giving up.
Forgive us, Lord, and help us discover the strength of the mountains to endure.
We confess we also look for ways to make use of your creation for our own advantage,
that sometimes even our fingers "are active in doing mischief."
Forgive us, Lord, and help us live faithfully in and for your world.
We confess that sometimes we value adult wisdom and perspectives more than "child-like" ones.
Forgive us, Lord, and help us learn from your Word and from the children
how to live out your dream in your world.
Words of Assurance
God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved/healed. (Jn 3.17)
One thing to do -
