"Creation flavored" thoughts on the lectionary texts
Date: December 14, 2008
Text: Psalm 126 When the Lord brought
us back to Zion -
Thoughts
"When the Lord restored the fortunes of Zion" or "brought back those who returned to Zion" - the translation issues
suggest that in reality the fortunes of a people are tied to the fortunes of their land, and in real reality, we are all tied
to one another as we are all tied to the Creation.
And I don't know how I missed putting this in last week - we were at a concert with a piece that was essentially readings
accompanied by orchestra, one of which was called "Gaia, Gaia, Gaia" and had this line right in the middle - "weary of
owners and desolate for lovers"! I think maybe I would have put "desperate for lovers" but it is powerful either way!
"We were like dreamers" - what dreams have you had for Creation lately?
The psalm asks God to save us again as God has done in the past. My guess is that God is trying to do that through
the various faith groups that are starting to take environmental issues seriously. Check
http://www.nationalteachin.org/faithorganization.php for one of the next efforts.
Water courses in the Negeb - which apparently flooded with regularity. Regular flooding can be a blessing, I guess.
"Irregular" flooding - probably not!
Weeping and sowing, reaping and singing. There are parts of the world where people go
hungry because they must sow the last of their seeds instead of eating them. In my world, as farmers are pretty much
forced to choose from a smaller and smaller number of hybrids seeds to plant - it may be a cause for weeping, both for the
danger of having such a limited gene-pool, and for the varieties (some of them more delicious than those we are left with)
that are lost to us. What kind of reaping is worthy of songs of joy?
Text: Isaiah 61.1-4,8-11 They shall
build up and restore
Thoughts
"They shall build up the ancient ruins" - and restore the health and vitality of the soil and the biosphere?
The Lord loves justice - especially eco-justice. What eco-justice issues are on your heart and mind today?
Others will say - they are a people the Lord has blessed. Certainly Earth is a blessed planet - delicately balanced
in space at just the right distance from the sun with just the right atmospheric make-up to have a livable and even pleasant
climate. Hopefully as we learn more we will also be moved more to stay within Earth's healthy parameters, one of which
is 350 ppm of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere - check
www.350.org.
"As the earth brings forth it's shoots, as a garden causes what is sown in it to spring up" - the life-giving power of
the garden is a metaphor of God's intention for all of Creation, humans included. What happens when the garden
no longer works? How will we know what God intends then?
Text: John 1.6-8,19-28 John the Witness
Thoughts
Light and dark - in the symbol set of John, the darkness stands for our failing and limited existence, the
light is the salvation God makes possible. In reality the alternating of light and dark is essential, for everything
from growth to rest/renewal to weather. Apparently in Hebrew the words for evening and morning in Gen 1 carry the connotation
of chaos and order. The regular round of chaos and order, darkness and light, evening and morning, provides for innovation
and continuity - and the wonder of Creation. (Another chance to plug the book The Splendor of Creation by Ellen
Bernstein. http://ellenbernstein.org/) What touches you - a sunrise or a sunset?
"The voice of one crying in the wilderness" - we thought last week about the wilderness being God's special
place. It can also be a lonely place for one crying in it. Hopefully as you lift up environmental issues
in a faith context, you are coming to feel less and less like "one voice crying in the wilderness".
Prayer
Eternal God,
your amazing power to innovate goes on forever,
but in our time we are seeing your glorious Creation slipping away.
Continue to touch our hearts with a concern for Creation;
continue to give us wisdom and insight into Creationt's healthy parameters;
continue to draw us together on Creation's behalf and well-being.
Then as the earth brings forth its shoots
may our lives bring forth your love and justice and grace.
One Thing to Do This Week
Consider a (local) live plant gift, or perhaps even a contribution to purchase and preserve rain forest or some other
wilderness place!
