Earth Day, Pine Island Presbyterian Church
This past Sunday we were reminded in a very real way that we are not far removed from the world. On Thursday of last week there was a perceived threat to Kalamazoo Valley Community College and authorities responded quickly by closing the entire campus until this past Monday. We usually worship in the cafeteria of KVCC so plans were quickly made to worship at Pretty Lake Camp, where we worship when the college is normally closed. Fortunately the items for the Worship Arts Table travel easily, as easily as the members of the congregation. We were recognizing Earth Day and were encouraged to wear our gardening or work clothes so we could participate in clean-up projects after worship. Our jeans and T-shirts fit right in at the camp setting.
As we heard again in the Creation story that “God saw that it was good” and wondered how much of creation is still good in the eyes of the Creator when we live more as consumers than stewards, and as the children were outside discovering some of the creeping and creepy creatures (an unexpected benefit of being at the camp on Earth Day!), I anticipated singing one of my favorite hymns, “God of the Sparrow.”
God of the sparrow, God of the whale, God of the swirling stars
How does the creature say Awe, How does the creature say Praise
God of the earthquake, God of the storm, God of the trumpet blast
How does the creature cry Woe, How does the creature cry Save
God of the rainbow, God of the cross, God of the empty grave
How does the creature say Grace, How does the creature say Thanks
God of the hungry, God of the sick, God of the prodigal
How does the creature say Care, How does the creature say Life
God of the neighbor, God of the foe, God of the pruning hook
How does the creature say Love, How does the creature say Peace
God of the ages, God of the hand, God of the loving heart
How do your children say Joy, How do your children say Home.
(Jaroslav J. Vajda, GIA)
Both the words and melody speak to my heart. The whale and the hungry, our neighbor and the grieving ~ they are each part of the Story, each need to be cherished as we learn to live and respond as stewards rather than consumers. The guest pastor told us that at the first Earth Day in 1970 it was said that our eco-system is like a spider web ~ strong yet delicate, and interconnected. 27 years later I hope that statement carries even deeper meaning for us. The grieving and bewildered at Virginia Tech need our compassion as much as the care of the landfills and polluted waters.
Our setting on Sunday didn’t provide the wide window-scape as a backdrop to the Table, but we did have windows to our right, and I was blessed to sit by one that was open. A gentle breeze blew in from the lake. It brought refreshment, and invitation as only the Spirit is known to do, to care more deeply for this strong yet delicate web in which we have both the privilege and responsibility to live.
How do we say Home……
The Alchemist
[…] where she teaches and the beauty that has blossomed from it. Cathleen at Back Road Journey reflects on her Earth Day celebration and the meaning of home. Wendy at Bluebird of Happiness is writing about the need to cultivate […]