Daily Worship

For the beauty of the earth…

Jane Denniston October 18, 2024 6 1
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Psalm 67: 6 (NRSVA)

6 

The earth has yielded its increase;
    God, our God, has blessed us.

Throughout the millennia of human history human beings have had the tendency to assume that the earth owes us a living. We have plundered its resources as if they were infinite, discovering, perhaps too late, that not only are they very finite, but that our use of them is harming the world in ways we did not predict. It’s not just global warming that is harming the environment. Over fishing, for example, is creating gaps in the food chain leading to the extinction of species. In love with our own cleverness, we have embraced advances in technology as if we could use them with impunity. We cannot, and our dependence on gas, petrol, cars, planes, refrigerators, fresh and exotic foodstuffs, strawberries in December… the list is endless, is poisoning our world. 

We were given the responsibility to be good stewards of this earth. It is hardly good stewardship to destroy it so part of our mission as good stewards must surely be to stand up for the environment. To courageously examine our own lifestyles to see how they can be more environmentally friendly. God has blessed us with the gift of this miraculous world to sustain us. It is so miraculous: if just one thing were different, for example, if ice were more dense than water as are all other solids more dense than their liquid form, life on earth would not exist. Let us bless God in return by fighting for this beautiful gift.

 

Prayer:

 

Generous God,

you have given us this wonderful world

for our enjoyment and sustenance.

Forgive us for our abuse of it

as well as our complicity in the abuse that others inflict

in the name of commerce and profit. 

Give us eyes to see how our lifestyles harm this world.

Give us hearts to care enough to sacrifice our comfort for its sake. 

Give us courage to add our voice to those

crying out for sanity

in our mad, headlong rush to destruction. 

Give us wisdom to know how to make a difference, Amen.