Daily Worship

The Soil of the Land

Andy Campbell October 10, 2016 0 0

Deuteronomy 6

“And when the Lord your God brings you into the land that he swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give you—with great and good cities that you did not build, 11 and houses full of all good things that you did not fill, and cisterns that you did not dig, and vineyards and olive trees that you did not plant—and when you eat and are full, 12 then take care lest you forget the Lord, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.

As the migrating Hebrews settle in a new homeland, wandering herds-people become tillers of the soil, and are once again “farmers”.
 

Lift up your eyes to the heavens
Look at the earth beneath: 
Isaiah 51:6

 

Creating God of valley and slope – 

Our land is covered in earths of infinite variety.

Pale dun-coloured crumbly tilth.

Water laden dark peat,

Rich brown leafy loam,

Heavy orange clinging clay.

And the handful of soil I lift to gaze upon and smell

is not the dirt I imagined, but a miracle of growth;

of decay, and development as fibres and filters;

microbes and minerals. 

Nutrients and nematodes,

leaf-mould and litter 

all work together to bring forth

forest tree and food stuffs 

for all your creatures to enjoy.

 

So God, Bless the Farmers, I pray,

for they shape our landscapes and fertilise our fields 

and produce all the good things for eating.

God Bless the farmers, from Alloa to Zambia:

The stewards of the earth.

 

And Lord please …

Make us ever mindful of their toil

and may we always value this rich soil.

Amen