As we are enjoying this season of being outdoors and being blessed by God’s creation, Bishop Ward invites us all to become involved in creation care ministry in our local church or district.
The earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof – the world and those who dwell on it. For God has established it.
These first verses of Psalm 24, appointed for this week in the life of our church, draw us all into adoration of God and in the ministry of creation care. In these days and weeks and months of summer, we find ourselves enjoying the out-of-doors. We are in gardens; we’re in our yards. We’re besides lakes; we’re on the beach. We’re trekking on a mountain trail. We are noticing the way plants grow and the way squirrels and chipmunks dart across our yards. We give thanks for the birds nesting in our trees.Jesus Christ, long ago, praised God for all of creation as he used creation in his parables and stories and lessons to us. In this time, when record heat impacts Portland and Seattle and Minneapolis, when storms like Elsa threaten from the coast, we are reminded of our stewardship of the earth. We are using, throughout our annual conference, an excellent resource called “Drawdown.” I hope that you will use one of the copies available in your district.
We are also, in this new conference year, organizing a district team for creation care in all eight districts. I hope you, as you feel called to this work, will be in touch with your district superintendent and volunteer to be a part of the creation care team in your district. We want to help every local church be a center of creation care.
The earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof, the world and those who dwell on it for God has established it. Thanks be to God!