Tag Archives: Climate Change

Doing Justice

Living in the Spirit

July 27, 2022

Scripture Reading: Psalm 49:1-12
Hear this, all you peoples;
   give ear, all inhabitants of the world,
both low and high,
   rich and poor together.
My mouth shall speak wisdom;
   the meditation of my heart shall be understanding.
I will incline my ear to a proverb;
   I will solve my riddle to the music of the harp.

Why should I fear in times of trouble,
   when the iniquity of my persecutors surrounds me,
those who trust in their wealth
   and boast of the abundance of their riches?
Truly, no ransom avails for one’s life,
   there is no price one can give to God for it.
For the ransom of life is costly,
   and can never suffice,
that one should live on forever
   and never see the grave.

When we look at the wise, they die;
   fool and dolt perish together
   and leave their wealth to others.
Their graves are their homes forever,
   their dwelling-places to all generations,
   though they named lands their own.
Mortals cannot abide in their pomp;
   they are like the animals that perish.

Benjamin Franklin said, Our new Constitution is now established, everything seems to promise it will be durable; but, in this world, nothing is certain except death and taxes. I understand that to mean that our democracy’s success lies in our hands and our ability to carry it forward into a constantly changing world. I hear daily news reporters asking the question what is the President going to do about this crisis? How will Congress solve a specific issue on which they are deadlocked?  We must let our elected officials know where we stand on the problems we face today. More than that we need to delve into the issue and understand the ramifications of our positions and not just follow the crowd responding to hot-button issues that are distractions to dealing with serious problems.

Prayer: Lord, help us understand our role as citizens working for the justice you have called us to foster. Amen.

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.

Shared Resources

Living in the Spirit

August 31, 2021

Scripture Reading:

Isaiah 35:4-7a
Say to those who are of a fearful heart,
   ‘Be strong, do not fear!
Here is your God.
   He will come with vengeance,
with terrible recompense.
   He will come and save you.’

Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened,
   and the ears of the deaf unstopped;
then the lame shall leap like a deer,
   and the tongue of the speechless sing for joy.
For waters shall break forth in the wilderness,
   and streams in the desert;
the burning sand shall become a pool,
   and the thirsty ground springs of water;
the haunt of jackals shall become a swamp,
   the grass shall become reeds and rushes.

When I moved to Denver in 1975, I took water for granted. Yes, I was coming from a state that the Dust Bowl had ravaged, but that had been several years earlier. We did have years with less rain than other years, but water was readily available. In Denver, I learned that the Colorado River was the primary source of water, and it must be protected; it had to last forever if the people of that region were to survive. Unfortunately, the news recently reported that the Colorado River was quickly receding and may soon be unable to preserve the life it had supported for so long. Scientists and others were searching for solutions while the people worked to conserve the water that they have. They may have learned from the history of the Dust Bowl that we must care for the earth if it is to sustain our lives.

The Dust Bowl resulted from a combination of climate change, several seasons of drought, and farming practices primarily designed to get maximum crop production. The flatlands of Oklahoma could produce much more wheat and other crops if the land were plowed in long straight rows. The farmers who settled in Oklahoma from areas that were not so flat took the fullest advantage of those straight rows. Thus, after many weeks without rain and when the wind came sweeping down the plain*, it picked up the topsoil and sent it flying to other parts of the country. Significant changes in farming practices were required to return the earth to fertile ground. Part of this was a lack of knowledge regarding farming on flat land and other terrains. Part was greed to produce as many crops as possible.

The above scripture reminds us that humans tend to see and hear what they want rather than face reality. The truth is, we must cohabit the world with one another, sharing its abundance and its natural wonders so that it can continue to sustain us so all can have enough of the necessities of life.

Prayer: Lord, help us see the reality before us and adjust our lives to assure that the earth can survive and all can have enough. Amen.

*Lyric from the song Oklahoma see at https://www.allmusicals.com/lyrics/oklahoma/oklahoma.htm

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.

Care of the Earth

Discipleship

February 15, 2021

Scripture Reading: Genesis 9:8-17
Then God said to Noah and to his sons with him, ‘As for me, I am establishing my covenant with you and your descendants after you, and with every living creature that is with you, the birds, the domestic animals, and every animal of the earth with you, as many as came out of the ark. I establish my covenant with you, that never again shall all flesh be cut off by the waters of a flood, and never again shall there be a flood to destroy the earth.’ –Genesis 9:8-11

I made a quick run to the grocery store today because a massive weather system is heading toward Oklahoma with predictions of a lot of snow and perhaps even a blizzard. My car data indicated it was 16 degrees outside when I backed out of my driveway. It dropped to 11 degrees by the time I parked at the store. I got my food and, hurrying back to my car, saw a bird perched on a grocery cart left stranded in the lot. The bird looked so cold and almost like it was in shock. I am no expert on birds, but it was medium-sized with various shades of brown feathers. Where do birds go in freezing weather? The news reported earlier this week that a mother dog and her newborn pups had been found, all frozen to death. Another litter of pubs had been tossed in a store trash can. Staff heard them and rescued them even though their little mouths were frozen shut when they were first discovered.

Climate change is impacting all creatures, great and small. Earlier in Genesis, humans were given dominion over the earth, God blessed them, and God said to them, ‘Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it; and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the air and over every living thing that moves upon the earth.’ –Genesis 1:28 We are responsible for the care of the earth and all that is in it. Dominion means to rule over, which sometimes leads people to think they are authorized to use the world for personal aggrandizement. God, the Creator, is the ultimate example of one who rules. We are to follow his example of not destroying the planet.

Prayer: Lord, teach us how to care for the earth as you ordained us to do. Amen.

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.

Care of the Earth

Living in the Spirit

September 21, 2020

Scripture Reading: Exodus 17:1-7

From the wilderness of Sin the whole congregation of the Israelites journeyed by stages, as the Lord commanded. They camped at Rephidim, but there was no water for the people to drink. The people quarreled with Moses, and said, ‘Give us water to drink.’ Moses said to them, ‘Why do you quarrel with me? Why do you test the Lord?’ But the people thirsted there for water; and the people complained against Moses and said, ‘Why did you bring us out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and livestock with thirst?’ So Moses cried out to the Lord, ‘What shall I do with this people? They are almost ready to stone me.’ The Lord said to Moses, ‘Go on ahead of the people, and take some of the elders of Israel with you; take in your hand the staff with which you struck the Nile, and go. I will be standing there in front of you on the rock at Horeb. Strike the rock, and water will come out of it, so that the people may drink.’ Moses did so, in the sight of the elders of Israel. He called the place Massah and Meribah, because the Israelites quarreled and tested the Lord, saying, ‘Is the Lord among us or not?’

I was surprised to read that a shortage of water is one of the projected results of climate change* in my part of the world. Oklahoma is known for its investment in building lakes, probably because of the Dust Bowl. While we might view the Israelites as being whiners in the above scripture, they were realistic, having lived in an arid environment. Scientists project that humans can go without food for several weeks and survive. We die in three or four days without water**.

The Israelites miss the mark not from being frightened but from not being a part of searching for a solution. Moses and the elders went in search of an answer to the problem and found one. We tend to read similar scriptures as if Moses waved a magic staff, and all was well. Moses engaged with God in guiding his actions, but it took strength and fortitude, and hard work to implement the changes needed for the Israelites to survive and eventually thrive.

The Bible is the history of God’s working among God’s followers when one or some of them say to God, here is a problem, I am ready to do something about it and God responding “It’s about time, I am ready. Let’s go.” According to the story of the Israelites, they were enslaved for 400 years or so. We do not have that kind of time regarding addressing climate change.

Prayer: Creator God, you gifted us with the earth and all that is in it and charged us to have dominion over the planet in support of our needs. Forgive us when we have misused it and show us how we can restore it. Amen.

*https://climate.nasa.gov/effects/

**https://medicalxpress.com/news/2015-12-humans-survive-food.html#:~:text=Generally%2C%20it%20appears%20as%20though,around%2045%20to%2061%20days.

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.

Chose Life

Epiphany

February 11, 2020

Scripture Reading: Deuteronomy 30:15-20

I call heaven and earth to witness against you today that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Choose life so that you and your descendants may live, loving the Lord your God, obeying him, and holding fast to him; for that means life to you and length of days, so that you may live in the land that the Lord swore to give to your ancestors, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob. –Deuteronomy 30:19-20

When Europeans began arriving in what was then called the New World, they brought with them their ideas of land ownership. They did not seem to recognize that their New World was steeped in the ancient history of peoples who often referred to themselves in their native tongues as the people. In general, these peoples understood that the land belonged to God who provided it for their use and wellbeing and had no concept of land ownership. They seem to practice recognition of land assignment by tribes where they lived and lands where they hunted. They did not necessarily always agree on those land assignments and much like the history of the Israelites some tribes were friendly with each other and some were not.

In the 21st Century we are returning, some quicker than others, to the reality that the earth was provided by God to everyone and everyone is impacted by how we care for it. Indeed, we now have deeds and borders, and it seems we have always maintained friendships among some groups and not among others only we now call them allies and aliens. The ever growing truth is whether allies or aliens, borders and deeds cannot and will never stop the melting of ice raising ocean waters overtaking coastlines, the progressive heating of temperatures resulting in weather changes and impacting crops, or the presence of smog so thick masks must be worn to enable breathing.

The Deuteronomist who recorded oral history probably around 700 BC give us sage advice that is still very relevant today: Choose life so that you and your descendants may live, loving the Lord your God, obeying him, and holding fast to him.  Learning to live together in love for one another will be the only way we survive.

Prayer: Lord, forgive us for our clinging to privileged self-centeredness. Help us recognize that all people are dealing with the same challenges regarding our earth and only all people working together can leave our world a place of life for our descendants. Amen.

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.

Wilderness

Advent

December 7, 2019

Scripture Reading: Matthew 3:1-12

In those days John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness of Judea, proclaiming, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.’ This is the one of whom the prophet Isaiah spoke when he said,
‘The voice of one crying out in the wilderness:
“Prepare the way of the Lord,
   make his paths straight.” ’

Now John wore clothing of camel’s hair with a leather belt around his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey. Then the people of Jerusalem and all Judea were going out to him, and all the region along the Jordan, and they were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. –Matthew 3:1-8

Why did John the Baptist preach in the wilderness? A wilderness is an uncultivated, useless place. Why would anyone go there in the first place? For John such a place provided solitude, a place to think. Surely, John’s reputation preceded him, if people were seeking him in such a desolate place. Perhaps the world was too much with those who sought him as it was for him. I know that feeling.

Advent is a time identified by the church set aside to step out of our regular routine and enter the darkness of the time of waiting for the coming Messiah. We often do not appreciate what we have until it is gone. Advent is an artificially created means of reminding us of what we gained when Christ came to dwell among us, share his love with us teaching and showing us how-to live-in God’s kingdom.

Last spring the man who has done my yard work since 1985 was supposed to trim my trees and bushes and otherwise prepare my backyard for summer. And then the rains came. Unusual for Oklahoma, wind and rain made it impossible for him to do the work when it needed to be done and thus, we agreed he would do it as a fall cleanup. He had to use a dump truck to carry away the branches, said he had never seen it grow so much so fast. On top of that the standing and rushing water during the rains has eroded my yard and ruined parts of the grass. It was a wilderness most likely created by global warming and the climate change that results. A lot of restorative work is now needed to return it to the yard/garden it once was.

I think this is a metaphor for our world today. The damage of greed and lust for power is awash in our land. Most of us just want to get on about our lives and put the terrors of the world out of the picture. We can no longer do that. We never should have started ignoring it, but the world is now our back yard and we must accept our responsibility in restoring it to the world God intended when he created it, whether that is related to addressing climate change or poverty or human rights of all kinds.

Prayer: Lord, during this time of advent help us to seek and to save that which we have lost through our ennui and help us work to work toward building a world ruled by your love for the world and all that is within it. Amen.

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.

Diversion

Kingdom Building

November 9, 2019

Scripture Reading:
Luke 20:27-38

Some Sadducees, those who say there is no resurrection, came to him and asked him a question, ‘Teacher, Moses wrote for us that if a man’s brother dies, leaving a wife but no children, the man shall marry the widow and raise up children for his brother. Now there were seven brothers; the first married, and died childless; then the second and the third married her, and so in the same way all seven died childless. Finally the woman also died. In the resurrection, therefore, whose wife will the woman be? For the seven had married her.’ –Luke 30:27-33

I get the wondering about what, if anything, happens after death. I even enjoy hashing out with thoughtful people diverse understandings of scripture. In the final analysis, life beyond death is not a great concern of mine. I have a sense that I will be with God and that is all that matters. My greater focus is what I am doing in the here and now to make this world a better place for all God’s children. People are different and have different motivational drives. Because of my attitude, I do not comprehend why the Sadducees made such a big deal about wanting to make others take their view that there is no resurrection. It is a good diversion from investing our lives in making the world a better place for all God’s children.

I must confess, I have the same reaction to the naysayers on climate change. What difference does it make whether we believe climate change is man made or not? The reality is the earth is being markedly impacted by climate change and if there is anything, we can do to reduce its impact, shouldn’t we do it?

Prayer: Lord, as we search for wisdom in your word, help us not to get so caught up in our debates we forget your call to create a world ruled by love. Amen.

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.

Forgive Our Foolish Ways

Kingdom Building

September 10, 2019

Scripture Reading: Jeremiah 4:11-12, 22-28
I looked on the earth, and lo, it was waste and void;
   and to the heavens, and they had no light.
I looked on the mountains, and lo, they were quaking,
   and all the hills moved to and fro.
I looked, and lo, there was no one at all,
   and all the birds of the air had fled.
I looked, and lo, the fruitful land was a desert,
   and all its cities were laid in ruins
   before the Lord, before his fierce anger.
For thus says the Lord: The whole land shall be a desolation; yet I will not make a full end.
Because of this the earth shall mourn,
   and the heavens above grow black;
for I have spoken, I have purposed;
   I have not relented nor will I turn back. –Jeremiah 4:11-12, 23-28

Have you ever wondered if any of the planets, now desolate, supported thriving civilizations that disappeared over time because the population was unwell or unable to do the work to sustain life? Jeremiah’s vision in the above scripture seems to describe such a situation happening to the planet earth as he chastises his fellow Israelites for getting so embroiled in their self-interests, they forgot their responsibilities of caring for the earth. Jeremiah was a prophet over 2,500 years ago and his words still sting us deeply today.

I remember studying about the Dust Bowl and how, yes, the lack of rain and the subsequent drought were bad, the major cause of the topsoil blowing away was over aggressive use of the land in the years leading up to the Dust Bowl. Droughts like recessions occur in the normal fluctuations of weather and economics. We have known that for years and yet we fail to heed the warnings. Joseph, son of Jacob, illustrated what could happen when people are prudent about the care of the earth and the economy. He foresaw the coming drought and had the Egyptians store up grain for use when the climate could not support a harvest, bringing stability to the economy in the down years saving his estranged family in the process.

Our situation with a changing climate is becoming dire when we know actions that can at least slow down the deterioration of the earth. The question is are we willing to give up our current self-interest to take restorative and proactive actions necessary to sustain life.

Prayer:
Dear Lord and Father of mankind,
Forgive our foolish ways;
Reclothe us in our rightful mind,
In purer lives Thy service find,
In deeper rev’rence, praise.

Drop Thy still dews of quietness,
Till all our strivings cease;
Take from our souls the strain and stress,
And let our ordered lives confess
The beauty of Thy peace.

Breathe through the heats of our desire
Thy coolness and Thy balm;
Let sense be dumb, let flesh retire;
Speak through the earthquake, wind, and fire,
O still, small Voice of calm. Amen.

*Verses 1, 3, and 4 of Dear Lord and Father of Mankind by John G. Whittier see at https://library.timelesstruths.org/music/Dear_Lord_and_Father_of_Mankind/

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.

Care of the Earth

Christmas
January 2, 2018

Scripture Reading: Genesis 1:1-8

And God said, ‘Let there be a dome in the midst of the waters, and let it separate the waters from the waters.’ So God made the dome and separated the waters that were under the dome from the waters that were above the dome. And it was so. God called the dome Sky. And there was evening and there was morning, the second day. –Genesis 1:6-8

The Psalmist says what I want to say far better than I:

O Lord, our Sovereign,
   how majestic is your name in all the earth!
You have set your glory above the heavens.
Out of the mouths of babes and infants
you have founded a bulwark because of your foes,
   to silence the enemy and the avenger.

 When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers,
   the moon and the stars that you have established;
what are human beings that you are mindful of them,
   mortals that you care for them? 

Yet you have made them a little lower than God,
   and crowned them with glory and honor.
You have given them dominion over the works of your hands;
   you have put all things under their feet,all sheep and oxen,
  and also the beasts of the field,
the birds of the air, and the fish of the sea,
   whatever passes along the paths of the seas. –Psalm 8:1-8

Dominion means responsibility not license to do whatever we want. Dominion means we must care for the earth God provided as a resource for us. If we take care of nature, it will take care of us. When we ravish its resources, they may support us for a while, and then they are gone or become a danger to us.

Prayer: Lord, guide us in caring for the earth and all that is on it. Amen.

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.

Care of the Earth

Care of the EarthLiving in the Spirit
November 5, 2014

Scripture Reading: Psalm 107:1-7, 33-37

He turns rivers into a desert,
   springs of water into thirsty ground,
a fruitful land into a salty waste,
   because of the wickedness of its inhabitants.
He turns a desert into pools of water,
   a parched land into springs of water.
And there he lets the hungry live,
   and they establish a town to live in;
they sow fields, and plant vineyards,
and get a fruitful yield. — Psalm 107:33-37

I heard a lot of candidates running for office this week talking about turning things around in our government for the sake of our children. Those ads were juxtaposed against the release of the report of the United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, which to say the least was grim. I do not think I heard a single candidate discuss climate change as an issue. We do like to keep our heads in the sand.

The poet who wrote our Psalm today saw a world where God saved the land and returned it to viability where food could once again grow. We have the opportunity to assure that we continue to have land where food will grow, if we assume the role of having dominion over the earth assigned by God. We must treat that role as a sacred trust given to caretakers rather than exploiter. We in Oklahoma know all too well what can happen to a land that has been mistreated and over used. It blows away when the rains do not come. It was called the Dust Bowl. That will seem like a minor storm in comparison to what we might face with such devastation covering the whole earth.

Let us make the effort to discern the consequences of climate change not just for those of us who live in the USA but also all our brothers and sisters across the whole world and let us join as one to return the earth to a point where it will be viable.

Prayer: Lord, give us the courage the face our own fears and challenges and to rise up as one to return the earth to a place of fruitful yield. Amen.

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of American. Used by permission. All rights reserved.