Category: Climate

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A Prayer For This Land

“if a fire breaks out and spreads into thorn bushes so that it burns shocks of grain, standing grain, or the whole field, the one who started the fire must make restitution.” Exodus 22:6

Oh great God of heaven and Earth, I bow my head in prayer to You this day, and pray for this land that stretches out before me

I call out to my Lord, that You would listen to me and feel compassion for the life that lives here

A drought has stricken our lands. It has made our fields dry and cracked. Our once lush forests have been weakened and are struggling. They have become like tinder that waits for a single spark to ignite them

All of life here is in retreat. The beauty of the west is disappearing and the survivors are hard pressed and stricken

The fires come in weary regularity now. They burn like gigantic furnaces that consume everything in their path and with a quickness that fiercely devoirs the gardens that once bloomed there

It has been heartwarming to witness the regrowth that springs up after. Like a miracle, it is a testament to the tenacity of these survivors. But, something is much different now, the old ground rules are being broken

For the heat and the drought is just relentless. Year after year it continues to surprise us and repeat itself

The rebirth of our lands and forests, so promising, is losing now . Restoration is being aborted, because of the harshness of our climate

The days keep growing warmer and the nights even more so. The heat and aridness are worse that anyone can remember

Our wet seasons happen in short bursts, and then vanish for months at a time. Brief periods of ‘normal weather’ are being displaced by strange periods of sun, winds, and drought

Lord look down upon us and this hard stricken land. Bring us relief for the sake of this beautiful place. Look fondly upon this land, for it is suffering

I can’t help but think of the ways in which we have caused all this

The excesses of our age that have tilted the balance and now wreak damage. Global warming is a man-made plague, a problem of our own making, and our responsibility 

This drought I see all around me is a consequence of our actions

Can I really ask God to help bring us relief?

Can I truly ask Him to clean up this mess that is a product of our disrespect for His creation?

Therefore, I will pray a new prayer. May we all develop a caring attitude for the Earth and all that lives here

Can we overcome the inertia and profit motives of our industries, so that we may focus on finding solutions to this difficult problem?

How great are the consequences if we decide to ignore and accept this and deadly for millions of people in the coming years

Climate change has the potential to accelerate rapidly from here. As it does, it will ripple unrest, starvation, and plagues across the globe

I will pray then that we commit to undoing the damage we have caused, and that we will work together throughout the world, to care for the health of our planet

For this I will pray for, and for this, I will accept responsibility  2/4/2022

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The Significance of Caring

The King will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did also for me.’ Matthew 25:40

How is it that we have become separated from our home the earth? That we have forgotten the connection we have to its function and beauty?

Has our technology insulated us from this reality? Do we not remember that caring for the Earth is caring for all its people, and indeed, all other life?

Our God created this place for us and all the wonder that abounds here. It is not ours to do with as we please

Because of our standing and our place in the order of things, it falls to us to care for the health of this place. As stewards, each of us must try to leave this place in better condition for the next generations

We should lead as a good example to our children, so, they might learn this important truth and not ignore it like we have

It is such an obvious goal to achieve and should never be neglected again

I hope the children of the future will look back at us kindly and forgive our generation for not recognizing this sooner. For at no time in history has our species created such a damaging impact upon our home

We have no choice now; we must reduce the harm we are causing. Because caring for the earth is, caring for its people

This is especially critical for our poor, the needy, and the vulnerable. Are these not the same ones God calls us to care for?

Can we also learn to share this place with each other, and give our time and wealth to help solve these problems? It is not going to be easy, but it must be done 

Neglecting to address this will place incredibly difficult burdens on future generations

We must begin to act now and swiftly ramp up our effort so that we can lessen the impacts and begin to heal this incredible place

Each of us bears some responsibility, we are all in this together

Lend a hand in any way you can. Use your strengths and skill to help others and to reduce your impacts. Support the efforts of others and our leaders who recognize the magnitude of this crisis

Become a caregiver of this earth and of its people and life

There is so much to be done

God will honor those who honor Him. He will consider our efforts as helping Himself when we care for those affected by this danger

We are all in this together, let us act in love, with concern for those who need our help. 1/29/2022

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The Wonder of Water

All streams flow into the sea, yet the sea is never full. To the place from where streams come, there they return again. Ecc 1:6

There is something beautiful about watching a river flow into the sea. To see them, born in mountains high and distant, rushing into the vastness of the oceans of our earth

What stories could those waters tell?

How many lives did they touch along the way?

Who thanked the river for the countless blessings it gave as it crossed their land?

Water is a miracle. It is the magic substance that all of life depends on, the stuff that we are made of

Earth is set apart from everything else we see in the universe by its water. It’s what makes this planet full of an abundance of life

Water is the solution that allows us to exist. All the millions of processes happening in us every second, occur only because of its incredible qualities

Its chemical properties are amazingly varied and unique. Water dissolves, transports, adheres, oxidizes, reduces, blends, and mixes. It flows, floats in the air, and becomes like a rock when it’s cold

It can gently wash the dust from a leaf, or, split solid rock and wear down mountains

On Earth it is ever present and life giving. All of life relies on its life sustaining properties

God has created an incredible world for us to live in. He has made this watery place filled with great abundance. It exists in a perfect balance of temperature, gravity, and mix of elements that ebb and flow, supporting this miracle we call life

Give thanks, be in awe of this wonder created by His hands. consider the wonder of water and its beauty; the power of the ocean when a storm has stirred it, when it creates mountainous waves of awesome power

Remember the beauty of a waterfall cascading over cliffs, the roar of rapids in a river at flood stage; the towering summits of thunderstorms white against the sky that pour flooding torrents of rainfall upon the land beneath

How beautiful to watch a river meet the sea, to observe it completing a cycle that gives life to all it touches

How distressing then, is it to see scarcity and pollution. Of lack, that has caused great suffering across this world

To see the flash floods and rising seas that threaten so many, or to hear about pollution that we have dumped into our precious waters; poison that has stricken many who have no choice in the matter

All these tragedies are of our own making, caused by a warming climate and the runaway waste of industry. Propagated by selfish and cost centered decisions that value wealth above our health

Water, one of God’s most miraculous substances is being defiled and altered

As we raise the earths temperature and reduce the quality of our waters, we place all life into increasing peril

God has made us responsible for what we do here within His glorious creation. It is up to us to clean up our waste and give honor to Him and regard all that dwells within His world

Consider, this day, what we are doing to our waters. Thank God for the wonder of its existence, then make a difference with your life.  11/12/2021

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Wake Up, This is Real

 

If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy them; for God’s temple is sacred, and you are that temple. 1 Corinthians 3:17

This world is changing, our climate is warming, the balance of our living world is degrading and few of us are paying attention

It appears, that the ways in which our climate is changing does not easily set off alarms in us. Perhaps it is happening at such an incremental rate that it defies our deep perception

We notice things are different, but we endure or adjust, and then move on. This  has left us profoundly vulnerable to this danger

Wake yourself, arouse your mind and sharpen your perception, become an observer and listener of nature. This is more important than we realize, a problem which will be difficult to recover from

Never forget that this planet was made by our God, created for life and for wonder. It is a miracle of His work

Do you think God applauds its destruction?

Many say they don’t see the climate changing. Look more intently, study the data determined by the experts.

Remember the harm you have seen across the lands nearby. Recall the gigantic fires, the powerful storms, the unusual freezes and unrelenting heat; the devastating droughts, and all of the collective damage done so far

Sense the enormity of environmental stress that covers most of the world now. It is all there for you to see, just open your eyes and understand

Some say it is a hoax or scheme to defraud us. But, why are so many brilliant people telling us there is now no doubt?

Climate change is happening. It is real, and our own actions are to blame. The real hoax may lie in the disinformation and lies spread abroad, sowed by those who can gain by creating confusion and distrust in the truth

Our God is a God of justice and righteousness, He considers those who act justly, and those who aspire towards what is good, but He is against anyone who acts selfishly and propagates lies

How do you think He feels about those who are damaging this precious Earth?

Some say it is our right to subdue this World that God gave us to live in. But we have gone far past overcoming the challenges of living on this planet

Never has there been so much destruction wrought upon our land, seas, and air; harm that has affected all life, especially our poor and our defenseless, the ones God calls precious in His eyes

Oh Lord, I pray for our collective climate awareness, that we might sharpen our focus upon this threat. Please help us grow closer and more united as we seek to find good solutions

We elevate you, the Lord of the heavens and of this Earth, so that we might regard You in all our ways, that justice may be served, and the health of our world, upheld

May we always acknowledge You, as we work to restore the bountiful abundance of this world, so that it may be well for us, and for all who live here, and so that You may be forever praised for your all Your awesome works. 3/5/2021

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The Precious Fabric of Life

Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is an everlasting God, the creator of the ends of the Earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and His understanding no one can fathom. Isaiah 40:26

The God of all that is, clothed the Earth with a precious fabric. He made this world with materials of many colors, textures, forms, and patterns

It fits perfectly upon this world, and is unlike anything we have ever known or observed

It is incredible how it persists, adapts, and repairs itself even when damaged. It is woven with such exquisite complexity, that we can barely understand how it works

Our God in heaven created something amazing and beautiful. Perhaps the most surprising thing about it is that it also lives and breathes

This fabric that covers our Earth, our home, is not something to be taken for granted. For we are dependent on the health of every part of it for our very existence

It lies in a balance within all of its workings, so that our life, and all life that dwells on Earth may  persist safely for eons of time

Oh God of the heavens and of the Earth, humble us, and make us to know your love for us. May we recognize that You alone have made this place for us to live, and it is marvelous in every way

We cheapen our lives when we take all this for granted. It shows our lack of reverence for God, who has given us all things

Blessed are we to be given life here in this place, and to be loved, for God has given us all we need. But, we curse ourselves by our unthankful actions, when we conceive in our minds to exploit God’s gift to us.

In recent times we have grown to fill the entire Earth. We have crowded in to every part of this life giving fabric. Our sin is that we do not appreciate this wonder that we live within, and that we give in to the selfish power of our greed and lust for things

Through our actions, we have increasingly desecrated the very fabric of God’s world, and now weaken, even threaten our own existence by the runaway momentum of our destructive pursuits

God’s amazing creation, the fabric he placed here for life, even our lives, is being strained. Its threads are being stretched and torn. Our climate is changing in dangerous ways

We must thoughtfully renew a vital commitment to this sacred place we call home and humbly revive our faith in our God. So that through this we might chart a new path away from the course we take now, and live as a species that values and nurtures the health of our natural world. 2/28/2021

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A Look at the Big Picture

How many are your works, Oh Lord! In wisdom You made then all; the earth is full of your creatures. Psalms 104:24

As I walked along a trail recently enjoying the beauty of God’s creation, I could not help but think, how great and awesome is He who set these all these things in motion. The one who made both you and me

I came across a rocky ledge that caught my eye. It was filled with layers upon layers of shells. How incredible and thought provoking this was

Clams, scallops and other shells set in stone. Yet, I was more than thirty miles from the ocean

They spoke to me about a vastness of time and place. It set me within a new context of who I am and my place in this world along the ribbon of time

I believe in God, and I also believe in science. To me they coexist and bring amazing revelations.

Science cannot threaten God by revealing truths about His creation. Nor does God condemn science because it cannot imperil His existence or His Word

I am open to what science can teach me, because in the learning I become more impressed of what God has done. This deepens my faith in Him

I learned that these shells had lived six million years ago in a shallow marine environment, two hundred and fifty miles south of where I stood

They thrived in a time when oceans were seventy feet higher than they are today, and when temperatures were cooling, yet, only a few degrees warmer than now

The length of time between when these shellfish lived and when Christ was born, was three thousand times longer than the time between Christ’s birth until today

Our planet is old. Yet, these shells are quite young in relation to when the earth was formed; or when life first began

Life astounds me

That I am alive and can know these things is also, both beautiful and amazing

God created something so grand and deep, and wonderfully interconnected in its present workings. But it is also, connected throughout the entire history of time. Every past event has had an effect and contribution to the future

The climate was changing during the time when those shells lived. Changes like these were common during the course of Earth’s history

When changes were large or abrupt, they were extremely destructive to life. The worst, were disasters that wiped out over half of all living creatures

A new period of climate change has just begun upon earth. It is unique, in that it was caused by a single species of life

Us

The rate of change will be very abrupt and destructive to life compared with other events of the past.  It will be a struggle that could threaten our existence

How warm it gets depends upon what we do now

We live in such an incredible world that God has made. A place that has no equal anywhere else that we know

It is profoundly wrong what we are doing to our planet, and infinitely worse, if we do nothing now that we know what we must do       11/21/19

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Blessed Are The Trees

Blessed are those who appreciate the value of trees; Who look upon them with love. They understand the importance of their being and see the many aspects of their beauty

Being among them, brings joy to their hearts, and a lasting peace, that transcends common experience

For trees are an incredible creation that blanket this fragile Earth. They anchor the very threads of life that holds our world together. What would we do without them?

Blessed are those who care and nurture our trees, who have a deep understanding of their value and a knowledge of how much they give to us; Even our health, comfort, and peace

Without trees life would become unbearably harsh and sketchy. The fabric of life would become dangerously thin. Perhaps it would vanish forever and our bountiful existence could degrade and vanish into dust

Without trees, life would become a struggle. How then, would the Earth be able to support so many?

Trees are a wonder. They give, but need only the sun, rain, and soil to grow in. Their gifts to us are far beyond measure

It lies within their nature to grow and fill the earth, and give this earth their blessings, so that all life would be fully alive and thrive beneath the stars of heaven

If a tree could talk to us this day, they might tell us to be careful and consider what we are doing in these times

To find a reverence for nature, so that we might realize the importance of all life that lives upon this incredible planet

To be careful to not allow our acts of exploitation from becoming so great that they bring harm and disaster. So that we never get to the point where the fabric of life is damaged

How sad and terrible it would be to lose our paradise and never again be able to enjoy the abundance we once had

Oh, how gifted are those who love the trees. They sense their incredible power to bless all of nature

Beautiful, is the life of a tree. They grace the landscapes across all the Earth

Listen to their voice call out from depths of the forest, they sing a song of love and healing

Blessed are the trees, and those who love them    12/16/2019

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God Cares About How We Care For The Earth

The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it.    Psalm 24:1. Smoky skies smother a valley in California after a recent wildfire.

The Earth and all that dwells upon it, were made by the God of the universe

What He made was marvelous. A creation so rare and unique, that we have never fully appreciated it

Our world is under attack. It lies in a state of siege from the activities of man. For what we are doing, is outstripping the ability of nature to heal itself

It is being wrecked, raped, and overrun

The good Lord made us to dwell within this place and to thrive amidst all the richness it gives. But we have become so many now, and there are some who don’t care about its health

They look upon the earth as an opportunity, so they can gain riches for themselves no matter what the cost may be

As a whole, we have no concept of our God

Because if we did, we would see the extent of the damage we are doing to His precious creation here upon earth. A wonder like no other; one of a kind

Where else do you think we could go, when this place becomes too difficult to live on?

Do we flee to another world? A world already incredibly harsh and lifeless?

Or will we try to scratch it out and survive here, on an earth that is far less supportive of our life?

Why would we want to do this? Are we so ignorant that we can’t change our ways? Are we so heartless as to allow this to happen?

We have become separated from our God

It is a sign of our ignorance and lack of faith in Him, that we mistreat this home of ours.

A testimony, to our lack of love, that we harm others for our own gain. We murder whole populations of life, so that we can earn more money for ourselves and our stockholders. What is it then, that we own?

Shame on us and our selfish ways. Cursed are we who destroy God’s amazing creation

Our Creator made us stewards of this amazing place. Caretakers of His world that is filled with beauty. He crafted it by His love with His own hands, yet we are trampling it to ruin by our greedy pursuits

We must find our love again, so that we might survive this time to come

We must renew our faith in Him, so that we can see our way forward, with love

In showing compassion for the life of all that dwell on the earth, we will find a path far richer and better than the one we travel on this day

7/19/2020

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A Short History

Look out upon the world where you were formed from. See its beauty. Feel the ebb and flow of the wind that brushes against it. Sense its wonder

Listen to its quiet pulse that resounds on such a grand scale. Consider the enormity. See the waves of clouds that crash and flow up in the sky

Take a deep breath. Smell the sharp freshness of the air. Understand the miracle of Earths existence

Listen to the sounds of the wind in the trees, the sounds of life all around.

We were created by God and formed from the earth, designed by God, and set forth into this world; To be shaped by it, molded in small increments to what we are today. They are actively shaping us each moment. Creating then fine tuning us over millions of years

We do not live separately from the earth or from our God. Each has designed, shaped, and sustained us here, to live, and to live well

God is our treasure, for through His great love, he made us. He cares for us beyond our simple understanding and desires for us to walk this earth beside Him, in wisdom, Spirit, and communion

We do not exist apart from this Earth. It fully supports every aspect of our life

The earth is a creation every bit as great as we are and we are part of its unique expression

To feel apart from our world is to live estranged and to take for granted, this beautiful planet, an act of selfishness that leaves us shallow, and naive

We have come to a place in our short history where we have begun to reshape this world that made us

We are creating a place of our own design, of our own failing, driven by our greed, excess, and lack of reverence. It is damaging our world

We do not live separately from our earth, or our God. The earth was made for us, because we were made from it

All of life is sustained from the balance of forces that exists here. Our success as a species depends upon the health of all life and this depends upon our planet remaining a healthy place

What we are doing is a sin of great magnitude

Wake up, reconnect with the wonder and beauty of this world. Seek God, and understand the gravity of this danger       12/23/2019

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Call To Action

There is an enormous blessing God has placed just above the Earth, so very thin like an invisible film

It is where all life exists and breathes

How slight, shallow, and fragile. Within this narrow sliver we live, thrive, and have our being

Wondrous it is; there is nothing like it that we have ever seen in all of the universe

Thank you, God, for this place you made, so that we may live richly with all other life and live in awe and wonder of what You have done; To praise You for Your wisdom, love, and power

For truly, You have made a glorious world

It is a sin that we take all of this for granted. A sign of the depth of our forgetfulness of You, that we desecrate a place so holy with the refuse of our age

How shallow and short sighted we are, that we continue harming this place that God made for us. More so, now that we are fully aware of what we are doing

God has blessed us so that we now cover the entire earth. We have the means and ability to do things never before imagined and yet we find ourselves facing a problem. Something that threatens our very existence

Yet our reason has somehow been clouded. Our reverence for this incredible home, forgotten, and we are left as blind as to the threats that await us; That even now, are happening on an enormous scale

How richly blessed is the space within this narrow zone. How incredible the detail and workings of this sacred place and amazing beyond all the power of our reason; The interplay of elements of land, water, and air that occur here

But most of all, it is life, which dwells here, that dazzles. For life is God’s grandest creation

It is a sin what we are doing. We dishonor the very God who made us. That we do nothing now to correct this, is a blunder, a crime of the most epic proportion

We know what the problem is, our sin now lies in our inaction. For we can correct this and restore our honor before God

We must act now

Lord God, we don’t want to be the ones who damage or destroy our world. We don’t want to have the blood of trillions of your creatures on our hands. Let us be remembered that we honored you through our actions, and corrected our ways, because of a renewal of our love for You    (11/6/19)