Earthkeeping

For the past two weeks, I have been traveling to all the conference camps (eight, but we only visited seven because our rental RV had trouble negotiating the unpaved road to Camp on the Boulder in Montana!). We traveled 3200 miles—all within the Mountain Sky Conference. Our conference is

more than 400,000 square miles, so there’s a lot of land to cover!

Our camps are situated in gorgeous places, but then again, our entire area bears testimony to God’s artistry. Plains and prairie, soaring mountains, glacial streams, red rock formations…each mile caused us to delight in God’s handiwork as we oo-ed and ah-ed are way around our conference. Yet, we also saw the devastating power of nature: the remains of forest fires and floods were evidenced as we toured (and please keep in your prayers those who are being impacted by the fires across our area).

As much as the modern world has tried to distance us from the natural world, we are deeply connected to it. Our farmer and ranchers have much to teach the rest of us about this intimate connection. How we care for the earth and other living things is directly connected to our own well-being. The Evangelical Lutheran Church of America calls this “Earthkeeping”. They write:

“Earthkeeping is a term being used by many people of faith to describe the nature of our responsibility to care for creation. It springs from our wonder, awe, and gratitude for God’s wisdom, creativity, and blessings that fill the natural world. It also grows out of our dismay and concern for the degradations and “groaning” of God’s good creation. Faithful earthkeeping involves extending the justice, peace, reconciliation, hope, and love of Christ to all creation. In caring for the Earth, we also deepen our relationship with God and with one another, making our faith more alive and relevant, in and to a broken world.”

Take a moment to give thanks to God for creation. May you sing as the Psalmist in Psalm 104”

O my soul, bless God! God, my God, how great you are!
    beautifully, gloriously robed, Dressed up in sunshine, and all heaven stretched out for your tent.

You built your palace on the ocean deeps, made a chariot out of clouds and took off on wind-wings. You commandeered winds as messengers, appointed fire and flame as ambassadors. You set earth on a firm foundation so that nothing can shake it, ever. You blanketed earth with ocean, covered the mountains with deep waters;

Then you roared and the water ran away— your thunder crash put it to flight. Mountains pushed up, valleys spread out in the places you assigned them. You set boundaries between earth and sea; never again will earth be flooded.

You started the springs and rivers, sent them flowing among the hills. All the wild animals now drink their fill, wild donkeys quench their thirst. long the riverbanks the birds build nests, ravens make their voices heard.

You water the mountains from your heavenly cisterns; earth is supplied with plenty of water. You make grass grow for the livestock, hay for the animals that plow the ground.

Oh yes, God brings grain from the land, wine to make people happy,

Their faces glowing with health, a people well-fed and hearty. God’s trees are well-watered—the Lebanon cedars God planted. Birds build their nests in those trees; look—the stork at home in the treetop. Mountain goats climb about the cliffs; badgers burrow among the rocks.

The moon keeps track of the seasons, the sun is in charge of each day. When it’s dark and night takes over, all the forest creatures come out. The young lions roar for their prey, clamoring to God for their supper.

When the sun comes up, they vanish, lazily stretched out in their dens. Meanwhile, men and women go out to work, busy at their jobs until evening. What a wildly wonderful world, God! You made it all, with Wisdom at your side, made earth overflow with your wonderful creations.

Yes! What a wildly wonderful world!

For the past two weeks, I have been traveling to all the conference camps (eight, but we only visited seven because our rental RV had trouble negotiating the unpaved road to Camp on the Boulder in Montana!). We traveled 3200 miles—all within the Mountain Sky Conference. Our conference is more than 400,000 square miles, so there’s a lot of land to cover!

Our camps are situated in gorgeous places, but then again, our entire area bears testimony to God’s artistry. Plains and prairie, soaring mountains, glacial streams, red rock formations…each mile caused us to delight in God’s handiwork as we oo-ed and ah-ed are way around our conference. Yet, we also saw the devastating power of nature: the remains of forest fires and floods were evidenced as we toured (and please keep in your prayers those who are being impacted by the fires across our area).

As much as the modern world has tried to distance us from the natural world, we are deeply connected to it. Our farmer and ranchers have much to teach the rest of us about this intimate connection. How we care for the earth and other living things is directly connected to our own well-being. The Evangelical Lutheran Church of America calls this “Earthkeeping”. They write:

“Earthkeeping is a term being used by many people of faith to describe the nature of our responsibility to care for creation. It springs from our wonder, awe, and gratitude for God’s wisdom, creativity, and blessings that fill the natural world. It also grows out of our dismay and concern for the degradations and “groaning” of God’s good creation. Faithful earthkeeping involves extending the justice, peace, reconciliation, hope, and love of Christ to all creation. In caring for the Earth, we also deepen our relationship with God and with one another, making our faith more alive and relevant, in and to a broken world.”

Take a moment to give thanks to God for creation. May you sing as the Psalmist in Psalm 104”

O my soul, bless God! God, my God, how great you are!
    beautifully, gloriously robed, Dressed up in sunshine, and all heaven stretched out for your tent.

You built your palace on the ocean deeps, made a chariot out of clouds and took off on wind-wings. You commandeered winds as messengers, appointed fire and flame as ambassadors. You set earth on a firm foundation so that nothing can shake it, ever. You blanketed earth with ocean, covered the mountains with deep waters;

Then you roared and the water ran away— your thunder crash put it to flight. Mountains pushed up, valleys spread out in the places you assigned them. You set boundaries between earth and sea; never again will earth be flooded.

You started the springs and rivers, sent them flowing among the hills. All the wild animals now drink their fill, wild donkeys quench their thirst. long the riverbanks the birds build nests, ravens make their voices heard.

You water the mountains from your heavenly cisterns; earth is supplied with plenty of water. You make grass grow for the livestock, hay for the animals that plow the ground.

Oh yes, God brings grain from the land, wine to make people happy,

Their faces glowing with health, a people well-fed and hearty. God’s trees are well-watered—the Lebanon cedars God planted. Birds build their nests in those trees; look—the stork at home in the treetop. Mountain goats climb about the cliffs; badgers burrow among the rocks.

The moon keeps track of the seasons, the sun is in charge of each day. When it’s dark and night takes over, all the forest creatures come out. The young lions roar for their prey, clamoring to God for their supper.

When the sun comes up, they vanish, lazily stretched out in their dens. Meanwhile, men and women go out to work, busy at their jobs until evening. What a wildly wonderful world, God! You made it all, with Wisdom at your side, made earth overflow with your wonderful creations.

Yes! What a wildly wonderful world!