god's call to earthkeeping

Awakening toGod’s call to

Earthkeeping

For creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the children of God.

Romans 8:19

Awakening to God’s Call to Earthkeeping Introductionw 2

ContentsLeader GuideIntroduction 3

Session One: RediscoveringOur Place in Creation 5

Participant 10

Session Two: God’s PresenceFills All Creation 12

Participant 18Leader Resource 21

Session Three: BiblicalFoundations forEarthkeeping 22

Participant 26Leader Resource 28

Session Four: Creation Waitswith Eager Longing! 35

Participant 40

Appendix ofResource MaterialsA Theology for Earthkeeping 43

Sample Survey on Religious Faith and the Environment 45

Historical Voices on Creation 46

A Congregational Covenant for the Care of Creation 48

Helpful Resources for a FaithfulResponse as Earthkeepers! 49


Earthkeeping

A four-session small group study to encourage, empower, and equip Lutherans in their calling to care for creation.

Caring for creation is an essential component ofreligious faith and witness. Faithful “earthkeeping”can deepen our relationship both with God and withone another, as we work for the healing of the world.

This resource is downloadable at no cost fromthe ELCA website at ww.elca.org/stewardship/teaching. For more specific information about earthkeeping and using this resource, you may contact the author, and ELCA Diaconal Minister,Kim Winchell, at [email protected].

by Kim Winchell

Scripture quotations are from the New Revised StandardVersion Bible, copyright © 1989 by the Division of ChristianEducation of the National Council of the Churches of Christin the USA and used by permission. All rights reserved.

Copyright © 2006 Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.This study may be downloaded and reproduced for one-timelocal usage. All reproductions must include this notice.

**Though this study guide has been designed with ELCALutherans in mind, members of other denominations caneasily modify it for their own use, by incorporating pertinentmaterials from their own faith traditions and national churchoffices.

Design: Brewer Communications, Inc. www.brewer-com.comCover photo ©iStockphoto.com/czardases

For creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the children of God.

Romans 8:19


Possible Uses and Contexts

This resource is intended for usein any faith-based small group setting,such as: adult/older youth Sundayschool or Christian education classes,Women’s circles, Men’s groups, or acongregational “creation care” team.The material may be presented over four, approximately one-hoursessions, but suggestions and optionsare included for extending the study,where feasible or desired. It couldalso be utilized over a weekend in aretreat setting. This curriculum ismerely an introductory overview, andgroups are encouraged to make useof the additional resources listed inthe Appendix, so that earthkeepingmight become more fully integratedinto the ongoing awareness, life, andpractices of our family of faith.

Thank you, and blessings be uponyou, for your leading of this groupstudy about answering God’s call tocare for the Earth! This study bookletis arranged for use by the groupleader, with separate, reproducibleparticipant pages for each session.

Desired OutcomesIt is hoped that participants will:

l Gain a deeper awareness andunderstanding of our connectionto creation and discover newways to live into God’s hope andguidance for our lives and world.

l Awaken to the Spirit’s urgent callin our time, to better care for theEarth, in ways that are just andsustainable for all.

l Embrace a hopeful vision for how we, and the generations that follow us, can live in a worldmarked by a loving, healthy,life-giving relationship betweenhumankind and the rest of God’screation.

l Be empowered and equipped tofind ways to bring that vision tolife, both in our personal livesand through a congregational witness to the wider society.

Earthkeeping is a termbeing used by many people of faith todescribe the nature of our responsi-bility to care for creation. It springsfrom our wonder, awe, and gratitudefor God’s wisdom, creativity, andblessings that fill the natural world. It also grows out of our dismay andconcern for the degradations and“groaning” of God’s good creation.

Faithful earthkeeping involvesextending the justice, peace, reconcil-iation, hope, and love of Christ to allcreation. In caring for the Earth, wealso deepen our relationship withGod and with one another, makingour faith more alive and relevant, inand to a broken world.

This study guide has been developed to help group participantshear and respond to God’s call toearthkeeping, as a way to grow intheir faith and to work for the healingof the world, both individually and incongregations.

IntroductionLeader Guide


Leader Tips andAdvance Preparation:l Read through and familiarize

yourself with the whole studybooklet ahead of time, takingnote of placement of materials,any advance prep needed foreach session, and potentialoptions for expanding the sessions.

l Order, or borrow, and previewany videos (from the Resourcelist) that may be used.

l Provide notice of this study group opportunity in your congregational newsletter or viaother means available to you for promoting and advertising it.

l Post a sign-up sheet ahead oftime to aid in determining howmany participants to plan for andhow many copies of participantpages to prepare. Please use recycled content papers!

l Consider “decorating” the meet-ing space to be used with a smallcollection of natural objects, pho-tos, or posters depicting naturalscenes (participants may also beinvited to add to this collection).

l Make sure your meeting spacehas sufficient, comfortable seat-ing and tables, if needed (though,if possible, consider holding yourdiscussions outside!).

l Access to a white board or paperflip chart would be helpful.

l Be aware of nearby nature cen-ters, planetariums, and any localor state environmental groups (as potential places to visit or forinfo on current local issues).

l The national ELCA office for public policy, The WashingtonOffice, (www.elca.org/advocacy)

or a state ELCA public policyoffice will also be a helpfulresource, in terms of issues.

l You may also wish to review, andperhaps obtain for group mem-bers, a copy of the ELCA’s socialstatement Caring for Creation:Vision, Hope, and Justice—seewww.elca.org/socialstatements/environment.

l Each session has suggestedprayers for the Opening andClosing/Sending, but feel free tocreate your own prayers, ifdesired, and to have group members share in the leading ofprayers and readings. Potentialdiscussion questions will beincluded for each session.

l [Important!] The leader, and par-ticipants, should collect (bothprior to the class and throughout)any newspaper and magazine arti-cles about current environmentalissues or problems, and post ordisplay them in some manner inthe meeting room (this will beimportant in leading up to, andpreparing for, Session Four).

l Finally, have fun with this! Beopen to the leading of the Spirit.This should be a journey of joy,discovery, and hope for allinvolved. Encourage and allow all to have a chance to be heard,and strive to have discussionsthat are courteous and respectful,accepting that sometimes we mayhave to agree to disagree.

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Awakening to God’s Call to Earthkeeping Session One 5


EarthkeepingSession One

Rediscovering Our Place in Creation

When I look at yourheavens, the work ofyour fingers, the moonand the stars that youhave established,what are humanbeings that you aremindful of them, mortals that you carefor them? [Yet] …youhave given themdominion over theworks of your hands.

Psalm 8:3-4, 6a

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Awakening to God’s Call to Earthkeeping Session Onew 6

Leader Tips andAdvance Preparationl Make sufficient copies of the

Survey on Religious Faith & theEnvironment (Appendix, page 45)if you choose to use that compo-nent in Session One and laterreturn it for participant reviewand reflection in Session Four.Alternately, the survey can be distributed and collected prior to the first class, and reviewedconfidentially ahead of time.Whichever way the survey isused, the idea is to gain a senseof the starting point attitudes ofthe group. Plan to have partici-pants write their name or initialson the backside of the survey,after it is folded in half to turn in.Be sure to save these, as they willbe revisited in the last session.

l If possible before the first ses-sion, provide participants with acopy of the Theology forEarthkeeping (Appendix, page43; please use a double-sidedcopy) and request that they readit prior to your first gathering.Other options: it may be readaloud by either the leader or participants at some point duringthe beginning of the session(depending on the time avail-able), or distributed at the end of the session, as a take-homereading.

Note: This study guide utilizes thecommon modern scientific understanding that the universe isapproximately 13-14 billion yearsold, and the Earth about 5 billionyears old. See pertinent videos,books, and the “Clergy LetterProject” in the Resources sectionfor further information, if youthink this will be of concern toany of your participants.

l You may wish to find someHubble Telescope photos to haveavailable or on display for thissession (or schedule a follow-upvisit to a local planetarium).

l Plan ahead for how you mightconvey the concepts of theAncient Hebrew worldview andthe scope of time, introduced inthis session. Take a few momentsto examine the illustration, anartist’s depiction of “AncientHebrew Cosmology,” as gleanedfrom the opening chapters ofGenesis. This will be introducedin the section, “Ways ofRediscovering Our Place.”Explanatory text, provided belowin the session outline, may beread aloud.

l The “Appreciating Our Place inTime” analogy: You may wish tosketch out a picture of the tenvolumes, or plan to bring in an encyclopedia set, to help participants visualize this. Thereis also explanatory text that youwill read for this illustration.

Opening the SessionLeader welcomes group partici-

pants and invites brief introductions,if needed (fuller introductions willfollow opening prayer and openingreadings).

A Call to PrayerSee page 10. This may be read

in unison; leader may follow with afree-form prayer or invite participantpetitions of hopes for the studygroup, or creation itself.

Distribution of the Survey(optional)

Ask participants to take just acouple of minutes to quietly fill it out,fold it in half, and put their name or initials on the backside beforereturning it to you.

You may wish to share some personal words about your hopes forthis group study, and ask participantswhat their hopes are. Another optionwould be to share the list of “DesiredOutcomes” from the introductorymaterial.

You may then read the followingquestions—not to be answered, but tohelp set the theme and tone of thisfirst session.

Questions to think about:l What do we know about our

“place” and how might thatinform our “role” as humans, asGod’s people, on Earth?

Session One:

Rediscovering Our Place in CreationLeader Guide 1


l How might ancient views, cou-pled with new understandings ofour place in space and time, helpus to rediscover our place withinthe “matrix of grace” that is ourearthly home?

l How familiar are you with your bioregion and backyard’secological features?

Introductory ReflectionSee page 10; invite one or two

persons to read it aloud.Allow a short time for discussion,

if desired, of this Introduction or theTheology for Earthkeeping.

You may address the providedsample questions as a group, or haveparticipants take a few minutes to privately write their thoughts in thespace provided on their handout forthis session.

Ways ofRediscovering Our Place

Leader facilitates this discussion, by reading or summarizing provided text.

How do we name our place?Each person is asked to share

where she or he was born, grew up,and where they live now. (An alternative “invitation” would be toborrow a conversation starter that theAustralian Aborigines purportedly usewhen they meet a stranger. They asktwo questions: “What waters do youcome from?” and “Where is your bonecountry?”)

The ancient worldview andhow far we have come

Leader may read the followingor summarize in his/her own words.

This is what the known worldseemed to be like, to ancient eyes: theEarth held up by pillars, with watersbelow, welling up in rivers, lakes, andoceans, with above the “firmament,”like a dome, that the sun and starsmoved across, and with “floodgates”to let in the rain and snow. How farwe have come in our understanding,of the nature of the universe, andwhere the Earth fits into it!

Finding our place in the universe

Leader slowly reads aloud thefollowing “universe statistics.”Participants may wish to close theireyes, to listen in a more reflectivemanner.

The universe had been developing forsome 8-10 billion years prior toEarth’s appearing.

The Earth was “born” nearly 5 billionyears ago.

It is part of a solar system, that isitself part of the Milky Waygalaxy; and our solar system is in what you might call the“backwaters”—an outer arm—of our spiral galaxy.

Our Milky Way galaxy contains about 300-400 billion stars, manysimilar to our Sun, with planetarybodies of their own.

Our home galaxy moves in relation-ship to a group of some 26 othergalaxies, known as a “cluster;”ours is called the “Local Group.”

Illustration from Reading the Old Testament: AnIntroduction by Lawrence Boadt, Paulist Press, NY,1984, page 115. Used by permission.


This so named Local Group cluster ofgalaxies is, itself, part of a groupof over 1000 clusters, making upwhat is called the VirgoSupercluster.

Now try to imagine a single super-cluster as a white dot—rememberthat it contains hundreds, if notthousands, of galaxies, them-selves containing billions of stars…there are estimated to be something on the order of 10 million such “dots,” suchsuperclusters, spread across thevast expanse of space.1

[pause]

It’s about more than our humanminds can conceive of, isn’t it? Doesthis sort of knowledge shake ourfaith, or fill us with awe and wonder,or a sense of humility and gratitude?

Hear these words ofScripture:

For I am convinced that nei-ther death, nor life, nor angels,nor rulers,nor things present,nor things to come, nor powers,nor height, nor depth, nor any-thing else in all creation, will beable to separate us from thelove of God in Christ Jesus ourLord.

Romans 8:38-39

I pray that you may have thepower to comprehend, with allthe saints, what is the breadthand length and height anddepth, and to know the love ofChrist that surpasses knowl-edge, so that you may filled withall the fullness of God.

Ephesians 3:18-19

Possible questions forreflection and discussion

Select one or more of the follow-ing questions for discussion by thewhole group or break into smallergroups, if numbers warrant.

l When you consider our physicallocation within the universe, do you find it humbling?Frightening? Exciting? Other feelings?

l How does your consideration of the vastness, mystery, andwonder of our universe influenceyour sense of the immensity ofGod’s love for us?

l Knowing what we do of the universe, does it increase ordecrease the significance ofhumans? Does it, should it, affecthow we relate to one another andthe natural world around us?How we relate to God?

Brian Swimme, in his book, TheHidden Heart of the Cosmos, uses aphrase to describe how he views thenature of the universe. He calls it the“all-nourishing abyss.” 2 On the otherhand, the late Lutheran theologianJoseph Sittler, in his 1954 essay, “ATheology for Earth,” describes cre-ation (as viewed through the lens ofPsalm 104) as “a matrix of grace inwhich all things derive significancefrom their origin, and all things findfulfillment in praise.” 3 Which phrasefeels most comfortable to you? Might“all-encompassing matrix of grace” be a good compromise that fits bothscientific and theological understand-ings? Can you come up with othersuitable ways of naming our contextin the universe, that arise from ourbelief, through faith, that we are heldin and by God’s love, the grace ofChrist, and the power of the Spirit?

Appreciating Our Place in Time

Leader reads this analogy andthe commentary following.

Here’s one way to try to grasp our place in time, in the history of theuniverse and the Earth.4 Begin byimagining a ten-volume encyclopediaset. This will represent the 5 billion-year history of Earth (which followed8-10 billion years of the universe’sdevelopment).

Each volume of Earth’s historyholds 500 pages; each page represents1 million years.

In such an encyclopedia set,life—in the form of the first cellularlife—does not appear until volume 8,with much of that volume devoted toplants, though reptiles reach theirpeak about page 440. Humans comealong fairly late in this story …page499, of the last of the ten volumes! Inthis model (configured to stop at theyear 2000), the time of organizedhuman civilization (the past 6,000years) is represented by the final twowords on the very last page.

Time analogy commentary by Lutheran ethicist, theologian, andauthor Larry Rasmussen:

“The astonishing thing is the lastsyllable of the last word of the lastvolume. Here humans turned thegreat tide against life itself. Here theprocess of slowly closing down majorlife-systems began at human hands.…It is astonishing that an organicworld aeons in the making could beso easily jeopardized by the speciesthat claims to master its secrets andcare for it as a watchful steward. …Alongside our miniscule tenure the thing most astonishing is our gargantuan imprint. These are the tenvolumes of earth to date. We beginvolume 11 as the twentieth centurycomes to an end.”5


The group may wish to sharetheir thoughts and feelings raised bythe readings on “place” in space andtime. Or, the Leader may invite here afew moments of quiet reflection, forall to consider what God’s Spirit maybe saying to us at this moment in ourhistory and how we are called to be,and act, in our connection to oneanother and to God’s awesome creation around us.

Closing A Commentary by ELCA Presiding Bishop Mark S.Hanson (page 11)

Invite someone to read this aloud.Participants may then take a momentto quietly reflect upon and answer the“Question to ponder” or use it as atake-home exercise.

A Scripture Reading Leader reads a paraphrase of

Psalm 8:1, 3-6a.O Lord, our Lord, how majes-

tic is your name in all the Earth!When we look at your heav-

ens, the work of your fingers,the moon and the stars that youhave established, we cannothelp but wonder:

what are human beings thatyou are even mindful of them,

mortals that you so care forthem?

Yet you have made them a lit-tle lower than God, andcrowned them with glory andhonor. You have placed us onthis Earth and given us domin-ion over the work of yourhands.

“Earth Ball” by Olaf Skarsholt (page 11)

Read aloud, slowly, by one person.

After a pause for silent reflection, Leader closes with prayer:

Let us pray: Almighty and everlasting God, you made the universe with all its marvelous orderand beauty, its atoms, worlds, andgalaxies, and the infinite complexity ofliving creatures. Gracious Lord, youare the artist of creation and the bear-er of life; give us the wisdom andunderstanding to care for the Earth.Grant that as we see and experienceall the blessings and mysteries of yourcreation, we may come to know youmore truly, and more surely fulfill ourrole in your eternal purpose. In yourholy name we pray, Amen.

Options for expandingSession Onel Visit a local planetarium or

invite an astronomy professor orsomeone from a local astronomyclub to make a presentation to theclass or the congregation.

l Find some photos taken by theHubble Telescope, share and discuss; a good book of amazingpictures from space, coupled withreflections, is The Hand of God:Thoughts and Images Reflectingthe Spirit of the Universe,Templeton Foundation Press, 1999.

l Discuss materials from The ClergyLetter Project Web site: a February2006 letter signed by over 10,000clergy in the U.S., in support of the teaching of evolution, noting that religion andscience do not have to be in anadversarial role (plus sermons andessays). www.uwosh.edu/ colleges/cols/clergy_project.htm

l Show the videos, The Blue Planet,or Keeping the Earth: Religiousand Scientific Perspectives on the Environment (see Resources).

l As a group, visit a local naturecenter, natural area, or wildliferefuge—get to know your bio-region! Conduct a prayer walk outdoors, and leave silent pausesfor creation to join in and for personal reflection and prayer.

l Create a “get to know your bio-region quiz” about plant, animalspecies, natural features, etc. and see who scores the highest.(There is a sample one in EarthMinistry’s The GreeningCongregation Handbook.)

l If your group is agreeable tosinging, find a good hymn to goalong with the day’s theme.Possibilities include God WhoStretched the Spangled Heavens,Lutheran Book of Worship (LBW)463 or Evangelical LutheranWorship (ELW) 771).

l For an in-depth, secular resourceon bioregionalism and “Discover-ing A Sense of Place” (in an eight-session group discussioncourse), contact the NorthwestEarth Institute, Portland, Oregonat (503) 227-2807 orwww.nwei.org.

Endnotes1 Universe statistics are drawn from

The Whole Shebang – A State of theUniverse(s) Report by TimothyFerris and The Hidden Heart of theCosmos by Brian Swimme. SeeResources.

2 Brian Swimme, The Hidden Heart of the Cosmos: Humanity and theNew Story, (Orbis, 1996), 100.

3 Sittler’s essay is reprinted inEvocations of Grace (28); seeResources.

4 This analogy was first conceived by Robert Overman; it is referencedby Larry Rasmussen, in his book,Earth Community, Earth Ethics, 27.

5 Rasmussen, Earth Community,Earth Ethics, 28.


IntroductoryReflection

The question that needs to beasked is whether we truly know thatwe live on, and as a part of, the Earth.Of course, theologically, we wouldsay that we are “in the world” but not“of” the world. But, how aware arewe, typically, of our physical, biologi-cal, and ecological connection to therest of the natural world? Scientiststell us that our bodies are made of the elements of stardust, generated in cosmic explosions eons ago. TheBible teaches us that we have beenmade out of the dust of the Earth andthat in Christ, all things hold together–—you might call that the theologicalcounterpart to the ecological realitythat all things are interconnected.

In modern times, however, andespecially in developed countries, itseems that many people have becomedisconnected from the natural world.It’s “the environment”—somethingseparate from us, a mere backdropfor human activities—a storehouse ofgoods for our use. Thomas Berry, inhis book The Dream of the Earth,speaks of this as a type of “autism,”1

that insulates us from feeling the reality of our inherent connection tothe world around us. In such a stateof limited awareness, it becomes alltoo easy to harm the natural worldand its creatures, forgetting that weare connected, and that we need ahealthy planet to sustain our lives.

Furthermore, the testimony of bothscientists and spiritual teachers isthat the natural world also sustains us in psychological and spiritualways, as well.

Questions to ponderIn what ways have you experienced aconnection to nature?

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Is there a particular place in the natu-ral world that especially nourishes youor makes you feel closer to God?

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Endnotes1 Thomas Berry, The Dream of the

Earth (San Francisco: Sierra ClubBooks, 1990), 16.

A Call to Prayer (to be read in unison)

We who have lost our sense and our senses—our touch, our smell,our vision of who we are; we who frantically force and press all things, without rest for bodyor spirit, hurting our Earth and injuring ourselves:

We call a halt.

We want to rest. We need to rest andallow the Earth to rest. We needto reflect and to rediscover themystery that lives in us, that isthe ground of every uniqueexpression of life, the source ofthe fascination that calls allthings to communion.

We declare a Sabbath, a space ofquiet: for simple being and lettingbe; for recovering the great, forgotten truths; for learning howto live again.

(“Let us pray…” or other petitions may be added here, or simply conclude.)

Amen.

* Prayer taken from Only One Earth,United Nations EnvironmentalProgramme “EnvironmentalSabbath” materials, 1990.

Session One:

Rediscovering Our Place in CreationParticipant 1.1


A Commentary by ELCA Presiding Bishop Mark S. Hanson

“We cannot escape the intercon-nectedness of the earth’s fabric of life.Creation is the matrix of all our activ-ities, both as human beings and asChrist’s church. God gives us and allcreatures life through the water, air,food, and all the other gifts that cometo us from the earth. Everything wedo both depends on these gifts, andhas some kind of impact upon them.If these gifts are treated with con-tempt and abused, people, animals,and plants suffer together. If they aregraciously received and cherished,people will flourish with the rest ofcreation. We cannot love God or ourhuman neighbor without caring forcreation. The question is not whetherthe church will engage what our soci-ety calls the environment, but how.”

* Excerpt of a November 2003 Letter, com-memorating the 10th Anniversary of the ELCA’ssocial statement: Caring for Creation: Vision,Hope & Justice.

Question to ponderWhat is your hopeful vision, as a childof God, for how humans should live onthe Earth in connection with the rest ofcreation?

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Closing “Earth Ball” by Olaf Skarsholt

If the earth were only a few feet in di-

ameter, floating a few feet above afield somewhere, people would come from

every where to marvel at it. People would walkaround it marveling at its big pools of water, its little

pools and the water flowing between the pools. Peoplewould marvel at the bumps on it, and the holes in it, and they

would marvel at the very thin layer of gas surrounding it and the water suspended in the gas. The people would marvel at all the

creatures walking around the surface of the ball, and in the water.The people would declare it precious because it was the only one,

And they would protect it, so that it would not be hurt. The ballwould be the greatest wonder known, and people would come

to behold it, to be healed, to gain knowledge, and to know beauty and to wonder how it could be. People would love

it, and defend it with their lives, because they wouldsomehow know that their lives, their own

roundness, could be nothing without it.If the earth were only a few

feet in diameter.

Session One:

Rediscovering Our Place in CreationParticipant 1.2

The ancientworldview This is what the knownworld seemed to be liketo ancient eyes: the Earthheld up by pillars, withwaters below, welling upin rivers, lakes, andoceans, with above the“firmament,” like adome, that the sun andstars moved across, andwith “floodgates” to letin the rain and snow. Howfar we have come in ourunderstanding, of thenature of the universe,and where the Earth fitsinto it! Illustration from Reading the Old Testament: An Introduction by

Lawrence Boadt, Paulist Press, NY, 1984, page 115. Used by permission.

Awakening to God’s Call to Earthkeeping Session Twow 12

2Awakening toGod’s call to

Earthkeeping

The pastures of thewilderness overflow,the hills gird them-selves with joy, themeadows clothethemselves withflocks, the valleysdeck themselves withgrain, they shout andsing together for joy.

Psalm 65:12-13

Session Two

God’s Presence Fills all Creation

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Leader Tips andAdvance Preparation l It would be great if this session

could be conducted outdoors! If not, aim to foster the inclusionof “nature” in whatever creativeways you can—for example,bring to your gathering area asmall collection of natural objects(even simple stones will do, ifvaried and interesting). You maywish to have one particular itemas a focus point or centerpiece.

l There will be a “take-home spiri-tual exercise,” based on quotes by ancient Christian saints andteachers. Copy the two HistoricalVoices on Creation pages from theAppendix (see pages 46-47) andcut out each individual quote, sothat there will be one on each slip of paper; fold each in halfand place in a basket. These willbe distributed at the end of thesession. Make sure there will besufficient copies for the numberof participants (each personneeds one; there may be someextras by using the seven quotesfrom the Opening Reflection—see below).

l For the Opening Reflection, youwill need to make a copy of theLeader Resource page for SessionTwo: Ancient Teachers and Voiceson Creation and God’s Presence(found in the Participant pagesfor this session, page 21). Onthis page, you will note that thereare seven numbered quotes. Cutthem apart so that you can givethem to seven individual readers.If you have less than seven mem-bers in your group, you can readsome of the quotes yourself, orhave readers do more than one.

l Arrange the seating for this session, if possible, such that participants can sit in a circle.

l Just prior to beginning the session, ask for up to seven volunteers, to read the “AncientVoices” quotes during theOpening Reflection. You shouldinstruct them to read them inorder, beginning at your signal,and to allow at least 10 secondsof silent pause between eachquote. As they read a quote, theymay also name the person it is from, and the dates of that person’s life (helps establish thecontext and long history of suchwords).

Opening the SessionWelcome group participants and

invite introductions, if there are anynew members. Allow a short time forany questions or reflections anyonewould like to share from Session One.

The Introduction may then beread aloud before the Opening Prayerand Reflection, or participants maysimply read it silently, prior to beginning the session, for their own preparation and reflection.Introduction and Opening Prayer areon the Participant page for SessionTwo (see page 18). Invite the participants to join with you in theprayer: “Let us pray…”

Opening Reflection with “AncientTeachers and Voices on Creation andGod’s Presence:” Describe what thequotes are (i.e., “Ancient Teachers”etc.) that you will be using for theOpening Reflection. Invite partici-pants to listen in a contemplativefashion and to quietly reflect, as theseries of quotes are read aloud byyour designated readers.

When all of the quotes have beenread, allow a short time of silentreflection before proceeding with thediscussion on spirituality.

Session Two:

God’s Presence Fills All CreationLeader Guide 2


Spirituality/Creation Spirituality

Question the group members:How would you describe or define“spirituality”?

Just a short answer or phrase will do; there is no single, or right orwrong, answer here. This may be han-dled as a group discussion question,but you may find it helpful to giveparticipants one or two minutes to jot something down in the space provided on their handout page.

After a short opportunity for sharing of participants’ answers onhow they define spirituality, you mayfind it helpful to read the followingshort descriptions:

You may say:

One way to define and describespirituality is that it grows out of thedepth of our awareness of God’spresence, both within our own beingand within all that surrounds us—other people, events, or creationitself. For many, a sense of spiritualitymight come most naturally in theirawareness of God’s presence “in,with, and under” the elements of Holy Communion and through Holy Scripture, God’s written Word.

So: What makes “creation spirituality” different?

It’s not so much that it’s different,but it does involve, for some, a newway of seeing and a new way of learn-ing to be receptive to God’s imma-nence, or presence, within the naturalworld. St. Augustine called creationGod’s other “great book.” Anotherwell-known Church father, ThomasAquinas, put it this way:

Sacred writings are bound in twovolumes, that of Creation and thatof Holy Scripture.

So, creation spirituality might beunderstood as growing closer to God,by learning to read also from the“book of creation.”

Questions for reflection and discussion

Have participants form pairs orgroups of three, and discuss the fol-lowing questions among themselves.Allow approximately five to 10 minutes. Space is provided on thehandout, if you feel the participantswould rather write down theirthoughts and then share in a discussion with either their smallgroup or the group as a whole.

l Have you ever felt God’s presencein creation or “nature”? When?Where? How?

l Have you ever felt more spiritually alive or “awakened”(had an “epiphany”) by an experience in nature?

Martin Luther (1483-1546) and a sampling of his comments about creation

Introduction suggestion:“Let’s take a moment to hear

some of the things that Martin Lutherhad to say about God and creation…”

Invite individual group membersto read the Luther quotes aloud, inturn (see page 19).

Discussion Allow a short time for general

comments or use the questions below,as a group or in the small groupsfrom the previous discussion.

l Have you ever heard of any ofthese quotes by Luther before?

l Do you find them surprising?

l What feelings or thoughts do theystir up for you?

Considering God’sImmanence and the Hymnof all CreationLeader reads aloud:

When we read or hear of Luthersaying something like “The power ofGod is present at all places, even inthe tiniest tree leaf,” it may be helpfulto understand the definition of theterm “immanence” and to know thedifference between pantheism andpanentheism.

Theologically, God is understoodto be both “transcendent” and “immanent”—transcendent, meaningabove and beyond all that is, but alsoimmanent, meaning “indwelling” orabiding within and pervading all ofcreation. Some people may feeluneasy about thinking of God asbeing present in all creation.However, such an awareness of God’spresence is not to be confused with“pantheism”—the worship of naturalitems or entities as God, or gods.Another term that some have used in recent years to help make that distinction, is “pan-en-theism,” anunderstanding that God is in (“en”) all that is, as well as above andbeyond all that is.

God’s indwelling love and graceinspires and calls forth what wemight think of as the “hymn of all creation.” Consider this text, just one of many that describe aspects ofthis holy, God-praising response bycreation itself:

The pastures of the wilderness overflow, the hillsgird themselves with joy, themeadows clothe themselveswith flocks, the valleys deckthemselves with grain, theyshout and sing together for joy.

Psalm 65:12-13


And, how often have we declaredin our liturgy, our intention to be apart of that holy hymn, in ourEucharistic Hymn of Praise:

Sing with all the people ofGod, and join in the hymn of allcreation:

Blessing, honor, glory, andmight be to God and the Lambforever. Amen.

Lutheran Book of Worship, “Hymn of Praise,” Holy Communion,pages 61, 81 and 102

Discussion Choose one or more of the follow-

ing questions for group sharing.

l Have you ever thought aboutwhat is meant by “the hymn of all creation”?

l How and where do you hear thehymn of all creation?

l Do you think it is manifested only in the audible sounds in creation? Or might a field full ofwildflowers or dew-laced spiderwebs “shout and sing” its ownkind of praises to God?

l How might we learn new ways tohear the hymn of all creation?

l Do you think that we, as humans,add to the harmony of that hymn,or do we also (too often?) strikediscordant notes?

Fostering a deeper(creation) spirituality:How? Where do westart?

A shorter summary of this sectionis provided on the handout for indi-vidual reflection at home, but if youhave time, it could be helpful for youto read the following aloud, and toreview the “spiritual exercises” priorto closing this session with prayer.

You may say:

Probably the easiest place to startis in simply paying attention andmaking use of all of our senses, whenwe are outdoors. We can try to bemore conscious of the fact that we, as humans, are a part of nature, notseparate from it. We can pray foropenness of heart, mind, and spirit to God’s presence woven throughoutcreation.

We can try to understand ourphysical “place” in new and deeperways—we can learn the names ofcreatures, trees, and plants in ourbioregion, for example. At sundown,we might try to be intentionally conscious of the fact that the Sun isnot really going “down,” but rather,that our part of the Earth is turningaway. When we look at the stars atnight, we should know that we’re notjust looking “up,” but also out anddown, into vast reaches of space that,without the force of gravity, we wouldtumble into!

A common spiritual practice fordeepening one’s connection to God isto use a simple, repeated phrase as aprayer-like meditation. Using such aphrase while walking outdoors can bea way to prepare ourselves to bemore open and receptive to what God would have us see or learn fromcreation, and so become a pathway to a deeper spirituality.

An example of a phrase youmight try, would be either of thesetwo which we used in this session:

“All creation is a symphonyof praise to God.”

Hildegard of Bingen

“The whole earth is a livingicon of the face of God.”

St. John Damascene

With practice, we will find thatGod’s Spirit can touch us through cer-tain images in nature to help inform,enrich, and enliven our prayers oreven mirror, in a metaphorical way,something we are experiencing in ourown life and help to bring clarity tothe situation.

You will recall that our LordJesus himself frequently went into thewilderness to pray, and that he wouldoften use natural images andmetaphors to illustrate his parables.

Of course, in urban areas, finding“wilderness” can be nearly impossi-ble; and finding special “naturemoments” to reflect on God’s good-ness can also seem challenging.However, we might be surprised athow often life—greenery, creatures—will try so hard to occupy any niche itcan find. While we may discoverunexpected beauty in such places, we should also open our eyes anew to the challenged, and often lessbeautiful, urban corners of creation.

Something for us to think about:How might we help to bring healing,freshness, life, and greenness to even such places, as “ambassadors”of Christ’s reconciliation—in therestoration of right relationship—ofall things?


In SummaryFostering a deeper sense of

spirituality, through connecting withGod in creation, is about nurturing adeeper awareness of our surround-ings …breathing in the joys (as wellas the sorrows) evident in the naturalworld and listening more carefully for“the hymn of all creation.” What isGod trying to teach us, through this“other book” of scripture?

“Spiritual Exercises” youcan try at home

Leader reviews and describes the suggestions for the followingreflection exercises.

Each participant should alsoselect one slip of paper, with a quotefrom the “Ancient Voices” collection(of saints, theologians, etc.) for exercise #1 that the Leader preparedahead of time.

You may say:

l Take some time each day to readthe quote you received; read itoutside or reflect on it duringyour prayer time, whether that’sinside or (preferably) outside.What words or phrase mostcatches your attention? How does this particular quote havemeaning to you? How might youweave it into your prayers?

l Visit a natural area, or even yourown backyard, and try readingfrom the “book of creation,” byreflecting upon the images,objects, or creatures that drawyour attention. Keep notes aboutyour experiences in a prayer journal. What is God revealing toyou? What is God saying to yourheart?

l Write a “Letter to the Creator.”What would you say to God, in aletter, to express your apprecia-tion for (or even your questionsabout) the natural world? About your particular corner ofcreation? What, specifically,would you thank God for? Whatwould you express sorrow about?What would you tell God that youwill do, to help heal creation?

Leader Note – if members of yourgroup are agreeable, you maywish to extend an invitation tothem to share their “Letters” withthe full group, at the beginning ofSession Three or at another timeof gathering (if you are on retreat,for example).

ClosingRead by Leader or a volunteer,

using Leader’s guide.

A Scripture Reading (Psalm 19:1-4a)

The heavens are telling theglory of God; and the firmamentproclaims his handiwork. Day to day pours forth speech, andnight to night declares knowl-edge. There is no speech, norare there words; their voice isnot heard; yet their voice goesout through all the earth, andtheir words to the end of theworld.

Let us pray:How wonderful, O Lord, are the

works of your hands! The heavensdeclare your glory; the arch of skydisplays your handiwork. In your love You have given us the power tobehold the beauty of your worldrobed in all its splendor. The sun andthe stars, the valleys and the hills, the rivers and lakes, all disclose yourpresence. The roaring breakers of thesea tell of your awesome might. Thebeasts of the field and the birds of the air bespeak your wondrous will.In your goodness you have made usable to hear the music of the world.The voices of loved ones reveal to usthat You are in our midst. A divinevoice sings through all creation.

— a Jewish Prayer

Help us, O Lord, to hear yourvoice more clearly!

And let the people say, Amen!

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Options for expand-ing Session Twol Incorporate appropriate hymns,

such as When Long Before Time(With One Voice [WOV] #799 orELW #861) or The Canticle of theSun by Marty Haugen (AnthologyI:1980).

l Visit a natural area and conduct a prayer service to celebrate creation and to pray for healingand reconciliation betweenhumankind and the Earth and its creatures.

l Expand on themes and ideasraised in this session, as a group,in a weekend retreat.

l Do further study on Hildegard of Bingen and learn about herconcept of viriditas, or “greeningpower.” Book suggestion:Praying with Hildegard ofBingen, by Gloria Durka, in the“Companions for the Journey”series by Saint Mary’s Press,Winona, MN, 1991.

l Read aloud (assigning parts) inclass or in worship, Old Turtle, abook by Douglas Wood, Pfeiffer-Hamilton Publishers, MN, 1992(see Resources).

l Show and discuss one or both of The Greening of Faith videos(see Resources).

l Visit and walk an outdoorlabyrinth; be open to God’s presence, seek to learn somethingnew about God’s love for you andhow the Earth and others mayneed your talents and gifts.

l Plan and plant a natural area, garden, or meditative garden onyour congregation’s grounds.

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IntroductionIn this session, we will consider

how we might open our hearts morefully to God’s presence and revelationwithin the natural world. You may besurprised that this form of spiritualawareness comes from a long andancient tradition of Christian writers,thinkers, and even Martin Luther himself! What can these voices teach us today? How do we define“spirituality” and “creation spirituali-ty”? What’s the difference? Is there a difference? Could it help us to act differently? What “spiritual disciplines” might help us to connectmore deeply with God through thetestimony of creation?

Opening PrayerHoly and gracious Lord, we

give you thanks for the wonders, themysteries, the blessings, and thebeauty of creation.

Open our hearts, and attune ourspirits, to your voice and presence as it flows through, sustains, and fillsall the Earth.

Grant that we may come to knowyou more deeply, and hear moreclearly, the ways that you call us tocare for your good creation, and forone another.

In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.

ReflectionListen now with your ears, mind,

and heart to the words of severalancient Christian teachers, who wroteand spoke about God’s presence increation…

Discussion questionHow would you define or describe“spirituality”? What does it mean toyou, personally?

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Spirituality /Creation Spirituality Discussion questionsHave you ever felt God’s presence increation or “nature”? When? Where?How?

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Have you ever felt more spirituallyalive or “awakened” (had an“epiphany”) by an experience innature?

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Session Two:

God’s Presence Fills All CreationParticipant 2.1


[Note: “LW” = Luther’s Works, a scholarlycompilation of his writings.]

God wants to be praised fornourishing and cherishing, forGod cherishes all creatures. Godis not only the Creator, but isalso the Sustainer andNourisher.

(LW 5:197)

God’s entire divine nature iswholly and entirely in all crea-tures, more deeply, moreinwardly, more present than thecreature is to itself.

(LW 37:60)

God is entirely and personallypresent in the wilderness, in thegarden, in the field.

(LW 37:61)

God is wholly present in allcreation, in every corner, behindyou and before you. Do youthink that God is [just] sleepingon a pillow in heaven?

(LW 51:43)

God is in all creatures, evenin the smallest flowers!

(LW 54:327)

The power of God is presentat all places, even in the tiniesttree leaf.

(LW 37:57)

God writes the Gospel, not inthe Bible alone, but also ontrees, and in the flowers andclouds and stars.

(Attributed to Luther; exactsource in his writings unknown)

Questions for discussion:Have you ever heard of any of thesequotes by Luther before?

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Do you find them surprising?

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What feelings or thoughts do they stirup for you?

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Session Two:


Martin Luther (1483-1546) …and a sampling of his comments about creation


Fostering a deeper(creation) spirituality (take-home reflection)

Fostering a deeper sense of spirituality, through connecting withGod in creation, is about nurturing adeeper awareness of your surround-ings …breathing in the joys (as wellas the sorrows) evident in the naturalworld and listening more carefully for“the hymn of all creation.” Probablythe easiest place to start is in simplypaying attention and making use ofall of your senses, when you are outdoors. Pray for openness of heart,mind, and spirit to God’s presencewoven throughout creation. Withpractice, you will find that God’sSpirit will touch you through certainimages in nature to help inform,enrich, and enliven your prayers or

even mirror, in a metaphorical way,something you are experiencing inyour life and help to bring clarity tothe situation. Recall that our LordJesus frequently went into the wilderness to pray, and that he wouldoften use natural images andmetaphors to illustrate his parables.

What is God teaching you, through this“other book” of scripture?

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Spiritual Exercises you can try at homel Take some time each day to read

the quote you received; read itoutside or reflect on it duringyour prayer time. What words orphrase most catches your atten-tion? How does this particularquote have meaning to you? How might you weave it into your prayers?

l Visit a natural area, or even yourown backyard, and try readingfrom the “book of creation” byreflecting upon the images,objects, or creatures that drawyour attention. Keep notes aboutyour experiences in a prayer journal. What is God revealing toyou?

l Write a “Letter to the Creator”.What would you say to God, in aletter, to express your apprecia-tion for (or even your questionsabout) the natural world? What,specifically, would you thank Godfor? What would you express sorrow about? What would youtell God that you will do, to helpheal creation?

Session Two:


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1For what can be known

about God is plain to them,because God has shown it tothem.

Ever since the creation of theworld his invisible nature, name-ly, his eternal power and deity,has been clearly perceived inthe things that have been made.

So they are without excuse.

—Romans 1:19-20

2For even creation reveals the

One who formed it, and the verywork suggests the One whomade it, and the world mani-fests the One who made it.

— St. Iraneus of Lyons (130-200ad)

3For when one considers the

universe, can anyone be so sim-ple-minded as not to believe thatthe Divine is present in every-thing, pervading, embracing andpenetrating it?

For all things depend uponGod who is, and nothing canexist which does not have itsbeing in God who is.

— St. Gregory of Nyssa (335-395)

4Some people, in order to dis-

cover God, read books. Butthere is a great book: the veryappearance of created things.Look above you! Look belowyou! Note it. Read it. God,whom you want to discover,never wrote that book with ink.Instead he set before your eyesthe things that he had made.Can you ask for a louder voicethan that?

— St. Augustine (354-430)

5The whole earth is a living

icon of the face of God.

— St. John Damascene (675-749)pronounced “dama-see-en”

6Without the Word of God no

creature has being. God’s Wordis in all creation, visible andinvisible. The Word is living,being, spirit, all verdant green-ing, all creativity. All creation isawakened, called, by theresounding melody, God’s invocation of the Word.

All creation is a symphony ofpraise to God.

— Hildegard of Bingen (1098-1179)

7The day of my spiritual awaken-

ing was the day I saw—and knew—all things in God and God in allthings.

— Mechtild of Magdeberg (1210-1279)

Session Two:

God’s Presence Fills All CreationLeader Resource

Ancient Teachers and Voices on Creation and God’s Presence

Session Three 22Awakening to God’s Call to Earthkeeping


Earthkeeping

Wherever the rivergoes, every livingcreature that swarmswill live, and therewill be very manyfish, once thesewaters reach there. It will become fresh;and everything will live where the river goes.

Ezekiel 47:9,11

Session Three

Biblical Foundations forEarthkeeping

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3

Awakening to God’s Call to Earthkeeping Session Threew 23

Humans, in service to God,have special roles on behalf ofthe whole of creation.

Made in God’s image, we arecalled to care for the Earth asGod cares for the Earth.

—ELCA social statement, Caring for Creation: Vision, Hope, and Justice

Leader Tips andAdvance Preparationl You may wish to have Bibles

available, even though the studytexts will be printed in theParticipant pages.

l In the Participant pages forSession Three, you will find boththe usual double-sided handout,plus several pages of biblicaltexts, divided into three groupings:

Group I – Hebrew Scriptures (Old Testament)

Group II – New TestamentGroup III – Prophetic TextsYou will need the basic handoutfor each participant, but only oneset per group of the biblical texts.

l Plan how to arrange your room to facilitate smaller group discussions (e.g., how manychairs in each of at least threegroups). A paper flip chart orblackboard may be helpful, if youwish to record comments fromthe closing discussion.

Plan the small group work This session, in particular,

will require some extra prior consideration and planning for howbest to utilize the material, which will depend in part on (1) the size ofyour group and (2) the time allottedfor this session.

l Ideally, your group’s size willallow for dividing participantsinto three smaller groups, each of which would focus on one ofthe three main text collections. If there are enough people toform a fourth small group, youcould divide the Old Testamenttext pages.

l You should allow at least 30 minutes for the small group work, with another 10 minutesfor discussion when the fullgroup reconvenes, plus time forthe Closing.

l You will notice that each of themain text collections is dividedinto four sub-sections, each withseveral texts and accompanyingdiscussion questions. If there isinsufficient time (or if the smallgroup chooses), choosing onlyone or two texts from within asubsection may provide a “sampling” to help address thediscussion question(s).

l Another alternative would be tohave the full group address onemain text collection at a time(i.e., OT, NT, Prophets) and breakinto four smaller groups—one foreach subsection—and reconvenethe full group three times, atshorter intervals.

l Suggest that each small groupchoose a facilitator, to help thegroup move through the texts anddiscussion questions, and whocan later summarize one or twokey insights from their group,when the full group reconvenes.The small group facilitator mayalso find it helpful to read aloudthe short introduction for theirtext collection, before beginningtheir work.

l The small group can decidewhether they will take turns inreading the texts aloud or divideup the texts for individual reading, before discussion of thequestions.

l Approximately five minutesbefore the full group reconvenes,ask the groups to bring theirwork to a close and to jot downsome answers to the “summaryoverview questions” on theirhandout.

Session Three:

Biblical Foundations for EarthkeepingLeader Guide


Opening the SessionLeader welcomes group partici-

pants; invite introductions, if needed. Ask if anyone would like to share

any comments on their experiencesor reflections since the last session(or their “Letter to the Creator,” ifthey wrote one and feel moved toshare it). Allow up to 10 minutes for this; however, if more extensivediscussion is desired, you may wishto extend the biblical study into anadditional session.

You may say:

In today’s session, we will readand discuss some of the biblical textsthat “eco-theologians” often drawupon, to build a scriptural foundationfor our call to earthkeeping. The verses used here should not be seenas an exhaustive list. God’s Word isfull of guidance for how to live rightly on this Earth, as well as manydoxological (God-praising) texts thatinclude creation.

Some general questions to have inmind, as we explore these texts, might be:

l What should be the nature of our “dominion”?

l In what ways do these textsreflect our modern ecologicalrealities?

l How do these texts give us guidance or speak to our heartstoday?

Opening prayer/responsive litany

(See page 26.)

Small group discussion of texts

Direct the participants to formthree small groups, if they have notdone so already, and explain theprocess for the biblical text study anddiscussion. Remind them to refer totheir Participant pages for overviewquestions and spaces for makingnotes.

Sharing with one another full group discussion

Give participants a reminder tofinish up their work five minutesbefore you call for the full group toreconvene.

From each group: Ask for aspokesperson to share one or two keyinsights that their group derived fromthe texts studied.

Questions to everyone:

l What impression did you comeaway with, from these texts, forhow we ought to relate to the rest of creation? For how werelate to God as Creator?

l Did you discover anything new?

l Can we summarize? What doesGod’s Word call us to? Can youdescribe it in one-word answers?List them (for example, wordslike: awe, humility, gratitude,praise, service, etc.).

NOTE: Before closing with prayer, ask participants to prepare for Session Four by using the “Take-home reflection” on Participant page 3.2 (see page 27).

Closing Prayer Gracious and Holy Lord,We give you thanks for your living

Word of Holy Scripture. And we askthat you would continue to speak tous through it, that we may open ourminds and our hearts anew, to knowwhat it means in our time to live incovenant with you and in right rela-tionship with all of creation.

We pray this in the name of Jesusthe Christ, in whom we live and moveand have our being, and in whom, allthings hold together.

Amen.


Options for expandingSession Threel Incorporate a hymn (Ex. “Touch

the Earth Lightly,” #254, in theRenewing Worship Songbook orELW #739)

l Study and discuss the ELCA’s 1993social statement, Caring forCreation: Vision, Hope, andJustice, available online atwww.elca.org/socialstatements/environment. There is also a shortstudy guide at www.elca.org/dcs/epr/environment/pdf/cfc_discussionGuide.pdf

l Another document worthy of further study, is “God’s Earth isSacred: An Open Letter toChurch and Society in the U.S.”(eight pages) drafted by a groupof theologians, including severalnotable Lutherans, in spring 2005 (available on the NationalCouncil of Churches Eco-JusticeMinistries Web site: www.ncceco-justice.org). There is also a four-part study guide now available,“Opening the Letter,” at this Website.

l Learn more about theEndangered Species Act; do youfind any echoes of the story ofNoah (Gen. 9) and God’scovenant with all the creatures of Earth in those advocating forthe preservation of species? Arethey modern day Noah’s? Seewww.elca.org/adovcacy forupdates on the ESA and otherenvironmental legislation.

l Show a video, such as Keepingthe Earth or Affluenza (seeResources); what biblical textsare referenced? What would theprophets say today, about ourmaterialism?

l Do a “survey” of the Psalms to“collect” the examples of versesthat include references to creation or note the various creatures that God proudlydescribes in Job 39-40, and theaspects of the natural world inJob 38. You could form prayerpetitions on behalf of the mem-bers of creation mentioned inthese verses or for endangeredspecies; or you could create aresponsive litany from such verses, to use in worship.

l Take note of the naturemetaphors used by Jesus in histeachings. (Examples: Matthew6:26-30; Matthew 12:33-37;Matthew 13:24-30, 31-32;Mark4:26-29, 30-32; John 15:1-8)

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Opening prayer /responsive litany

Ever-living God, you created theEarth and all that is in it and found itvery good.

Forgive us all that we havedone to harm the Earth and oneanother.

God of life and love, you createdall that exists to sustain life on theEarth, human life and all forms of life,and the landscapes and ecologicalsystems that underlie all life.

Forgive us for squanderingthe incredible natural riches ofthis Earth, using your creation asif it were merely a collection ofobjects for our use alone.

God of grace, you sent your Son,Jesus Christ, to reconcile all things,making peace by the blood of hiscross, and making us ambassadors ofhis will for restored relationships.

Forgive us for not truly under-standing what it means to “liveabundantly” in the richness ofrelationships built on justice,peace, compassion, and sustain-able inter-relationship with all ofyour creation.

God of mercy and hope, forgiveus our apathy and arrogance, short-sightedness and greed. Guide us nowin the study of your Holy Word, thatwe may understand what you call usto do.

Give us the wisdom, compas-sion, and courage to do all thatwe can to restore, preserve, andprotect your creation.

All praise and glory are yours,now and forever.

Amen.

Humans, in service to God,have special roles on behalf ofthe whole of creation. Made inGod’s image, we are called tocare for the Earth as God caresfor the Earth.

—ELCA social statement, Caring for Creation: Vision, Hope, and Justice

General reflection questions to keep in mind:l What should be the nature of our

“dominion”?

l In what ways do these textsreflect our modern ecologicalrealities?

l How do these texts give us guidance or speak to our heartstoday?

Space for Notes during small group work

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Session Three:

Biblical Foundations for EarthkeepingParticipant 3.1


Small group discussion of textsSummary overview questions

What, if anything, did you find in thetexts that can help guide you in yourcaring for creation?

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Do the texts give you any new perspectives on how to relate to therest of creation? To God as Creator?

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What and how does God’s Word call us to be, in our response asEarthkeepers? Can you describe it in one-word answers?

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What are one or two key insights thatyour small group has discovered, instudying your assigned texts?

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Closing PrayerGracious and Holy Lord,We give you thanks for your living

Word of Holy Scripture.And we ask that you would con-

tinue to speak to us through it, thatwe may open our minds and ourhearts anew, to know what it meansin our time to live in covenant withyou and in right relationship with allof creation. We pray this in the nameof Jesus the Christ, in whom we liveand move and have our being, and inwhom, all things hold together.

Amen.

Take-home reflectionPrior to your next gathering,

think about what current environ-mental issues are of most concern toyou. Pray about them, and be open toGod’s guidance on what you as anindividual, or your congregation as agroup, might be able to do to helpbring healing and restoration inregard to the issue(s). Listen with theears of your heart—which is the seatof compassion—for that is oftenwhere God’s Spirit speaks most powerfully, in that still, small voice.

You may wish to write down a listof your environmental concerns forreference in the next session.

Session Three:

Biblical Foundations for EarthkeepingParticipant 3.2


How do we rightly understand“dominion”? Do a verse or two inGenesis say all there is say on thisquestion? Some helpful language andhistorical background to have inmind: the Latin dominus (a root wordfor dominion) means “lord,” pertinentto humans described as being createdin the imago Dei (image of God); theHebrew abad and shamar, which weknow as “till” and “keep” (Genesis2:15), are used in a number of otherplaces in the Old Testament, to signify“serve” and “protect/preserve.”Historically speaking, the creationstory in Genesis 2 is considered theolder, original (Yahwist) version,handed down by oral tradition, while the opening verses of Genesis 1were added later, in what has beendescribed as a “Priestly preface,” near the time of the end of exile inBabylon.

Revisiting dominion:Whose world is it?What is our role?(Genesis 1:26-28; Genesis 2:7-8,15;Psalm 24:1; Psalm 8:3-6a; Psalm104:24-26)

Genesis 1:26-28

Then God said, “Let us makehumankind in our image,according to our likeness; andlet them have dominion over thefish of the sea, and over thebirds of the air, and over the cat-tle, and over all the wild animalsof the earth, and over everycreeping thing that creeps uponthe earth.” So God createdhumankind in his image, in theimage of God he created them;male and female he createdthem. God blessed them, andGod said to them, “Be fruitfuland multiply, and fill the earthand subdue it; and have domin-ion over the fish of the sea andover the birds of the air andover every living thing thatmoves upon the earth.”

Genesis 2:7-8, 15

…then the LORD God formedman from the dust of the groundand breathed into his nostrilsthe breath of life; and the manbecame a living being. And theLORD God planted a garden inEden, in the east; and there heput the man whom he hadformed. …The LORD God tookthe man and put him in the gar-den of Eden to till it and keep it.

Psalm 24:1

The earth is the LORD’s andall that is in it, the world, andthose who live in it.

Psalm 8:3-6a

When I look at your heavens,the work of your fingers, themoon and the stars that youhave established; what arehuman beings that you aremindful of them, mortals thatyou care for them? Yet you havemade them a little lower thanGod, and crowned them withglory and honor. You have giventhem dominion over the worksof your hands.

Psalm 104:24-26

O LORD, how manifold areyour works! In wisdom you havemade them all; the earth is fullof your creatures. Yonder is thesea, great and wide, creepingthings innumerable are there,living things both small andgreat. There go the ships, andLeviathan that you formed tosport in it.

Questions fordiscussion/reflectionl How might we describe the

nature of our “dominion”?

l How do you think we, as “images of God,” should relate to the rest of creation?

l How would you describe the attitude of the psalmist in Psalms 8 and 104?

Session Three:

Biblical Foundations for EarthkeepingGroup I: Hebrew Scriptures (Old Testament) Leader Resource


A vibrant creation praisesGod: What prompts thehymn of praise that arisesfrom creation? (Psalm 65:12-13; Psalm 96:11-12;Psalm 98:7-8; Psalm 148:3-5)

Psalm 65:12-13

The pastures of the wilderness overflow, the hillsgird themselves with joy, themeadows clothes themselveswith flocks, the valleys deckthemselves with grain, theyshout and sing together for joy.

Psalm 96:11-12

Let the heavens be glad, andlet the earth rejoice; let the searoar, and all that fills it; let thefield exult, and everything in it.Then shall all the trees of theforest sing for joy before theLORD…

Psalm 98:7-8

Let the sea roar, and all thatfills it; the world and those wholive in it. Let the floods claptheir hands; let the hills singtogether for joy at the presenceof the LORD…

Psalm 148:3-5

Praise him, sun and moon;praise him, all you shining stars!Praise him, you highest heavens,and you waters above the heav-ens! Let them praise the name ofthe LORD, for he commandedand they were created.

Question fordiscussion/reflectionl What does the phrase “the hymn

of all creation” mean for you?

Sabbath rest and fruitfulness for all creation: Are only humans blessed to be fruitful? (Genesis 1:20-22; Exodus 23:10-11;Leviticus 25:2-4a; Leviticus 26:14, 34-35; Ezekiel 34:18)

Genesis 1:20-22

And God said, “Let the watersbring forth swarms of livingcreatures, and let birds flyabove the earth across the domeof the sky.” So God created thegreat sea monsters and everyliving creature that moves, ofevery kind, with which thewaters swarm, and everywinged bird of every kind. AndGod saw that it was good. Godblessed them, saying, “Be fruit-ful and multiply and fill thewaters in the seas, and let birdsmultiply on the earth.”

Exodus 23:10-11

For six years you shall sowyour land and gather in its yield;but the seventh year you shalllet it rest and lie fallow, so thatthe poor of your people may eat;and what they leave the wildanimals may eat.

Leviticus 25:2-4a

Speak to the people of Israeland say to them: When youenter the land that I am givingyou, the land shall observe asabbath for the LORD. Six yearsyou shall sow your field, and sixyears you shall prune your vine-yard, and gather in their yield;but in the seventh year thereshall be a sabbath of completerest for the land, a sabbath forthe LORD …

Leviticus 26:14,34-35

But if you will not obey me,and do not observe all thesecommandments…

Then the land shall enjoy itssabbath years as long as it liesdesolate, while you are in theland of your enemies; then theland shall rest, and enjoy its sabbath years.

As long as it lies desolate, itshall have the rest it did nothave on your sabbaths whenyou were living on it.

Ezekiel 34:18

Is it not enough for you tofeed on the good pasture, butyou must tread down with yourfeet the rest of your pasture?When you drink of clear water,must you foul the rest with yourfeet?

Questions fordiscussion/reflectionl Do you think that we, as a

society, aim to preserve the fruitfulness of creation?

l If not, why not, do you think?

l What might allowing creation itsown sabbath rest mean in ourtime or community?

Group 1: Hebrew Scriptures (Old Testament) continued


Species and their habitats:Do creatures have their ownworth before God? (Job 39:1, 5-8, 26-27; Ezekiel 47:9, 11;Genesis 9:16)

Job 39:1,5-8, 26-27

[God asks] “Do you knowwhen the mountain goats givebirth? Do you observe the calv-ing of the deer? …Who has letthe wild ass go free? Who hasloosed the bonds of the swiftass, to which I have given thesteppe for its home, the salt landfor its dwelling place?

“It scorns the tumult of thecity; it does not hear the shoutsof the driver. It ranges themountains as its pasture, and itsearches after every green thing.…Is it by your wisdom that thehawk soars, and spreads itswings toward the south? Is it atyour command that the eaglemounts up and makes its neston high?”

Ezekiel 47:9,11

Wherever the river goes,every living creature thatswarms will live, and there willbe very many fish, once thesewaters reach there. It willbecome fresh; and everythingwill live where the river goes. …But its swamps and marsheswill not become fresh; they areto be left for salt.

Genesis 9:16 [from story of Noah andthe Flood, and God’s subsequentpromise]

When the bow is in theclouds, I will see it and remember the everlastingcovenant between God andevery living creature of all flesh that is on the earth.

Questions fordiscussion/reflectionl Does creation itself have worth to

God or is it only “for” us?

l How do these texts suggest thatGod views creation’s other-than-human members?

l Why are the swamps and marshes“left for salt”? Could it be to preserve a special habitat?

Group 1: Hebrew Scriptures (Old Testament) continued

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You will discover that NewTestament texts do not specificallyaddress how we are to tend to environmental issues. For one thing,in biblical times and language, therewas not the perception of “the environment” as something separatefrom humankind, nor were there thekinds of ecological issues with whichwe are faced today. Here, we must“do theology” and bring to bear our“context”—where we are and whatissues we face—and, from that perspective, ask, “what does it meanto be faithful?” Christ’s reconciliationof “all things” calls us to fresh thinking and perhaps a deeper meaning, when viewed through anecological and eco-justice lens. Justas the early Christians grasped newunderstandings of Old Testamenttexts, when viewed through theirexperience of Jesus, we can trust thatthe Spirit and the Holy Scriptures—God’s living Word—will teach andguide us anew in our time and place,as we bring our experiences andquestions to these texts.

The breadth of God’s loveand the hope of the Gospel:for humans alone?(John 3:16-17; Mark 16:15; Colossians. 1:21-23)

John 3:16-17

For God so loved the worldthat he gave his only Son, sothat everyone who believes inhim may not perish but mayhave eternal life. Indeed, Goddid not send the Son into theworld to condemn the world,but in order that the worldmight be saved through him.

Mark 16:15

And [Jesus] said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the good news to thewhole creation.”

Colossians 1:21-23

And you who were onceestranged and hostile in mind,doing evil deeds, he has nowreconciled in his fleshly bodythrough death, so as to presentyou holy and blameless and irreproachable before him—provided that you continuesecurely established and stead-fast in the faith, without shiftingfrom the hope promised by thegospel that you heard, whichhas been proclaimed to everycreature under heaven.

I, Paul, became a servant ofthis gospel.

Questions for discussion/ reflection l What is the breadth of God’s

love? Does it encompass onlyhumans?

l Does it make any difference toour understanding of this verse,to know that what we translate as “world” here is cosmos in theoriginal Greek? [John 3:16]

l How might the hope of the gospelbe “proclaimed to every creatureunder heaven”?

l Might we have a part to play inthat proclamation, as God’s ser-vants?

Session Three:

Biblical Foundations for EarthkeepingGroup II: New Testament Leader Resource


Inter-connectedness: Is it theological as well as ecological? (Colossians 1:15-17)

Colossians 1:15-17

[Christ] is the image of theinvisible God, the firstborn of allcreation; for in him all things inheaven and on earth were creat-ed, things visible and invisible,whether thrones or dominionsor rulers or powers—all thingshave been created through himand for him.

He himself is before allthings, and in him all things holdtogether.

The late Lutheran theologian,Joseph Sittler, once used a phrase inwriting about Psalm 104 that seemsan echo of “in him all things holdtogether” and is worthy of our consideration here.

Sittler wrote:

“Here is a holy naturalism, a matrix of grace in which allthings derive significance fromtheir origin, and all things findfulfillment in praise.” [italicsadded]

From Sittler’s 1954 essay “A Theology for Earth,” included in Bouma-Prediger & Bakken, Evocations of Grace, 28]

Questions fordiscussion/reflectionl Do you find a similarity between

the theological “matrix of grace”and the ecological reality of theinterconnectedness of all life?

l Why or why not?

Reconciliation: What mightthat mean today, in an ecological/social sense?(Colossians 1:19-20; 2 Corinthians 5:17-19)

Colossians 1:19-20

For in [Christ] all the fullnessof God was pleased to dwell,and through him God waspleased to reconcile to himselfall things, whether on earth orin heaven, by making peacethrough the blood of his cross.

2 Corinthians 5:17-19

So if anyone is in Christ,there is a new creation: everything old has passed away;see, everything has becomenew! All this is from God, whoreconciled us to himself throughChrist, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation; thatis, in Christ God was reconcilingthe world to himself, not counting their trespasses againstthem, and entrusting the message of reconciliation to us.

Questions fordiscussion/reflectionl What does “reconciliation”

mean to you?

l How can we (should we?) apply it to the rest of creation?

Creation groans, creation waits…

Romans 8:19-22

For the creation waits witheager longing for the revealingof the children of God; for the creation was subjected tofutility, not of its own will but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that thecreation itself will be set freefrom its bondage to decay andwill obtain the freedom of theglory of the children of God. We know that the whole creation has been groaning inlabor pains until now.

Questions fordiscussion/reflectionl In this text, creation waits

“with eager longing” …for whom?For what?

l How is creation “in bondage todecay” in our time?

Group II: New Testament continued


The role of the prophet is to call God’s people to “wake up!”—to repent and change their ways, and toreturn to the Lord their God. Prophets,in their critique and laments, decry thepeoples’ broken relationship with God,as they forget the covenant, chase afterfalse idols, and neglect justice andmercy. Such behaviors, the prophetswarn, will lead to suffering for bothpeople and the land itself. The prophet-ic task is two-fold, however; it is notsimply a criticism of the way thingsare. Prophets also announce to thepeople a more hopeful vision, of howthings could be. In terms of eco-justicein our society today, think about whohas the louder prophetic voice: secular environmentalists, or the people of God? Is there a propheticplace for the church here?

Ancient words, modern ecological echoes?(Isaiah 5:8; Isaiah 24:4-7)

Isaiah 5:8

Ah, you who join house tohouse, who add field to field, untilthere is room for no one but you,and you are left to live alone inthe midst of the land!

Isaiah 24:4-7

The earth dries up and withers,the world languishes and withers;the heavens languish togetherwith the earth. The earth lies polluted under its inhabitants; for they have transgressed laws,violated the statutes, broken the

everlasting covenant. Thereforea curse devours the earth, andits inhabitants suffer for theirguilt; therefore the inhabitantsof the earth dwindled, and fewpeople are left. The wine driesup, the vine languishes, all themerry-hearted sigh.

Questions fordiscussion/reflectionl Do you hear the modern echoes

in these texts?

l In Isaiah 5:8, what about adding“shopping mall to shopping mall”?What does that kind of land usedo to biodiversity?

l How does Isaiah 24:4-7 read, inlight of global warming?

Prophetic exasperation andcritique, as God’s peopleturn away, and all creationsuffers(Jeremiah 8:7; Jeremiah 12:4; Ezekiel 34:18; Hosea 4:1-3)

Jeremiah 8:7

Even the stork in the heavens knows its times; andthe turtledove, swallow, andcrane observe the time of their coming; but my people do notknow the ordinance of theLORD.

Jeremiah 12:4

How long will the landmourn, and the grass of everyfield wither? For the wickednessof those who live in it, the animals and the birds are sweptaway, and because people said,“He is blind to our ways.”

Ezekiel 34:18

Is it not enough for you tofeed on the good pasture, butyou must tread down with yourfeet the rest of your pasture?When you drink of the clearwater, must you foul the restwith your feet?

Hosea 4:1-3

Hear the word of the LORD,O people of Israel; for the LORDhas an indictment against theinhabitants of the land. There isno faithfulness or loyalty, and noknowledge of God in the land.Swearing, lying, and murder,and stealing and adultery breakout; bloodshed follows blood-shed. Therefore the landmourns, and all who live in itlanguish; together with the wildanimals and the birds of the air,even the fish of the sea are perishing.

Questions fordiscussion/reflectionl Have you seen or felt the land

mourning?

l If you care about the environ-ment, do you find yourself gettingexasperated?

l How do you think God feels?

Session Three:

Biblical Foundations for EarthkeepingGroup III: Voices of the Prophets Leader Resource


The promised and hopefulvision for God’s faithfulpeople: when they keep thecovenant with God, andwhen relationships arerestored and reconciled…(Leviticus 26:3-5; Ezekiel 47:9,11-12;Revelation 22:1-2; Isaiah 11:6-9)

Leviticus 26:3-5

If you follow my statutes andkeep my commandments andobserve them faithfully, I willgive you your rains in their season, and the land shall yieldits produce, and the trees of thefield shall yield their fruit. Yourthreshing shall overtake the vintage, and the vintage shallovertake the sowing; you shalleat your bread to the full, andlive securely in your land.

Ezekiel 47:9,11-12 (on the river streaming from the Temple of God)

Wherever the river goes,every living creature thatswarms will live, and there willbe very many fish, once thesewaters reach there. It willbecome fresh; and everythingwill live where the river goes. …But its swamps and marsheswill not become fresh; they areto be left for salt. On the banks,on both sides of the river, therewill grow all kinds of trees forfood. Their leaves will not wither nor their fruit fail, butthey will bear fresh fruit everymonth, because the water forthem flows from the sanctuary.Their fruit will be for food, andtheir leaves for healing.

Revelation 22:1-2

Then the angel showed methe river of the water of life,bright as crystal, flowing fromthe throne of God and of theLamb through the middle of thestreet of the city. On either sideof the river is the tree of lifewith its twelve kinds of fruit,producing its fruit each month;and the leaves of the tree are forthe healing of the nations. [Notethe expansion from the vision ofEzekiel, “for the healing of thenations.”]

Isaiah 11:6-9

The wolf shall live with thelamb, the leopard shall lie downwith the kid, the calf and thelion and the fatling together, anda little child shall lead them. Thecow and the bear shall graze,their young shall lie downtogether; and the lion shall eatstraw like the ox. The nursingchild shall play over the hole ofthe asp, and the weaned childshall put its hand on the adder’sden. They will not hurt ordestroy on all my holy moun-tain; for the earth will be full ofthe knowledge of the Lord asthe waters cover the sea.

Questions fordiscussion/reflectionl Again and again, the prophets

told the people what they neededto do. Do people know todaywhat to do, to be faithful in caring for the Earth?

l How helpful is it, to have a hopeful vision of what could be?

l What would a hopeful vision forour time be?

At the end of time, wholeads the praises, and whois destroyed?(Revelation 5:13-14; Revelation 11:18.Revelation is, of course, not usuallyincluded with traditional prophetictexts, but these verses reflect cre-ation’s inclusion—and recompense—at the fulfillment of the reign of God.)

Revelation 5:13-14

Then I heard every creaturein heaven and on earth andunder the earth and in the sea,and all that is in them, singing,“To the one seated on the throneand to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and mightforever and ever!” And the fourliving creatures said, “Amen!”And the elders fell down andworshiped.

Revelation 11:18

The nations raged, but yourwrath has come, and the time for judging the dead, forrewarding your servants, theprophets and saints and all whofear your name, both small andgreat, and for destroying thosewho destroy the earth.

Questions fordiscussion/reflectionl Who leads that holy hymn

of praise?

l What is our part in it? Are we tobe part of the “chorus” even now,or only in some future “endtime”?

l How does it make you feel toread “the time has come fordestroying those who destroy the earth”?

Group III: Voices of the Prophets continued

Awakening to God’s Call to Earthkeeping


Earthkeeping

There is no faithfulness or loyalty,and no knowledge of God in the land …Therefore the landmourns, and all who live in it languish; together with the wild animals and the birds of the air, and even the fish of the sea are perishing.

Hosea 4:1b, 3

Session Four

Creation Waits with Eager Longing!

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Awakening to God’s Call to Earthkeeping Session Fourw 36

l If you or the participants havebeen collecting news clippingsand magazine articles on currentenvironmental issues (as suggest-ed in Session One), these shouldbe assembled and prominentlyvisible for this gathering.

l Alternatively, you can compile alist of ecological concerns andproblems from a source such aswww.greenfacts.org/ecosystems/index.htm (a summary of theUnited Nations MillenniumEcosystem Assessment). The idea is to incorporate such ecological concerns—or others,as appropriate to current eventsor your region—into the Opening Prayer for this session.(Participants will also have anopportunity at the beginning ofthis session, to contribute ideasfor the prayer petitions.)

l Another use for the articles maybe in reading their headlinesaloud during the “sharing of joysand sorrows,” later in the session.

l It would be helpful to have awhite board or flip chart, forrecording the ideas generatedduring the discussion on possiblenext steps for the group or congregation.

Leader Tips andAdvance Preparationl The main goals of this session are

both to “wrap things up” and tofacilitate an earnest conversationabout “what’s next?” for the individuals in the group, and thecongregation as a whole, inanswer to God’s call to earth-keeping. Be sure to take noteahead of time of the variousLeader instructions within theflow of this session.

l If you used the Survey onReligious Faith and theEnvironment (see Appendix, page45) in or before the first session,plan to return those in this session (or have participants re-take the survey). It may be useful or of interest to the groupfor you to compile a summary ofthe pre-assessment surveyanswers, by determining the average numerical value ofresponses for each question (orby some other means, to illustratethe range of responses and tomeasure changes, as the survey is re-taken).

Opening the SessionWelcome the group members and

invite them to take a few minutes toquietly read the “For PersonalReflection” excerpt from “A Theologyfor Earthkeeping” and to think aboutwhat ideas or concerns they wouldlike to contribute for the OpeningPrayer petitions. There is space to do so on the Participant page for thissession.

After everyone has had time toread the excerpt, ask for suggestionsand make a list of ecological and eco-justice concerns to fill in theplaces indicated in the OpeningPrayer. Or, you can invite participantsto offer those concerns aloud, duringthe prayer.

The following summary maythen be read aloud, to begin yourtime together:

In this final session, we come to a doorway, of sorts. The sign on thedoor asks, “What’s Next?” and all ofGod’s creation waits on the otherside. It’s time to consider what we’velearned and felt, to reflect upon whatjoys and blessings we have found inGod’s creation, and also what sorrowsand concerns we may hold for themany ways in which creation is“groaning.” It’s time to search ourhearts for what God’s Spirit is callingus to do, for creation waits, with themost eager longing, for our response.

Session Four:

Creation Waits with Eager Longing!Leader Guide 4


Opening Prayer Opening our hearts to God’s Spirit,

who enlightens and empowers us forservice, let us pray for the church, theworld, and all those in need.

We pray for this congregation and for the wider church, that as God’s people, we will come to morefaithfully tend God’s good and precious creation.

Lord, in your mercy,Hear our prayer.

We pray for those places in the world, where creatures and landscapes are suffering:

List concerns here; or groupmembers may voice them aloud.


Lord, we ask for wisdom, toaddress these problems; courage, to make the changes that may be needed; prophetic persistence, to speak truth to power and to keep striving toward healing for all of your creation.


We pray for all those human populations who may be suffering due to ecological degradations: thosewho lack clean water; those in the path of extreme weather, losing theirlives, homes, or livelihoods; those suffering from increased pollution, disease, or famine; and any others we name at this time:

Second list here, or group members offer petitions aloud.


Gracious Lord, guide us in ourdiscussions and stir up our hearts, sothat we may hear and follow yourwill, in awakening to our call to carefor your Earth.


Into your hands, O Lord, we com-mend all for whom we pray, trustingin your grace, mercy, and guidance.We pray all this in the name of Jesusthe Christ, who came to reconcile allthings, and who calls us to continuethat reconciliation, in the restorationof mutually sustainable relationshipsbetween humankind and all creation.

Amen.

Assessing our journey in“Awakening to God’sCall to Earthkeeping”Revisiting the survey onReligious Faith and theEnvironment

Distribute the pre-assessment surveys. Take a few minutes for groupmembers to privately review whatthey had answered, when the surveywas first completed (prior to or dur-ing Session One). This is a time forindividual reflection on what, if any-thing, new was learned or whetherany attitudes have shifted as a resultof the sessions and group discussions.An alternate option would be to re-take the surveys. Allow partici-pants five to 10 minutes to reviewtheir survey and to reflect on andanswer the provided questions. Ifthere is time, you may wish to have a brief time of group sharing of participants’ reflections on what theyhave learned.

Joys and Sorrows, and the power ofeach, to motivate our earthkeeping

Leader facilitates this group discussion; asks for brief responses.Take a few minutes for group members to share aloud both theirgreatest “joy” in creation (such as afavorite place or moment) and alsotheir greatest “sorrow” or concern(the collected “headlines” may behelpful here). You may wish to recordthe concerns and issues raised, per-haps making separate lists for local,state, national, and global issues.

Seeing with the eyes of theheart: A time of reflection

Invite the group members to takeapproximately 10 minutes to quietlyread the provided reflection on“Apathy /Compassion and Romans8:19” on their Participant page and to think about (or answer) the accompanying questions. Ask that the group remain silent until all arefinished. If weather permits, youmight encourage members to go outside to complete this exercise.

When you feel that sufficient time has passed, reconvene yourgroup for the following discussionthat addresses the very core purposeof why you all have undertaken thistime of study together, over the four(or more) sessions.

This is the point where everyone’screative input is needed, as the groupdevelops a list of earthkeeping ideasthat could be adopted. You may wishto compile two lists: one for personal,and one for congregational, actions.If needed, there are also a number ofsuggestions in the Options, Ideas,Resources for “what’s next?” materialat the end of this session.


Group Discussion and Brainstorming: Ideas for responseand actionPossible questions for inspiration (or use those on the Participantpage):l What will you do, in response to

God’s call? What does your heartsay?

l What is creation itself saying toyou? There are so many possiblethings that can be done to helpheal the world—only begin! (Ifyou have a whiteboard, you mightwrite these questions out as atheme for the session or this closing discussion.)

Wrapping up: Allow some timebefore this session ends, to determineif there is any interest in taking thestep of forming a “Green Team” or“Earthkeeping Committee” to helpshepherd some of these ideas alongand weave them more fully into thelife of your congregation. Those interested may set a date for a follow-up planning discussion.

ClosingLeader should thank everyone

for being a part of this group study;perhaps take a moment for a “passingof the peace” as a way to celebrateyour last session. The Leader and participants conclude with theresponsive Closing Litany of“Ecological Affirmations of Faith.”(See Participant page 42.)

Options, Ideas,Resources for“what’s next?”l Form a congregational “Green

Team,” “Earthkeeping Team,” or committee that can help todevelop ongoing earthkeepingawareness and action in yourcongregation. See the GreenCongregation Program materialson the Web of Creation, or the“Greening CongregationsHandbook” by Earth Ministry,Seattle in “Resources.” Refer tothe “Congregational Covenant forthe Care of Creation” [Appendix,page 48] as one example of aframework to help guide yourcongregation in being more inten-tional about earthkeeping. TheGreen Congregation Program alsohas an excellent covenant model.

l Perhaps a weekend retreat couldbe planned for those in your congregation who would like topursue forming an EarthkeepingTeam, so that they can reflect,pray, and further discern whereGod is leading.

l Join with others: check with your synod, region, or nationaldenominational office, for a support network and staff toassist you. Check the Web ofCreation for updates on the for-mation of LENS—the LutheranEarthkeeping Network of theSynods.

l Share earthkeeping informationand reflections in your congrega-tion’s newsletter, worship bulletininserts, or on a bulletin board in acongregational meeting space.Use scripture texts from SessionThree in this guide or quotes fromthe ELCA’s social statement orother pertinent documents.Encourage “alternative giving”options at Christmas time (suchas from The Heifer Project orsimilar organizations).

l Offer additional study groups.Examples include studies on: theELCA’s Caring for Creation:Vision, Hope, and Justice socialstatement, or “Opening theLetter,” a study guide on theGod’s Earth is Sacred theologicalstatement (2005, NCC Eco-JusticeMinistries—see Resources), orthe discussion guide on the movie“An Inconvenient Truth” (2006movie about Al Gore’s efforts to raise awareness on globalwarming) from Eco-JusticeMinistries or The RegenerationProject (see Web sites inResources). There are also in-depth study guides on subjectslike Voluntary Simplicity andChoices for Sustainable Living,available from either EarthMinistry (206) 632-2426[www.earthministry. org] or the Northwest Earth Institute(503) 227-2807 www.nwei.org.


Options, continued

l Work with your pastor and worship committee, to encouragespecial worship services or anongoing inclusion of creationawareness within your liturgicalpractices.

Examples include:

l a Blessing of the Animalsservice near St. Francis’ Day (Oct. 4)

l an “Earth Day Sunday” (nearApril 22). See the wonderfulresources on the National Councilof Churches Eco-JusticeMinistries Web site.

l a “Commitment Sunday” with an “offering” of individualearthkeeping commitments written on small slips of (recycled content!) paper

l an in-depth “Season ofCreation” over four Sundays ofPentecost (see www.seasonofcreation.com for full liturgicalsettings)

l simply be more intentionalabout frequently using more creation-related hymns andprayer petitions.

l Obtain an energy audit of yourchurch facility and take steps tosave energy and money for otherministries. See if your state hasan “Interfaith Power and Light”organization. (Contact TheRegeneration Project—seeResources Web site list—if you’re not sure.)

l Encourage members of your congregation to sign up for “e-advocacy” alerts or to attend astate or national “advocacy day”to speak to legislators about environmental issues of concern(contact your state ELCA public policy office orwww.elca.org/advocacy) andlearn more about issues throughthose offices. Issue information is also available through secularorganizations such aswww.greenfacts.org orwww.ucsusa.org.

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For PersonalReflection

Enlightened by the Spirit, wecan hear, and respond to, cre-ation’s cries, as it waits “witheager longing, for the revealingof the children of God” (Romans8:19). There is healing work,that each of us can do.Empowered by the Spirit, wecan bear witness to God’s hopeand unconditional love for thewhole world (John 3:16) and, as “ambassadors” of Christ’scompassion, justice, and recon-ciliation, we can participate in the restoration of right rela-tionships —for ALL creation.

Excerpt from “A Theology for Earthkeeping”

Opening PrayerAs Leader ends each petition with

“Lord, in your mercy,” your responsewill be “Hear our prayer.”

Helping to construct theprayer:

“We pray for those places in the world, where creatures and landscapes are suffering…”

List your ideas or concerns below:

_____________________________________

_____________________________________

_____________________________________

“We pray for all those human populations who may be sufferingdue to ecological degradations…”

List your ideas or concerns below:

_____________________________________

_____________________________________

_____________________________________

Revisiting the Surveyon Religious Faithand the Environment

Whether you are reviewing thesame survey sheet which you filled infor Session One, or taking the surveytoday, take a few moments to quietlyreflect on how your understanding,opinions, or attitudes may havechanged or deepened during thisgroup study process.

Filling in the following statementsmay help to guide your reflection:

I was surprised to discover that

_____________________________________

_____________________________________

_____________________________________

I see creation as

_____________________________________

_____________________________________

_____________________________________

I feel that God relates to creation by

_____________________________________

_____________________________________

_____________________________________

I feel that our place in creation, asGod’s people, is

_____________________________________

_____________________________________

_____________________________________

Session Four:

Creation Waits with Eager Longing!Participant 4.1


Seeing with the eyesof the heartA time of personal reflection

Reflection:Apathy/Compassion andRomans 8:19

Recall, for a moment, how youfelt when asked to share your great-est joy in creation, or when you heardthe comments of others. Certainly,some of our interest in caring for thenatural world around us is rooted inthose joys and feelings of gratitudeand awe, for all of the beauty andblessings we perceive within creation.

How do the various concerns andenvironmental problems make youfeel? It’s all too easy, sometimes, towant to avoid that sorrow or the feelings of despair or grief, at whathas been damaged, lost, or destroyed.Sometimes, it can make us feel angryor helpless. As people of faith, weshould know that there is anotherway, and that Christ aches with us, in all of those places and in the groaning of creation itself.

Sometimes, the apparent apathyor indifference that people feeltowards environmental problems is not solely because they lack knowledge of the issue. There is alsoa self-protective sort of apathy, whenwe simply feel too overwhelmed bythe number, or scope, of the prob-lems. “What difference can I make?

I’m only one person!” It’s easier tostop caring, stop hurting …to turninward and let the world worry aboutitself.

This is where we need to under-stand, and open our hearts, to thegrace of Christ and the power of com-passion. One of the best definitions of“compassion” (the direct linguisticopposite of apathy) is “to suffer with.”When we can allow ourselves to “suffer with,” to be open to that kindof sorrow, the very pain of creation orothers, it’s as if it opens within us achannel through which God’s gracecan flow to help bring healing to theworld in some manner.

There is likely something rightbefore you that you can do, especiallyif you join with others.

You certainly cannot solve a problem like global warming (forexample) single-handedly, but youcan change the type of lightbulbs inyour house; you can look for ways tomake your church building moreenergy efficient; you can arrange acarpool for church members; and youcan “speak truth to power” to leadersand legislators, with advocacy actionsto call for real steps to address eventhe large environmental problems.

We each have certain gifts andskills; we each have certain “spheresof influence,” within the context ofour homes, communities, jobs, orchurches. There is something thatYOU are uniquely positioned to do,that God is calling you to do, that willhelp to bring healing to the world insome way.

Through Christ, we can keep trying, in bold hope and trust, and asbearers of God’s will for shalom.

Creation waits, with eager longing. What is creation looking for,from you?

Questions for reflection:

What do you feel God calling you to do?

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What ideas do you have for your congregation to do, to practice morefaithful earthkeeping and to weave itmore fully into the life and witness ofyour congregation?

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Session Four:



Closing Litany We stand with awe and gratitude

as members of God’s bountiful andgood creation. We rejoice in thesplendor and mystery of countlessspecies, our common creaturehood,and the interdependence of all thatGod makes.

We lament that the humanspecies is shattering the splendidgifts of this web of life, ignoringour responsibility for the wellbeing of all life, while destroyingspecies and their habitats at arate never before known inhuman history.

We believe that the Holy Spirit,who animates all of creation, breathes in us and can empower us to participate in working toward the flourishing of Earth’s communityof life.

We believe that the people of Godare called to forge ways of beinghuman that enable socially just andecologically sustainable communitiesto flourish for generations to come.

We lament that we haverejected this vocation, and havedistorted our God-given abilitiesand knowledge in order to ransack and often destroy ecosystems and human communities rather than to protect, strengthen, and nourish them.

We believe that, in boundless lovethat hungers for justice, God in ChristJesus acts to restore and redeem allcreation, including human beings. In the cross and resurrection weknow that God is drawn into life’smost brutal and broken places andthere brings forth healing and liberating power. That saving actionrestores right relationships among all members of “the whole creation.”(Mark 16:15)

We confess that instead of living and proclaiming this salvation through our very livesand worship, we have abused andexploited the Earth and people on the margins of power and privilege, altering climates, extinguishing species, and jeopardizing Earth’s capacity to sustain life as we know andlove it.

We believe that the created worldis sacred—a revelation of God’spower and gracious presence fillingall things. We cling to God’s trust-wor-thy promise to restore, renew, and ful-fill all that God creates.

We long for and work towardthe day when churches, as embodiments of Christ on Earth,will respond to the “groaning ofcreation” and to God’s passionatedesire to “renew the face of theEarth.” (Romans 8:22 and Psalm 104:30)

All: We look forward to the daywhen the lamentations and groansof creation will be over, justicewith peace will reign, humankindwill nurture not betray the Earth,and all of creation will sing forjoy.

Go in peace! Take the love ofChrist to all creation!

Thanks be to God!

This Litany has been drawn from textexcerpts from the “EcologicalAffirmations of Faith” section of the God’sEarth is Sacred theological statement,National Council of Churches Eco-JusticeMinistries, 2005.

Used by permission.

Session Four:


Awakening to God’s Call to Earthkeeping Appendixw 43

A Theology forEarthkeeping

How is “theology” helpful here?Consider its most basic definition:“faith seeking understanding.” We all,through our Baptism, are called to“do theology” …to seek to know whatGod calls us to, in our ministry indaily life. We all are called to prayer-fully reflect upon “What does it meanto be faithful, in our time and place?”and, more to the point, “What actions then flow from faith?”

Both ecologically andtheologically, we are called to bemindful of how we live on this Earth,and those two ways of understandingour “place” can each inform our role.The health and wholeness of thehuman community is intertwined with the health and wholeness of theecological community that sustains it.What actions ought to flow from ourfaith, when creation is “groaning”under widespread ecological degradations, and when the flood ofhuman “environmental refugees”grows, poverty and hunger increase,species go extinct, and climatechange causes all kinds of disruptions to landscapes, creatures,and livelihoods?

What can we look to for hope—now—and not just in some future,better world to come?

Appendix

ContentsAppendix ofResource MaterialsA Theology forEarthkeeping 43

Survey on Religious Faith and the Environment 45

Historical Voices onCreation 46

A Congregational Covenant for the Care of Creation 48

Helpful Resources for a Faithful Response as Earthkeepers! 49

There is no faithfulness or loyalty, and no knowledge of Godin the land …Therefore the landmourns, and all who live in it languish; together with the wildanimals and the birds of the air,and even the fish of the sea areperishing. (Hosea 4:1b, 3)

When we humans, through ourignorance, apathy, arrogance, andgreed, degrade creation and diminishits fruitfulness, we diminish and harmourselves; we disregard divine mandates to tend the Earth; and wemute creation’s ability to join with usin praising God. Furthermore, we disregard the historic prophetic callto God’s people to do justice, lovemercy, and walk humbly with ourGod, when the profligate, unsustain-able consumerism of industrializedcountries uses the largest share of theworld’s resources, and creates thehighest proportion of wastes. This toooften causes harm to the old, the young, the dis-possessed, thosewithout voice or whose voice is notheard, and will cause harm and injus-tice to the generations yet to come.We do need to live more simply, sothat others may simply live.

Again and again, the prophetsdecry how even the land itself suffers,when people turn away from God, in chasing after false idols andneglecting justice and mercy.

The earth dries up and with-ers, the world languishes andwithers; the heavens languishtogether with the earth. Theearth lies polluted under itsinhabitants; for they have transgressed laws, violated thestatues, broken the everlastingcovenant. (Isaiah 24:4-5)


Faith seeking understanding, in our day and time, means firstreclaiming a proper understanding of“dominion” as a sacred trust andhumbling responsibility, a most careful loving and keeping, asopposed to a reckless, abusive, domination. From the opening pagesof Genesis, we are called to “keep”the Earth:

The Lord God took the manand put him in the garden ofEden to till it and keep it.(Genesis 2:15)

In Genesis 2:15, the call to Adam(and by extension, to all of us) is toserve and protect (from the Hebrew,abad and shamar) the garden, theEarth.

We believe, after all, that we aremade in God’s image (Genesis 1:27)—God, the gracious Creator, who loves,cares for, and “keeps” us. As an“image of God,” we are to reflectGod’s ways in caring for the worldaround us, and to remember that Godcalled all creation good—not justhumans—and blessed it (Genesis1:31).

Creation, itself, reveals God’spresence and sings God’s praises; we are called to join the Earth and all of its creatures, in that hymn of all creation.

The heavens are telling theglory of God; and the firmamentproclaims [God’s] handiwork.

Day to day pours forthspeech, and night to nightdeclares knowledge. There is nospeech, nor are there words;their voice is not heard; yet theirvoice goes out through all theearth, and their words to theend of the world. (Psalm 19:1-4a)

Sing with all the people ofGod, and join in the hymn of allcreation: Blessing, honor, glory,and might be to God and theLamb forever. Amen. (LutheranBook of Worship, “Hymn ofPraise,” Holy Communion,pages 61, 81 and 102)

In our human sinfulness of prideand arrogance, we have too often fallen short in our care for the Earthand one another. We must seek forgiveness for things done, and leftundone, for neighbors (both humanand other than human) left unloved.We lean on the power of the crucifiedand risen Christ, and believe thatthrough his love and grace, we havebeen made right with God.

[Christ] is the image of theinvisible God, the firstborn of allcreation; for in him all things inheaven and on earth were creat-ed, things visible and invisible…all things were createdthrough him and for him. Hehimself is before all things, andin him all things hold together.…For in him all the fullness ofGod was pleased to dwell, andthrough him God was pleased toreconcile to himself all things,whether on earth or in heaven,by making peace through theblood of his cross. (Colossians1:15ff)

We claim Jesus Christ as the onethrough whom all things are made,held together, and reconciled throughthe blood of the Cross. In Christ, wehave been made new and called forthas disciples.

So if anyone is in Christ,there is a new creation: every-thing old has passed away; see,everything has become new! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself throughChrist, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation; thatis, in Christ God was reconcilingthe world to himself …andentrusting the message of reconciliation to us. (2 Corinthians 5:17-19)

And what is “reconciliation” here,if not a restoration of right relation-ship between God and humankind,yes …between peoples, yes …butalso, in our time and place, a vitalrepair and restoration of ecologicalrelationship, so that we and ourdescendants might live.(Deuteronomy 30:19)

Enlightened by the Spirit, we canhear, and respond to, creation’s cries,as it waits “with eager longing for therevealing of the children of God”(Romans 8:19). There is healing work,that each of us can do. Empoweredby the Spirit, we can bear witness toGod’s hope and unconditional love forthe whole world (John 3:16) and, as“ambassadors” of Christ’s compas-sion, justice, and reconciliation, wecan participate in the restoration ofright relationships – for all creation.

Faithful earthkeeping will thusbecome an integral part of our religious understanding, witness, andstewardship of all life …in service toGod and with love for one another,for the healing of the world.

—Kim Winchell, Diaconal Minister forEarthkeeping Education and Advocacy,North/West Lower Michigan Synod,Evangelical Lutheran Church inAmerica

A Theology for Earthkeeping continued


A Survey on ReligiousFaith and the Environment Circle the number that best matches yourresponse:1 = strongly disagree 5 = strongly agree

1 I have a high awareness of environmental issues.1 2 3 4 5

2 The Bible can give us guidance on how to deal withmodern environmental issues.1 2 3 4 5

3 People of faith have an important role to play in addressing environmental issues.1 2 3 4 5

4 As humans, we are a part of the natural world, not separate from it.1 2 3 4 5

5 Creation is primarily a God-given storehouse of goodsfor our use.1 2 3 4 5

6 Creation is a blessing fromGod and we are entrusted with its care.1 2 3 4 5

7 Creation is a sacred communityof life, with intrinsic value apartfrom its use by humans.1 2 3 4 5

8 Caring for people is totally separate from caring for the natural world.1 2 3 4 5

9 God’s presence fills all creation.1 2 3 4 5

10 It is important for congrega-tions to undertake Earth-healingactions as a witness to their faithand understanding of God.1 2 3 4 5

11 I know where to find up-to-date information andresources about earthkeeping formy home and in our congregation.1 2 3 4 5

12 I would like to see “creationthemed” aspects incorporated intoour worship service more than oneSunday a year.1 2 3 4 5


The heavens are telling theglory of God; and the firmamentproclaims his handiwork.

Day to day pours forthspeech, and night to nightdeclares knowledge. There is nospeech, nor are there words;their voice is not heard; yet theirvoice goes out through all theearth, and their words to theend of the world.

Psalm 19:1-4

For even creation reveals theOne who formed it, and the verywork suggests the One whomade it, and the world mani-fests the One who made it.

St. Iraneus of Lyons (130-200 ad)

The Logos extends his powereverywhere, illuminating allthings visible and invisible, containing and enclosing themin himself, giving life and everything, everywhere, to eachindividually and to all together,creating an exquisite singleeuphonious harmony.

St. Athanasius (296-373 ad)

For when one considers theuniverse, can anyone be so sim-ple-minded as not to believe thatthe Divine is present in every-thing, pervading, embracing andpenetrating it? For all thingsdepend upon God who is, andnothing can exist which doesnot have its being in God who is.

St. Gregory of Nyssa (335-395 AD)

Some people, in order to dis-cover God, read books. Butthere is a great book: the veryappearance of created things.Look above you! Look belowyou! Note it. Read it. God,whom you want to discover,never wrote that book with ink.Instead he set before your eyesthe things that he had made.Can you ask for a louder voicethan that?

St. Augustine (354-430)

The whole earth is a livingicon of the face of God.

St. John Damascene (675-749)

Christ wears ‘two shoes’ inthe world: scripture and nature.Both are necessary to under-stand the Lord, and at no stagecan creation be seen as a sepa-ration of things from God.

John Scotus Eriugena (810-877)

Without the Word of God nocreature has being. God’s Wordis in all creation, visible andinvisible. The Word is living,being, spirit, all verdant green-ing, all creativity.

All creation is awakened,called, by the resoundingmelody, God’s invocation of theWord.

All of creation is a symphonyof praise to God.

Hildegard of Bingen (1098-1179)

The day of my spiritual awakening was the day I saw,and knew, all things in God andGod in all things.

Mechtild of Magdeberg (1210-1279)

Throughout the entire cre-ation, the wisdom of God shinesforth from Him and in Him, as ina mirror containing the beautyof all forms and lights and as ina book in which all things arewritten according to the deep secrets of God. …Truly, whoever reads thisbook will find life and will drawsalvation from the Lord.

St. Bonaventure (1221-1274)

Every creature is by itsnature a kind of effigy and likeness of the eternal Wisdom.Therefore, open your eyes, alertthe ears of your spirit, openyour lips and apply your heartso that in all creatures you may see, hear, praise, love andworship, glorify and honouryour God.

St. Bonaventure (1221-1274)

Historical Voices on Creation


Because the Divine could notexpress itself in any singlebeing, the Divine created thegreat multiplicity of beings sothat the perfection lacking toone would be supplied by theothers. Thus the whole universetogether participates in andmanifests the divine more thanany single being whatever.

St. Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274)

Apprehend God in all things,for God is in all things. Everysingle creature is full of God andis a book about God. If I spentenough time with the tiniestcreature—even a caterpillar—Iwould never have to prepare asermon. So full of God is everycreature.

Meister Eckhart (1260-1329)

God writes the Gospel, not inthe Bible alone, but also ontrees, and in the flowers andclouds and stars.

Martin Luther (1483-1546)

The power of God is presentat all places, even in the tiniesttree leaf. Do you think God issleeping on a pillow in heaven?…God is wholly present in allcreation, in every corner, behindyou and before you.

Martin Luther (1483-1546)

Love all creation, the wholeof it and every grain of sand.Love every leaf, every ray ofGod’s life! Love the animals.Love the plants; love everything.If you love everything, you will soon perceive the divinemystery in things. Once you perceive it, you will begin tocomprehend it better every day.And you will come at last tolove thewhole world with an all-embracing love.

Fyodor Dostoyevsky (1821-1881) (Russian writer, in The Brothers Karamazov)

Historical Voices on Creation continued


This simple covenant can be usedas a framework to guide a congrega-tion in being more intentional in itsearthkeeping. Another covenantmodel is the congregationalAffirmation statement, as used inthe Green Congregation Program(see www.webofcreation.org).

This model was developed in theELCA’s N/W Lower MichiganSynod in 1999.

COVENANT FOR THE CARE OF CREATION

The earth is the Lord’s and all that is in it, the world and those who live in it.

(Psalm 24:1)

The church’s concern for God’s creation is shaped by the creative word ofGod, the love of God hanging on a cross, and the Spirit of God daily renewingthe face of the earth. Caring, serving, keeping, loving, living by wisdom andcompassion—these translate into striving for justice in social, economic, politi-cal, and environmental matters.

Therefore, the governing body of our congregation affirms the importanceof healing and defending creation to our mission as God’s people.

As a covenant congregation,

______________________________________________________________________Congregation name

will:

STUDY AND LEARN about God’s marvelous creation and our responsibilityto God and our place in creation;

PRAY, PREACH, AND WORSHIP so that our environmental activities growout of biblical faith, reverence, and love for God’s creation;

MAKE CONGREGATIONAL AND INDIVIDUAL LIFESTYLE CHANGES tobetter model our concern and care for creation; and

GET INVOLVED in our communities, our state, our nation, and the world, topromote policies that foster justice and the wholeness of God’s creation.

Through this covenant,

______________________________________________________________________Congregation name

claims the promise of “a new heaven and a new earth” (Revelation 21:1). We dedicate our congregation’s life to the care and redemption of all that Godhas made, for the sake of Jesus Christ who lived, died, and was raised for us toreconcile us and all creatures of God. (Colossians 1:20)

Signed by the Pastor: Signed by an officer of the congregation:

__________________________________ ____________________________________Pastor Date Officer Date


Videos/ DVD’s

Keeping the Earth: Religious andScientific Perspectives on theEnvironment (1996; 27min)VHS/DVD (includes a study guide)

Recommended; beautiful images, reli-gious leaders and scientists speakabout common interest of caring forcreation and protecting the biosphere.

Union of Concerned Scientists, 617-547-5552 $17.95 / members $9.50

Lighten Up! (2005; 25min) VHS

Includes information on energyefficiency and a biblical call to creationcare. Narrated by the Rev. SallyBingham, who started the “InterfaithPower & Light” concept.

The Regeneration Project, 415-561-4894 E-mail: [email protected]$15

The Greening of Faith – Why theEnvironment is a Christian Concern (1993; 30min each) VHS

Part I: “Theology and Spirituality”;Part II: “Ethics”; by Earth Ministry,Seattle, with Cathedral Films & Video.Lovely images and commentary.

Available from the Episcopal Media Center:www.episcopalmediacenter.org (onlinestore) or (800) 229-3788 $29.95 ea.

The Blue Planet (1990; 42min) VHS format of an IMAX production;

Images from space and diversity ofEarth’s ecosystems.

Available from amazon.com at a variety ofreasonable prices (used).

Affluenza(1997; 57min) KCTS Television, Seattle;

Highly recommended, a humorous yet hard-hitting critique of consumerism.

May be available from KCTS (800) 937-5387;or go to www.simpleliving.net/resources,which has it in VHS and DVD formats,$29.95.

God’s Creation and Global Warming (2000; 15min) VHS

Interfaith Climate and EnergyCampaign, on the religious, ethical,and moral implications of globalwarming and the call to people of faith to respond in word and deed.

www.protectingcreation.org or call (202) 481-6928, $10.

An Inconvenient Truth (90 min) DVDParamount Studios, November 2006

The highly acclaimed and power-ful documentary about the reality ofglobal warming, and of Al Gore’s workto bring understanding and attentionto this urgent issue.

Available at video stores and online.

There is a five-page, faith-baseddiscussion guide for use after viewingthis movie.

Available free from Eco-Justice Ministries atwww.eco-justice.org

Web sites

www.webofcreation.org

Highly recommended! See especially,Green Congregation Program.

www.earthministry.org

Greening Congregations Handbook;Caring for All Creation modules.

www.nccecojustice.org

The 2005 “God’s Earth is Sacred” state-ment; Earth Day Sunday.

www.seasonofcreation.com

Creation-themed liturgies for fourSundays during Pentecost.

www.eco-justice.org

Eco-Justice Ministries; a variety ofmaterials.

www.theregenerationproject.org

Energy efficiency; Interfaith Power &Light organizations

www.earthcharter.org/files/charter.pdf

The Earth Charter; worthy of consideration

www.uwosh.edu/colleges/cols/clergy_project.htm

The Clergy Letter Project; clergy insupport of evolution

Environmental information& issues; advocacy

www.elca.org/advocacy

ELCA Washington Office (formerlyLOGA)

www.millenniumassessment.org

UN Millennium Ecosystem Assessment

www.worldwatch.orgWorld Watch Institute (annual State of the World reports)

www.ucsusa.org

Union of Concerned Scientists

www.nrdc.org

Natural Resources Defense Council

www.greenfacts.org

Ecological issues and background

Helpful Resources for a Faithful Response as Earthkeepers!


Books

Greening Congregations HandbookEdited by Tanya Marcovna-Barnett, 2002, Earth Ministry, Seattle (see above in Web sites).

Highly recommended; like a tool-kit of information for how tostart and grow a congregational earthkeeping emphasis.

Old TurtleDouglas Wood, 1992, Pfeifer-HamiltonPublishers.

This is a beautifully illustratedand lyrical children’s book, but with amessage for all, about who and whatand where God is, and the role ofhumankind. Great theology; could beused as a sermon!

Last Child in the Woods: Saving OurChildren from Nature Deficit DisorderRichard Louv, 2005, Algonquin Books.

A timely book about the growingseparation between people, especiallychildren, and the natural world, andthe benefits (mental, physical) to befound in re-connecting with “nature.”

Evocations of Grace: Joseph Sittler’s Writings on Ecology, Theology, and Ethics Edited by Steven Bouma-Prediger & PeterBakken, 2000, Eerdmans.

The late Lutheran ethicist andtheologian’s key writings on the connection between faith and theEarth; his first essay “A Theology forEarth” came in 1954—important workto rediscover.

Earth Community, Earth Ethics Larry Rasmussen, 1996, Orbis Books.

This is a modern classic, for anyone who wishes to explore morefully a comprehensive ethical and theological treatment of the need for “sustainable community” andearthkeeping.

The Body of God: An EcologicalTheology Sallie McFague, 1993, Augsburg Fortress.

This is another classic systematictheological perspective on religiousand spiritual foundations for earthkeeping.

Nature Reborn: The Ecological andCosmic Promise of Christian Theology Paul Santmire, 2000, Augsburg Fortress.

Also recommended for thoseinterested in further theologicalexploration of why Christians oughtto care for the Earth.

The Whole Shebang: A State of theUniverse(s) Report Timothy Ferris, 1997, Simon & Schuster.

Astronomy science and history, written for anyone to read.

The Hidden Heart of the Cosmos:Humanity and the New Story Brian Swimme, 1996, Orbis Books.

A short, but thought-provokingbook, on our place in the universe.

The Dream of the Earth Thomas Berry, 1990, Sierra Club Books.

Berry, a self-described “geo-logian” plumbs spiritual and historical depths to explore questionsof why and how humans have cometo live upon such a degraded planet,and what “dream” brings hope for thefuture. A classic to many environ-mentalists, referenced in many writings, including by theologians.

The Hand of God: Thoughts andImages Reflecting the Spirit of theUniverseEdited by Michael Reagen, 1999, LionheartBooks, LTD.

A beautiful book with awesomephotos from the Hubble Telescope,accompanied by thought-provokingand inspiring commentary by scientists, poets, and theologians.

The Universe Story Brian Swimme & Thomas Berry, 1992, HarperCollins.

A history of the development ofthe universe, written as a new “sacredstory” that all humankind can share,to inspire awe and to motivate us allto care for the Earth and for oneanother.

Earth-Wise: A Biblical Response toEnvironmental Issues Calvin B. DeWitt, 1994, CRC Publications (six-session study guide in book form, 81 pages).

This is a very biblically basedexploration of “creation care,” withideas on how to develop a plan forpractical actions; somewhat dated,but good, basic information.

Earth Prayers from Around the World Edited by Elizabeth Roberts & Elias Amidon,1991, Harper Collins.

An interesting and helpful collec-tion of prayers and blessings, usefulfor retreats, special worship services,or individual prayer and reflection.

The Book of Creation: An Introductionto Celtic Spirituality J. Philip Newell, 1999, Paulist Press.

A rich treatise on Celtic spirituality,with suggestions for personal reflection; each chapter is builtaround one of the “days” of creation.

NOTE: You may wish to check with yoursynod office or a synodical contact forLENS, the Lutheran EarthkeepingNetwork of the Synods (see LENS pageon the Web of Creation, www.webofcre-ation.org), to see if you may be able toborrow any of these resources.

In Region 6, you may contact KimWinchell, Diaconal Minister forEarthkeeping Education, in theNorth/West Lower Michigan Synod, ELCA: www.mittensynod.org or(517)321-5066.

god's call to earthkeeping

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