Earth Day 2006

Plant, weed, water nurture mulch
Pull up out of the ground
Castaway off
Look around and see
Where once-time weeds root for life

(Green and) Growing Season
also known as Ordinary Time
so growing is regular, usual and conventional?

Joshua 18:1

Then the whole congregation of the children of Israel assembled together at Shiloh, and set up the tent of meeting there; the land lay subdued before them.

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But why are you called a Christian?

"Because by faith I share in Christ's anointing, and I am anointed to reign with Christ over all creation for all eternity." [somewhere in the Heidelberg Catechism]

I need to quote Walter Brueggemann again; he essentially says, "Of course the trees clap their hands! No more clear-cutting! Why wouldn't the seas (and everything in them) roar? No more pollution!"

Gather a harvest from the seeds that were sown—that we may be fed with the Bread of Life.

Doesn't the ultimate Earth Day happen every time we celebrate the Eucharist—maybe especially in an ecumenical setting? When the presider collects the ground's fruitful yield plus the sum of the labor of farmers, vintners, day laborers, truckers, grocers, bakers, sellers, weavers and potters, carpenters and contractors, too. We offer back to God the fruits of the New Creation and then God feeds us the Bread of Life! In the Christ Event, all creation has been reconciled to heaven; the Risen and Ascended One indwells all creation, and is Lord of all—this is a foretaste of the Feast to Come!

Let us Talents and Tongues Employ

Let us talents and tongues employ,
reaching out with a shout of joy:
bread is broken, the wine is poured,
Christ is spoken and seen and heard.
Jesus lives again, earth can breathe again,
pass the Word around: loaves abound!

Christ is able to make us one,
at his table he sets the tone,
teaching people to live to bless,
love in word and in deed express.
Jesus lives again, earth can breathe again,
pass the Word around: loaves abound!

Jesus calls us in, sends us out
bearing fruit in a world of doubt,
gives us love to tell, bread to share:
God, Immanuel, everywhere!
Jesus lives again, earth can breathe again,
pass the Word around: loaves abound!

© Fred Kaan 1975