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Introduction of Theme:
Dennis: Welcome to all here present. We gather this day to celebrate Earth Day, reminding ourselves that we are a part of creation and have been provided the opportunity to care for this planet we call home. We reflect today on our role as co-creators and care-givers of the Earth, and the call to bring harmony to all that we touch with the love and beauty with which the Holy One graces Her creation.
Let us celebrate with joy the indwelling of our God among us and among all of creation. Welcome, sisters and brothers, to the table where the broken word and bread and cup of life nourish us and feed our spirit, calling us to care for this home we call Earth.
Opening Song: Sing out, Earth and Skies by Marty Haugen
Opening Prayer:
Santa: Creator, Source of all that we are, we gather to honor your Creation as an integrated and holy system of plant, animal and human life placed lovingly side by side with water, air, wind, and earth. We pray for the imagination and resolve to establish a supportive ecology so that all of Creation may not just survive but thrive as a continuing sign of your wondrous love. Amen.
LITURGY OF THE WORD
First Reading: Reading from Susan Drake
Diane: As Americans, we have become comfortable with our environment of concrete, steel, plastics, and artificial fibers, colors, and flavorings to such a degree that many question whether or not we even need to focus on a relationship with the creation. We have lost the desire to seek God and the ability to see God in all things. And perhaps, we have closed our eyes to the importance of God's creation as expressed through the forests because we have substituted the wonders of human creation for the wonders of God's creation. This form of idolatry should concern us.
These are the inspired words of Susan Drake and the community affirms them by saying, Amen.
Second Reading: A reading from The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoevsky
Ginny: “Love all God’s creation, both the whole and every grain of sand. Love every leaf, every ray of light. Love the animals, love the plants, love each separate thing. If thou love each thing thou wilt perceive the mystery of God in all; and when once thou perceive this, thou wilt thenceforward grow every day to a fuller understanding of it: until thou come at last to love the whole world with a love that will then be all-embracing and universal. Love the animals : God has given them the rudiments of thought and joy untroubled. Don't trouble it, don't harass them, don't deprive them of their happiness, don't work against God's intent.”
These are the inspired words of Fyodor Dostoevsky, The Brothers Karamazov, and the community affirms them by saying, Amen.
Third Reading: A reading from a speech attributed to Chief Seattle
Debbie: You must teach your children that the ground beneath their feet is the ashes of our grandfathers. So that they will respect the land, tell your children that the Earth is rich with the lives of our kin.
Teach your children what we have taught our children, that the Earth is our mother. Whatever befalls the Earth befalls the sons and daughters of the Earth. If we spit upon the ground, we spit upon ourselves.
This we know – the Earth does not belong to us – we belong to the Earth. This we know. All things are connected like the blood which unites one family. All things are connected.
Whatever befalls the Earth – befalls the sons and daughters of the Earth. We did not weave the web of life – we are merely a strand in it. Whatever we do to the web, we do to ourselves.
These are inspired words from a speech attributed to Chief Seattle and the community affirms them by saying, Amen.
Gospel: A Reading from the Gospel of Matthew
Lindy: Look at the birds in the sky. They don’t sow or reap, they gather nothing into barns,
yet our God in heaven feeds them. Aren’t you more important than they? Which of you by worrying can add a moment to your lifespan? And why be anxious about clothing? Learn a lesson from the way the wildflowers grow. They don’t work; they don’t spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in full splendor was arrayed like one of these. If God can clothe in such splendor the grasses of the field, which bloom today and are thrown on the fire tomorrow, won’t God do so much more for you—you who have so little faith?
“Stop worrying, then, over questions such as, ‘What are we to eat,’ or ‘what are
we to drink,’ or ‘what are we to wear?’ Those without faith are always running after these things. God knows everything you need. Seek first God’s reign, and God’s justice, and all these things will be given to you besides. Enough of worrying about tomorrow! Let tomorrow take care of itself. Today has troubles enough of its own.
These are the inspired words of the anonymous author of the Gospel of Matthew, and the community affirms them by saying, Amen.
Homily Starter: Santa
Today we are focused on Earth day, our role as co-creators and caregivers of the earth. This is an overwhelming task for those of us who take it seriously; too great a task to even consider for those who believe the earth and everything on it is here for the benefit of humankind. We are a divided people, how far are we willing to go to take care of the earth? How inconvenienced will we allow ourselves to be?
The first reading from Susan Drake, pastor at Parkside United Church of Christ in Wisconsin, suggests that we have become so far removed from creation that our relationship is in jeopardy. Advances in technology have led some to believe that we are in control. We should be able to alter our environment, to sustain our lifestyles and of course to cure any disease or virus that comes our way. Is this pandemic opening our eyes to our limitations?
A character in Fyodor Dostoevsky's The Brothers Karamazov asks us to embrace all of creation. When written it was just a lovely literary passage, its premise is now backed up by Pope Francis's encyclical Laudato Si. This should now resonate in our hearts and minds; perhaps the spark of the divine is NOT just within the human person but in all of creation. Science has proven animals communicate, they love their mates and offspring and even exhibit altruism, yet humankind still maintains a sense of arrogance convincing themselves that they have more of a right to this planet than they do. The Hidden Life of Trees ...what they feel how they communicate; was a NY Times bestseller, it explains the communication system between trees that has existed for centuries. We should be in awe of nature not above it.
The Native people throughout the world have maintained their connection to the earth. Regardless of where they are located they give thanks when they take from it. In Bolivia a ceremony of thanksgiving to "Pachamama" (mother earth) proceeds any important celebration, the people acknowledge the gifts that mother earth has bestowed upon them. Indigenous people embrace nature as the first incarnation, they see the interconnectedness of all matter both living and nonliving and they strive to preserve the earth for future generations. Many of us will remember the commercials of the crying Indian (the actor was actually Sicilian) during the 1970's, they were part of a campaign to keep America beautiful and stop pollution. It seems we were once appalled at littering but these days we are oblivious to the systemic pollution and practices of large corporations that put money first.
In our own faith tradition, the bible has few readings and parables that draw attention to creation. The people in biblical times were close to the earth, they relied upon it for survival, they did not take it for granted thus they needed no reminder as to how important it was. Parables referencing agriculture and animals were often used to make a point, the reverence was already there.
Every year I show my high school students videos of the many ways humans have negatively impacted the earth as well as ways to care for our common home. On Earth Day - April 22 the Science department will all wear Earth day shirts, but that is not enough, we are called upon to raise awareness and to live a little more simply so others can simply live. We are on the verge of climate disaster; we need to repair our relationship with the earth. The clock is ticking.
These are my thoughts as to why nature is sacred to me, please unmute yourself and share yours
Shared Homily
Statement of Faith (Community Member)
We believe in the Holy One, a divine mystery
beyond all definition and rational understanding,
the heart of all that has ever existed,
that exists now, or that ever will exist.
We believe in Jesus, messenger of the Divine Word,
bringer of healing, heart of Divine compassion,
bright star in the firmament of the Holy One's
prophets, mystics, and saints.
We believe that We are called to follow Jesus
as a vehicle of divine love,
a source of wisdom and truth,
and an instrument of peace in the world.
We believe in the Spirit of the Holy One,
the life that is our innermost life,
the breath moving in our being,
the depth living in each of us.
We believe that the Divine kin-dom is here and now,
stretched out all around us for those
with eyes to see it, hearts to receive it,
and hands to make it happen.
Dennis: As we prepare for the sacred meal, we bring to this table our blessings, cares and concerns.
Please, in silence, offer any intentions you bring to the table….” (pause)
We bring these and all unspoken blessings, cares, and concerns to the table of abundant love. Amen.
LITURGY OF THE EUCHARIST
Santa: Please join us, with arms raised, in the praying of the Eucharistic Prayer.
Great Mystery surrounding us, we lift up our hearts to understand that our spirits are one. You are with us, and we live. Everything lives because of you, and everything is one.
Your wisdom moves among us like the wind, and we are blessed.
So now we enter into the oneness of creation, attune ourselves to join in the harmony, let ourselves embrace that oneness with thankfulness and joy. And so, we join with all of creation and sing in glory for the beauty that encircles us.
Holy, Holy: Here in This Place by Christopher Grundy
Dennis: Creator of the whole universe, we glory in the environment, especially forests, that surround us. May we have the vision and strength to protect all forest ecosystems and the whole of Your creation, which have been corrupted by human exploitation, pollution, and destruction, so that the whole of creation may be renewed and made whole,
We join with the earth and with each other, to bring new life to the land, to restore the waters, to refresh the air.
We join with the earth and with each other to renew the forests, to care for the plants, to protect the creatures.
We join with the earth and with each other to celebrate the seas, to rejoice in the sunlight, to sing the song of the stars.
We join together as many and diverse expressions of one loving mystery: for the healing of the earth and the renewal of life.
We join together and call the Spirit upon the gifts of the earth, bread and wine, as we bless them and remember our call to be the Body of Christ in the world.
Santa: On the night before he died, he sat at a table with friends and relived with them his work, his teaching and wisdom of the universe. Then he went among them as servant, washing their feet, touching their hearts.
When he returned to his place at the table, he lifted the bread, spoke the blessing, broke the bread and offered it to them saying:
Take and eat, this is my very self.
(pause)
Then he took the cup of blessing, spoke the grace, and offered it to them saying:
Take and drink.
Whenever you remember me like this,
I am among you.
What we have heard with our ears, we will live with our lives. As we receive communion we will become communion, both love’s nourishment and love’s challenge.
Please receive communion saying: I am in communion with all of Creation.
Communion Meditation Song: Love Song to the Earth
https://youtu.be/zBEGxqJKup8
Dennis: Mystery of Life present in the whole universe and in the smallest of your creatures, embrace with tenderness all that exists. May the power of divine love pour upon us, that we may protect life and beauty. Help us to rescue the abandoned and forgotten of this earth, so precious in your eyes. Bring healing to our lives, that we may protect the world and not prey on it, that we may sow beauty, not pollution and destruction. Touch the hearts of those who look only for gain at the expense of the poor and the earth. Teach us to discover the worth of each thing, to be filled with awe and contemplation, to recognize that we are profoundly united with every creature as we journey towards divine light and love. We are thankful for the pulse of life that fills us each day. May we be encouraged and strengthened for our struggle for justice, love, and peace in the world.
Lynn: Let us pray the prayer of Jesus with an eye toward our connection to creation:
Generous Creator, the intricate and elegant biodiversity of our world is your hallowed autograph on our lives, on our souls and in our hearts.
We yearn for the wholeness of being in harmony with Your will and with all living things.
Each day we draw on your creative, life-giving energy with gratitude and awe as we find nourishment in, seed and field, river and forest.
May we be stewards and co-creators with you in caring for the gifts of Your Creation.
We acknowledge our shortcomings, especially our neglect of the environment as we mark Earth Day. We seek to be reconciled with those we have hurt and we resolve to do better.
With your unfailing wisdom and the wind of Your Spirit, inspire us that we may reach out and love one another and care for the world, our home.
Strengthen us to work for local and global justice so that we may one day reap a harvest of equality and fairness as if they were wildflowers, propagating spontaneously, unerringly and in surprising abundance. Amen. Lynn Kinlan
BLESSING
Santa: Let us raise our hands and pray our closing blessing:
Go out from this place, ready to hear creation’s call.
Go out, ready to answer, “I am here, standing up for you!”
And as you go, know that the love of Divine Mystery surrounds you,
the peace of Christ empowers you,
and the companionship of the Spirit moves within you
and all of creation, now and always. AMEN
Closing Song: Canticle of the Sun by Marty Haugen
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