God writes the Gospel not in the Bible alone, but also on trees, and in the flowers and clouds and stars. - Martin Luther
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Lord of creation forgive my neglect and sin against you and your creation and my neglect of your gifts. Guide me through the power of your Spirit to believe that both as an individual and as a member of the Body of Christ we can make a difference seeking justice and healing for what you have made and given to our care. Amen.
Our lives in the 21st century are spinning out of control in so many ways. So many ways in fact that it can be almost impossible to know where to start creating a check on the chaos. What I am speaking of, specifically, is the ways in which we as people and, especially, as Christians are contributing to the the abuse of creation. The problems with how we abuse God's gifts includes overloaded landfills, contaminated water supplies, over used water supplies, GMOs (genetically modified organisms), atomic waste, oil contamination of land and sea, over fishing and destruction of fisheries, excessive use of pesticides, heavy metal disposal, pursuit of profit at all costs and on and on. And that is exactly the problem. The ways in which we abuse our world are so numerous and so immense that I too often feel impotent in the face of it and simply throw up my hands in futility and surrender. That reality reveals the truth that I experience my faith shrinking and I become a terrible steward. We find ways to rationalize our killing of nature and our abuse of creation all the time. We do it in the name of profits, we do it for security, we do it for comfort, we do it for technology, we do it for ... you can fill in blanks, too. We even do it in the name of theology. Some of our brothers and sisters within the Body of Christ argue that God gave us dominion overall of creation as a basis of using it all however we see fit: in the name of God. It is a concept of dominion based in kingdom war that believes that to have dominion is to dominate and exercise absolute authority and control over all in the name of God. That expectation is based in the belief that scripture says God's intent is to replace all of this with a new heaven and a new earth so exploitation of this one is irrelevant because God is coming again and soon. While it is easy to reject such extreme theologies I find my submission to the futility of it all just as broken and just as sin-filled. If I refuse to engage the destruction of creation then I am admitting a crisis of faith. I am admitting that I do not believe that I as a Christian or my actions as a Christian have any impact and that God does not care whether I neglect and abuse his gifts. When I consider this I must confess I am a bad steward. Nor am I alone. Faith through the Spirit demands more of me. Faith teaches me to cherish God's gifts and to use them well. It calls me to use them and share them as best I am able. And so in acknowledging my sin I now, also, acknowledge I have a responsibility to act. Specifically, I have a responsibility to act in ways consistent with the Spirit as Paul reveals in in his letters. Galatians 5: 22 By contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against such things. 24 And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 If we live by the Spirit, let us also be guided by the Spirit. 26 Let us not become conceited, competing against one another, envying one another. By faith I can grow in self control and begin to manage my struggle to be a faithful steward of God's gifts. Why can I do this? Only because by faith I have access to the Holy Spirit and God's transforming power. With self control I can do better in my stewardship and joining with others we can grow our ministry of stewardship. And then we can confront other sins against creation and God willing bring positive change and healing to friend and nature. “My heart, which is so full to overflowing, has often been solaced and refreshed by music when sick and weary.” Martin Luther
Lord of every age, sustain us in the years of our fading light and strength. Keep us steadfast in your word and promise that faith may not fail but keep you ever in our hearts. Amen.
Last Thanksgiving I was home in Connecticut visiting with my family and doing more than that for my parents. While I was there I provided the daily care and support for them who increasingly are unable to do and variety of basic needs for themselves. Without going into great depth or detail I will simply state these include assistance in many daily hygiene acts. Recently, I returned from another stint of providing that same care. As a pastor I have been at this point in the human journey with a number of families. Sometimes it is the result of acute and life threatening illness, sometimes because of mental health challenges like Alzheimers, and sometimes simply chronic deterioration due to something like diabetes or arthritis. It is always a difficult challenge whatever the source of the limitations that come with age. What cannot be imagined or anticipated or at least I couldn't anticipate it is the emotional content that is included within and from one's personal relationship to the situation. I have no problem doing all of the necessary personal care issues usually carried out by nurses and personal care assistants. What has been most frustrating is the seeming intransigence of my parents to make any effort to strengthen and fight for the themselves. I want them to fight for every bit of strength they can recover. I want for them every tiny bit of independence they can maintain. It is frustrating when they don't seem to work as hard as the rest of us to keep that freedom. The truth, however, is that it is so hard because in them I see myself and it makes me afraid that I am fruit that has never fallen far from the tree. My parents are great parents. They have loved my two brothers and myself and given us the best examples of things that are central to our lives, love of God and love of neighbor. That love of neighbor was most intimately expressed in love of family. It still is. They learned it from their parents and passed it on to us. I see in my brothers and their wives that they, too, have passed it on to their children. I am greatly thankful for my parents and the example they have provided for me and my brothers. Even as I passed 60 this year and can feel the limits of my own body more and more every day I still remember the love and sacrifices my parents have made for others living the love of Christ as they have been filled with the Spirit. God is good, all the time. All the time, God is good. Even when the flesh is weak. And even as our spirit grows weaker, Christ's Spirit is ever stronger. Thanks be to God. |
Pastor Bill Esborn
Pastor of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America for 30 years and, finally, coming of age after six decades of living by the power of water and the Word. Archives
September 2015
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