Creation

 Living Waters: Ezekiel 47:9-12; John 7:37-39

Today we start creation season in the church. Creation care should be important to the church because God created it, before us. God created it to sustain us and we should be good caretakers of this gift. Unfortunately we usually exploit this gift for gain and profit. Not so that we can live rightly or in balance with our local economy. 

This is what scholars think happened at the time of the Babylonian captivity for Jerusalem. There are hints at drought and crops not doing well. Because people weren't living in harmony and as an example there is a story about the king even killing someone because he coveted the vineyard the man had. So they took all they could and over farmed and the drought came and famine followed. Then the conquerors came when all food was exhausted.

They were shipped off to Babylon. They not only lost their land, but also their way of living. This is what the stories of Daniel tell us. Then we have this from Ezekiel. This is a vision of what could be. What might be if they take care of what they have been given.

Today we have waters we are putting together and mixing into the baptismal font. They all come from water sources near to us. Yesterday we collected extra for visitors here from three lakes: Highland in Bridgton, Long Lake which goes from Harrison to Naples, and Crystal in Harrison. This is only a small sampling of the lakes and streams which surround this area. All three samples are crystal clear. You cannot define which is which at the eye level. These are a precious gift.

We have animals which feast in our woods here even though it is next to a busy highway 302. We have deer, turkeys, fox, coyote, and squirrels. Then we could go on to the birds which frequent here. They are all our neighbors and for now they seem to be abundant. There are birds I know we didn't have here years ago that I hear calling and hunting when I am outside. This can only continue if we are good earthkeepers of our space.

Earthkeeper is a term used in the Diocese of Maine for each person in a congregation who is doing something to care for the earth. Whether it is education, or planting a garden, or in recognizing we are only one part and peace of creation they help us to connect and grow in our understanding of what is around us and how to be sensitive to the gift.

So this creation season let us be attuned to all of creation. Go and take a walk. See who your neighbors are. See what new things you may have missed before. Learn how to value and walk in step with all of creation so it might thrive and we may see how wonderful are the works of God.