Longing for Redemption

Preached at Knox Presbyterian Church in Falls Church, VA on Sunday, September 8, 2013:

Have you ever gotten up just before sunrise, and stood out on the porch with a steaming cup of coffee and watched the sun rise over the horizon?  The quiet of the morning, as well as the promise of a new day.  It’s an amazing experience to see the world this way.  I have to admit, I’m not much of a morning person, but when I can experience these moments of the day, it makes up for being up entirely too early. 

In our Old Testament reading this morning, we hear of the psalmist’s praise for God’s universal glory, from every living creature, every living thing, for all the wonders of God’s majesty.  Psalm 24 reminds us that “the earth is the LORD’S and everything in it.”  This morning’s psalm is almost a continuation of that thought, giving praise for creation.  As people of faith, we need to reconnect with this idea of constant praise of God for God’s amazing gifts. 

The world is an amazing place.  I have always been a lover of the beauty and majesty of the outdoors – the opportunity to be outside and reconnect with the God of the Universe is a spiritual moment for me.  One of my favorite places on the planet is Montreat, a very popular Presbyterian conference center in western North Carolina.  I feel like I’m experiencing heaven every time I’m there, either in the valley or up on the mountaintop.  But there are other places in the world where I have to ask, “what are we doing to the glory of God’s creation?”  So many people are able to find beauty and wonder in nature, but then go back to their homes and forget that the actions they take – simply flipping light switches, or running the water while brushing their teeth – are impacting nature.  We take for granted how we get energy in our homes, or how many miles our food travels to get to our plates, and how those choices despoil the natural temple we connect with God in. 

The biblical concept of redemption is the idea that Christ paid the price for our sinful nature in his death and resurrection.  In our New Testament reading for this morning, we read that the redemption bought through the death of Christ is not only for humanity, but for all of creation.  This redemption, this return to the full glory that God intended from the beginning, is coming – and is partially up to us realizing our role as the children of God.  In the beginning we were called to be stewards of the garden, keepers of the kingdom, to care and cherish the creation the same way the Creator does.  But we have strayed from this vision, we have regarded the creation as something to be dominated, something to be used for our purposes, instead of the purpose we read about in psalms – as a way to give praise and glory to the Creator.  Our call is to work in communion with one another and with the natural world to achieve harmony in praise and worship to the King. 

But what does it mean to be part of the redemption bought for us in the death and resurrection of Christ?  How can we be agents of change – the hands and feet of God in the world?  We have a role to play in helping to bring about the redemption bought for us in Christ’s death and resurrection – for the whole world.  We can work towards this redemption in three areas: our church, our homes, and our community. 

My favorite fact about the church I grew up in, outside of Atlanta, is that the city limits of Roswell were drawn at a one-mile radius from the church when the city was incorporated back in the 1800s.  The church was literally the center of the city.  Roswell has since grown and I doubt Roswell Presbyterian is still at the dead center of the city, but the idea of a church as a central hub of a community can still exist.  Sadly, this isn’t the case in many places.  But we can redeem the church – or any faith community – as a central place for important work in the community on all types of social justice issues.  Back in the 1960s, the church, people of faith, were the leaders of the civil rights movement.  People of faith like Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., utilized scripture to preach a message of equality for everyone.  Dr. King’s most remembered speech talks about the promised land – and working together to get there.  Many prominent faith leaders today say that the environmental movement is our generation’s civil rights movement – that just like in the 60s must come from the faith community.

We can do this in our congregations by thinking critically about what it means to be stewards of creation and faithful disciples of the Creator.  We can preach and teach about the message of scripture that calls us to praise the creation and the Creator, and to work to relieve the groaning of creation.  We can consider the decisions we make in our congregations about how we use our energy, where our energy comes from; do we source local food and farmers for our congregational meals and gatherings; when we build or renovate our buildings, do we consider ways to do so more sustainably?  There’s a great new term of “green evangelism” for communities of faith that use green activities – placing solar panels on the roof or even installing waterless urinals – to bring more people into the congregation.  Whether your initial decision about doing these things is based on ways to bring in more members, or a genuine concern in the congregation about being better stewards, we are making a difference – based in our faith – to care for creation. 

But it can’t just stop at the congregation.  After church, we head home.  I’ve heard so many preachers talk about our Sunday lives versus our lives the rest of the week.  Preachers work really hard to preach a good word on Sunday morning, but it only means something if our parishioners take it home with them and live out that message throughout the week.  Similarly, if we take measures in our church to reduce our energy consumption, reuse the glasses for communion, and recycle our bulletins, we need to take those actions home.  Sometimes it works the other way – we do these things at home, grew up living this way – and we are the driving force behind getting the people in our congregations to do similar things both at church and in their homes.  We can think about how we get to church on Sunday morning – or to work or running errands – and consider ways to embrace commute alternatives, either walking, biking or taking transit.  Are there things we can borrow from neighbors instead of buying new just to use for one project? 

We hear stories about how crazy environmentalists are for wanting to “live by candlelight” or eat vegetarian.  But we forget how recently our ancestors lived like this.  The convenience of “modern convenience” turns out to not be so convenient.    We’ve tricked ourselves into thinking disposal is a good thing, and single-use products make our lives easier.  But what we’ve done in the last 60 years is created a completely different world for our children than the one we grew up in.  We are now covering over landfills and putting playgrounds and Walmarts on top of them, neglecting the dangerous toxins that come from decomposing trash.  We’ve blown the tops off mountains to get to small seams of coal, so we can power our two refrigerators and five televisions, as well as all our “vampire” devices that aren’t really powering anything, but are drawing energy nonetheless.   If our grandparents were here, they would tell us we’re being wasteful and would encourage us to live like they did, growing our own healthy food in the backyard, interacting with our neighbors while we walked together to church, and enjoying the breeze through a house full of open doors and windows.  We can continue to live a comfortable life, but we need to consider, explore, and invest in new and sustainable ways to do so.  We must remember that we do not inherit the earth from our ancestors; we borrow it from our children.  And as we consider choices we make in our homes, we have to consider how they impact the children we are raising in our homes. 

Finally, we have to take this understanding of caring for creation – of working to bring about the redemption bought for us in Christ – out into the community.  Of all the people that show up here on a Sunday morning, a very small percentage actually work here.  Most of us go to jobs in the community on Monday morning – in schools, companies, local government, corporations, non-profits, even stay-at-home parents!  Evangelism is an important part of the Presbyterian church, and the growth of the church universal.  Evangelism is sharing the story of the good news of the gospel – of Christ’s saving death and resurrection – and in my mind it’s also about sharing our work as stewards of creation, working towards redemption.  The world is longing for redemption – for relationships restored between brothers and sisters, as well as for a renewed creation.  The best place for this to happen is within our communities.  Once we’ve preached the message in church, and embraced it in our homes, we can take it into the other areas of the community where we interact.  As young people, we can go to school and encourage recycling of paper, using digital books and more natural lighting (which, by the way has been shown to increase productivity in students).  As adults, we can ask our boss about opportunities for tele-working or purchasing decisions that reduce our carbon footprint.  If we happen to have jobs where we can make decisions for our community – maybe we can support a decision to change all traffic lights in our town to LEDs so they use less energy considering they are on all the time. 

We can also remember our role in the community when it comes to being part of a democracy.  We’re not all cut out for public service, but that doesn’t mean that we can disengage from what’s going on in politics.  If we are passionate about an issue – whether it’s putting a tax on plastic bags or encouraging our local utility to invest in renewable energy – we should be meeting with our elected officials and letting them know about these issues and asking them to support them.  We should find ways to keep informed about what’s going on at the General Assembly in Richmond or even on Capitol Hill in DC, so when our critical voice needs to be heard, we can make a call, send an email, or sign a petition.  Or hey – maybe it’s even considering an opportunity to run for office!  In VA we are fortunate – or maybe unfortunate – enough to have an election every year for a few years.  The most important thing about this is to make sure you are registered to vote and to get out there and do it.  Decide for yourself what issues are a priority for you – and then do your homework.  Figure out which candidate best aligns with your priorities – and if you don’t know their stand on an issue, ask them.  Go to candidate forums, or email the candidates, and ask those questions.  You know what matters to you – and you need to know the answers to those questions so you can make the most informed decision.

The good news of the gospel is that Christ has already redeemed all of creation.  But we live in the in-between times of the “already-not-yet”.  We know the end of the story, but we don’t necessarily know how we get there.  We each have a role to play to bring about the fullness of the redemption already won in Christ’s death and resurrection.  Caring for creation is a part of our work to bring about redemption.  It is a faithful response to our call to be disciples and stewards of God’s gifts. 

Dr. King shared a dream of equality for all.  I have a dream of an environmental revolution – a redemption of all of creation.  This dream starts in our faith communities – in the church.  And like a rock hitting the flat surface of a pond, the dream ripples across the waters, across creation – into our homes, into our communities, into the whole world – bring about the redemption we’ve all been longing for since Christ appeared to the twelve after his resurrection.  All the world is longing for redemption – are we ready to play our part to bring it about?

Falling Into a Routine... Not So Good

Idylwood Presbyterian Church - August 25, 2013 Sermon

It’s getting to be that time of year again.  Every so often I wake up and look out the window and in my mind, I think there’s going to be that amazing chill in the air when I walk outside.  We’ve been really lucky recently to have some of those brilliant brisk mornings.  But for the most part, summer is still hanging in.  But as the end of August draws near, and the kids get ready to go back to school, we know that fall is on the horizon. 

At Weight Watchers, our topic for this week is, falling back into routines.  It’s always been funny to me that so many of us think this – when we haven’t had a summer break in a long time. I understand for families with kids, there definitely is something to this – about getting back to school, back to activities, back into the regular routine.  Parents get back to normal at home, with the kids back to their routines, as well as back to normal at work.  

But there is definitely a sense for all of us that things have gotten a little crazy over the past few months, that we have fallen into a relaxed rhythm and let our regular routine fall by the wayside, but that now it’s time to straighten back up, and get back to normal. 

Our first reading this morning comes from Jeremiah, and reminds us that God has created each and every one of us for a purpose. God has marked us as God’s own from before we were born.  Sometimes it’s very apparent what that purpose is, other times it’s harder to discern.  But that is why we need a regular routine of being in relationship with God – being in worship, studying the Scriptures, being in prayer, and being attuned to the movement of the Holy Spirit.  This routine takes work and dedication – and it is a routine that needs to be shaken up regularly, not settled into eternally.  Sometimes God shakes up the routine for us – changing our life situations by bringing new babies, or job transitions.  Even death and disease shake us out of our routines, but are not examples of God punishing us for getting off course.  God uses the natural rhythms of life to help mold and shape us into the people God has made us to be. 

I have to be honest – I have a hard time with some of these routines myself.  Even though it’s kind of my job to be deep in theological thought.  Granted – I’m not a full time pastor in a congregation, preparing weekly sermons and bible studies.  And I occasionally use the excuse that I work in an interfaith context as a reason to not be so deeply entrenched in Presbyterian and Christian theological contexts.  But the truth is, for me, faith is personal, and the best way to build up my personal faith and relationship with the God of the Universe, in the person of Jesus Christ, is to be immersed in my Presbyterian heritage.  And I’ll let you in on a little secret – a lot of pastors struggle with this.  I tell you that not to tell on MaryAnn, but to let you know that it’s ok to struggle.  It’s ok to have questions about what you read in the bible and what you hear in church on Sunday morning.  In fact, it’s vital to not only have those questions, but to ask them.  God doesn’t promise us that faith is without question and without struggle.  God promises to be with us through it all – every step of the way.  It’s up to us to recognize God’s presence in our lives and to lean on God when we need to, and even when we don’t. 

In seminary, during our preaching class (yes, we take classes for that), our professors invited us to find some place out of the ordinary to read our text for the week, to try to see it in a new light.  Being in Atlanta at Columbia, some people read their passage on the MARTA, on the downtown streets, in new and different coffee shops, or even just in different places around campus.  Now, we weren’t reading the passage out loud to other people, we were just reading it in a venue where the surroundings may have opened up new understandings about these thousand year old words.  To be honest, I can’t remember where I did my reading that week.  But what I do remember is the idea behind this assignment.  Reading scripture in new places, and even at new times in our lives, can lead us to new understandings about what it has to say to us today.  That’s the amazing thing about the bible.  With the work of the Holy Spirit, the bible is a living, breathing document that, even though it was written millennia ago, speaks to us in today’s world.  It gives us a way to learn more about this God who has claimed us and created us for a purpose in the world.  It also helps us better hear God speaking to us in the still, small voice, and leading us through the Holy Spirit to the work we have been called to do. 

God calls each and every one of us to service in God’s kingdom.  And you thought the only call was for us pastors!  Not quite!  No – God has a plan for each person’s life.  So it is important that we create routines that help us stay attuned to this plan, and strengthen our relationship with the God who calls us to whatever work we find ourselves doing.  The great thing about fall at church is that new bible studies are starting, new opportunities to get involved in the life of the congregation are kicking into gear.  Just like New Year’s is a great time to set new goals for yourself, the Fall Kick Off is a great time to set new goals in your relationship with God and with the church.  Take some time this week to think about your commitment to your faithful relationships, and consider how you might shake things up. 

But that’s not the end of the story, not where we left things this morning in our reading of scripture.  Our second passage is a little wonky.  I have to tell you, I wasn’t sure which New Testament passage to use this morning, because like a crazy pastor who decides on a theme before scripture, I knew what I wanted to talk about this morning, but not necessarily which scriptures to use.  Well, that’s not entirely true.  I read through the readings for this week, and starting with the Old Testament readings, a picture started to form about this sermon and fall routines.  But then I got to the New Testament readings, and was a little thrown off.  There are so many other great passages from Hebrews that could have fit in nicely with this theme, but this was the one we were given for the day.  The gospel lesson was about Jesus healing a woman on the Sabbath, and I didn’t think that one really worked, so I went with the reading from Hebrews.  Looking back, maybe it would have been easier to go the other route! 

But something in this passage spoke to me, even about routines.  Let’s read it again:

18 You have not come to a mountain that can be touched and that is burning with fire; to darkness, gloom and storm; 19 to a trumpet blast or to such a voice speaking words that those who heard it begged that no further word be spoken to them, 20 because they could not bear what was commanded: “If even an animal touches the mountain, it must be stoned to death.”fn 21 The sight was so terrifying that Moses said, “I am trembling with fear.”fn

22 But you have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem. You have come to thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly,23 to the church of the firstborn, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God, the Judge of all, to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, 24 to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.

25 See to it that you do not refuse him who speaks. If they did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, how much less will we, if we turn away from him who warns us from heaven? 26 At that time his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised, “Once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens.”fn 27 The words “once more” indicate the removing of what can be shaken—that is, created things—so that what cannot be shaken may remain.

28 Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, 29 for our “God is a consuming fire.”

What this passage is saying to me, is that God, through the sacrificial death of Jesus, is creating a future of good for us.  We are brought to Mount Zion, to the holy mountain of Israel, not to the fiery mountain, to worship and to be redeemed.  But this passage too challenges us to consider the path we take to get to that future.  The passage closes with the statement that God is a consuming fire.  There are other passages in the bible that speak of the refiner’s fire, the work of being brought through fire to be molded and shaped into the vessel of God’s work in the world.  This consuming fire can be difficult to endure, but as it is God’s fire, it is one that is meant for good, it is meant to refine us into God’s people, doing God’s work in the world. 

I also want to draw your attention to verse 25: see to it that you do not refuse the one who is speaking.  In this case, God.  The thing that pops into my mind when I hear this is the Godfather, “I’m gonna make him an offer he can’t refuse.”  Let me tell you, I think it’s much harder to refuse the word and will of God, than the godfather!  But we also need to acknowledge the last part of the phrase – the one who is speaking.  If we are so caught up in our busy lives, in making our own dreams come true, how can we hear God speaking or notice the movement of the Holy Spirit?  We have to create a routine for ourselves that allows for silence enough to hear God.  For me, this routine includes running.  When I run, I put everything else out of my mind, except the feeling of running, my body experiencing the sights and sounds – and sometimes the pains – of pounding the pavement.  It is the only time my mind is quiet enough to hear God.  But I need to add more to my routine, to put myself into the frame of mind to hear and understand God.  I need to add more disciplined study of the scriptures, to be in constant prayer, to find a group of faithful disciples to share my struggles and joys with.  This is what it means to be a follower of Christ, to be in relationship with the God of the universe. 

Finally, I have to say a word about routines when it comes to caring for creation – because you know, it’s what I do.  There is lots of debate on the issue, lots of “undecideds” when it comes to the issues of climate change.  But the truth is, regardless of science, as people of faith, we are called to be good stewards of this earth, to care for it as the God of the universe cares for it, to leave it for future generations to enjoy the way we have enjoyed it.  We are called to be good neighbors to our brothers and sisters across the globe.  But we have failed.  Our “business as usual” routine has left people of island nations struggling to find higher ground as sea levels rise, has created famine through drought conditions, and blisteringly high heat waves in Russia and even Alaska.  The beauty of God’s creation withers in these conditions, changing the way we remember the majesty of the Grand Canyon and the mountains of Appalachia.  Our routine MUST change to stem the tide of climate change.  Our routine as it has been is not so good – it is not creating a healthy and sustainable future for all.  Our routine has been selfish, considering only our needs now, not the needs of generations to come.  We must consider a new routine, one routed in our faith, grounded in the knowledge that God has created each of us for a purpose to further God’s kingdom and care for God’s children, a routine that considers that we borrow the earth from our children, we don’t inherit it from our ancestors. 

All of these routines must come together to bring about the future God has in store for all of God’s creation.  We must first ground ourselves in our faith, through regular reading and study of God’s word, both alone and through study groups.  We must wrestle with the scriptures, struggling with the questions we have with trusted friends and colleagues.  We must find ways to strengthen our faith, to guide us through the difficult times, the consuming fire that seeks to refine us into the people God has created us to be.  Our routine must be constantly adjusted, through the movement of the Spirit, to bring us to the path God has laid out for our lives.  We must be willing to go where the Spirit takes us – which can sometimes mean difficult changes, and new landscapes.  But we must have faith that God goes with us.  And we must also consider our routines when it comes to the way we relate with the world.  Our faith calls us not only to be in right relationship with God, but to be in right relationship with God’s creation – both the people in it, and the world itself.  We should consider our actions when interacting with other people, remembering always to consider them as children of God, and deserving of God’s love, even when it’s hard to love them ourselves.  We must find ways to create a sense of community with our neighbors – both near and far – and consider what community really means.  And we must consider our impact and interaction with the natural world, and how what we do here and now impacts our brothers and sisters through space and time. 

To be called Christians, disciples of Christ, is to follow the one who created us to be much more than we could have ever imagined for ourselves.  To be true followers of Jesus, is to recognize that before we were even born, God laid claim to our lives, and set a purpose for our lives, to bring forth the kingdom of God.  We must consider our routines – and not fall blithely into them, forgetting their purpose – but refresh them regularly, to call us back to the path God has laid out before us, and to remember that God goes with us, every step of the way.  

Earth Day Sunday Sermon at Boulevard UMC

I'll go back and add my sermons from other events this year, but here is the manuscript of the sermon I preached this morning at Boulevard United Methodist Church in Richmond on the occasion of Earth Sunday.  I went a little "off book" so this isn't exactly what I delivered, but you get the jist.

A few months ago Rachel asked me if I would preach for Earth Sunday, either this week or next week. I was very excited about the possibility of worshipping with you and told her, even then, that today would be the best day for me, as I was already committed for next week.  Things got busy for me, and I remembered but didn’t really think about it until mid-March.  We both checked in with each other at the beginning of the month to confirm the details, and I had been thinking for a bit about needing to work on my sermon.  I again mentioned that today was the day I had reserved on my calendar for Boulevard, but as she freely admitted, some of that at least just went right past her, and she thought I was coming next week right up until our time on the porch on Thursday!  It’s ok - I forgive her.  Because I still didn’t even have my sermon written at that point.  And I’ll make my own confession now - I didn’t write this until last night.  

There are many reasons for this, but I do think divine providence plays into everything, even what seems like my own procrastination.  Earlier in the month when Rachel mentioned her plans for a sermon series, she said the focus for this week would be on the early disciples experiencing tragedy.  At the time I glanced over the scriptures, and began to form a picture in my head about what that would look like - weaving in the tragedy of the early disciples’ lives and the ministry of earth care I focus on.  I saw common threads and knew I could develop a picture from the scriptures that led to a conversation and understanding of earth care.  And then Monday happened.  And we experienced our own tragedy that I feel must be mentioned as well.

I am a runner.  I find that when I run, I am able to put all distractions aside, all worries and concerns are left at home, as I take to the road to knock out some miles.  I also feel like it is a time for me to connect with God - to simply be present in the moment and to sort out my thoughts.  I wasn’t always a runner, but I have developed a love not only for running, but for this amazing community of runners from across the country that I am now a part of.  I was blessed to run my first marathon in January this year with 9 of my new best running friends!  We didn’t know each other well before the start, but after 26.2 miles together, we had become family.  We struggled through miles, encouraged one another, fought the weather, and we crossed that finish line!  Now I will always be able to say, “I’m a marathoner” because of it.  Some of us aspired to BQ - run a qualifying time for Boston - before this year.  I had a taste of this last year when a colleague came in with her Boston shirt on.  I began thinking, “I could do that.”  But wasn’t really serious.  But the buzz among my friends over the last few weeks, leading up to Monday, was intoxicating.  One from our group lives in Boston and had gone to a special preview event last weekend at Marathon Sports there on Boylston to get his brand new Boston-themed shoes.  So Monday morning, once I got to the office, I stealthily tuned into the live feed on my computer, and listened and watched as elite runners from around the world competed to finish the last 10 miles of the marathon.  I watched the women’s race change dramatically in the last two miles, and three men battle it out through the last 800 meters.  The excitement was palpable.  But I had work to do, so I turned off the feed and went about my day.  Around 3, all of that changed.  The excitement so many of us felt early in the morning had turned to fear by then.  My running partner called me to check in, thinking I was actually in Boston based on comments I had made on Facebook earlier in the day.  My brother sent me a text making sure I was ok.  And I began to frantically search for information about my friends, and what exactly was happening.  Luckily everyone I knew was safe, those that had been spectating hours earlier, and those that had finished recently.  But that wasn’t true for others.  Three tragically lost their lives Monday, and 175 others were wounded, some more seriously than others.  I broke down - and I had a hard time all week focusing on what seemed petty in light of the tragedy.  We were struck with tragedy again on Thursday when the plant in West, Texas exploded, and again yesterday with an earthquake in China.  It has been quite a week - and one I knew we could not ignore.  So I was thankful I had not written a sermon yet, so I could properly reflect on the events of this week and try somehow to make connections between this week of tragedy and the stories of the disciples and the need to care for the earth.  

Tragedy, however, tends to make us stronger and brings us closer together.  It was something I saw this over and over again this week in the running community.  My hometown running store in Atlanta hosted a mile of silence run on Tuesday morning - what started as a small event grew into a gathering of almost 300 people at all 7 locations to stand in solidarity with Boston.  Things like this happened all week, evidence of the strength of the human spirit in the shadow of evil.  We know there is darkness in the world - but the great news of Easter morning is that light wins and darkness is defeated.  I am grateful that we have seen the darkness of this week defeated, with celebrations in the street on Friday night in Boston.  

The disciples also knew the battle of darkness and light.  Their ultimate experience of tragedy was on Good Friday, when their leader was brutally crucified.  At the death of Jesus, the disciples were scattered - Peter even denying his part in the community.  But on Easter morning, as the women went to the tomb and learned of the good news of Jesus‘ resurrection, the community was able to begin to come together again, and to flourish in the light.  

Our story this morning comes from Acts, after the resurrection, and tells of the work of Peter, the foundation for the early church.  A group of new disciples in Joppa had just lost one of their saints, and were grieving over her death.  Knowing that Peter was in a neighboring town, they called him to come.  Peter was able to perform a miracle that day, raising Tabitha from the dead and illuminating the darkness surrounding her loss.  Because of this, “many people believed in the Lord.”  The message of the gospel was spreading throughout the region, and the darkness was fading as the light spread.  Though tragedy had befallen the disciples, they were able to lean on their faith to bring light to the darkness and to overcome their fear.  They came together as a community and were stronger after experiencing the tragedy.  

Tragedy, unfortunately, is part of our world.  In the work I do, tragedy may be too strong of a word, but there are days that the work I do is hard.  When black, thick oil sands tar creeps into the backyards of people in Arkansas, when homes are washed away in Far Rockaway, when mudslides and drought besiege our neighbors across the globe, I see tragedy.  When we experience code red air quality days, and the river running in our backyard warns us of fishing for risk of mercury contamination, I see tragedy.  When we consider a future for our children, where geography and landscape is vastly different from what we know today, I see tragedy.  There are times when this work - this calling to care for Creation - can seem daunting.  When thinking of the harm we have caused and the lack of compassion we have shown for humanity as well as nature, brings me to tears.  But I cannot wallow in that darkness, just as we cannot wallow in the darkness and fear of terror experienced in Boston.  

The greatest gift of being a Christian is hope.  On that first Easter morning, God restored our hope.  God’s light broke into the great darkness and showed us the reason for hope.  Christ came into this world to redeem the world.  The redemption Christ won for us on Easter is not just for humanity, but for all of Creation.  And as children of God, we all called to be a part of that redemption.  We are called to care for the widow, the orphan, and the poor.  And we are called to do that in a way that honors the gift of Creation that God has given to us.  For in caring for Creation, in creating a healthy and sustainable future, we are caring for the least of these.  

Earth Day isn’t just a one-day thing - a time for us to say, “hey, earth, thanks for being awesome and providing us with life-sustaining water, and food to eat.”  We need to have an Earth Day mentality 365 days a year.  As a friend of mine put it the other day, “In our hearts for 365 days, but in the spotlight for one.”  My job is to bring care for Creation into the spotlight every day of the year.  To help people of faith realize that the call to tend the garden is a moral imperative to be loving caretakers of all of Creation.  If we are truly made in the image of God, as the Genesis story tells us, we should see the world that God made the way God saw it, as good.  And not good to take advantage of, but good in and of itself.  We are called to be stewards of Creation.  And on this earth Sunday, where we consider the tragedies in life, we also consider the hope of light into darkness and our call to bring the light into dark places.  

When it comes to earth care, our light in the darkness is a way of understanding our interactions with the environment.  Many people talk of carbon footprints and the need to tread lightly on the earth.  This may be a hard pill for some to swallow, so maybe an easier way to think about it is to consider how we can live in harmony with those around us - both people and nature.  We all recall the commandment to love our neighbor as ourselves - to treat others the way we would like to be treated.  To leave a world to enjoy and encounter the risen Lord. Additionally, there are simple things we can do in our own homes, like turn off the faucet when brushing our teeth, or getting -and setting - a programmable thermostat.  We can change our lightbulbs to CFLs and consider buying products with less packaging.  We can step it up, and buy a hybrid or all-electric vehicle, or even commit to a car-free lifestyle.  We can go all in and put solar panels on our roofs or a geothermal system in our gardens.  

We can consider making changes in our church too - recognizing that Boulevard spent $12,000 on fuel oil this past cold season and over $400 last month alone on the gas bill for the parish house, because efficiency in the system has been neglected. We can look at ways to seal up the parish house, adding storm windows and better insulation to reduce our energy needs.  Or we can make sure when scheduling time in the building that we aren’t spread out throughout the building or throughout the week, so we can use our energy resources more efficiently.  We can even change lightbulbs in the church!

We can also advocate to our local, state, and federal legislators for policies that help move us toward a more sustainable future.  No act is too small - everything we do adds up.  We can start small and build in our homes .  Or we can start in our church and move out into the community.  We can encourage bottom-up or top-down approaches to move us forward.  But the important thing about earth care is that we need to move forward.  Or more so, move away from the way things are now.  The saying is true: if you always do, what you’ve always done, you’ll always get what you always got.  What we’ve gotten is hotter summers and more dramatic winters.  We’ve gotten tropical storms in New York and dust storms in Virginia.  We’ve gotten a world that is not the one that was given to us.  And we’ve got to consider if it is the world we wish to leave for our children.  

It’s hard to end on such a sobering, dark note.  Where is the light in this darkness?  I believe our reading from Revelation helps lead us to that light.  “These are they who have come out of the great tribulation…” Indeed we have come through great tribulation, whether the disciples, the people of Boston, or the people of earth fighting to be better stewards.  And at the end of this tribulation, “God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”  Later we are told “there will be no more death, or mourning or crying or pain.”  The story given to us in Revelation is a story of redemption for the children of God and for the Creation of God.  We will all gather - from east and west, from north and south, to worship our God at the Holy Mountain, on a renewed and revitalized earth.  We will be one in community, having come through tragedy, learning and growing and becoming stronger with each experience.  

Tragedy is a part of life - the disciples knew it, and we know it today in many forms. Our hope lies in the joy of that first Easter morning - that Christ is risen, come to redeem all of Creation and to make us partners in that redemption.  May it be so this earth day and every day.