A Lament for Creation--May 21, 2016

O God, how manifold the works of your creation!

The heavens, the earth full of your creatures,

the seas great and wide, living things

both small and great--in wisdom

you have made them all.

What have we done,

what are we doing still,

to the beauty of your creation?

What evil perpetrating to destroy it?

With heat-trapping gases we litter the air

and disrupt the climate, and temperatures soar,

and oceans expand, and seas no longer know limits.

Some suffer flood while some suffer drought,

records are set for both cold and heat,

and destroying storms prevail.

God, grant us wisdom to stop the path

we are treading toward destruction and chaos;

grant courage to proclaim and seek climate justice--

for the rich pollute most, while the poor are most affected.

Lectionary Readings

Ps. 104; 149; 138; 98

Prov. 8:22-36

3 John 1-15

Matt. 12:15-21

       

Selected Verses

Ps. 104:24-25

O LORD, how manifold are your works!
          In wisdom you have made them all;
          the earth is full of your creatures.
Yonder is the sea, great and wide,
          creeping things innumerable are there,
          living things both small and great. 

Prov. 8:27-29a

"…When [the LORD] established the heavens, I was there,

            when he drew a circle on the face of the deep,

when he made firm the skies above,

            when he established the fountains of the deep,

when he assigned to the sea its limit,

            so that the waters might not transgress his command…"

[The voice of wisdom calling to the people]

3 John 11

Beloved, do not imitate what is evil but imitate what is good.  Whoever does good is from God; whoever does evil has not seen God. 

Matt. 12:18b

"…I will put my Spirit upon him,

            and he will proclaim justice to the Gentiles.  …"  [The Gospel writer quoting Isaiah.  The LORD is speaking.]