A message from Pastor Lynnae

For the Beauty of the Earth, for the beauty of the skies,

For the love which from our birth over and around us lies:

Christ, our God, to thee we raise this our sacrifice of praise. ELW 879

As I write this, yesterday was Earth Day. The first gift of grace was creation. The greatest proof of God is creation. The first standard of life is creation.

I once heard that the greatest difference between farmers and oil men was their faith in God’s creation. As I heard it…oil men are dependent upon their wits, equipment and physical skill for their yield. An oil man has to study the land, have strong bits on their drill and sometimes just be strong enough to break the soil. Farmers have to do all of that as well, yet they still depend upon the sun to shine and the rains to gently fall. Farmers are dependent upon God’s command of creation in order to glean their crops and feed their livestock.

Certainly, the analogy breaks down when you actually meet an oil man and find out how much they have studied creation in order to read the land and place the drills, but they can drill for oil no matter what the weather and no matter where the wind blows.

I have great respect for farmers and ranchers. We used to ring the church bells during the Lord’s Prayer. Once at the beginning, once at “trespasses” and once at the end. This was done so that the farmer could always stop their work and join in the Prayer.

As you get ready for summer and watch the spring planting and growing, remember that this offering of creation fills you with life. When you smell the lilacs, marvel at the cardinals and cut up your rhubarb – see God, who gave you the gift of creation.

Happy Earth Day.

With Hope,
Pastor Lynnae I Sorensen