Pastoral Ponderings

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“And God blessed them, and God said to them ‘Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it; and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of air, and over every living thing that moves upon the earth.”
                                                                                                       Gen. 1:28

As I write, I am enjoying the daffodils that are swaying in the breeze in my neighbor’s yard.  I enjoy the fact that these messengers of rebirth make their appearance as we are preparing to embrace the Good News that Jesus is risen and death has been conquered.  The bright yellow blossoms seem to be shouting “Hallelujah.”  Red and purple tulips and fuchsia azaleas will soon join the chorus.  The apostle Paul says that God’s “eternal power and divine nature, invisible though they are, have been understood and seen through the things he has made.” (Rom. 1:20)  Each spring, as the flowers bloom anew, and the birds return to build nests and the hibernating animals awaken, we are reminded that our God is a God of life and renewal.  And, as we enjoy God’s beautiful creation, we must remember that we have been assigned dominion over it.  We are its stewards. This is an awesome responsibility.

And, if we are honest, we recognize that we aren’t always faithful in fulfilling the task to which we are called.  Reports of global warming, rising cancer rates, poisoned rivers, and endangered species declare that we have  missed the mark.   Unfortunately, we cannot erase all of the damage but, even little changes in our daily living can help to make a difference.  On the 4^th Sunday of this month, we will celebrate Earth Day.  First observed in March of 1970, it is a day set aside to encourage knowledge about, and care for, the environment, and it is now celebrated in 175 countries.   On this day, communities throughout the world will provide information and engage in activities that support improved stewardship of the Earth.  Among some simple ways of contributing to the cause are these, some of them found on the internet, others just common sense:

• 1.   Change a light bulb!  “If every home in the United States replaced just one incandescent light bulb with a compact fluorescent light bulb the energy saved would prevent greenhouse-gas emissions equivalent to taking more than 1 million cars off the road,” says Arthur Rosenfeld, a physicist and member of the California Energy Commission.
• 2.   Turn off lights when you leave a room. 
• 3.   Avoid using styrofoam.   It is made from petroleum and is often not accepted at recycling sites.
• 4.   Plant a tree.
• 5.   Bring reusable bags when you shop.
• 6.   At least some of the time, take the stairs instead of the elevator; or the bike instead of the car. 
• 7.   Carpool to work, school and church.
• 8.   Put on a warm sweater and turn down the thermostat.
• 9.   When using air conditioning, do not set the temperature below 75 degrees.
• 10. Don’t keep the water running while you brush your teeth.
• 11. Use refillable water bottles instead of throw aways.
• 12. Recycle! Recycle! Recycle! 

• 13. Go ahead and use the dishwasher!  The average energy-efficient dishwasher uses just 4 gallons per cycle, saving as much as 5,000 gallons of water per year compared with hand washing, as well as $40 in energy costs and 230 hours of washing time, according to the EPA.

It is the season of Easter.; may the Good News that death has been conquered find expression in the life-supporting choices made by Christ’s disciples as we join all of creation in singing “Hallelujah, He is Risen, indeed!”

May the blessings of Easter be yours!

Pastor Susan