Why We (Earth) Care?
Have you ever asked yourself how our spirituality impacts the physical wellbeing of the planet on which we live? While not immediately obvious, the way we relate to our humanity and Spirit matters not only for the Good of our consciousness but also the physicality of our earth (and beyond).
Join us this Sunday for a special take on Earth Day (April 22nd), some inspiring music, and heartfelt fellowship.
Listen & Watch
Sermon Notes
Opening Prayer
An Ute Prayer
Earth, Teach Me
Earth teach me quiet ~ as the grasses are still with new light.
Earth teach me suffering ~ as old stones suffer with memory.
Earth teach me humility ~ as blossoms are humble with beginning.
Earth teach me caring ~ as mothers nurture their young.
Earth teach me courage ~ as the tree that stands alone.
Earth teach me limitation ~ as the ant that crawls on the ground.
Earth teach me freedom ~ as the eagle that soars in the sky.
Earth teach me acceptance ~ as the leaves that die each fall.
Earth teach me renewal ~ as the seed that rises in the spring.
Earth teach me to forget myself ~ as melted snow forgets its life.
Earth teach me to remember kindness ~ as dry fields weep with rain.
Main Scripture
Revelation 11:18
The nations raged,
but your wrath has come,
and the time for judging the dead,
for rewarding your servants, the prophets
and saints and all who fear your name,
both small and great,
and for destroying those who destroy the earth.
Interfaith Quotes
See sermon slides below.
Aranyani – The Goddess of the Forest and Wild Animals
Aranyani Suktam (Rig Veda 10.146)
GODDESS of wild and forest who seemest to vanish from the sight. How is it that thou seekest not the village? Art thou not afraid?
What time the grasshopper replies and swells the shrill cicala's voice, Seeming to sound with tinkling bells, the Lady of the Wood exults.
And, yonder, cattle seem to graze, what seems a dwelling-place appears:
Or else at eve the Lady of the Forest seems to free the wains.
Here one is calling to his cow, another there hath felled a tree:
At eve the dweller in the wood fancies that somebody hath screamed.
The Goddess never slays, unless some murderous enemy approach.
Man eats of savoury fruit and then takes, even as he wills, his rest.
Now have I praised the Forest Queen, sweet-scented, redolent of balm,
The Mother of all sylvan things, who tills not but hath stores of food.
Metaphysical Interpretations
*Revealing Word
**Metaphysical Bible Dictionary
John**—The apostle John represents the spiritual faculty of love. He is known as the disciple whom Jesus loved, and love is the dominant theme of all his teachings and writings. In the outpicturing of Jesus' development, John signifies the faculty of love in its masculine or positive degree of action, while the various Marys of the New Testament characterize the different subjective activities of love.
angel*—A messenger of God; the projection into consciousness of a spiritual idea direct from the Fountainhead, Jehovah…The word of Truth, in which is centered the power of God to overcome all limited beliefs and conditions.
seven—Completion; usually, but not always, Divine. The time it takes to complete a thing.
trumpet**—The trumpets and cymbals in the hands of the priests and Levites are the thrills and waves of harmonious energy that go to every part of our mind and our body when we rejoice in spirit and our heart is filled with gratitude and we express ourselves in thanksgiving to the Author of our being.
