Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped; then the lame shall leap like a deer, and the tongue of the speechless sing for joy. For waters shall break forth in the wilderness, and streams in the desert; the burning sand shall become a pool, and the thirsty ground springs of water;          ~ Isaiah 35:5-7a

May it be so.

Especially with worries of Global Climate Destabilization, wouldn’t it be nice to be fearless with this perspective from Isaiah for those suffering (including our earth?) For example, imagine the joy of those in parched parts of our world – the southwest U.S. region comes to mind – at the prospect of “thirsty ground springs of water.”

In Prepare the Way this week, Pamela C. Hawkins focuses thinking on fearlessness. Among many topics, she encourages us to think of when we’ve helped another be fearless and when God has helped us be fearless. When given such reminders, maybe we can be even a little more fearless?

Fearlessness of prophets is legendary – John the Baptist and Joseph to name a couple. When hearing John the Baptist say

“Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.”  ~ Matthew 3:2

it’s not hard to believe that he was feeling God’s stirring. Sharing such a message then and NOW frequently requires strength and support from God and others in our sphere.

POTENTIAL RUMINATION / ACTION: Anything holding you back on taking action to make positive impacts on climate change? Is there someone who could come alongside to help you with next steps? Perhaps by examining those obstacles and opportunities with a fearlessness perspective, each of us can make our difference…

Enjoy the day, filled with the Spirit and a renewed sense of fearlessness!

Lectionary Texts for Sunday, December 11, 2022:

• Isaiah 35:1-10 
• Psalm 146:5-10 or Luke 1:46b-55 
• James 5:7-10 
• Matthew 11:2-11

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Beginning efforts on POTENTIAL ACTION** from yesterday’s CP post prompted a grins-filled reading of this Lectionary verse for Sunday:

Now John wore clothing of camel’s hair with a leather belt around his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey. ~ Matthew 3:4

Why grins-filled? The visual of John the Baptist from this passage can be stark. The wry grins came in the form of viewing this through a different lens – – climate perspective from these familiar scriptures had never been part of the experience….

• maybe John the Baptist wore camel’s hair clothing because he didn’t want to use additional natural resources for new clothes? (did you know that “the lifetime” of one pair of blue jeans requires over 900 gallons of water?)
• maybe his diet – locusts and wild honey – was imposed to limit his climate impact by sticking with readily-available items? (for one example, positive climate impacts of eating less meat are outlined HERE

Looking for POTENTIAL ACTION items? This Wikipedia page HERE has some ideas including:

People who wish to reduce their carbon footprint (particularly those in high income countries with high consumption lifestyles), can take “high-impact” actions, such as avoiding frequent flying and petrol fuelled cars, eating mainly a plant-based diet, having fewer children,^[7] using clothes and electrical products for longer,^[8] and electrifying homes.^[9] Avoiding meat and dairy foods has been called “the single biggest way” an individual can reduce their environmental impact.^[10] Excessive consumption is more to blame for climate change than population increase.^[11] High consumption lifestyles have a greater environmental impact, with the richest 10% of people emitting about half the total lifestyle emissions.^[12][13]

~ Wikipedia page (HERE)

Coupling Sallie McFague’s compelling commentary (quoted in this 12/2 CP post) with the item from Wikipedia (HERE) …

Others say that individual action leads to collective action, and emphasize that “research on social behavior suggests lifestyle change can build momentum for systemic change.”^[15]

…it’s clear to see that our actions and commentary matter – – to people, creatures, the planet and to God.

May the experience of this Advent season help each of us towards climate justice.

Enjoy the day, filled with Spirit’s stirrings!

** POTENTIAL ACTION from 12/2 CP posting: What work can you do this week (“putting your whole self to it”) to help our global climate situation?

Lectionary Texts for Sunday, December 4, 2022:

• Isaiah 11:1-10 
• Psalm 72:1-7, 18-19 
• Romans 15:4-13 
• Matthew 3:1-12

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You’ve likely read before somewhere: “Want to see God smile? Tell God your plans…”

Today’s CP post originally had a VERY different vibe. Then along came the 12/1 CAC post “A Healthy Church Needs a Healthy Planet;” that in concert with the 12/1 Prepare the Way book reading/suggested activities. Seems Spirit may be working in mysterious ways…

What work are you doing this week to help our global climate situation?

That’s the question that is resonating in the materials above and so many others** That CAC article HERE includes commentary:

The world we want, that we ache for, is a world where children get to grow up and live to old age, where people have food and houses and enjoyable work, where animals and plants and human beings live together on the earth in harmony, where *none “shall hurt or destroy” [Isaiah 65:25].

~ Sallie McFague*

Anyone disagree with Sallie?

If not, perhaps her closing sentiment will stir us to action:

God says, “Before they call I will answer, while they are yet speaking I will hear.” “While they are yet speaking”—we have only to ask for God to answer! But we must ask with our whole being; a better world must become our deepest desire. And this means, of course, we must work at it; we must give our whole selves to it.

~ Sallie McFague*

POTENTIAL ACTION: What work can you do this week (“putting your whole self to it”) to help our global climate situation?

May the experience of this Advent season help each of us towards climate justice.

Enjoy the day, filled with Spirit’s stirrings!

* A New Climate for Theology: God, the World, and Global Warming (Minneapolis, MN: Fortress Press, 2008), 144.

** check out the “8 Questions” section, page 80 of the Time magazine for 12/5-12/12 as an example

Lectionary Texts for Sunday, December 4, 2022:

• Isaiah 11:1-10 
• Psalm 72:1-7, 18-19 
• Romans 15:4-13 
• Matthew 3:1-12

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