#creation-care — Public Fediverse posts

Mirrors of God’s Goodness

A Sermon on Reflecting the Goodness of God

(Note: Sermons can be heard in audio format at https://millersburgmennonite.org/worship/sermon-audio/)

Philippians 4:8-9

Introduction

Over the past several weeks, we have been reflecting on the goodness of God.
First, we started at the big inning — and I don’t mean a moment in a baseball game where the home team hits a grand slam. I mean the beginning, the dawn of Creation. At the beginning, God created everything, and God saw that it was good.
God is good, and what God creates is good.
Last week, we reflected on how we have experienced God’s goodness. God is good, and God has been good to us. We talked about remembering, noticing, and naming the ways God’s goodness has touched our lives. We talked about how goodness is not just an abstract doctrine, but something we taste and see, something we experience, something we can look back on and say, “Yes, God has been good to me.”
So we have these first two movements.
God is good and what God creates is good.
And God has been good to us.
Today we come to the next question: what do we do with that?
If we do not fundamentally believe that God is good, that what God creates is good, and if we are not able to see how God has been good to us, then we are probably going to have a hard time reflecting God’s goodness to creation and her people.
Because the goodness of God is not only something we believe. It is not only something we receive. It is something we are called to reflect. It is something we are called to practice. It is something we are called to embody in our lives together.
My first car was a 1972 Ford Pinto, as some of you know. And no, I didn’t have to worry about it blowing up if I got rear-ended. At least, that was not my main concern at the time.
With my Kraco cassette player, Pioneer coaxials in the doors, and two generic subwoofers in the back, I would often cruise down 8th Street in Meridian, Mississippi, on Friday nights, blasting my Christian rock — Resurrection Band most likely — driving from McDonald’s down to the Sonic drive-through and back again.
But there was something missing. At least, I thought there was.
On one of our family road trips, I saw a tractor-trailer rig with a cool set up, and it gave me an idea. I decided I could do something similar to my car. So I got a friend of mine in a workshop to make me a cross out of metal. Then I took yellow trailer lights and attached them to the cross, which I then attached to the front bumper of my car.
That way folks could really see my commitment to Jesus. You know, this little light of mine.
The problem came when I tried to hook up the lights to the electrical wiring in my car. I was hoping to be able to turn on the lights with my parking light switch, but I wound up frying the electronics. I can still remember the smell of burnt wiring and bitter disappointment as that little light of mine flickered once and went out.
I did figure out a workaround. So for a while there I was cruising 8th Street in my 1972 lime green Ford Pinto, with a lighted cross on the front, blaring Christian rock to all the world.
Now, there is probably a whole sermon right there about youthful zeal and questionable judgment.
But here is the connection for today: if we talk about the goodness of God and how God has been good to us, that is great. But if we forget this third aspect of the goodness of God, then it is like shorting out the cross on the front of my Pinto.
Because if we believe God is good, and if we know how God has been good to us, then we need to be reflecting God’s goodness to those around us. And not only reflecting it, but being a people who do good.
Let us pray.
May the words of my mouth and the meditations of every heart here be acceptable in your sight, O God, our rock and our Redeemer. Amen.

Homily
Paul writes in Philippians 4:8-9:
“Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable — if anything is excellent or praiseworthy — think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me — put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.”
There are two parts here that belong together.
First, Paul tells them what to think about. Whatever is true. Whatever is noble. Whatever is right. Whatever is pure. Whatever is lovely. Whatever is admirable. If anything is excellent or praiseworthy, think about such things.
But then he says, “Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me — put it into practice.”
Think about such things.
Put it into practice.
The goodness of God shapes our imagination, but it does not stop there. It moves into our hands, our words, our relationships, our decisions, our treatment of creation, our care for neighbors, our willingness to forgive, our resistance to evil, and our practice of peace.
This is not simply positive thinking. Paul is not asking the church to pretend the world is better than it is. He is writing from prison. He knows suffering. He knows conflict. He knows disappointment. He knows opposition. He knows what it is to live in a world where goodness is contested.
So when Paul says, “Think about such things,” he is not saying, “Ignore what is wrong.”
He begins with truth.
Whatever is true.
Christian goodness is not denial. Christian hope is not pretending. Christian love does not require us to lie about harm, injustice, pain, grief, or evil.
But truth is larger than the worst thing that has happened.
Truth includes the goodness of creation.
Truth includes the image of God in every person.
Truth includes the mercy of Christ.
Truth includes resurrection.
Truth includes forgiveness.
Truth includes the Spirit still moving.
Truth includes beauty, grace, and the possibility of new creation.
And if we spend all our time thinking only about what is ugly, false, fearful, bitter, and broken, it will shape us.
If we constantly feed on fear, we will have a hard time practicing peace.
If we constantly feed on outrage, we will have a hard time practicing gentleness.
If we constantly feed on resentment, we will have a hard time practicing forgiveness.
If we constantly feed on despair, we will have a hard time seeing hope.
If we constantly rehearse what is wrong with people, we will have a hard time seeing the image of God in them.
Paul is inviting us into holy attention.
He is inviting us to pay attention to what is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, and praiseworthy — not so we can escape the world, but so we can live faithfully in it.
What we behold, we begin to reflect.
If we behold only fear, we reflect fear.
If we behold only anger, we reflect anger.
If we behold only contempt, we reflect contempt.
But if we behold the goodness of God, we can begin to reflect the goodness of God.
That is why Genesis matters so much.
At the beginning, God creates, and again and again the refrain comes: “And God saw that it was good.”
Light is good.
Sky is good.
Land and sea are good.
Plants and trees are good.
Sun, moon, and stars are good.
Birds and fish are good.
Animals are good.
Human beings, made in the image of God, are very good.
Before there is sin, there is goodness.
Before there is shame, there is blessing.
Before there is violence, there is peace.
Before there is scarcity and fear, there is abundance and delight.
The Communicator’s Commentary on Genesis makes this connection practical. It says, “Those who believe God created everything good certainly will not be indifferent to developments which may serve only to pollute and ruin, exterminate and defile all that God has made.”
Believing in the goodness of creation shapes the way we live.
If creation is good, then we receive it with gratitude and protect it with care. We do not worship creation, but neither do we treat it as disposable. We care for what God has called good.
That means the goodness of God is not merely spiritual in some narrow sense. It touches the soil. It touches water. It touches air. It touches animals. It touches bodies. It touches neighborhoods. It touches the vulnerable. It touches how we live in the world God made.
The goodness of God gives us permission to name evil as evil and to resist what destroys life. It gives us permission to lament, protest, pray, feed, heal, repair, reconcile, and work for peace.
If the world begins in goodness, and if God is good, and if goodness and mercy follow us, then part of faith is learning to see what God has already called good.
To see creation not as disposable, but as gift.
To see our bodies not as shameful, but as part of God’s good creation.
To see other people not first as problems or enemies, but as made in God’s image.
To see ourselves not first as failures, but as beloved creatures made by a good God.
This does not mean we deny sin or excuse harm. But it does mean we begin where Scripture begins: with our good, good God who creates good things.
And that goodness is not merely something we believe about God. It is something we are called to reflect.
If we want to know what this looks like, we look to Jesus.
Jesus is the goodness of God in human form.
He touches the untouchable.
He welcomes children.
He eats with sinners.
He forgives enemies.
He heals the sick.
He feeds the hungry.
He notices the overlooked.
He tells the truth to the powerful.
He weeps at the tomb of his friend.
He breaks bread with those who will fail him.
He prays forgiveness over those who crucify him.
This is goodness.
But goodness is not the same as niceness.
Niceness often avoids hard things. Goodness moves toward healing.
Niceness wants to be liked. Goodness seeks the wholeness of the other.
Niceness may keep things pleasant on the surface. Goodness tells the truth in love.
Niceness may walk past suffering politely. Goodness stops on the road and binds up wounds.
Jesus is good. He is not merely nice.
The goodness of Jesus is tender, but not weak.
It is merciful, but not passive.
It is truthful, but not cruel.
It is holy, but not harsh.
It is welcoming, but not shallow.
And this is the goodness we are called to reflect.
Paul says, “Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me — put it into practice.”
Practice matters.
We can believe beautiful things and still live in ugly ways.
We can say God is good and still treat people as if they are disposable.
We can say creation is good and still live carelessly toward the earth.
We can say God has been merciful to us and still refuse mercy to others.
We can say we follow Jesus and still sound more like fear, anger, and contempt than like Christ.
This is where the lighted cross on the Pinto comes back for me.
It is possible to have the symbol right out front and still have the wiring messed up.
It is possible to display faith outwardly while something inward is shorting out. It is possible to announce Jesus loudly while not reflecting the goodness of Jesus clearly.
That does not mean we have to be perfect. Thank God. But it does mean we have to pay attention to what is forming us.
Are we being formed by the goodness of God?
Are we being formed by the mercy of Jesus?
Are we being formed by what is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, and praiseworthy?
Or are we being formed by fear, suspicion, resentment, and despair?
The church is called to be a community where people can taste the goodness of God: a community not ruled by fear, condemnation, suspicion, or bitterness, but a community of goodness and mercy.
A community that tells the truth with love.
A community that resists evil without becoming evil.
A community that cares for creation.
A community that feeds the hungry.
A community that welcomes the stranger.
A community that protects the vulnerable.
A community that forgives.
A community that practices peace.
This does not happen by accident.
It happens as we return again and again to the goodness of God. It happens as we remember how God has been good to us. It happens as we practice gratitude. It happens as we confess when we fail. It happens as we forgive and are forgiven. It happens as we train our attention toward what is true and lovely. It happens as we put into practice what we have learned and received and heard and seen in Jesus.
And often, reflecting God’s goodness looks small.
A meal delivered.
A note written.
A phone call made.
A child listened to.
A stranger welcomed.
A harsh word left unsaid.
A truthful word spoken gently.
A grudge released.
A prayer offered.
A garden planted.
A lonely person noticed.
A wounded person treated with dignity.
A disagreement handled without contempt.
Small goodness matters.
Jesus compared the kingdom to mustard seed, yeast, salt, and light. Small things. Ordinary things. Hidden things. Things that do not always look impressive at first. And yet God works through them.
The church reflects God’s goodness not only through grand gestures, but through ordinary faithfulness.
We reflect God’s goodness when our worship helps people taste and see that the Lord is good.
We reflect God’s goodness when our fellowship gives lonely people a place to belong.
We reflect God’s goodness when our care for creation treats the earth as beloved, not disposable.
We reflect God’s goodness when children are safe and cherished.
We reflect God’s goodness when elders are honored.
We reflect God’s goodness when the poor are not forgotten.
We reflect God’s goodness when strangers are welcomed.
We reflect God’s goodness when people who disagree still recognize one another as image-bearers of God.
And we reflect God’s goodness when we receive ourselves as part of God’s good creation too.
Some of us find that hard.
We may believe God loves the world, but struggle to believe God loves us. We may believe God forgives others, but struggle to receive forgiveness ourselves. We may believe creation is good, but look at our own bodies, our own lives, our own stories, and see only what is wrong.
But you, too, are God’s creation.
You are not God, but you are made by God.
You are not perfect, but you are loved.
You are not finished, but you are being formed.
You are not the source of goodness, but you can reflect it.
So maybe the invitation this week is simple.
Taste and see.
Take time to notice the goodness of God. Name it. Write it down. Speak it aloud. Share it at the table. Pray it before sleep. Look for it in creation. Look for it in Scripture. Look for it in the life of Jesus. Look for it in your own story. Look for it in someone you find difficult.
And then ask: how can I reflect this goodness today?
How can I reflect God’s goodness in one conversation?
How can I reflect God’s goodness in one act of care?
How can I reflect God’s goodness in the way I use my words?
How can I reflect God’s goodness toward creation?
How can I reflect God’s goodness toward someone who feels forgotten?
How can I reflect God’s goodness toward myself?
Because if we do not fundamentally believe that God is good, that what God creates is good, and if we are not able to see how God has been good to us or spend regular time reflecting on that, then we are probably going to have a hard time reflecting God’s goodness to creation and her people.
But if we do believe God is good, if we learn to see creation as good, if we take time to remember how God has been good to us, then we may become people through whom others taste and see that goodness too.
May our minds dwell on what is true and lovely.
May our hearts remember what God has done.
May our hands practice mercy.
May our words carry grace.
May our lives become small mirrors of the goodness of God.
And may creation and her people taste and see, through us, that the Lord is good.
Amen.

Homily
Paul writes in Philippians 4:8-9:
“Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable — if anything is excellent or praiseworthy — think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me — put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.”
There are two parts here that belong together.
First, Paul tells them what to think about. Whatever is true. Whatever is noble. Whatever is right. Whatever is pure. Whatever is lovely. Whatever is admirable. If anything is excellent or praiseworthy, think about such things.
But then he says, “Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me — put it into practice.”
Think about such things.
Put it into practice.
The goodness of God shapes our imagination, but it does not stop there. It moves into our hands, our words, our relationships, our decisions, our treatment of creation, our care for neighbors, our willingness to forgive, our resistance to evil, and our practice of peace.
This is not simply positive thinking. Paul is not asking the church to pretend the world is better than it is. He is writing from prison. He knows suffering. He knows conflict. He knows disappointment. He knows opposition. He knows what it is to live in a world where goodness is contested.
So when Paul says, “Think about such things,” he is not saying, “Ignore what is wrong.”
He begins with truth.
Whatever is true.
Christian goodness is not denial. Christian hope is not pretending. Christian love does not require us to lie about harm, injustice, pain, grief, or evil.
But truth is larger than the worst thing that has happened.
Truth includes the goodness of creation.
Truth includes the image of God in every person.
Truth includes the mercy of Christ.
Truth includes resurrection.
Truth includes forgiveness.
Truth includes the Spirit still moving.
Truth includes beauty, grace, and the possibility of new creation.
And if we spend all our time thinking only about what is ugly, false, fearful, bitter, and broken, it will shape us.
If we constantly feed on fear, we will have a hard time practicing peace.
If we constantly feed on outrage, we will have a hard time practicing gentleness.
If we constantly feed on resentment, we will have a hard time practicing forgiveness.
If we constantly feed on despair, we will have a hard time seeing hope.
If we constantly rehearse what is wrong with people, we will have a hard time seeing the image of God in them.
Paul is inviting us into holy attention.
He is inviting us to pay attention to what is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, and praiseworthy — not so we can escape the world, but so we can live faithfully in it.
What we behold, we begin to reflect.
If we behold only fear, we reflect fear.
If we behold only anger, we reflect anger.
If we behold only contempt, we reflect contempt.
But if we behold the goodness of God, we can begin to reflect the goodness of God.
That is why Genesis matters so much.
At the beginning, God creates, and again and again the refrain comes: “And God saw that it was good.”
Light is good.
Sky is good.
Land and sea are good.
Plants and trees are good.
Sun, moon, and stars are good.
Birds and fish are good.
Animals are good.
Human beings, made in the image of God, are very good.
Before there is sin, there is goodness.
Before there is shame, there is blessing.
Before there is violence, there is peace.
Before there is scarcity and fear, there is abundance and delight.
The Communicator’s Commentary on Genesis makes this connection practical. It says, “Those who believe God created everything good certainly will not be indifferent to developments which may serve only to pollute and ruin, exterminate and defile all that God has made.”
Believing in the goodness of creation shapes the way we live.
If creation is good, then we receive it with gratitude and protect it with care. We do not worship creation, but neither do we treat it as disposable. We care for what God has called good.
That means the goodness of God is not merely spiritual in some narrow sense. It touches the soil. It touches water. It touches air. It touches animals. It touches bodies. It touches neighborhoods. It touches the vulnerable. It touches how we live in the world God made.
The goodness of God gives us permission to name evil as evil and to resist what destroys life. It gives us permission to lament, protest, pray, feed, heal, repair, reconcile, and work for peace.
If the world begins in goodness, and if God is good, and if goodness and mercy follow us, then part of faith is learning to see what God has already called good.
To see creation not as disposable, but as gift.
To see our bodies not as shameful, but as part of God’s good creation.
To see other people not first as problems or enemies, but as made in God’s image.
To see ourselves not first as failures, but as beloved creatures made by a good God.
This does not mean we deny sin or excuse harm. But it does mean we begin where Scripture begins: with our good, good God who creates good things.
And that goodness is not merely something we believe about God. It is something we are called to reflect.
If we want to know what this looks like, we look to Jesus.
Jesus is the goodness of God in human form.
He touches the untouchable.
He welcomes children.
He eats with sinners.
He forgives enemies.
He heals the sick.
He feeds the hungry.
He notices the overlooked.
He tells the truth to the powerful.
He weeps at the tomb of his friend.
He breaks bread with those who will fail him.
He prays forgiveness over those who crucify him.
This is goodness.
But goodness is not the same as niceness.
Niceness often avoids hard things. Goodness moves toward healing.
Niceness wants to be liked. Goodness seeks the wholeness of the other.
Niceness may keep things pleasant on the surface. Goodness tells the truth in love.
Niceness may walk past suffering politely. Goodness stops on the road and binds up wounds.
Jesus is good. He is not merely nice.
The goodness of Jesus is tender, but not weak.
It is merciful, but not passive.
It is truthful, but not cruel.
It is holy, but not harsh.
It is welcoming, but not shallow.
And this is the goodness we are called to reflect.
Paul says, “Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me — put it into practice.”
Practice matters.
We can believe beautiful things and still live in ugly ways.
We can say God is good and still treat people as if they are disposable.
We can say creation is good and still live carelessly toward the earth.
We can say God has been merciful to us and still refuse mercy to others.
We can say we follow Jesus and still sound more like fear, anger, and contempt than like Christ.
This is where the lighted cross on the Pinto comes back for me.
It is possible to have the symbol right out front and still have the wiring messed up.
It is possible to display faith outwardly while something inward is shorting out. It is possible to announce Jesus loudly while not reflecting the goodness of Jesus clearly.
That does not mean we have to be perfect. Thank God. But it does mean we have to pay attention to what is forming us.
Are we being formed by the goodness of God?
Are we being formed by the mercy of Jesus?
Are we being formed by what is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, and praiseworthy?
Or are we being formed by fear, suspicion, resentment, and despair?
The church is called to be a community where people can taste the goodness of God: a community not ruled by fear, condemnation, suspicion, or bitterness, but a community of goodness and mercy.
A community that tells the truth with love.
A community that resists evil without becoming evil.
A community that cares for creation.
A community that feeds the hungry.
A community that welcomes the stranger.
A community that protects the vulnerable.
A community that forgives.
A community that practices peace.
This does not happen by accident.
It happens as we return again and again to the goodness of God. It happens as we remember how God has been good to us. It happens as we practice gratitude. It happens as we confess when we fail. It happens as we forgive and are forgiven. It happens as we train our attention toward what is true and lovely. It happens as we put into practice what we have learned and received and heard and seen in Jesus.
And often, reflecting God’s goodness looks small.
A meal delivered.
A note written.
A phone call made.
A child listened to.
A stranger welcomed.
A harsh word left unsaid.
A truthful word spoken gently.
A grudge released.
A prayer offered.
A garden planted.
A lonely person noticed.
A wounded person treated with dignity.
A disagreement handled without contempt.
Small goodness matters.
Jesus compared the kingdom to mustard seed, yeast, salt, and light. Small things. Ordinary things. Hidden things. Things that do not always look impressive at first. And yet God works through them.
The church reflects God’s goodness not only through grand gestures, but through ordinary faithfulness.
We reflect God’s goodness when our worship helps people taste and see that the Lord is good.
We reflect God’s goodness when our fellowship gives lonely people a place to belong.
We reflect God’s goodness when our care for creation treats the earth as beloved, not disposable.
We reflect God’s goodness when children are safe and cherished.
We reflect God’s goodness when elders are honored.
We reflect God’s goodness when the poor are not forgotten.
We reflect God’s goodness when strangers are welcomed.
We reflect God’s goodness when people who disagree still recognize one another as image-bearers of God.
And we reflect God’s goodness when we receive ourselves as part of God’s good creation too.
Some of us find that hard.
We may believe God loves the world, but struggle to believe God loves us. We may believe God forgives others, but struggle to receive forgiveness ourselves. We may believe creation is good, but look at our own bodies, our own lives, our own stories, and see only what is wrong.
But you, too, are God’s creation.
You are not God, but you are made by God.
You are not perfect, but you are loved.
You are not finished, but you are being formed.
You are not the source of goodness, but you can reflect it.
So maybe the invitation this week is simple.
Taste and see.
Take time to notice the goodness of God. Name it. Write it down. Speak it aloud. Share it at the table. Pray it before sleep. Look for it in creation. Look for it in Scripture. Look for it in the life of Jesus. Look for it in your own story. Look for it in someone you find difficult.
And then ask: how can I reflect this goodness today?
How can I reflect God’s goodness in one conversation?
How can I reflect God’s goodness in one act of care?
How can I reflect God’s goodness in the way I use my words?
How can I reflect God’s goodness toward creation?
How can I reflect God’s goodness toward someone who feels forgotten?
How can I reflect God’s goodness toward myself?
Because if we do not fundamentally believe that God is good, that what God creates is good, and if we are not able to see how God has been good to us or spend regular time reflecting on that, then we are probably going to have a hard time reflecting God’s goodness to creation and her people.
But if we do believe God is good, if we learn to see creation as good, if we take time to remember how God has been good to us, then we may become people through whom others taste and see that goodness too.
May our minds dwell on what is true and lovely.
May our hearts remember what God has done.
May our hands practice mercy.
May our words carry grace.
May our lives become small mirrors of the goodness of God.
And may creation and her people taste and see, through us, that the Lord is good.
Amen.

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And It Was Good

A Sermon on the Character of God

(Note: Sermons can be heard in audio format at https://millersburgmennonite.org/worship/sermon-audio/)

Today we are starting a 3-part series on the Goodness of God. Our theme verse for this series comes from Psalm 27:13:

“I remain confident of this:
I will see the goodness of the Lord
in the land of the living.”

That verse will guide us through these weeks as we reflect on the goodness of God: what it means that God is good, how we have experienced God’s goodness, and how we are called to share God’s goodness with others.

Today, we begin at the beginning.

When I was a boy growing up on ten acres of wooded land in rural Mississippi, I used to climb the mimosa trees near our house. I would get sap on my knees and elbows and see ruby-throated hummingbirds seeking out the fragrant flowers around my head. I was not thinking in theological language then, but I was learning something. I was learning that I was stuck to something bigger than myself, and that something was rather wonderful.

We know about the Good Book, the Bible. We read it, study it, preach from it, and seek to live by it. But there is also what I call The Other Good Book: the book of Creation. Not a replacement for Scripture, but a witness alongside it. A book written in wind, soil, birdsong, tree bark, creek water, deer tracks, ant hills, and the breath of living things.

Creation has a way of teaching us if we are willing to listen. And one of the first things creation teaches us is this:

Dios es bueno.

God is good.

And because God is good, what God creates is good.

That is where Genesis begins.

Not with sin.
Not with shame.

But with God creating, God seeing, and God calling creation good.

Let us pray,

May the words of my mouth and the meditations of our hearts be acceptable in your sight, O God, our Rock, and our Redeemer. Amen

Homily

In the beginning, God speaks, and light comes into being. God gathers the waters and brings forth dry land. God fills the sky, sea, and earth with life. And again and again, after God creates, the same refrain appears:

And God saw that it was good.

Then God creates humankind in the image of God, blessed by God and given responsibility within creation.

And then Genesis says:

“God saw everything that he had made, and indeed, it was very good.”

That is where the story begins.

The first word over creation is not “broken,” “sinful,” or “condemned.”

The first word is good.

Before there is a fall, there is blessing. Before there is exile, there is a garden. Before there is shame, there is delight. Before there is sin, there is goodness.

That matters because we often begin the story in the wrong place. We begin with what is wrong: human failure, guilt, sin, and everything that has gone bad in the world.

We shouldn’t ignore those things. The world is wounded. Creation groans. Bodies suffer. Relationships break. Violence, poverty, and despair are real.

But Genesis does not begin there.

Genesis begins with the goodness of God overflowing into the goodness of creation.

The repeated phrase “and it was good” is not filler. It is a deeply theological claim. The created world is not a mistake. The earth is not trash. The body is not shameful. Human life is not an accident.

God looks at what God has made and calls it good.

Dios mira lo que ha hecho y lo llama bueno.

The world is good because God is good. Creation reflects the character of the Creator.

Thomas Aquinas said God is not merely one good being among others. God is goodness itself. God does not simply have goodness the way we might have a good day or do a good deed. God is good in God’s very being. God is the source from which all true goodness flows.

That is why I love this phrase:

God is good all the time.
All the time, God is good.

It may sound like a simple phrase. A church litany. A call and response.

But if we really hear it, it is one of the deepest confessions of faith we can make.

God is good.

Not merely when life is going well. Not merely when prayers are answered the way we hoped. Not merely when healing comes quickly.

But all the time.

That does not mean everything that happens is good. It does not mean suffering is good.

It means God is good.

That is an important distinction. If we confuse everything that happens with the will of God, we may begin to call evil good. We may begin to think suffering, poverty, despair, abuse, and violence somehow come from the heart of God.

Scripture tells us something different.

The Psalmist, in addressing God, says:

“You are good, and what you do is good; teach me your decrees.” (Psalm 119:68)

God’s actions flow from God’s character. God’s commands, teaching, correction, guidance, and wisdom all come from goodness.

God’s ways are trustworthy because God is good.

But this raises an honest question.

Do we really believe God is good?

¿Realmente creemos que Dios es bueno?

Not just in what we say out loud. Not just in our hymns. Not just in our theology. But deep down, what kind of God do we imagine?

Some of us may carry an image of God as a disappointed parent, standing over us with crossed arms, waiting for us to mess up. Some of us may imagine God keeping a record of every one of our failures. Some of us may imagine God as mainly angry, cold, distant, or impossible to please.

Some of us may say “God is good,” but inwardly live as though God is out to get us.

Nuestra imagen de Dios importa porque la forma en que vemos a Dios moldea la forma en que vemos todo lo demás.

Our image of God matters because how we see God shapes how we see everything else.

If we believe God is mainly punitive, then every hardship feels like punishment. If we believe God is always disappointed, then we may never rest in grace. If we believe God is looking for reasons to condemn us, then we may become fearful, anxious, defensive, or ashamed.

But what if God is better than that?

What if God is not the author of cruelty? What if there is no evil in God? What if humanity, not God, is to blame for poverty, despair, abuse, and violence? What if God is not waiting to catch us in something wrong, but is always working to call us back into life?

To say God is good does not mean God ignores evil.

God’s goodness is not weakness or sentimentality. Because God is good, God opposes everything that destroys life.

Porque Dios es bueno, Dios se opone a todo lo que destruye la vida.

God’s judgment, rightly understood, is not the opposite of God’s goodness. God’s judgment is what goodness looks like when it confronts evil.

A good doctor does not ignore disease. A good shepherd does not ignore wolves. A good parent does not ignore harm being done to their child.

Goodness acts. Goodness protects. Goodness tells the truth. Goodness heals. Goodness restores.

So when we say there is no evil in God, we are not saying God does not care about evil. We are saying evil does not exist in nor come from God’s heart.

God is not secretly cruel. God is not secretly malicious. God is not secretly against us.

God is good.

Dios es bueno.

And if God is good, then wherever life is being restored, God is at work.

Julian of Norwich lived in a time of great suffering, illness, plague, and uncertainty. She did not deny suffering or pretend pain was unreal. But she believed that God’s love was deeper than suffering, and that in the end God’s goodness would be stronger than all that wounds and destroys.

Her famous words were, “All shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of thing shall be well.”

That is not shallow optimism. That is deep trust that God’s goodness is not defeated by brokenness,

Perhaps this is why Psalm 23 speaks so deeply to us.

Green pastures, still waters, restored souls, God’s presence in the valley of the shades[RS1] , a table prepared in the presence of enemies, and a cup that overflows.

And then comes this promise:

“Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life.”

“Ciertamente la bondad y la misericordia me seguirán todos los días de mi vida.”

Goodness and mercy.

Not guilt and condemnation. Not shame and fear. Not wrath and suspicion. Not despair and punishment.

Goodness and mercy.

The word “follow” can carry the sense of pursuit. God’s goodness and mercy do not simply trail behind us at a distance. They pursue us. They come after us. They seek us.

We may often imagine the things following us are more sinister than that: regret, failure, the past, shame, fear.

And yes, sometimes those things can feel close behind us.

But Psalm 23 promises that there is something deeper pursuing the people of God.

Goodness and mercy.

(song)

The hounds of heaven are not guilt and condemnation. They are more like our blue tick coon hound Belle, who is sure that anyone and everyone is a friend and/or wants to be her friend too. Our pursuers are goodness and mercy.

And when sin wounds what is good, God does not abandon creation. God works to redeem it.

In Jesus, we see the goodness of God most clearly.

If our image of God does not look like Jesus blessing children, touching lepers, forgiving enemies, feeding the hungry, welcoming the outcast, forgiving enemies, and laying down his life in love, then our image of God needs to be redeemed.

Jesus does not reveal a God who is eager to condemn. Jesus reveals a God who seeks the lost, touches the untouchable, welcomes children, eats with sinners, heals the sick, lifts the shamed, and lays down life in love.

If you want to know whether God is good, look at Jesus.

Jesús es cómo se ve la bondad de Dios hecha carne.

Jesus is what the goodness of God looks like in the flesh.

So perhaps the invitation today is for each of us to look within and examine the image of God we carry.

When you think of God, what rises in you first?

Fear? Shame? Suspicion? Condemnation?

Or goodness?

Do you believe God is good? Do you believe God’s desire for you is life abundantly? Do you believe goodness and mercy are following you?

For some of us, the answers to these questions may surprise us. Distorted images of God do not always disappear in a moment.

But God is not limited by our distortions.

God is bigger than our fears. God is kinder than our shame. God is more merciful than our guilt. God is more faithful than our anxiety.

God is good.

Dios es bueno.

And because God is good, we can trust God with the truth. We can bring our pain, questions, anger, grief, failures, our whole selves.

No tenemos que escondernos de un Dios bueno.

We do not have to hide from a good God. We do not have to pretend before a good God. We do not have to earn the goodness of a good God.

We receive it. We trust it. We live out of it. And by grace, we reflect it.

Genesis says God saw everything God had made, and indeed, it was very good.

Psalm 119 says, “You are good, and what you do is good.”

Psalm 23 says, “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life.”

So let us begin here.

God is good.

Dios es bueno.

Not sometimes. Not reluctantly. Not only to the deserving. Not only when life makes sense.

God is good. All the time. All the time. God is good.

Amen

Benediction:

Go forth trusting the goodness of God.

Go forth seeing the goodness already written into the world God loves.

Go forth becoming people who reflect the goodness of God.

And may goodness and mercy follow us all the days of our lives.

Go in Peace.

This is not good news. Wonder if #EPPN is tracking this as such a change would definitely impact #creationcare https://grist.org/indigenous/the-navajo-nation-said-no-to-a-hydropower-project-trump-officials-want-to-ensure-tribes-cant-do-that-again/ #DioceseofNavajoland

This is not good news. Wonder if #EPPN is tracking this as such a change would definitely impact #creationcare https://grist.org/indigenous/the-navajo-nation-said-no-to-a-hydropower-project-trump-officials-want-to-ensure-tribes-cant-do-that-again/ #DioceseofNavajoland

This is not good news. Wonder if #EPPN is tracking this as such a change would definitely impact #creationcare https://grist.org/indigenous/the-navajo-nation-said-no-to-a-hydropower-project-trump-officials-want-to-ensure-tribes-cant-do-that-again/ #DioceseofNavajoland

This is not good news. Wonder if #EPPN is tracking this as such a change would definitely impact #creationcare https://grist.org/indigenous/the-navajo-nation-said-no-to-a-hydropower-project-trump-officials-want-to-ensure-tribes-cant-do-that-again/ #DioceseofNavajoland

Just released! The new issue of the Divinity School journal, Reflections. The theme is: "A Faith that Sustains: Building Hope for a Living Planet." #ecotheology #sustainability #creationcare #naturalworld
https://reflections.yale.edu/

Just released! The new issue of the Divinity School journal, Reflections. The theme is: "A Faith that Sustains: Building Hope for a Living Planet." #ecotheology #sustainability #creationcare #naturalworld
https://reflections.yale.edu/

Just released! The new issue of the Divinity School journal, Reflections. The theme is: "A Faith that Sustains: Building Hope for a Living Planet." #ecotheology #sustainability #creationcare #naturalworld
https://reflections.yale.edu/

Just released! The new issue of the Divinity School journal, Reflections. The theme is: "A Faith that Sustains: Building Hope for a Living Planet." #ecotheology #sustainability #creationcare #naturalworld
https://reflections.yale.edu/

Just released! The new issue of the Divinity School journal, Reflections. The theme is: "A Faith that Sustains: Building Hope for a Living Planet." #ecotheology #sustainability #creationcare #naturalworld
https://reflections.yale.edu/

I love this idea! Wonder if we can get it going at one of my churches 🤔 https://episcopalnewsservice.org/2025/05/06/from-pickles-and-jams-to-escabeche-and-sauerkraut-episcopal-churchs-free-classes-open-door-to-putting-a-lid-on-produce/ #CreationCare #FoodInsecurity #Canning

I love this idea! Wonder if we can get it going at one of my churches 🤔 https://episcopalnewsservice.org/2025/05/06/from-pickles-and-jams-to-escabeche-and-sauerkraut-episcopal-churchs-free-classes-open-door-to-putting-a-lid-on-produce/ #CreationCare #FoodInsecurity #Canning

I love this idea! Wonder if we can get it going at one of my churches 🤔 https://episcopalnewsservice.org/2025/05/06/from-pickles-and-jams-to-escabeche-and-sauerkraut-episcopal-churchs-free-classes-open-door-to-putting-a-lid-on-produce/ #CreationCare #FoodInsecurity #Canning

I am deeply saddened by Pope Francis' passing. Reading his environmental encyclical "Laudato Si'" was a life-changing experience for me. It lays out in clear, uncompromising prose the combined socio-ecological crises we all face. It is a document for everyone - Christian and non-Christian alike. Worth a read if you have never picked it up (link below).

Rest in peace, Papa Francisco 🙏

1/2

#Environment #PopeFrancis #CreationCare #Ecology #Philosophy #Catholic #Christian #Christianity #LaudatoSi

Here is a link to the text with a PDF download:

https://www.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/encyclicals/documents/papa-francesco_20150524_enciclica-laudato-si.html

2/2

#Environment #PopeFrancis #CreationCare #Ecology #Philosophy #Catholic #Christian #Christianity #LaudatoSi

I am deeply saddened by Pope Francis' passing. Reading his environmental encyclical "Laudato Si'" was a life-changing experience for me. It lays out in clear, uncompromising prose the combined socio-ecological crises we all face. It is a document for everyone - Christian and non-Christian alike. Worth a read if you have never picked it up (link below).

Rest in peace, Papa Francisco 🙏

1/2

#Environment #PopeFrancis #CreationCare #Ecology #Philosophy #Catholic #Christian #Christianity #LaudatoSi

Here is a link to the text with a PDF download:

https://www.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/encyclicals/documents/papa-francesco_20150524_enciclica-laudato-si.html

2/2

#Environment #PopeFrancis #CreationCare #Ecology #Philosophy #Catholic #Christian #Christianity #LaudatoSi

Here is a link to the text with a PDF download:

https://www.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/encyclicals/documents/papa-francesco_20150524_enciclica-laudato-si.html

2/2

#Environment #PopeFrancis #CreationCare #Ecology #Philosophy #Catholic #Christian #Christianity #LaudatoSi

I am deeply saddened by Pope Francis' passing. Reading his environmental encyclical "Laudato Si'" was a life-changing experience for me. It lays out in clear, uncompromising prose the combined socio-ecological crises we all face. It is a document for everyone - Christian and non-Christian alike. Worth a read if you have never picked it up (link below).

Rest in peace, Papa Francisco 🙏

1/2

#Environment #PopeFrancis #CreationCare #Ecology #Philosophy #Catholic #Christian #Christianity #LaudatoSi

Here is a link to the text with a PDF download:

https://www.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/encyclicals/documents/papa-francesco_20150524_enciclica-laudato-si.html

2/2

#Environment #PopeFrancis #CreationCare #Ecology #Philosophy #Catholic #Christian #Christianity #LaudatoSi

I am deeply saddened by Pope Francis' passing. Reading his environmental encyclical "Laudato Si'" was a life-changing experience for me. It lays out in clear, uncompromising prose the combined socio-ecological crises we all face. It is a document for everyone - Christian and non-Christian alike. Worth a read if you have never picked it up (link below).

Rest in peace, Papa Francisco 🙏

1/2

#Environment #PopeFrancis #CreationCare #Ecology #Philosophy #Catholic #Christian #Christianity #LaudatoSi

I am deeply saddened by Pope Francis' passing. Reading his environmental encyclical "Laudato Si'" was a life-changing experience for me. It lays out in clear, uncompromising prose the combined socio-ecological crises we all face. It is a document for everyone - Christian and non-Christian alike. Worth a read if you have never picked it up (link below).

Rest in peace, Papa Francisco 🙏

1/2

#Environment #PopeFrancis #CreationCare #Ecology #Philosophy #Catholic #Christian #Christianity #LaudatoSi

Here is a link to the text with a PDF download:

https://www.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/encyclicals/documents/papa-francesco_20150524_enciclica-laudato-si.html

2/2

#Environment #PopeFrancis #CreationCare #Ecology #Philosophy #Catholic #Christian #Christianity #LaudatoSi

Creation care as business opportunity and responsibility: Three Mennonite businessmen discuss their efforts to limit or mitigate the carbon footprint of their company operations.
https://buff.ly/4g00qjN #JimMiller #BrentAlderfer #SteveBrenneman #creationcare #greenbusiness #sustainability #solarpower #aluminum #DutchCrafters #AnabaptistClimateCollaborative #AluminumInsights #slowfurniture

Creation care as business opportunity and responsibility: Three Mennonite businessmen discuss their efforts to limit or mitigate the carbon footprint of their company operations.
https://buff.ly/4g00qjN #JimMiller #BrentAlderfer #SteveBrenneman #creationcare #greenbusiness #sustainability #solarpower #aluminum #DutchCrafters #AnabaptistClimateCollaborative #AluminumInsights #slowfurniture

Creation care as business opportunity and responsibility: Three Mennonite businessmen discuss their efforts to limit or mitigate the carbon footprint of their company operations.
https://buff.ly/4g00qjN #JimMiller #BrentAlderfer #SteveBrenneman #creationcare #greenbusiness #sustainability #solarpower #aluminum #DutchCrafters #AnabaptistClimateCollaborative #AluminumInsights #slowfurniture

Creation care as business opportunity and responsibility: Three Mennonite businessmen discuss their efforts to limit or mitigate the carbon footprint of their company operations.
https://buff.ly/4g00qjN #JimMiller #BrentAlderfer #SteveBrenneman #creationcare #greenbusiness #sustainability #solarpower #aluminum #DutchCrafters #AnabaptistClimateCollaborative #AluminumInsights #slowfurniture

As stewards of God's creation, we're called to protect Earth. Climate action is not just science; it's our faith in action. #CreationCare

As stewards of God's creation, we're called to protect Earth. Climate action is not just science; it's our faith in action. #CreationCare

Delhi always has a big place in my heart and the winter weather breaks it every year. My personal experience of the smog was one of the catalysts for my interest in #ClimateChange and #CreationCare. We would be more open to moving back to Delhi were it not for the catastrophic pollution levels (even more so now that we have a child). The article is particularly galling for all the hyperlinks to past reporting.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c629jzn7443o

#India #Delhi #DelhiPollution #ClimateChange #Environment

Delhi always has a big place in my heart and the winter weather breaks it every year. My personal experience of the smog was one of the catalysts for my interest in #ClimateChange and #CreationCare. We would be more open to moving back to Delhi were it not for the catastrophic pollution levels (even more so now that we have a child). The article is particularly galling for all the hyperlinks to past reporting.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c629jzn7443o

#India #Delhi #DelhiPollution #ClimateChange #Environment

Delhi always has a big place in my heart and the winter weather breaks it every year. My personal experience of the smog was one of the catalysts for my interest in #ClimateChange and #CreationCare. We would be more open to moving back to Delhi were it not for the catastrophic pollution levels (even more so now that we have a child). The article is particularly galling for all the hyperlinks to past reporting.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c629jzn7443o

#India #Delhi #DelhiPollution #ClimateChange #Environment

Delhi always has a big place in my heart and the winter weather breaks it every year. My personal experience of the smog was one of the catalysts for my interest in #ClimateChange and #CreationCare. We would be more open to moving back to Delhi were it not for the catastrophic pollution levels (even more so now that we have a child). The article is particularly galling for all the hyperlinks to past reporting.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c629jzn7443o

#India #Delhi #DelhiPollution #ClimateChange #Environment

Delhi always has a big place in my heart and the winter weather breaks it every year. My personal experience of the smog was one of the catalysts for my interest in #ClimateChange and #CreationCare. We would be more open to moving back to Delhi were it not for the catastrophic pollution levels (even more so now that we have a child). The article is particularly galling for all the hyperlinks to past reporting.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c629jzn7443o

#India #Delhi #DelhiPollution #ClimateChange #Environment

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is aka America's environmental intelligence agency (https://www.noaa.gov/about-our-agency).

#NOAA's work includes such missions as flying into the eyewall of #HurricaneHelene. https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/news/sep24/ngs-storm-imagery-helene.html.

If you’re a U.S. voter and are undecided about which presidential candidate to support, consider NOAA on #ClimateChange https://www.noaa.gov/news-release/climate-change-impacts-are-increasing-for-americans and #ClimateJustice https://www.noaa.gov/education/resource-collections/climate/climate-change-impacts.

Also consider that "#Project2025 includes about four pages on #NOAA and the National Weather Service. That part was written by Thomas F. Gilman, who was an official in [POTUS 45’s] Commerce Department.The document describes NOAA as a primary component 'of the climate change alarm industry' and said it 'should be broken up and downsized.’” https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/fact-checking-what-project-2025-says-about-the-national-weather-service-and-noaa

#EarthStewardship #CreationCare #ClimateHope #ClimateAction #Vote2024 #Vote
#ExtremeWeather

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is aka America's environmental intelligence agency (https://www.noaa.gov/about-our-agency).

#NOAA's work includes such missions as flying into the eyewall of #HurricaneHelene. https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/news/sep24/ngs-storm-imagery-helene.html.

If you’re a U.S. voter and are undecided about which presidential candidate to support, consider NOAA on #ClimateChange https://www.noaa.gov/news-release/climate-change-impacts-are-increasing-for-americans and #ClimateJustice https://www.noaa.gov/education/resource-collections/climate/climate-change-impacts.

Also consider that "#Project2025 includes about four pages on #NOAA and the National Weather Service. That part was written by Thomas F. Gilman, who was an official in [POTUS 45’s] Commerce Department.The document describes NOAA as a primary component 'of the climate change alarm industry' and said it 'should be broken up and downsized.’” https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/fact-checking-what-project-2025-says-about-the-national-weather-service-and-noaa

#EarthStewardship #CreationCare #ClimateHope #ClimateAction #Vote2024 #Vote
#ExtremeWeather

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is aka America's environmental intelligence agency (https://www.noaa.gov/about-our-agency).

#NOAA's work includes such missions as flying into the eyewall of #HurricaneHelene. https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/news/sep24/ngs-storm-imagery-helene.html.

If you’re a U.S. voter and are undecided about which presidential candidate to support, consider NOAA on #ClimateChange https://www.noaa.gov/news-release/climate-change-impacts-are-increasing-for-americans and #ClimateJustice https://www.noaa.gov/education/resource-collections/climate/climate-change-impacts.

Also consider that "#Project2025 includes about four pages on #NOAA and the National Weather Service. That part was written by Thomas F. Gilman, who was an official in [POTUS 45’s] Commerce Department.The document describes NOAA as a primary component 'of the climate change alarm industry' and said it 'should be broken up and downsized.’” https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/fact-checking-what-project-2025-says-about-the-national-weather-service-and-noaa

#EarthStewardship #CreationCare #ClimateHope #ClimateAction #Vote2024 #Vote
#ExtremeWeather

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is aka America's environmental intelligence agency (https://www.noaa.gov/about-our-agency).

#NOAA's work includes such missions as flying into the eyewall of #HurricaneHelene. https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/news/sep24/ngs-storm-imagery-helene.html.

If you’re a U.S. voter and are undecided about which presidential candidate to support, consider NOAA on #ClimateChange https://www.noaa.gov/news-release/climate-change-impacts-are-increasing-for-americans and #ClimateJustice https://www.noaa.gov/education/resource-collections/climate/climate-change-impacts.

Also consider that "#Project2025 includes about four pages on #NOAA and the National Weather Service. That part was written by Thomas F. Gilman, who was an official in [POTUS 45’s] Commerce Department.The document describes NOAA as a primary component 'of the climate change alarm industry' and said it 'should be broken up and downsized.’” https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/fact-checking-what-project-2025-says-about-the-national-weather-service-and-noaa

#EarthStewardship #CreationCare #ClimateHope #ClimateAction #Vote2024 #Vote
#ExtremeWeather

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is aka America's environmental intelligence agency (https://www.noaa.gov/about-our-agency).

#NOAA's work includes such missions as flying into the eyewall of #HurricaneHelene. https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/news/sep24/ngs-storm-imagery-helene.html.

If you’re a U.S. voter and are undecided about which presidential candidate to support, consider NOAA on #ClimateChange https://www.noaa.gov/news-release/climate-change-impacts-are-increasing-for-americans and #ClimateJustice https://www.noaa.gov/education/resource-collections/climate/climate-change-impacts.

Also consider that "#Project2025 includes about four pages on #NOAA and the National Weather Service. That part was written by Thomas F. Gilman, who was an official in [POTUS 45’s] Commerce Department.The document describes NOAA as a primary component 'of the climate change alarm industry' and said it 'should be broken up and downsized.’” https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/fact-checking-what-project-2025-says-about-the-national-weather-service-and-noaa

#EarthStewardship #CreationCare #ClimateHope #ClimateAction #Vote2024 #Vote
#ExtremeWeather

We celebrate the 9/25/24 signing of California #AB3233, as well as #AB1866 and #AB2716, by CA Governor Newsom. “It was #Chevron that sued #Monterey County and a voter initiative,” as the Governor stated at 22:07 in the signing ceremony. https://www.youtube.com/live/J2sAAls_Ljc?si=WXoQdl78uIUfBxZK&t=1326

Full ceremony, including intro by #Physicians for #SocialResponsibility: https://www.youtube.com/live/J2sAAls_Ljc?si=4NN3W2Yftrsj79E_ Thanks to the Governor, and to the Center for #Biological #Diversity, Protect Monterey County, and others in the broad coalition, e.g., https://bikemonterey.org/californias-local-environmental-choice-and-safety-act-ab-3233.html, who stood up to the #oil and #gas industry to accomplish this win for people and planet.

#BigOil #PublicHealth #ClimateJustice #EnvironmentalJustice #ClimateAction #FossilFuels #PowerToThePeople #MontereyCounty #ProtectMontereyCounty #CarbonEmissions #ClimateCrisis #ClimateChange #EarthJustice #EarthStewardship #CreationCare

We celebrate the 9/25/24 signing of California #AB3233, as well as #AB1866 and #AB2716, by CA Governor Newsom. “It was #Chevron that sued #Monterey County and a voter initiative,” as the Governor stated at 22:07 in the signing ceremony. https://www.youtube.com/live/J2sAAls_Ljc?si=WXoQdl78uIUfBxZK&t=1326

Full ceremony, including intro by #Physicians for #SocialResponsibility: https://www.youtube.com/live/J2sAAls_Ljc?si=4NN3W2Yftrsj79E_ Thanks to the Governor, and to the Center for #Biological #Diversity, Protect Monterey County, and others in the broad coalition, e.g., https://bikemonterey.org/californias-local-environmental-choice-and-safety-act-ab-3233.html, who stood up to the #oil and #gas industry to accomplish this win for people and planet.

#BigOil #PublicHealth #ClimateJustice #EnvironmentalJustice #ClimateAction #FossilFuels #PowerToThePeople #MontereyCounty #ProtectMontereyCounty #CarbonEmissions #ClimateCrisis #ClimateChange #EarthJustice #EarthStewardship #CreationCare

We celebrate the 9/25/24 signing of California #AB3233, as well as #AB1866 and #AB2716, by CA Governor Newsom. “It was #Chevron that sued #Monterey County and a voter initiative,” as the Governor stated at 22:07 in the signing ceremony. https://www.youtube.com/live/J2sAAls_Ljc?si=WXoQdl78uIUfBxZK&t=1326

Full ceremony, including intro by #Physicians for #SocialResponsibility: https://www.youtube.com/live/J2sAAls_Ljc?si=4NN3W2Yftrsj79E_ Thanks to the Governor, and to the Center for #Biological #Diversity, Protect Monterey County, and others in the broad coalition, e.g., https://bikemonterey.org/californias-local-environmental-choice-and-safety-act-ab-3233.html, who stood up to the #oil and #gas industry to accomplish this win for people and planet.

#BigOil #PublicHealth #ClimateJustice #EnvironmentalJustice #ClimateAction #FossilFuels #PowerToThePeople #MontereyCounty #ProtectMontereyCounty #CarbonEmissions #ClimateCrisis #ClimateChange #EarthJustice #EarthStewardship #CreationCare

We celebrate the 9/25/24 signing of California #AB3233, as well as #AB1866 and #AB2716, by CA Governor Newsom. “It was #Chevron that sued #Monterey County and a voter initiative,” as the Governor stated at 22:07 in the signing ceremony. https://www.youtube.com/live/J2sAAls_Ljc?si=WXoQdl78uIUfBxZK&t=1326

Full ceremony, including intro by #Physicians for #SocialResponsibility: https://www.youtube.com/live/J2sAAls_Ljc?si=4NN3W2Yftrsj79E_ Thanks to the Governor, and to the Center for #Biological #Diversity, Protect Monterey County, and others in the broad coalition, e.g., https://bikemonterey.org/californias-local-environmental-choice-and-safety-act-ab-3233.html, who stood up to the #oil and #gas industry to accomplish this win for people and planet.

#BigOil #PublicHealth #ClimateJustice #EnvironmentalJustice #ClimateAction #FossilFuels #PowerToThePeople #MontereyCounty #ProtectMontereyCounty #CarbonEmissions #ClimateCrisis #ClimateChange #EarthJustice #EarthStewardship #CreationCare

It's getting hotter wherever you look, it seems... #showyourstripes #climate #creationcare

It's getting hotter wherever you look, it seems... #showyourstripes #climate #creationcare

It's getting hotter wherever you look, it seems... #showyourstripes #climate #creationcare

It's getting hotter wherever you look, it seems... #showyourstripes #climate #creationcare

On this Mothers Day night, thanking the Creator for this magnificent Mother Earth.

Photo: from a friend in Redmond, Oregon, May 9, 2024.

#EarthStewardship #CreationCare #MotherEarth #MothersDay #NorthernLights #GreatSpirit #Wonders

Did Jesus perform exorcisms? What demons existed in his time? Do demons still exist now? If so, in what form? Can an entire culture be possessed?

“'Demons,' and other words that matter" is a reflection based on Mark 1:29-39.

Medium: https://intertwinedfc.medium.com/demons-and-other-words-that-matter-9f48a4f24709
Podcast: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2025485/14433185
YouTube: https://youtu.be/VVA8AHLyO7o

#WeAreAllIntertwined #ecotheology #exvangelical #CreationCare #environmentaljustice #SpiritualEcology #EarthWisdom #SeventhGeneration #ecopastor #1001nwc #reconstructing

Ecoactivist Testament Book Discussion Group

Wednesdays, February 21 - March 20, 6 p.m. central, online

Conversation with the author on Feb. 21!!

Learn more/Register at: http://creationcares.org

Contact Lisa Brenskelle at [email protected] with any questions.

#Ecojustice #Ecotheology #Spirituality #CreationCare
#LutheransRestoringCreation

Ecoactivist Testament Book Discussion Group

Wednesdays, February 21 - March 20, 6 p.m. central, online

Conversation with the author on Feb. 21!!

Learn more/Register at: http://creationcares.org

Contact Lisa Brenskelle at [email protected] with any questions.

#Ecojustice #Ecotheology #Spirituality #CreationCare
#LutheransRestoringCreation

Ecoactivist Testament Book Discussion Group

Wednesdays, February 21 - March 20, 6 p.m. central, online

Conversation with the author on Feb. 21!!

Learn more/Register at: http://creationcares.org

Contact Lisa Brenskelle at [email protected] with any questions.

#Ecojustice #Ecotheology #Spirituality #CreationCare
#LutheransRestoringCreation

Ecoactivist Testament Book Discussion Group

Wednesdays, February 21 - March 20, 6 p.m. central, online

Conversation with the author on Feb. 21!!

Learn more/Register at: http://creationcares.org

Contact Lisa Brenskelle at [email protected] with any questions.

#Ecojustice #Ecotheology #Spirituality #CreationCare
#LutheransRestoringCreation

Great way to start the #NewYear: being approached with #BikeAdvocacy questions on the courtyard after #church last Sunday (at #solar-powered First Presbyterian Church of #Monterey—which has #BicycleParking by the sanctuary's front door).

The church member who approached us (not the man in the photo, though at same spot) is a #Carmel resident with many specific ideas for #infrastructure improvements near Carmel High #School (which one of his #children attends) and elsewhere.

Not catching us at church? We welcome phone calls with questions anytime! https://bikemonterey.org/contact-me

#BikeTooter #EarthStewardship #CreationCare #ActOnClimate #ClimateHope #MotherEarth #BikeAdvocacy #faith #BikeToWorship #church #mosque #synagogue #temple #HouseOfWorship

Great way to start the #NewYear: being approached with #BikeAdvocacy questions on the courtyard after #church last Sunday (at #solar-powered First Presbyterian Church of #Monterey—which has #BicycleParking by the sanctuary's front door).

The church member who approached us (not the man in the photo, though at same spot) is a #Carmel resident with many specific ideas for #infrastructure improvements near Carmel High #School (which one of his #children attends) and elsewhere.

Not catching us at church? We welcome phone calls with questions anytime! https://bikemonterey.org/contact-me

#BikeTooter #EarthStewardship #CreationCare #ActOnClimate #ClimateHope #MotherEarth #BikeAdvocacy #faith #BikeToWorship #church #mosque #synagogue #temple #HouseOfWorship

Great way to start the #NewYear: being approached with #BikeAdvocacy questions on the courtyard after #church last Sunday (at #solar-powered First Presbyterian Church of #Monterey—which has #BicycleParking by the sanctuary's front door).

The church member who approached us (not the man in the photo, though at same spot) is a #Carmel resident with many specific ideas for #infrastructure improvements near Carmel High #School (which one of his #children attends) and elsewhere.

Not catching us at church? We welcome phone calls with questions anytime! https://bikemonterey.org/contact-me

#BikeTooter #EarthStewardship #CreationCare #ActOnClimate #ClimateHope #MotherEarth #BikeAdvocacy #faith #BikeToWorship #church #mosque #synagogue #temple #HouseOfWorship

Great way to start the #NewYear: being approached with #BikeAdvocacy questions on the courtyard after #church last Sunday (at #solar-powered First Presbyterian Church of #Monterey—which has #BicycleParking by the sanctuary's front door).

The church member who approached us (not the man in the photo, though at same spot) is a #Carmel resident with many specific ideas for #infrastructure improvements near Carmel High #School (which one of his #children attends) and elsewhere.

Not catching us at church? We welcome phone calls with questions anytime! https://bikemonterey.org/contact-me

#BikeTooter #EarthStewardship #CreationCare #ActOnClimate #ClimateHope #MotherEarth #BikeAdvocacy #faith #BikeToWorship #church #mosque #synagogue #temple #HouseOfWorship

I wrote a blog post about Caspar David Friedrich’s paintings, Romanticism, and Christian animism if anyone is interested

#theology #animism #CreationCare #romanticism #1800s #19thcentury

@theology
@theologidons
@religion

https://nathaniel-metz.writeas.com/caspar-david-friedrich-and-animism-chiming-in-on-a-video-essay-by-nordic