Norman Wirzba, a theology professor at Duke Divinity School, grew up on a farm in Alberta, Canada, and had hoped to become a farmer himself. But events conspired to lead him on a different path, and he found himself studying philosophy and religion at Yale University and Loyola University Chicago. A chance meeting with Wendell Berry, organic farmer and poet, convinced him that he could weave his love of agriculture with his theological work.
In his book, Making Peace with the Land: God’s Call to Reconcile with Creation, Norman describes a drive in 1986, from Canada and through the United States, on his way to enroll in Yale Divinity School. He had been acclimated to the smells of Alberta, where the air was crisp and clean, and carried with it the scent of sweet grass. As he drove, he passed through Gary, Indiana, which he experienced as having “thick gray air, an unbelievably foul smell, a greenish-orange cloud in place of the horizon and smokestacks belching putrid poison into the sky”. He knew that the way plant, animal and human life was being treated in this region was deeply wrong. He discovered that when he got to Yale, no one was discussing the theological implications of this deep challenge, and the call to faithfully steward creation. Norman’s contemporary work seeks to join with others who are addressing this need.
The celebration of creation and the call to nurture even the very “ground” of our being are deeply woven in our Scriptures. In the creation story, humanity is formed from the dust of the ground. In the guidance in Leviticus, those who tend the earth are to allow land to lie fallow for every seventh year. In the teaching of Jesus, we read that grasses of the field are clothed with glory, and the birds of the air are cared for by their Creator. In the midst of such blessedness, we ask ourselves how we are to respond when creation is in deep trouble.
The theme of Sundays’ worship service at St. Mark’s, following on the commemoration of Earth Day the day before, is the Call to Care for Creation. The sermon is titled “For God So Loved the Soil: A Call to Reconcile with Creation.” The biblical texts for the day are Leviticus 25: 1-14, which will be read by Anna Capone, and Matthew 6: 25-34, to be read by Drew Capone. The service will also include a conversation with Drew Capone, Assistant Professor in the Indiana University School of Public Health. He will tell us a little about how faith has helped shape his concern for creation and his approach to matters of sustainability. Members of the congregation will also be given an opportunity, following the service, to express their interest in working with the St. Mark’s Creation Care Team. We’ll have a moment for children, sing together, and pray for one other and our world. Musically, we will be led by the Chancel Choir, accompanied by Ilze Akerbergs.
If you have been a part of the St. Mark’s community for years, or if you are just discovering us, we look forward to connecting with you on Sunday. To join the 10:30 service online, visit www.smumc.church, and click on the Live Stream banner.