Earth Day Prayer 2020 (Rev. Carmen Retzlaff)
Earth Day Prayer 2020 - Connect
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Lie on the earth. All the way, touching it with as many parts of your body as you can. Roll over. Touch your cheek to it. Feel gravity pulling you toward the center of the orb. Feel the layers of rock and soil and humus and plant roots and insects hold you up.
The power of the earth, of its layered strength and its gravity, is a small part of the power of the universe, of all creation. Lying on it, we are part of the greatest mystery, the mystery we call God. The mystery we call Love.
Somehow, the power of all the forces of nature is God, God is in them. Even those forces that shake the earth, especially those - the forces that shake us and shape us and leave us trembling and in awe of powers we do not understand.
This is part of the mystery: held tenderly by the earth, and in awe of its power. Held by God, in awe of the forces of Love which we cannot understand. We are so small, and yet so beloved.
In the prayers of the Jewish and Christian people, a prayer to the power of creation is Psalm 29. This version is my integration of the translations of the New Revised Standard Version, and the Message.
Psalm 29
1 Ascribe to God, O heavenly beings,
ascribe to God glory and strength.
2 In awe before the glory,
in awe before God’s visible power.
Worship God in holy splendor.
3 The voice of God is over the waters;
the God of glory thunders across the crashing flood waters.
4 God’s thunder tympanic,
God’s thunder symphonic.
5 God’s thunder smashes cedars,
God topples the northern cedars.
6 The mountain ranges of nations skip like spring colts,
The high ridges of nations jump like wild kid goats.
7 The voice of the Almighty flashes forth flames of fire.
8 The voice of God shakes the wilderness;
God makes the desert shake.
9 God’s thunderous voice sets the oak trees dancing
A wild dance, whirling; and strips the forest bare.
In God’s temple, in Creation,
we fall to our knees—we call out, “Glory!”
10 Above the floodwaters is God’s throne
from which power flows, forever.
11 God makes the people strong.
God gives the people peace.
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Rev. Carmen Retzlaff is pastor at New Life Lutheran Church in Dripping Springs, TX., a regular contributor to AllCreation, and a member of our management team. See more of Carmen’s writings here. This connection exercise is part of our issue, “Celebrating Earth Day 2020.” Each post offers recommendations for connecting religious and spiritual practices to greater relationship with Earth’s other living creatures.
