july02pryr

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Prayer

for

Nature

July 2002

Lord, we were not here when you made the universe out of nothing, when you made the planet earth.

You made the light, the air, the seas, and the land.

You made the rivers and the rocks.

You made the plants and the animals, all the living things,

You made it all beautiful and interesting.

You made it all fresh and pure and clean and good.

Lord, you created human beings in your image to be witnesses to your love. You wanted us to be happy, and you wanted us to be free. You wanted us to use our freedom to participate in your divine plan. We are to use our freedom to lovingly care for your creation.

We came into a world of clean air, clean waters, and good soil, a world full of different forms of plants and animals.

We came to live among them and with them.

Moreover, Lord, you gave us the intelligence to be stewards, and the task of a steward. You gave us the task of caring for life, not only our lives but all life. To do this we must seek to make the earth more useful and helpful to every person and to our whole society, so that we can all live in peace.

Unfortunately, Lord, we have not done this. We have adopted a sinful attitude of exploitation toward your wonderful creation, and thus we have created an environmental crisis--air and water pollution, massive deforestation, fertile lands turned into deserts, important plants and animals in danger of disappearing forever.

These are disasters caused by human sin. We have driven some species to the edge of extinction, and others we have driven over the edge.

Show us, 0 Lord, that we are not at war with nature.

We are not called to use our talents and abilities against nature but for nature.

As we have used science and technology to damage nature, so we must use science and technology to preserve and aid nature.

Forest, soils, waters, animals, all are necessary. They must be used wisely to permit their renewal, for future generations will depend upon what we leave.

Moreover, Lord, we owe a debt to nature because nature points us to you. As we contemplate nature--the skies and the mountains, the seas and the rivers, the fields and the forests--as we look at the beauty of the little corner of the earth where we live, a part of our being is touched and rises up to you. Nature shows us the trailing edge of your glory and for that we are forever grateful.

Help us then, Lord, to protect nature, to save what can be saved, to help where we can help.

In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

If you have questions or comments, email Tony Grant

Last Modified: 6/27/02