My husband and I just returned from Paris where we encountered spring in cherry blossoms,
redbuds and vines drooping with wisteria blooms; in baby ducks swimming in one of the
Tuileries Garden ponds and in the canopy of trees already in leaf. Creation surrounded us in
paintings where brushstrokes sought to capture the beauty of the created world or intertwined
humanity and creation in new or maybe unintended ways.

One that caught my imagination was Anselme Boix-Vives painting entitled: Plans for Peace. It is of a bear that also looks human and is very much immersed in creation. As the notes of it read, “Boix-Vives paintings celebrated a world teeming with life forces. Surrounded by a verdant plant decor, this supernatural figure combines human and zoomorphic features.” The intertwining of humanity and creation in the painting speaks to the reality of our existence which we are called to protect. Is it any wonder that the figure that draws both together is called a supernatural one? As I contemplated his painting and the intertwining I read: he was “labeled an eccentric and visionary.” This is undoubtedly not a label that we seek but if we address climate change in our preaching, it is perhaps, one we cannot avoid.
Psalm 98 intertwines humanity and creation together in a worshiping body singing new songs to
the Lord– the lands are shouting with joy to the Holy One, lifting up their voices to rejoice and
sing. The seas are roaring; the rivers are clapping their hands; the hills are ringing out for joy
before the One who comes to judge the earth. The Psalm ends with: Yahweh will judge the world
with righteousness and the peoples with equity. I always wonder if the rivers, hills, seas and land
are rejoicing because they know the judgment will be against humanity for how we have
overstepped our bounds and forgotten the intertwining. To sing a new song, to move us away
from the brink, we are called to risk having other humans call us eccentric visionaries but the rest
of creation will be clapping their hands as we move to preach and live differently in a way that
honors the Creator and helps to restore her creation.
For the 6th season of Easter we at FLC- faithlovecommunity church– are celebrating the season
of spring and blessing the anglers in our midst. We will focus on Psalm 98 and have moved last
week’s John “I am the vine” text to this week. Since I’m not being much help with the readings
for the day, I thought I would share some of our spring liturgy and one of our angler blessings. I
hope they inspire.
CONFESSION AND FORGIVENESS
Blessed be the holy Trinity, ☩ one God,
who plants grace in our midst
and showers us with mercy.
Amen.
Let us confess our sin in the presence of God and of one another:
Silence is kept for reflection.
God of new life,
It is hard to clear out the debris from our lives
so that there is room in us for the planting of your Word.
Forgive us for not tending to our spiritual lives
nor to the world’s needs.
Forgive us for expecting blossoms
without nurturing the seed.
As you awaken the earth to a new season of growth,
Forgive us for our slumbering ways,
and awaken us to the green blades of hope sprouting in our midst.
Love comes again like wheat arising green.
We are forgiven ☩ and raised up in Christ’s name.
Amen.
OFFERING PRAYER
Let us pray together:
Gracious God, we give thanks for new life springing forth
from field and vine and from our renewed lives.
May these gifts that begin as shoots and buds,
blossom into life for us and the world;
through the Risen One we pray. Amen.
Invitation to the Lord’s prayer:
Rooted as trees planted by streams of water, we pray:
Our Father, who art in heaven,
Prayer after Communion
Nurturing God,
for using the harvest of field and vineyard
to renew and sustain us,
lead us from this life-giving meal
into lives of grateful service to you and your creation,
through the One who is our bread. Amen.
(This liturgy is inspired by Of Land and Seasons).
Anglers’ Blessing by Dr. Erik Heen, who unlike me, loves to fish
God who sustains and nourishes us—
We give you thanks for every living thing:
for the birds of the air;
the fish of the rivers, lakes, and sea;
for all creatures
that provide us with joy,
with sustenance,
and with a deep-felt need to delight in their company.
We ask that you might instill in us
a deep respect for every living thing;
a wonder at the intricacies of their lives;
a reserve in causing them undue anxiety or stress;
and an appreciation for how much we depend upon them for the health of our own lives.
May we learn to reflect the still awareness of a creature
that knows its world well and is at home in it.
As we are drawn out into your wider nature this season of returning warmth;
as the ice retreats from the waters and provides new access to the life within;
bless us to discern your presence in all things.
Give us pause to admire the beauty of your good earth;
let us enjoy one another’s company at a distance
on the waters of lakes, in the stream of rivers,
and in our walks through forests.
Guide our boats, kayaks, and canoes from danger;
protect our lives as we ride upon the mysteries of the water of this earth.
Replenish our spirits
that, in our activities outdoors,
we might be drawn ever closer to you.
If our fishing is bountiful, let us pause in gratitude for the experience and the gift that has been
given.