Over the past year, nature has become a safe haven for me. Going for a hike at Black River State Forest or Wildcat State Park. Jumping on our bikes and taking a ride on the trails. Taking our camper for an overnight in a state park. In nature I have felt comfortable taking off my mask, letting down my guard and enjoying some time that feels normal with my family.

At the same time, with all that is going on in the world, I don’t know that I’ve really considered how I cared for nature this past year. I have been much more focused on what it gives me rather than what I can give back. And so, I’m grateful for the opportunity to worship this Sunday with a focus on creation. Perhaps it will give all of us a moment to refocus on God’s creation and consider the ways we might bring restoration to all God has created.

In a time when there seems to be so much out of our control, perhaps we can focus on the small ways we can bring healing to our earth. So I hope you’ll consider this next week one small thing you might do to care for creation. Consider how you might reduce your environmental footprint. Check out an online footprint calculator to see your impact. Type in “footprint calculator” and you’ll find 19,100,000 results on google. Try out one of the calculators. Perhaps it will inspire an idea for how you might care for creation in the coming year.

I hope you join me for worship this Sunday & Happy Earth Day!

Pastor Dawn