Rachel Mash

“The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.” Psalm 19:1 How does God speak to us? Traditionally the Church has believed in both ‘natural revelation’ and ‘special revelation’. We can learn about God through creation, for all of creation bears the fingerprints of God. In the Middle Ages they talked of the two books of God – the First “Book” of Creation and the Second, written book, the Bible. In fact, theological students were sent out to learn about God by spending time in nature. We see this balance between the “book” of Creation and the written word of God in Psalm 19, where the first half of the Psalm talks about God speaking to us through Creation and the second half talks of the written Law of the Lord. We often forget that God can speak to us through creation as Romans 1: 20 makes clear. “For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made”. The challenge this week is to listen to the voice of God in Nature and share with others. Either take a photo, it might be of the sunrise or sunset, or of the veins on a leaf and post with #Godsbeautifulcreation, or you can share and post an incredible image of the beauty of creation and share how it makes you feel about God.

“The leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations” Proverbs 22:2 Today the challenge is to look at the months ahead. What are the celebrations ahead, birthdays, anniversaries, weddings etc. Plan to plant a tree for that date. (Or many trees!) There are some things to bear in mind – it is important to choose an indigenous tree, it’s much more likely to survive, will be less water guzzling, and will improve the eco-system, attracting pollinators. Secondly you need to plan to grow a tree, not just plant it. How will it be watered? Who will do that regularly but especially during summer? It may take as long as two years until the roots reach down to the water table. So, work out how that will happen before you plant. Across the communion people are planting wedding trees, baptism trees, birthday trees. A growing number of bishops are giving confirmation candidates a tree sapling as a symbol of their spiritual growth. And during COVID, many people were not able to attend funerals, so there has been a lot of people who planted Memorial trees in honour of those who passed away. Trees really are for the healing of the nations: By intercepting and absorbing rain, they reduce stormwater runoff They absorb and store carbon dioxide By creating shade, they cool the area They help clean air pollution

“He spoke of trees, from the cedar that is in Lebanon even to the hyssop that grows on the wall;” 1 Kings 4:33 Find out more! Solomon was famed for his wisdom, and he was also a great botanist! He had an awareness of the trees and plantsIf we want to improve the biodiversity in our areas, and take part in eco-system restoration it is important that we understand the difference between aliens and indigenous species. Invasive alienAlien weeds do not have natural predators to prevent the spread of the seeds and once they flower and go to seed, these are then spread either by wind or insects. They then germinate, producing plants that grow quickly and before long, you have a huge problem. They may have very pretty flowers, but they are very bad news for a thriving eco-system. They spread rapidly at the expense of natural flora thus reducing species diversity. pH is altered and makes rehabilitation of areas difficult after the removal of alien plants. They are often water guzzlers – for example in South Africa with wattle plantations – when wattle is removed you can find rivers flowing again. Alien trees burn at much higher temperatures because of natural oils, for example, pines and gums can erupt when they catch alight, and are prone to fireballs in high winds. Many aliens don’t have a good root system so there is an increase in erosion. Gardens planted with exotic plants can be resource-intensive and high maintenance, requiring frequent watering, weeding and fertilisation. IndigenousIndigenous plants are kinder to the earth and to you! Indigenous plants are hardy, even in drought. Once established, indigenous plants can eventually maintain themselves in poor soils with less or little water. Ultimately, indigenous varieties are water saving – they have especially developed to cope with the dry local conditions. The added benefit of indigenous plants is their wonderful perfume and they attract birds, and pollinators. Some indigenous plants can be used for medicinal purposes. Tap into your local roots and learn which plants have medicinal properties and can be rubbed over your skin as a salve, brewed with your tea as a cold and flu remedy, or ground with other herbs as relief for all manner of ailments. https://www.iol.co.za/ios/opinion/invasive-aliens-get-them-outta-here-282c7740-984c-4e97-93de-a5a0df167ad6Source: https://bible.knowing-jesus.com/topics/Cedar

“The Mountains and the hills will burst into song before you” Isaiah 55: 12 Today we will consider Sustainable Development Goal 15 – Life of Land When we think of our Genesis 1:28 responsibility to take care of God’s creation, we do well to think of the entire earth biodome as our home. We live in a delicately interconnected ecosystem that was specifically created and finely tuned by God to support life. Read through Psalm 104 and reflect on the eco-system that is described there – the springs, the grass, the trees, the birds, animals wild and domesticated and the humans as part of this great web of life. And all of this life is fed by the living waters, the streams and the groundwater gushing up and the wonders of the sea, teeming with life. And all creatures are fed. The last verse of the Psalm comes as a shock when the Psalmist condemns the wicked, wishing all sinners would vanish from the face of the earth. In the context of the great song of nature, there is a strong implication here that it is in fact those who mistreat the good creation of God that are the wicked sinners being referred to. In contrast, those of us who live in Christ Jesus, who have been freed from the consequences of sin and death, should be at the forefront of caring for all living things within our domains. When you send your Spirit, they are created, and you renew the face of the ground. (v30) God is not only creator but also recreator, and we know that we are called to work in the power of the Spirit for the renewal of Creation. What can you do to help renew creation?Plant a tree. Make sure that it is indigenous and water wise. Commit to watering it for the next two years.Share your suggestions in the comments below! Referencehttps://wea-sc.org/en/biblesdgs

“He upholds the cause of the oppressed, and gives food to the hungry” Psalm 146: 7 We have to do something about food waste, it is wrong to let food go to waste when there are so many hungry people. Many of us are guilty of letting food go to waste, we buy our fruit, veg and other products, and then busy lifestyles prevent us from cooking it and bruised, or rotting food is thrown away. And this is when an estimated 12 million South Africans go to bed hungry every night. Restaurants and food producers also discard surplus food that is still edible. Some restaurant chains and stores are reluctant to donate unused food to staff members or people in need. We have to do better! DignityIt is important that what we give, we give with dignity. If you have left over food, or food in your cupboards that you won’t use before the best before date, package it nicely, make sure it looks nice and clean and put it in a package for those in need who may pass your gate. HealthPlease be careful that spoiled food may make people sick, so be wary of meat or dairy products if it is a hot day. Connect with a local charity of soup kitchen.You can donate veggies that are looking old to soup kitchens where they can be well used and appreciated. Consider the hungry when you do your food shop.When you are buying for your family, look at those special offers and ‘two for the price of ones’ or bulk buying offers and purchase extras to give away. What else can we do to reduce food waste and give to those in need? Let us share our ideas and suggestions in the comments section. https://www.averda.com/rsa/news/south-africa-wastes-10-million-tonnes-of-food-every-year