#fast4earth

“ And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations”.  ~ Rev 22:2 Trees are mentioned in the Bible more than any living thing other than God and people. There’s a tree on the first page of Genesis, the first Psalm, the first page of the New Testament, and the last page of Revelation. Jesus said he is the true vine and that his Father is the dresser of the garden (John 15:1). The Bible refers to itself as a Tree of Life (Proverbs 3:18). We are told to be like trees planted by streams of water that yield their fruit in season (Psalm 1:3). Trees are the oldest living things on earth. There are trees alive today that were already ancient in the time of Christ. In fact, God gives trees a ring to mark every birthday! But what about Jesus? He grew up in a carpenter’s home. He talked about seeds of faith and said that the kingdom of heaven was like a tree. He called disciples from under trees, and sinners from their branches. His favorite place to pray was an olive grove. Trees give, and they keep giving. They give life and beauty. They give shade and rest. They clean the air. They hold back erosion. They offer shelter, food, and protection. So it is important that we plant trees. But it is also important that we save paper in order to show our care and appreciation of trees. Let us go paperless this Sunday! Send the pew leaflets out on social media or by email (you can maybe have a few copies for those who don’t use those media) Put songs and notices up on the screen If you usually use disposable cups for coffee, ask people to bring mugs to church and wash them up Make this Sunday Tree Appreciation Sunday and go paperless https://www.christianity.com/wiki/jesus-christ/what-is-the-significance-of-trees-in-the-bible-why-did-jesus-die-on-a-tree.html Photo by Alex Litvin on Unsplash

“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, just as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you would not have it!”  ~ Luke 13:34   The World’s Most Abused Animals: Chickens Used for Meat and Eggs Chickens are the most abused animals across the world. Chickens are naturally intelligent and inquisitive animals that are problem solvers in nature. They are social and like to spend their days scratching for food, taking dust baths, roosting in trees and being in the sun. The farming industry takes away their natural environment. The vast majority of chickens spend their lives in total confinement from the day they are born until the day they are killed. Chickens raised for their flesh/meat by the chicken industry spend their entire life in dirty sheds with thousands of other chickens where there is intense crowding that leads to disease outbreaks. They are drugged to grow so large in a quick space of time and the birds cannot keep up. They end up having heart attacks, organ failure, struggle to breathe and becoming crippled because they are too big(overweight) for their legs. Chickens raised for their eggs by industry are over filled in wire cages to a point that they do not have enough space to spread their wings. Chickens are normally clean animals but these conditions force them to urinate and defecate on each other. Part of the chickens beaks are cut off so that they do not peck each other out of frustration created by the unnatural conditions. Once the chickens’ bodies are worn out and egg production drops, they ae slaughtered and turned into soup for cat or dog food. Imagine being forced to gain an unhealthy amount of weight while spending your whole life in a poorly lit, window-less, cramped, unfurnished flat with nothing to do. Imagine that the next time you eat chicken If you do eat chicken or eggs, choose free range and cage free. Photo by Shanice Garcia on Unsplash