The Animals – our brothers and sisters
This sermon can be listened to here
Gate Pa – 4th Sunday in Season of Creation - Year C - 2019
Readings:
Psalm - Psalm 104:14-23, 31.
First Reading: Job
39:1-2, 26-30 Second Reading: 1 Corinthians 1:10-23
Gospel: Luke 12:22-31
What I want to say:
To remind ourselves of what I have said about Season of Creation
so far and to expand on that by saying that
-
we are enmeshed and sustained by web of life – includes all
animals great and small
-
scripture invites us to see animals not as resources for our use
but as our brothers and sisters
-
God creates and gives life through all animals by their very
existence
they inspire our awe and wonder of God
they inspire our awe and wonder of God
·
they hold life in an intricate self-sustaining web
·
we are damaging if not killing it
What
I want to happen:
-
in what ways does our longing for the coming of God’s justice and
peace includes a world where ALL living creatures, great and small, have the
resources to experience fullness of life.
-
in what ways do we honour our brothers and sisters in our actions
and attitudes
-
how we might live in ways that allows them to continue doing God’s
work?
The Sermon
1. Introduction and recap: (season of creation)
few weeks we began this Season of Creation
join annual global ecumenical celebration
-
where invited to honour God as
Creator and Sustainer of all life
-
to recall that this is God’s
world,
-
and that this planet and all who
live on it belong to God.
invited join others around world,
-
doing hands-on projects,
-
advocate.
-
making small (or large) changes –
resource sheet (another one this week)
began with Genesis 1: 1-27
-
reminded not only that this world
belongs to God not us
-
but that we are made in image of
God who is creating and giving life
o
relationship with creation should
be marked by these qualities
-
given dominion -> usually read
as domination
o
Hebrew word is rabba - means
kingly rule
·
rules for long term good of all
subjects, starting with poorest.
·
our dominion is to live in such a
way that the long term good of all, including world we live on – God’s gift to
us – is paramount
-
all of which stands in stark
contrast to way we West treated God’s gift last few hundred years
2. Oceans (Whale)
last time invited take note
of oceans
-
By volume,
the ocean provides about 90 percent of the living space.[1]
o The science fiction writer Arthur C. Clarke has pointed out it would be more appropriate to refer to planet
Earth as planet Ocean.[24][25]
-
Most life
forms evolved initially in marine habitats.
-
A total of
230,000 documented marine species exist, including about 20,000 species of
marine fish,
-
some two
million marine species yet to be documented.
-
Marine
microorganisms, including bacteria and viruses, constitute about 70% of the
total marine biomass
-
oceans
provide amazing way into the overall theme for this year’s Season of Creation
o “The Web of Life – biodiversity as God’s blessing”
-
this web like intricate net
-
self-sustaining net of complex
relationships and feedback loops
o
natural life-support systems
-
talked about
how we have been busy cutting the threads of this net
-
reflected on what
might happen if we keep cutting the threads
in light of all that we joined writer of Psalm 104 and Job in being in awe and wonder
-
at oceans
-
and at God who creates both the
oceans and the intricate web of life that sustains and holds all life
-
wondered how our interactions with
creation and with God might be built on this awe and wonder
3. Animals and the Web of Life
This week invited reflect on web animal life in which we are held
and sustained
Invited to reflect on our relationship and attitude to all animals
-
pets
-
farm
-
wild
talk to neighbours about attitude to and relationship with those
three categories of animals?
4. Pets
-
plenary re pets
as follower of St. Francis and St. Clare
invited see all creation as our brothers and sisters
-
Canticle of creatures or canticle
of brother sun and sister moon
-
sang some of last week
while might struggle to see our pets as brother and sister
-
do as part of family
-
although not always treated like
that
-
why need work SPCA and Pound Rescue
etc…
5. Farm animals
what about farm animals?
è response
much harder for most
that attitude is leading many to increasingly take up at least
vegetarian lifestyle
-
many – vegan lifestyle
-
Paula keeps that before us in our
Parish magazines which I am grateful for
-
something I wrestle with
a lot of good caring farmers care for animals
too many see animals as resource to make money
o
hen crate
o
sow pens
I wonder how many of us think about that when we buy eggs, meat
Ü Pope Francis and Laudate Si
o
concern that we are little idea
where food comes from
o
people involved – farmers
·
farm labourers and pickers( often around
world poorly paid)
·
those work in industries packing,
transporting, processing
·
those work supermarkets/shops
etc..
o
invited those read encyclical to
include them in our prayers before meals
·
we might like include animals involved
as well
6. Wild animals
Wild animals are different again
è responses
7. Actively doing God’s work
this week
invited to remember that all these creatures are not simply
receivers of God’s goodness
but like us
by their very existence
they are doing God’s ongoing creating and life giving work
our actions
deprive them of resources they need to flourish and thrive
and that have led to changing climate
are affecting their ability to be engaged in this work
we are hindering our brothers and sisters as they seek to be part
of God’s ongoing creating and life giving work
8. Conclusion/Discussion
- In what ways do we honour our brothers and sisters in how we live?
- In what ways do we offer all brothers and sisters the resources they need to experience the fullness of life so that they might continue doing God’s life giving work?
- In what ways does our longing for the coming of God’s reign of justice and peace include all animals who live in God’s creation?
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