The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it,
the world, and all who live in it.
—Psalm 24
on the shore of Lake Superior near Duluth
As spring breaks out, we come out of our houses and buildings noticing the amazing eruption of plants, leaves, and other life all around us. God’s ongoing creation grabs our attention. As we move deeper into the spring season many of us engage with the soil and land as gardeners, farmers, or ranchers. It is fascinating to think of how a handful of soil we hold has billions of microorganisms in it. Most of us enjoy the stunning beauty of new life or renewed life in spring. We may own some land—but, finally, the land and all of creation is God’s. Our lives are God’s first, and our choices are a response to God’s many gifts.
Caring for creation is part of practicing our faith. On April 5, a number of students and staff attended the 2025 Ecofaith Summit at First Lutheran in Duluth. This event calls on us to see the relationship between our faith and caring for creation. Video of the presentations is available on YouTube.
Many public statements call us to be wise and careful stewards of creation. The ELCA’s Caring for Creation: Vision, Hope, and Justice social statement opens with this confession: “Christian concern for the environment is shaped by the Word of God spoken in creation, the Love of God hanging on a cross, the Breath of God daily renewing the face of the earth.”
Last week was the tenth anniversary of Pope Francis’s Laudato si’ encyclical, a very public statement about caring for creation. It is a rich document that reminds us how care for the earth is an act of worship and stewardship as we respond to creation’s challenges and remember that creation is God’s gift. I invite you to read all of it. Here is one of the closing prayers.
A Prayer for Our Earth
All-powerful God, you are present in the whole universe
and in the smallest of your creatures.
You embrace with your tenderness all that exists.
Pour out upon us the power of your love,
that we may protect life and beauty.
Fill us with peace, that we may live
as brothers and sisters, harming no one.
O God of the poor,
help us to rescue the abandoned and forgotten of this earth,
so precious in your eyes.
Bring healing to our lives,
that we may protect the world and not prey on it,
that we may sow beauty, not pollution and destruction.
Touch the hearts
of those who look only for gain
at the expense of the poor and the earth.
Teach us to discover the worth of each thing,
to be filled with awe and contemplation,
to recognize that we are profoundly united
with every creature
as we journey toward your infinite light.
We thank you for being with us each day.
Encourage us, we pray, in our struggle
for justice, love and peace.