The earth is a wonderful gift from God that provides for our needs. Part of our faith is that we have a sacred covenant with God to take care of the natural world. It is one way that we express our gratitude and love for God–by taking care of the gifts God has given us.
We have not always been good at keeping this covenant to care for the earth. Gardening–tending plants–is one way we can feel connected with God’s creation and learn how to respect it. Gardening helps us explore the wonder, beauty, and abundance of God’s creation. By getting our hands dirty in the soil we catch a glimpse of the complexity of the world around us.
At church, we have our Pantry Garden, which provides produce for the folks that use our food pantry. In addition, we have beautiful flower gardens around the building. There are two milestones associated with our gardens at church that can be used at home:
in the late winter/early spring we start seeds for our pantry garden.
In the spring we have a blessing of the garden for the growing season ahead.
As you reflect on gardening and explore our covenant to till and keep the earth, you may wish to consider the following:
- Read Genesis 2:4-15. How might the story of the Garden of Eden serve as a guide for how we care for the earth? When God puts the first human in the garden to “till it and to keep it”, how does that guide how we are to care for the world?
- Plants, planting, and harvesting are regular metaphors in the Bible. Why do you think the Bible makes so much use of these images?
- If you are not a gardener, consider starting a plant in a container and growing it in a sunny spot in your home. The act of caring for a plant can make us feel more connected with the word God has given us.
- Take a moment to bless your garden at home. Download the garden blessing from this webpage and invite family and friends to join in.
- In many indigenous traditions, it is customary to leave an offering of thanks whenever harvesting or foraging. In a practical sense, these offerings provide nutrients that help the plant grow and the soil remain fertile. But more than that, they remind us of our sacred covenant with God and our connection to the world around us. In respect for this teaching, you may wish to begin the practice of leaving a bit of compost by the plants as you plant and later as you harvest. The plant has given you a gift of healthy food or beautiful flowers, our gift back is nutrients to help it grow.
- As you reflect on the beauty of your garden, how might it compel you to make changes in other parts of your life and become better at upholding our covenant with God to care for the earth?