Genesis and the Image of God

“Our soul is our true self, the essence of who we are, seeking to grow more and more into the image of God,” says Growing Generous Souls,1 pondering Genesis 1:26-27. But what is the image of God? Beyond that book’s couple of paragraphs, here are a few further reflections. Some renowned Bible scholars confirm the…

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Winter Stewards

Being God’s stewards of the land is a year-round enterprise, even if we don’t have to be useful, making a profit on crops or livestock. There’s a lot to trimming off dead limbs from trees, for example, especially ten-story oaks. Whether oaks or pines, trees depend upon their interlaced roots, and can fall on their…

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Plan for Earth Day

Earth Day is coming up soon this month, so now is a perfect time to decide as a congregation what you can do to encourage good stewardship of this earth. Here is a response I sent to Adam Hamilton, United Methodist minister and author, in reply to his 2015 blog about Earth Day at adamhamilton.org:…

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Water and Justice

The colorful Acorn Woodpecker perches on the top of our fence at the edge of the lawn. He dips his head as the sprinklers sweep by, as if in thanks for the welcome spray. The four-year California drought is taking its toll. By this month of July the grass, trees, and animals large and small…

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