Weekly Green Practice: Volunteer in Some Sort of Outreach

We have concentrated, so far, on animals and plants in nature, but we cannot forget helping in the growth of humans as well. I have spent a good bit of my life helping children, youth, and adults to grow physically, mentally, and spiritually. Through this, I have learned as much as I have taught. There are so many possibilities to be involved in the growth of people around you that we will only throw out some ideas. What you have available specifically will, of course, depend on where you live.

• Volunteer to help with young people. Churches are constantly searching for people to help with children and youth ministries. In many cases they aren’t looking for a director, but simply someone to be a mentor and help lead. In addition to the church, in larger cities, there are many youth organizations such as sports leagues, scout societies, service organizations, and many others. You can basically help with just about anything you have an interest in.
• Volunteer to help the marginalized. This is another type of ministry where there is no lack for need of help. You can find ways to help the poor, hungry, refugees, homeless, sick, abused. There are programs in the church and in cities throughout our conference. It would be as simple as asking your pastor to get put with the proper people.
• Volunteer to visit shut-ins, the elderly, or the imprisoned. Companionship can sometimes be a greater gift than money or food. There are many people who need more people in their life. By going and using a resource which so many of us seem to be short on: time, you can change lives, one of which will probably be your own.

Finding the Spiritual in this Practice: This, for anyone religious, is a no-brainer. To reach out to those in need is one of the most important things we are called to do as Christians. There are many verses that resonate with these actions that you can repeat to yourself each time you begin this type of work. This type of work calls you to prayer for the people you are helping. The more you develop ways to help other people, the more you tend to learn something about yourself. I believe that we become better by helping others to be better. It is the nature of God to cause things to grow. When we can take part in that, it is a truly holy thing.

Weekly Green Practice - Get to know the other animals around you

In addition to the birds, there are many, many other animals around you that you may not even know about. There are plenty of those animals that you probably want to continue not to know about, but there are some that could benefit you practically and spiritually.

• Communing with the wild animals around you. You have to be very careful with which animals you interact with and what you do, but appropriate actions can be very beneficial. You don’t want to begin feeding animals and having them come to depend on your food. On top of making them less able to survive in the wild, it can become quite a nuisance around the house. So, you can’t exactly go feeding the raccoons, snakes, coyotes, mice and other wild animals around you as you would the bird. You can put out a salt lick for the deer, though. Putting up a bat house, while not supporting the most beautiful of animals, will help control your mosquito population.
• Adopting a pet. With so many domesticated animals being abused or just left out, it is very generous to give one of these animals a home. This is yet another chance to care for something God has created, but with these animals it goes a little deeper. You are caring for one of God’s creatures that has been hurt or cast aside. This is not only an act for the benefit of having a pet—it is an act of charity.

Finding the Spiritual in this Practice: I’ve had many spiritual experiences with animals that I can’t really describe. They are a source of comfort. They can be challenging. They can be wonderful representatives of the nature of God. Whether you are just observing animals or taking responsibility for an animal’s well-being, you are coming into contact with a life besides yours. I recommend seeing this time as a Sabbath time. Clear your schedule and your responsibilities and us this time to connect to God and part of his creation. Take a time of prayer. Read scripture that references animals. Notice those qualities in the animal you are observing. I find that these planned or chance encounters with animals can be very spiritual.

Weekly Green Practice - Grow plants around you

I, by no means, am gifted at growing plants, but the more I try, the more I get right. I have gone from being a plant killer to an occasional plant rescuer. I like to dig up plants and move them near me. I enjoy growing plants from seeds. I am still not always successful in these endeavors, but there is something nice about getting it to work and figuring out what a plant needs. Here are some of my amateur suggestions and ways these practices have become spiritual for me.

• Grow a plant. It’s as easy as going to the store and buying some seeds, then getting soil and a container that will let excess water get out. You can grow flowers, herbs, or just a plant that you like. Many people talk about having plants in offices and other rooms that bring life into that place. Anytime you are responsible for the life of something (parents and pet owners understand this) it changes you. If you care for your plants, this can have the same effect.
• Transplant a plant. I really enjoy rescuing plants that might not make it. For example, I like to dig up young cedar trees that grow up on roadsides. I know eventually road crews will come in and mow them down, so I find a place to plant the tree where it might be useful. At camp, I’ve been able to save some trees, plant a tree in a spot Lakeshore needs one, and saved the camp the cost of buying a tree (which can get pricy). I also love to think about the possibility of one day being next to a tall tree that I put in the ground as a sapling.

Finding the Spiritual in this Practice: For me, there is just something deeply spiritual about helping something to grow. In the routine I make for myself of watering my plants, pruning limbs and dead leaves, and adding mulch and compost, I feel like I am part of something God is doing. To see my plants bloom, sprout leaves, and bear fruit is a satisfying feeling—a call for thanks and praise. Pray as you carry yourself through these routines. Find the metaphors between tending a garden or house plant and God taking care of you. Read verses that have to do with plants growing (there are so many). Growing plants is a major theme throughout the Bible. These practices will help you to identify with the stories and parables throughout the Bible. You may begin to see yourself in your plants.

Scripture: Read Jonah 4:6-11. This is one of my favorite passages. God is asking Jonah to see things from God's perspective. Jonah is whining about a plant he had nothing to do with, and God is saying, "Imagine what it's like for me the Creator to see my creation destroyed." When we take part in helping something grow, we re-connect with creation and with the Creator.

Weekly Green Practice - Get to know the birds around your house

No matter where you live, there are birds of some sort around. We go through life, often, not even noticing them. It can be a wonderful thing to simply watch them and listen to them chirp and sing. Here are ways you can help the chances of seeing them and ways to make it spiritual.

• Put out a bird feeder: You can make a bird feeder or buy one pretty cheap. They are easy to put up or hang, and you can watch birds from your porch or window. You may want to keep it out of reach of squirrels and cats, but otherwise set back and enjoy the different types of birds that come to visit.
• Put out a bird bath: Having any kind of consistent water will draw birds. It can be the fountain type that circulates water, but a simple bowl will also draw the birds in. This is another item, when properly placed, you can watch even from a window.
• Erect bird houses. There are many types of bird houses out there. Bluebird houses are popular. Martin houses are popular and, I’ve heard, help keep the mosquito population at bay. What is also neat about putting up bird houses is that you know birds are raising their young there. I love knowing that these life cycles are going on right under my nose.
• Try to get to know these birds as you watch them and become more familiar with them. You will notice certain birds move in different ways. You will recognize songs and calls. If you have a bird book or knowledgeable family member you can start picking out what types of bird are visiting you. You can read up on them and know their behaviors and what they do.

Finding the Spiritual in this Practice: It is said that Saint Francis of Assisi preached to the birds. Here is something attributed to him:

My sister birds, you owe much to God, and you must always and in everyplace give praise to Him; for He has given you freedom to wing through the sky and He has clothed you... you neither sow nor reap, and God feeds you and gives you rivers and fountains for your thirst, and mountains and valleys for shelter, and tall trees for your nests. And although you neither know how to spin or weave, God dresses you and your children, for the Creator loves you greatly and He blesses you abundantly. Therefore... always seek to praise God.

I like to imagine this image of sharing God’s love even to the animals. I also think this is a great opportunity for Sabbath time. This is a time to rest the mind and body, simply being in God’s creation with his creatures. I recommend taking this time daily and putting everything on hold for whatever amount of time you decide. Sit outside or by your window. When you begin this time, spend some time in prayer. Take time to look up scripture on the birds of the air. There are plenty in the Psalms, or the creation story in Genesis can get you started. Let those words resonate in your head as you watch the birds. Feel the connection you have there by providing something for them. If your experience is anything like mine has been, you will begin to notice birds everywhere you go where you did not before. You may also feel more urges to praise God each time you notice them.

Scripture: "Consider the ravens: they neither sow nor reap, they have neither storehouse nor barn, and yet God feeds them." Luke 12:24

Creation Care Team May Focus - Taking Part in the Growth of Something Living

This blog will be taking on a new focus. My friend, Troy Taylor, and I are members of the Memphis Annual Conference's Creation Care Team. So, we are going to be adding material related to our mission of helping our conference better care for God's creation. We will continue to have other material here as well, so check early and often.

Taking Part in the Growth of Something Living

I find few things as fulfilling as helping something living to grow. I realized this first while working at camp. I was involved in the lives of so many young people, and I got to watch them grow up over the years. I’ve been here long enough to see Elementary campers grow up and become staff members in their college years. It is a blessing to watch these young adults work at camp and see how brave they are. I watch them during the summers. They comfort crying children like a parent. They sing with the energy of a brand new Christian. They work until they have no energy left to give. And, I remember when they were just over four feet tall. I remember talking to them as they got out of their cars on the first day. I remember how they shied away, not sure what to make of all these people and all this excitement. I remember a few years down the road when they got out for Junior High and Senior High camp. It was a highlight to their year. I remember how they jumped out of the vehicle and ran to all their favorite people. And now, they are doing the work of this place.

I am so happy that I get to play some part in this growth—that I have had chances to talk to these guests and share their joys and their pain. I have been able to give advice and to offer comfort. I have rejoiced in their successes and continued to enjoying playing with them through all of this. To know that some of my presence in these years might have helped these young people become what they have makes my life seem so much more worth while. This is not always evident to me—it is a thing that is realized when you step back after days, months, or even years and see how something or someone has grown.

I think everyone needs to be involved in helping something grow. It can be a plant or an animal, even a person. Something in it, I feel, brings you closer to God. You are brought closer to the miracle that things are living at all. This helps you look at your life and how you have grown over the years. You see how God can work through so many things, including you.

This month, we ask you to involve yourself in the growth of something. Take on a new project or take more time with those things you already do. Grow a plant. Feed the birds. Take time to involve yourself in the lives or others. You probably already do at least some of this daily. In the upcoming weeks, though, I would like for us all to think more about how God is at work. We are providing verses, devotions, and activities to help you along with this.

Check out our monthly video here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YSLCutcOtkY