A Prayer For The Earth

From award-winning author Sandy Eisenberg Sasso, a new story which lights our spiritual imaginations. When God tells Noah to bring the animals of the world onto the ark, God also calls on Naamah, Noah's wife, to save each plant on Earth. Entrusted with this task, Naamah sets off to every corner of the world, discovering a fabulous array of growing things, & gathering seeds, bulbs, cuttings, spores, & roots. She fills a room on the ark with every type of plant-from amaryllis, soybeans, & wheat to lilies, moss, & even dandelions. Then, after 40 long days & nights on the ark, the most important part of Naamah's work begins. In this new story, based on an ancient text, Naamah's wisdom & love for the natural harmony of the earth inspires us to use our own courage, creativity, & faith to carry out Naamah's work today.

Do something for the environment--pray for the earth. The icecaps are melting. The air we breathe and the water we drink are polluted. Forests are being cleared of oxygen-making trees and ecosystem-integral wildlife. Our daily lives impact our earth--mostly leaving negative footprints. The environmental challenges we face are real and almost out of control. We're free to enjoy the earth's bounty and beauty, but along with that privilege comes responsibility. How are Christians to respond as stewards of God's creation? Explore through prayer the interconnecting love that binds God, humankind, and creation--forming a sacred trust. Earth Gospel offers four weeks of prayer (seven days per week with prayers for morning, midday, and evening) to encourage care of God's creation. Each daily reading includes scripture, hymn texts, beautiful poems and reflections from sages across time, and blessings. Featured voices include Emily Dickinson, Wendell Berry, Mother Teresa, Martin Luther, e.e. cummings, Julia Esquivel, Annie Dillard, Henry David Thoreau, Catherine of Siena, and many others. Conveniently sized to tuck into a backpack for a field expedition or as a companion to your Bible during prayer time, Earth Gospel will deepen your appreciation and commitment to creation. Use it daily, and it will change your life.

God’s Good Earth offers Christians and their communities an engaging resource for prayer, reflection, and worship that reflects and nourishes their efforts to serve God and care for God’s creation. Compilers Anne and Jeffery Rowthorn have prepared 52 beautiful, ready-made prayer services, each around a specific theme, drawing from a rich variety of ecumenical resources: psalms and other responsive readings, Scripture, hymns, prayers, and reflections from the world's most engaging nature writers and interpreters of the social and cultural landscape. Each section can be used in full, or the user may select smaller sections; permission is granted to the purchaser to reproduce for use in public prayer. God's Good Earth forms hearts and minds to know that transformation is not only possible but essential if the Earth is to survive, healthy and whole. Those who enter into the book’s praise and prayer will have their faith in God the Creator strengthened, their gratitude for the wonders of God's creation deepened, and their commitment to act on behalf of God's good earth enhanced. The print edition is printed with high production standards on recycled, FSC-certified paper.

The most powerful prayer on earth is also one of the most simple. Learning to pray it and mean it is the beginning of a lifetime of blessing. The largest factor that can release blessing in our lives is forgiveness. Jesus prayed over those who crucified Him: "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing" (Luke 23:34, NIV). To enjoy God's blessings for ourselves, we must imitate Christ's unrestrained forgiveness. An act of love and mercy, forgiveness opens the door to a life lived in joy, peace and the boundless blessings our Father wants to bestow upon us. This is the miracle key you've been waiting for. You have nothing to lose, and everything to gain!

A resource for Christians who believe that environmental concerns should be an integral part of the public and private prayers of all Christian people.

"An exquisite and powerful harvest, this – truly a Book of Common Prayer for our planet's people in this time." JOANNA MACY, author of 'Despair and Personal Power in the Nuclear Age'

Bestselling Author Inspires Prayer for the Impossible Called foundational, revolutionary, illuminating, and motivating, Intercessory Prayer continues to be a classic work after more than 20 years. This rich, biblical teaching is full of fresh insights showing how vital our prayers are and how God has always planned to work in partnership with us through prayer. As Dutch explains the nuts and bolts of prayer with wisdom, gentleness, and humor, readers will find inspiration and courage to pray for the impossible--and the persistence to see prayers to completion. A workbook and 8-session DVD are also available, making this book ideal for small groups, church classes, or individuals who want to go deeper on their own.

How can we meet God in our everyday lives? In Earth, Our Original Monastery, Christine Valters Paintner, bestselling author and online abbess for Abbey of the Arts, shares how living contemplatively with an appreciation for the natural world can make you more aware of the presence of God in every aspect of your life. She explores monks, mystics, and saints who have experienced the goodness of the Divine in nature and invites you to find solace and spiritual revelation in the wonder of God’s creation. The purpose of contemplative living, Christine Valters Paintner suggests, is to allow you to integrate the pieces of your life within yourself, in your community, and in the world around you. When you pay attention to each moment, you nurture your ability to see God’s actions in those moments. In Earth, Our Original Monastery, Paintner invites you to begin the journey of contemplative living by focusing on the image of the earth as your original monastery—the place where you learn your most fundamental prayers, participate in each day’s liturgy of praise, and experience the wisdom of the seasons. Paintner provides seven ways of seeing the earth in light of faith and pairs each one with a practical invitation to a practice. These include: the earth as original cathedral—where you first learn to worship and feel God’s presence around us, paired with the practice of stability the earth as original saints—plants and animals live their calling without trying to be something they’re not and inspire you to do the same, paired with the practice of gratitude the earth as original icon—nature can serve as a window to the holy in the same way that icons do, paired with the practice of lament As you explore what these connections between the earth and faith mean for how to see God in the world around you, you can also look at saints and mystics who experienced nature and the flow of the divine in similar ways.