Tree Hugger Party for the Planet
Scripture: Genesis 2:15
Program Ideas:
Service Project: Consider joining as a group to assist in the planting of trees. There may be a specific group, like an urban canopy organization, that coordinates neighborhood plantings in urban areas. If spending a few hours planting is not feasible, consider contributing to a tree-planting agency like The Nature Conservancy, National Forest Foundation, or US Forest Service.
Field Trip: Visit a local botanical garden, arboretum, or park. Many of these places offer free services during the day or on weekends. Sometimes the best way to rediscover a love for what God loves is to go outside and observe. Using senses like smell, sight, and hearing, work as a group (or individually) to record all that surrounds you (animals, birds, insects, grasses). Gather as a group and share your observations and how you felt. If the weather doesn’t permit, check into virtual tours.
Party: Organize a party in celebration of the natural world. Include in the background a slideshow of images of nature. Consider integrating nature recordings like those produced by TheSilentWatcher on Youtube. Cornell Lab of Ornithology includes live feeds at various bird nesting sites and feeders. Explore.org also provides many live feeds on wildlife.
Craft: Nature Jar Display is a simple craft that can be personalized.
Gather clear and smooth Mason jars, natural elements (ex: soil, sand, river stones, pebbles, shells, small succulents, etc.), raffia, or twine.
Ask participants to imagine an outdoors where they feel relaxed. Perhaps it is a beach, a forest covered in snow, or a quiet desert. Using the materials you provide, ask them to create a display of the nature they see in their care. It can be as elaborate or simple as creativity and the materials allow.
Game: “Tree ID Quiz”
Divide into groups and give each group a pencil and piece of paper. Lead a trivia quiz on trees (like this one provided by the Sierra Club- https://blogs.sierraclub.org/greenlife/2013/08/tree-quiz-identitree-how-well-can-you-identify.html).
Refreshments
Following the theme, serve fresh and natural snack items. To make “Banana Sushi.” you’ll need bananas, dark chocolate, and pistachios. Melt the chocolate, peel the bananas, and dip the bananas into the chocolate. After they have cooled, crush the shelled pistachios, and sprinkle them onto the banana. You will produce something that may look like a mossy tree trunk. Slice the bananas and serve. You can find detailed instructions on the website below.
Devotion: “Yours, Mine, and Ours”
Have you ever borrowed something from someone you cared about? Whether it was as big as a car or as simple as a book, you were probably more careful with the borrowed item than with most of your stuff. Why? Because you cared about the person, about your relationship, and you cared about preserving the things they care about.
In Psalm 2,4:1, the psalmist declares, “The earth is the Lord’s and all that is in it, the world, and those who live in it.” One statement proclaims that the true owner of the earth and its inhabitants, whether humans, plants, animals, is God. In Leviticus 25:23, God also claims, “the land is mine.” The Creator and Preserver of all things is the absolute owner of all nature.
Yet we also recognize that God gave the natural world in some fashion to his people. His command to the man and woman in Genesis 1:28 shows this. There is a risk of abusing our power and authority, but Genesis 2:15 helps with that concern. It says, “The LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to till it and keep it.” It was an act of God to put the man in the garden. God is letting the man, the woman, and their descendants borrow the land. And God uses words that speak more of stewardship than dominance. The Hebrew word for “till” connotes the act of tending, caring for something, and helping it flourish while it provides what the caregiver needs. The Hebrew word for “keep” connotes guardianship, stewardship, and protection.
Out of love for God and a concern for our relationship with Him, we ought to care for what he has given us. The earth is the Lord’s. It has never stopped being his. Even though he has given us some authority and power over it, he still expects that it is treated with respect. So, while we live our lives on this good earth, and while it provides us with what we need to survive, let us always remember to tend it, allow it to flourish, and protect it from those who would abuse it. When we do this, we might find that God will say, “It’s ours. Let’s share in it together.”
Song Suggestions:
#21/421 “God Speaks to Us in Bird and Song” and #66/167 “This Is My Father’s World”
