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Weekly Prayer Cycle Easter 7

A worker at the Garanga farm in the Solomon Islands. Photo: Mahj Chowdhury

June 1, 2014

By Suzanne Rumsey

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Week of June 1 (Easter 7)

Scripture:  Psalm 68:7-10; 32-35

O God, when you went out before your people, when you marched through the wilderness, Selah The earth quaked, the heavens poured down rain at the presence of God, the God of Sinai, at the presence of God, the God of Israel.

Rain in abundance, O God, you showered abroad; you restored your heritage when it languished; your flock found a dwelling in it; in your goodness, O God, you provided for the needy.

Sing to God, O kingdoms of the earth; sing praises to the Lord, Selah

O rider in the heavens, the ancient heavens; listen, God sends out God’s voice, God’s mighty voice.

Ascribe power to God, whose majesty is over Israel; and whose power is in the skies.

Awesome is God in God’s sanctuary, the God of Israel; God gives power and strength to God’s people. Blessed be God!

Editor’s Note:June 1 marks United Nations World Environment Day.  This year, the theme for WED is “Raise your voice, not the sea level” and focuses on the impacts of climate change on small island nations; some of which face the threat of disappearing as sea levels rise:  http://www.unep.org/wed/ 

In his 2010 blog for theguardian.com, Priestly Habru writes about how climate change and rising sea levels are devouring the low-lying lands of the Solomon Islands, with crops failing and lands disappearing.  “The time to act is now,” he states.  To read the full blog, go to: http://www.theguardian.com/world/2010/nov/09/solomon-islands-climate-change 

It is in this context that”¦

PWRDF Story: Archbishop Fred Hiltz Visits PWRDF Project in the Solomon Islands by Simon Chambers, April 2012 [adapted]

In 2004, the Diocese of Ysabel, a PWRDF partner in the Solomon Islands, broke ground on a new farm on the island of Garanga.  Over 18 months, they hacked 15 hectares of arable land out of the jungle.  Since then, the farm has produced food for consumption and also food for sale.

The Solomon Islands has an ideal climate for growing: no winter season, year-round production, regular rain, rich soil. Despite these benefits, the island nation is a food deficit country.By establishing the farm the Diocese of Ysabel seeks to help farmers produce enough food for themselves and for sale through agri-business.  The money they are able to make allows them to pay school fees for their children. With four 3-month-long growing seasons on the island of Garanga, workers are able to grow a variety of crops.  The farmers are also trained to use “inter-cropping” to help maintain biodiversity and control pests.  Crops produced by the farm include papaya, corn, peanuts, coffee, coconut, banana, eucalyptus, oranges, and more. Garanga farm’s cocoa beans have been selected to send to other countries as examples of the excellent beans produced in the Solomon Islands.  The farmers also raise free-range chickens for meat.

Archbishop Fred Hiltz, Primate of the Anglican Church of Canada and President of PWRDF’s Board of Directors, recently visited the Garanga farm during a trip to the Solomon Islands.  After his visit, he said, “This farm is about the land and its fruitfulness”¦ The labourers are very faithful as they gather for worship every morning before they go to work. The support of PWRDF is absolutely critical to the ongoing life of this project.”

For Reflection: The Psalmist writes of a creation that provides rain to a people wandering in the wilderness as a sign of God’s active presence in the world and in their lives. With climate change creation is “groaning”; too much rain in one place and not enough in another, extremes in temperatures, storms of epic proportions, rising seas, all of which threaten food systems, livelihoods and lives. On World Environment Day, take time to search out God’s active presence in the world and in your life. How is creation flourishing and how is it groaning in the place where you live? What actions are you able to take to celebrate the flourishing and respond to the groaning? 

Concluding Prayer 

All afternoon it rained, then
such power came down from the clouds
on a yellow thread,
as authoritative as God is supposed to be.
When it hit the tree, her body
opened forever”¦

The rain is slow.
The little birds are alive in it.
Even the beetles.
The green leaves lap it up.
What shall I do, what shall I do?…

The kale’s
puckered sleeve,
the pepper’s
hollow bell,
the lacquered onion.

Beets, borage, tomatoes.
Green beans.

I came in and put everything
on the counter: chives, parsley, dill,
the squash like a pale moon,
peas in their silky shoes, the dazzling
rain-drenched corn”¦

Excerpts from Rain, by American poet, Mary Oliver, New and Selected Poems, Volume One, Beacon Press, Boston, Massachusetts, 1992.

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