OCTOBER: walk humbly on this earth
Micah 6:8 (King James Version)
He has shown you, O man, what is good;
And what does the Lord require of you
But to do justly,
To love mercy,
And to walk humbly with your God?
He has shown you, O man, what is good;
And what does the Lord require of you
But to do justly,
To love mercy,
And to walk humbly with your God?
Concept:
How do we live out Micah 6:8 as humans in God’s creation? This month, we take a look at what it means to walk humbly on this earth. To walk humbly is to recognize our place within this interdependent world, to practice care and gentleness, and to remember that our lives are a pinprick in the vastness of God’s created world. For many Christians around the world, we are in the Season of Creation, a yearly chance to examine our relationship with creation. And so this month we ask, what might it look like for a child to grow up in kinship with the rest of creation?
(Photo by Alessandro Rossi on Unsplash)
How do we live out Micah 6:8 as humans in God’s creation? This month, we take a look at what it means to walk humbly on this earth. To walk humbly is to recognize our place within this interdependent world, to practice care and gentleness, and to remember that our lives are a pinprick in the vastness of God’s created world. For many Christians around the world, we are in the Season of Creation, a yearly chance to examine our relationship with creation. And so this month we ask, what might it look like for a child to grow up in kinship with the rest of creation?
(Photo by Alessandro Rossi on Unsplash)
Read It: Micah 6:8 and Genesis 1 Shine On/Resplandece pg 12, The Peace Table pg 20
Verse 31 God saw all that he had made, and it was very good.
Verse 31 God saw all that he had made, and it was very good.
Pray It
Instead of one short prayer this month, we have a prayer practice. This is a mid-activity prayer, something to weave into daily life. When you or your child notice something in the world around you, share the moment with creation and with God. For example, when you see a squirrel, say, “Hello, squirrel! Thank you God for squirrels.” Or when there’s a thunderstorm, “Thank you, rain. God, why does thunder have to be so loud?” This weaves together curiosity and kinship with creation, as well as teaching that prayer doesn’t have to be set aside and long - it can be a quick conversation with God.
Instead of one short prayer this month, we have a prayer practice. This is a mid-activity prayer, something to weave into daily life. When you or your child notice something in the world around you, share the moment with creation and with God. For example, when you see a squirrel, say, “Hello, squirrel! Thank you God for squirrels.” Or when there’s a thunderstorm, “Thank you, rain. God, why does thunder have to be so loud?” This weaves together curiosity and kinship with creation, as well as teaching that prayer doesn’t have to be set aside and long - it can be a quick conversation with God.
Do It:
Unpack! Many of us have some pretty deeply embedded domination theology. So we begin by unpacking our own attitudes and theology! Christians have often read Genesis 1:26, in which humans are created to “subdue the earth” and “have dominion over” the other animals, as a sort of license to use creation for our own means.
Soundtrack: The music we listen to shapes us. I remember my child humming Ken Medema’s “Tree Song” while walking through the woods, or singing Bryan Moyer Suderman’s “Take Good Care” while “helping” his dad weed the garden. So here’s your Walk Humbly On This Earth soundtrack. This is a Spotify playlist, but if you don’t have a free Spotify account, use this playlist to get you started on finding songs on the platform of your choice. Put your music on in the background and see how it shapes your household!
Examine your daily family life to see where you’re walking humbly and where you could do better. This includes recycling, reusing and composting, minimizing gas and electricity consumption, and eating sustainably.
If you have a garden or landscaping, bring your children into the work of pruning and cultivating. Even the littlest ones can help, digging holes, watering plants, moving things in the yard, and harvesting produce. Find some ways to make your landscape more sustainable and work on that project, over time, together.
(Photo by FlipUrban on Unsplash)
Unpack! Many of us have some pretty deeply embedded domination theology. So we begin by unpacking our own attitudes and theology! Christians have often read Genesis 1:26, in which humans are created to “subdue the earth” and “have dominion over” the other animals, as a sort of license to use creation for our own means.
- We often have taken that phrase “subdue the earth” to imply that we have some kind of power over it. But in this case, this word we translate as subdue means to prune the earth, to take away the things that aren’t good for it, to keep it healthy or restore the earth to health. So - it’s not about milking the land for all it’s worth and beating it into submission. It’s about care!
- And then there’s dominion. Dominion is actually a royal word. The primary responsibility of one who has dominion, in this case, humans, is to care for that which is in one’s domain. We are to protect the earth and all its creatures, to keep it safe from harm. We are blessed to heal the earth, to care for God’s creatures, for whom God has abundantly provided. Humans have a special job to do, and that job is not to tower over creation, beating it into serving us, but rather, to be part of creation, stewards of God’s good gifts.
- Enjoy nature’s expressions together. Take a walk in a gentle rain. Sit in a safe place to watch a thunderstorm (or make Thundercake, using Patricia Polacco’s excellent book!). Or listen to the author read on youtube at Thundercake
- Take a piece of cloth outside on a windy day and watch what the wind does to it.
- Get your kids on board! Somewhere along the line, we got our youngest child very confident in his abilities as a bug-catcher, so when we find a bug inside, we call him and he proudly comes to move it outside. Which means I don’t have to touch bugs…
Soundtrack: The music we listen to shapes us. I remember my child humming Ken Medema’s “Tree Song” while walking through the woods, or singing Bryan Moyer Suderman’s “Take Good Care” while “helping” his dad weed the garden. So here’s your Walk Humbly On This Earth soundtrack. This is a Spotify playlist, but if you don’t have a free Spotify account, use this playlist to get you started on finding songs on the platform of your choice. Put your music on in the background and see how it shapes your household!
Examine your daily family life to see where you’re walking humbly and where you could do better. This includes recycling, reusing and composting, minimizing gas and electricity consumption, and eating sustainably.
If you have a garden or landscaping, bring your children into the work of pruning and cultivating. Even the littlest ones can help, digging holes, watering plants, moving things in the yard, and harvesting produce. Find some ways to make your landscape more sustainable and work on that project, over time, together.
(Photo by FlipUrban on Unsplash)
Explore it: A Note from Tami
One of my favorite activities to do with preschoolers in the fall was to take a nature walk, collecting seeds and other small findings. I put a masking tape bracelet (sticky side out) on their wrist and let them stick their findings on it. (This helped control how much they collected more than paper sacks would have!) After the walk, snip off the bracelet to put on a shelf or hang up.
One of my favorite activities to do with preschoolers in the fall was to take a nature walk, collecting seeds and other small findings. I put a masking tape bracelet (sticky side out) on their wrist and let them stick their findings on it. (This helped control how much they collected more than paper sacks would have!) After the walk, snip off the bracelet to put on a shelf or hang up.
- Many of us have a cell phone with photo capabilities. And our little ones enjoy the privilege of using it once in a while! Take them outside and let them take the lead in photographing flowers, rocks, the sky, trees, soil, leaves, etc. Then scroll through the photos noting God’s handiwork. You may be surprised what fascinates them the most.
- Here are a few more ideas 12 Ways to Teach Kids about the Environment
