Great Overview
As a systematician, I like the big picture. I like to see how all the individual pieces fit into the entire picture. It helps me to grasp—as much as I can—what’s going on. That’s partly why the field of ecology intrigues me as well
A Lesson from 1927
It’s that time of year. Most of the the birds at our feeders are house sparrows. They descend upon the feeders in flocks and consume nearly all the food within a day or so in the feeders. So how can I get rid of them? After all, they are not as colorful as Cardinals, Goldfinches, and Indigo Buntings
More on Chickens
In his introduction to Wendell Berry’s recent book, Bringing it to the Table, Michael Pollan observes that one of Berry’s favorite quotes comes from British agronomist, Sir Albert Howard. He urges us to think of “the whole problem of health in soil, plant, animal and man as one great subject” (p
Wetlands in Kansas?
When I think of the great plains, I think of wide open spaces, undulating landscapes like waves of an ocean, corn and wheat. I don’t think of wetlands. Yet on my way back from a workshop in Atwood, KS (where Don and Bonnie White were wonderful hosts), I stopped at Quivira National Wildlife Refuge
Check it Out!
The summer issue of the Concordia Journal (published by the faculty of Concordia Seminary) has just come out and its centered on the theme of “Caring for God’s Groaning Earth.” It’s a terrific issue (of course, I am a bit biased). In addition, it provides a balance Biblical approach to the topic. It doesn’t say everything that could be said but does chart out some directions that we need to pursue. Its contents include “The Cathedral of Creation” (by President Dale Meyer), “Caring for God’s Groaning Earth” (by yours truly), Yahweh versus Marduk: Creation Theology in Isaiah 40-55” (by Dr
Summer 2010 CONCORDIA JOURNAL sneak peek
The Summer 2010 CONCORDIA JOURNAL is on its way
It’s Hot in Kansas!
I like the wide open spaces of the great plains, with the wavy hills and the big sky with its incredible cloudscapes. Perhaps it is because I don’t feel claustrophobic. Perhaps it is the size of place puts everything in perspective. This past Spring I traveled through Nebraska to see the SandHill Crane migration. Last summer it was Iowa (I was leading a workshop in West DesMoines). This summer it is Kansas (for a workshop in Colby)
NYG—New Orleans II
While at the National Youth Gathering in New Orleans, a gentleman from Southern Illinois approached me after my presentation and asked, “why hasn’t the church taken the lead on issues regarding our responsibility for creation?” It is not the first time that someone has asked me that question. Their questions implied that the church should be at the forefront of advocating for the responsible care of creation. The instincts of these questioners are sound
NYG-New Orleans
This week I attended my first ever National Youth Gathering in New Orleans. I was impressed with the dedication and enthusiasm of those who played key roles in organizing the event as well as the high energy levels of the youth and and their leaders who came
Do We See Ourselves as Creatures?
A few friends have recently brought to my attention that many Christians are perhaps not accustomed seeing themselves or thinking of themselves as creatures. That’s somewhat curious. Do most people use the word “creature” to speak exclusively about nonhuman creatures? By contrast, do we refer to ourselves primarily, if not exclusively, as human beings in order to separate and distinguish ourselves from all other forms of life on earth?
God Made Room for Them—Can We?
Norman Wirzba develops the theme of extending hospitality to all of God’s creatures in his book, The Paradise of God . He notes that hospitality in the Old Testament involved in part the inviting of sojourners into the home, in brief, making room for them. God carved out spaces (land, air, water) for all of his creatures
On Becoming a Craniac, Part I
Ok. I know that this is somewhat typical of me
Craniac Haven!
I grew up in Wisconsin but never realized all that was there. I didn’t know that it was home to Aldo Leopold (didn’t know who he was at the time either). I didn’t pay much attention to Horicon Marsh or Necedah National Wildlife Refuge. And I didn’t know that Baraboo Wisconsin was home to the International Crane Foundation
Environmentalism as Religion?
There are various reasons why Christians may approach environmental issues with a skeptical eye and be reluctant to embrace them. One is the concern that it is an alternative religion to Christianity
Life Abundant
One of my favorite quotes comes from Wendell Berry (not surprisingly). In commenting on the nature of the abundant life, he makes the statement that material sufficiency has been met (food, clothing, shelter etc.), “life itself, which is membership in the living world, is already an abundance” ( The Way of Ignorance ). Think about it. It goes to how we think about what constitutes the good life