Geography and Creation Care

This past week, Miss Elsa’s class focused on the Land of Israel and learned about the significance of Nazareth, Bethlehem, and Jerusalem in the life of Jesus, emphasizing that great things come from seemingly small places. The lesson included a globe and a puzzle map to visually represent these locations and engage the students in understanding the physical places associated with Jesus' life events. The key doctrinal point is that Jesus was a real historical figure, born in Bethlehem, conceived by the Holy Spirit in Nazareth, and crucified and resurrected in Jerusalem. Students enjoyed making salt dough in preparation for creating a topographical map of Israel in their next lesson.

The older students discussed the concept of stewardship and caring for God's creation. We reflected on how everything in the universe is interconnected, and each of us has a unique and special place within it. Stewardship, defined as the responsibility of supervising or taking care of something, was a central theme. We began with an opening prayer that emphasized recognizing the dignity of all creatures and the importance of caring for the planet. The prayer expressed gratitude for the diversity of God's creation and the need for humility, justice, and love in our approach to caring for the Earth.

We also watched videos highlighting examples of creation care, including sustainable agriculture (aquaponics), sustainable forestry, eating local, and upcycling. Additionally, we checked on the progress of our own aquaponics project--the fish are thriving and the seeds have sprouted!

Holy God, your mercy is over all your works,
and in the web of life each creature has its role and place.
We praise you for ocelot and owl, cactus and kelp, lichen and whale;
we honor you for whirlwind and lava, tide and topsoil, cliff and marsh.
Give us hearts and minds eager to care for your planet,
humility to recognize all creatures as your beloved ones,
justice to share the resources of the earth with all its inhabitants,
and love not limited by our ignorance.
This we pray in the name of Jesus,
who unifies what is far off and what is near,
and in whom, by grace and the working of your Holy Spirit,
all things hold together. Amen