Devotional Resources

Lenten Devotional

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By Paul Galbreath

“In the day that God made the earth and the heavens, when no plant of the field was yet in the earth and no herb of the field had yet sprung up—for God had not caused it to rain upon the earth, and there was no one to till the ground; but a stream would rise from the earth, and water the whole face of the ground.” – Genesis 2:4-6

Our journey begins by following the way of the water. In the stories of creation in Genesis, water comes as a gift of God. It rises up out of the earth to provide the source of fertility and productivity that allows life to come forth. Water is a precious resource from which all of life comes. Each day, we depend on it for our basic needs: drinking, bathing, growing plants and food, cleaning, recreation. We use water in our worship services to celebrate the grace God offers us as beloved children of God. The water of baptism welcomes us to share life in a community where we promise to care for our neighbors and for God’s creation.

An important step in this baptismal journey is growing in our knowledge of the water we depend on for daily life. What is your local watershed? What is the closest river or body of water? A renewed emphasis on discipleship and earth care invites us to find ways to recognize our dependence on the water that is nearby and provides us life. When we recognize our relationship to the water, then we look for ways to honor and care for this basic element. A starting place is taking a photo of the water that is near to us and including it in our prayers each day. We can put our prayers into action by volunteering with local organizations that are working to keep local rivers and habitats clean.

Dr. Paul Galbreath is Professor of Theology at Union Presbyterian Seminary in Charlotte, North Carolina. This reflection is taken from his new Lenten devotional book, Elemental: a Journey through Lent with the Earth. It is available through booksellers and at https://parsonsporch.com/presbyterian-books/elemental-paul-galbreath.

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