Chestnut Ridge

Last night was Ash Wednesday. As my family and I went forward for the imposition of ashes on our foreheads, I was reminded again that we are people connected to dirt and dust...

“The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it.” (Ps. 24:1)

God formed us from the dust of the earth, and to dust we shall return. Yet, between our life’s beginning and end, we are tied to the dust of the world as well.

It is from the dust that we receive our daily bread. Some of the dust sustains us with minimal effort on our part: the wild blueberries and blackberries at camp, for instance. Other times the dust requires our attention and care if it is to produce the tomatoes, lettuces and cucumbers we enjoy. We planted one such garden at camp last year and a new, larger one is underway for this summer.

This summer, we plan to play in the dirt. We will explore our connection to the land as creatures tied by design to dirt, water and fruits of the soil. We will experience God as Creator, Sustainer and Redeemer of all creation. We will learn about community as we join our labors with God’s gifts to yield flowers, fruits and vegetables. We will embrace the whole cycle of life – birth, life, and death – through plantings, caretaking, and composting. Most of all, we will celebrate the gifts of the land this summer – the bread and the fruit of the vine – as we are united as the Body of Christ.

Here’s to getting dirty!

Blessings,

Rev. Rhonda Parker