Prayer for the World September 10, 2025

Preserving God’s Creation

Introduction: 

The Season of Creation, is an opportunity for us to celebrate and offer a prayer of gratitude for the work of Land Preservation across this Country.  We are especially grateful for “Victory Noll Acres,” a part of the Indiana Acres Land Trust which covers a total of 107 acres. 

Song:  Song: Sacred Creation by Rufino Zaragoza

https://youtu.be/Kmjhvp68zIs?si=GRrYAbnWbLiHcHH5 

(right click link when menu comes up click open hyperlink)

Refrain: Sacred the land, sacred the water,sacred the sky, holy and true.Sacred all life, sacred each other;all reflect God who is good.                                         

All praise be yours through Brother Sun bearing a likeness of you, Most High One.  Sister Moon and Stars who are precious, splendid, ride your glorious sky.

Refrain:

Brother Wind and Air that pervades, vary their moods to sustain all you’ve made.  Sister Water, useful and pure, lowly, freely sharing her life.

Refrain:

For Reflection

The land, which is known as Victory Noll Acres, features oaks, maples and sycamores, as well as steep ravines and rolling prairie areas.  The property is on the top of a bluff overlooking the Wabash River valley, with the edge of the bluff forming the original bank of the river, first carved out by the rushing waters of a melting glacier. 

“Over the years this land has been a place of recreation and enjoyment, as well as solace and prayer, not only for the sisters but for many others who have come to visit.”   (Sr. Ginger)  (Refrain)

Both groups’ goals and beliefs (i.e., ACRES Land Trust and VNS) overlap so well when it comes to the environment. The Victory Noll Sisters’ land ethic states that, “We cherish this land as a sacrament of God’s love for us.” ACRES values “the intrinsic and diverse benefits of natural places and the life they sustain.”  (Refrain)

Quiet Reflection

The following excerpts are from The Cosmic Dance by Joyce Rupp.

The soul of the world and our own souls intertwine and influence one another. There is one Great Being who enlivens the dance of our beautiful planet and everything that exists. The darkness of outer space, the greenness of our land and the blue of our seas, the breath of every human and creature, all are intimately united in a cosmic dance of oneness with the Creator’s breath of love. [2]  

There is such power in the cosmic dance. Each time I resonate with this energy I sink into my soul and find a wide and wondrous connection with each part of my life. I come home to myself, feeling welcomed and restored to kinship with the vast treasures of Earth and Universe. I am re-balanced between hope and despair ….

Whenever and however I join with the cosmic dance, it jogs my memory and gives me a kind of “second sight,” a glimpse of the harmony and unity that is much deeper and stronger than the forces of any warring nation or individual. My trust that good shall endure is deepened. My joy of experiencing beauty is strengthened. My resolve to continually reach out beyond my own small walls is renewed. …  I sense again the limitless love that connects us all. I come home to that part of myself that savors kinship, births compassion, and welcomes tenderness. I re-discover that I am never alone. [3]  

Quiet Reflection

Song:  Song of Creation