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| Image by Gregory Slobirdr |
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A GREETING
I give thanks to you, O God, with my whole heart.
(Psalm 86:12a)
A READING
‘But ask the animals, and they will teach you;
the birds of the air, and they will tell you;
ask the plants of the earth, and they will teach you;
and the fish of the sea will declare to you.
Who among all these does not know
that the hand of the Creator has done this?
In God's hand is the life of every living thing
and the breath of every human being.'
(Job 12:7-10)
MUSIC
A MEDITATIVE VERSE
O Lord, how manifold are your works!
In wisdom you have made them all;
the earth is full of your creatures.
(Psalm 104:24)
A REFLECTION
Sage, cedar, sweet grass, tobacco. The
sacred medicines. When you start your day
with them, along with a prayer of gratitude,
your energy becomes joined with the
creative energy of the universe—and you
may become a creator yourself if you choose
and allow. That’s the power of medicine.
- from "Embers," by Richard Wagamese
VERSE OF THE DAY
They feast on the abundance of your house,
and you give them drink from the river of your delights.
(Psalm 36:8)
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| Image by Charles Wohlers |
In the midst of Job’s perilous life of suffering, in Chapter 12 he responds to his friend Zophar with a tribute to the miraculous workings of God in Creation. It will be echoed later in Job when God expands on this and offers even more evidence for God’s extraordinary capacity for creativity. And yet we have continued to exploit some of God’s majestic gifts to our own gain, sometimes at the harm of others. While we often talk about factory farming or fish farming, we don’t generally tend to think of how plants have been exploited.
Commercial tea has much to answer for since it's widespread use from the mid-18th century onward. From the enslavement of peoples to plant and harvest the tea, to the encouragement to grow only particular kinds of tea without care to the impacts on the land, tea production has been controversial. Camellia Sinensis is an evergreen shrub whose buds offer different strengths and flavouring of tea. It was in use in China and then was made popular in Europe, first in Portugal, and then in England when a Portuguese woman, Catherine of Braganza, married Charles II. Meanwhile, Celtic peoples and especially Indigenous peoples the world over have understood the pleasures and the medicinal benefits of brewing plants for thousands of years.
Many of us enjoy a nice hot cup of tea to get us going in the morning or to settle down with in the evening. But how much have we actually thought about tea for its medicinal benefits and its connections to the land? The elders teach us that there are many tea making plants in the Canadian landscape. Below we explore Labrador tea. Some people have shown their own creativity in using the gifts God has given us, including to make local tea that is reflective of the place it is grown.
God’s creativity knows no bounds and includes each and every one of us. How can we use our God-given creativity to help make a world where we can honour what our environment has to offer, by taking only what we need, and finding sustainable ways to renew what we take?
The next and final devotional day will be Monday, January 6th.
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A STORY OF MEDICINE
Elder Bertha Skye discusses the medicinal uses of Labrador tea and how it has helped her community in the fight against diabetes. She also tells us that Indigenous students love this tea. Who might enjoy sharing a cup with you in these days?
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LC† Seeds of Hope is a project of Lutherans Connect, supported by the Eastern Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada and the Centre for Spirituality and Media at Martin Luther University College. To receive the devotions by email, write to lutheransconnect@gmail.com. The devotional pages are written and curated by Deacon Sherry Coman, with support and input from Pastor Steve Hoffard, Catherine Evenden and Henriette Thompson. Join us on Facebook, and on Twitter. Lutherans Connect invites you to make a donation to the Ministry by going to this link on the website of the ELCIC Eastern Synod and selecting "Lutherans Connect Devotionals" under "Fund". Devotions are always freely offered, however your donations help support the ongoing work.
Thank you and peace be with you!