Genesis 2:18-24 is one of the readings for the Nineteenth Sunday after Pentecost in Year A of Revised Common Lectionary, October 3, 2021.\u00a0 This is the Sunday closest to the feast day of St. Francis of Assisi (Oct. 4) which is often celebrated in churches with a \u201cBlessing of the Animals.\u201d Congregations invite parishioners to bring their pets for special blessings and celebrate the love and joy our animals bring to us. This Sunday also marks the end of the Season of Creation<\/a> which began on Sept. 1.<\/p>\n So out of the ground the\u00a0Lord\u00a0God formed every animal of the field and every bird of the air, and brought them to the man to see what he would call them; and whatever the man called every living creature, that was its name.<\/em><\/p>\n Eco-exegesis is a method of interpreting the biblical text through a green lens<\/a> using the principles of ecological theology.\u00a0 For this passage, we turn to the<\/em> Eco Bible,<\/a> a Jewish ecological commentary on the Hebrew texts.<\/em><\/p>\n According to the Eco Bible<\/em>, \u201cGod created animals after <\/em>people in the second creation story, with the purpose of Adam naming the animals.\u00a0 Adam was engaged in a relationship of recognition and non-violent interaction.\u201d[i]<\/a> The story implies that Adam studied each animal not as a commodity to be bought, sold, consumed, or used for himself.\u00a0 Rather, he regarded each of God\u2019s creatures as a sacred nefesh chaya<\/em>, \u201csoul of life.\u201d<\/p>\n We can imagine Adam gathered with the rest of his Earth-kin in a chorus of whinnies, chortles, buzzes, chitters, and bellows of praise to their Creator.\u00a0 This was, perhaps, the first Blessing of the Animals Sunday!<\/p>\n The Eco Bible <\/em>goes on to explain that \u201cthe original human was granted dominion because of his ability to respect and learn about the animal kingdom in this manner.\u201d[ii]<\/a>\u00a0 Rabbi David Seidenberg writes that in the midrashim (interpretive writings) about the relationship between humans and animals in Genesis, rabbis consistently asserted that \u201cthe animals come to us as teachers.\u201d In contrast to a hierarchical, utilitarian view of animals, Scripture shows us that \u201cthey are not just presented as vassals or objects to be taken care of.\u00a0 We can learn from them only by humbly standing in relation to them, i.e., by \u2018under-standing,\u2019 in the truest and deepest sense of the word.\u201d[iii]<\/a><\/p>\n The Eco-Idea is one succinct statement that tells us who God is and\/or what God does in relation to Creation and how we should respond as people of faith. The Eco-Idea for this sermon is:<\/em><\/p>\n God created all living creatures as kin to humans and fellow worshipers within the sanctuary of Earth. As such, humans must reorient their attitudes and economies so that animals are treated with respect and honor instead of as products, servants, and entertainment.<\/p>\n Eco-Questions are what we can ask to help a congregation draw out the implications of the Eco-Exegesis and Eco-Idea.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n Eco-Actions are ways that a congregation might respond to the Eco-Idea and Eco-Questions.\u00a0 One of these possibilities may have salience for your preaching context.<\/em><\/p>\n Feast of St. Francis: Resurrection Sermon for an Earth-Kin Congregation<\/a><\/p>\n Birds, Church, and Climate Change: Spotlight on Corina Newsome<\/a><\/p>\n 7-Day Vegan Challenge: A Week No Animals Will Suffer By My Menu<\/a><\/p>\n A Dozen Bible Passages for Preaching a Creation-Care Sermon<\/a><\/p>\n Drawing from <\/em>Eco Bible<\/a>, a Jewish ecological commentary on the Hebrew Scriptures, the Rev. Dr. Leah Schade, author of <\/em>Creation-Crisis Preaching: Ecology, Theology and the Pulpit<\/a> (Chalice Press, 2015), provides sermon preparation for preaching about caring for God\u2019s Creation that is short, accessible, and based on a solid biblical foundation. Thanks to the Interfaith Center for Sustainable Development<\/a> for supporting this work. To sign up to receive future EcoPreacher 1-2-3 installments, click here<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n [i]<\/a> Eco Bible Volume 1: An Ecological Commentary on Genesis and Exodus<\/em>.\u00a0 Rabbi Yonatan Neril & Rabbi Leo Dee, editors. (Interfaith Center for Sustainable Development, 2020), 13.\u00a0 https:\/\/www.interfaithsustain.com\/ecobible\/<\/a><\/u><\/p>\n [ii]<\/a> Ibid, 14.<\/p>\n [iii]<\/a> Rabbi David Seidenberg, \u201cCrossing the Threshold: God\u2019s Image in the More-Than-Human World,\u201d PhD thesis, Jewish Theological Seminary, 2004, 164. Quoted in Eco Bible Volume 1<\/em>, p. 14.<\/p>\n [iv]<\/a> \u201cPreaching About Controversial Issues.\u201d Unpublished research conducted by Leah D. Schade, 2017.\u00a0 Of the 838 respondents, only 3.5% said they had intentionally or specifically addressed or incorporated the topic of \u201cspecies extinction\u201d into their preaching in the previous year.<\/p>\n [v]<\/a> Craig Welch, \u201cSecrets of the Whales,\u201d National Geographic. <\/em>May 2021, 40-79.\u00a0 https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/National-Geographic-Magazine-Secrets-Whales\/dp\/B0935L2XGJ<\/a><\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" When God led the animals to Adam in Genesis 2:18-24, perhaps this was the first Blessing of the Animals Sunday!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2929,"featured_media":7934,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1784,14],"tags":[449,1796,1781,1799],"class_list":["post-7925","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-ecopreacher-1-2-3","category-preaching","tag-animals","tag-blessing-animals-sunday","tag-ecopreacher-1-2-3","tag-genesis-218-24"],"yoast_head":"\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/wp-media.patheos.com\/blogs\/sites\/764\/2021\/09\/Blessing-Animals-Sunday.jpg.png\")
Focus on Genesis 2:19<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Eco-Exegesis<\/strong><\/h2>\n
As we envision God leading this procession of animals to Adam, we might see this as the first worship service in Eden!<\/h3>\n
1 Eco-Idea<\/strong><\/em><\/h2>\n
2 Eco-Questions<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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3 Eco-Actions<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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* EcoPreacher 1-2-3 is a Creation-centered preaching resource for busy pastors. To see more ideas, click here<\/a>.<\/em><\/h4>\n
Read also:<\/h4>\n
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<\/p>\nReferences<\/h5>\n