Rev. George Miller
April 19, 2026
Acts 9:1-9
What does it mean to be part of Christianity’s
deep soil? How does Christ as our
foundation lead to a church victorious and at rest?
Imagine- Spring of 1863, sitting atop a
hill in England, with no sense of rush or hurry, looking upon the countryside as
the Avon River winds across the land.
The view is like one of Karen Papin’s
creations- a world soft and alive. Lime
green leaves, emerald grass, and golden buttercups.
From this comfy view upon the hilltop,
robins hop close by, barn swallows swoop across the water, and skylarks share
their songs.
From these still waters and green
pastures, one’s soul is refreshed as they see women in bonnets walk the paths, farmers
mending fences.
Sitting on that fresh grass and damp earth
are rabbits darting about, a red fox in the distance, cattle grazing, and lambs
wobbling alongside their mothers.
Centuries old with stories to tell is the
Avon River with shifting blues, edges of silver highlights where reeds grow as women
kneel on flintstones to wash clothes and fishermen patiently wait for a brown
trout to feed their family.
The River Avon is not dramatic or
demanding, but simply there, reflecting the colors of the world around,
a sky of pale blue with drifting clouds and the aroma of woodsmoke from a local
home.
This image from 1863 inspired Folliot
Pierpont to think about God’s gifts of creation and in the church, so he wrote
the lyrics to the hymn “For the Beauty Of The Earth.”
“For the beauty of the earth, for the
glory of the skies, for the love which from our birth over and around us lies.”
These words appear in our Friendship Hall
on the Social Justice bulletin board, lovingly created to celebrate our Earth
Care Ministries at St. Lucas UCC.
Everyone is encouraged to check out this
bulletin board and discover just how much we do here at St. Lucas to care for
the earth. From our recycling of clean
paper and cardboard (no pizza grease) to composting leftover food and
coffee grounds, from collecting batteries and ink cartridges, to things you’d
never think of, like the glass from airfreshner plugins and empty potato chip
bags.
Earth Care is not just a form of ministry,
it is a form of worship- through action, giving thanks to God for all
the gifts of creation.
Every time we recycle, every time we
compost or bring in an empty shampoo bottle, we are saying our own kind of
“Alleluia!”
For the Beauty of the Earth, Lord of all,
to thee we raise, this our hymn of grateful praise…How fitting, as Earth Day is
April 22 and Forrest Park is having their own special celebration the 25-26.
How fitting, since today’s reading is all
about the earth, the ground; and how an encounter with the soil can change your
entire world.
Here we have Saul, so angry and judgmental,
breathing hate upon the people he dislikes, having them dragged out of homes
and put into chains. He is on his way to
self-righteously hurt a community when the unexpected happens.
He has an experience with the Resurrected
Christ, falls to the ground, and when he stands up from the dirt, he is a
changed man.
It can make one wonder- is this story of
Saul meant to mirror the story of Creation?
Acts 9 and Genesis 1 have at least 4
things in common: breathing and ground, light, and words.
Acts 9 tells us Saul is breathing threats
of murder; in Genesis 1 God’s breath sweeps over the waters. Paul’s breath brings chaos and death. God’s breath brings order and life.
Then we have the ground. After a bright light, Paul falls to the ground,
hears words of the Lord, and from the ground he gets up.
In Greek, the word ground is pronounced
“gayn” or “gays,” it can mean earth, land, soil, and sometimes region or
territory.
So whoever put together this version of
the Bible we use had to decide- does Paul fall to the earth, to the land, to
the soil, or to the ground?
Each word can create a different emotion
and understanding, especially knowing that this is the same word used in the
Greek version of Genesis 1&2 when God creates the earth, and forms “man
from dust of the ground...”
Creation begins with God’s breath, resulting
in life emerging from the soil. Saul’s transformation
and welcome into the Christian community begins with him breathing death, being
brought down to the earth and up.
Genesis shows the beginning of a new
experience through the persons of Eve and Adam; Acts shows the beginnings of a
revolutionary movement through Saul and Christ Resurrected.
In both stories, from the earth, from the
land, from the soil, from the ground new life emerges and blesses the world.
We could talk about how the light that
flashes around Paul and the words he hears could relate to the light and words
of Creation. But let’s focus on the
earth, and the “what can we take away?”
Saul doesn’t just fall to the ground and
get back, Saul begins the process of becoming part of the deep, rich soil of
Christian faith.
Saul becomes like a “Glory of the Snow
bulb” planted in soil, blind and vulnerable, emerging new and transformed,
finding his way into other gardens where he shares the Good News of Jesus
Christ.
Today’s scripture isn’t just about how the
experience of Christ changed one man, but how it connects us to the beginning,
it connects us to the ground, it connects us to the dust we come from and the
dust we shall return.
This is another story of legacy, heritage,
and hope.
Just as St. Lucas was forged out of
limestone from the earth, Saul emerged from the ground, forever different and
inspired.
So as we prepare to honor Earth Day, as we
continue to compost our cups and plates, bring in our socks and empty cleaning
bottles, let us know that we’re not separate from the earth, but we are forever
connected to and a part of it.
Genesis 1 and Acts 9 reminds us, our
connection to the earth is deep, it is real, and it is eternal; forever
intertwined in God.
For the beauty of the earth, for the glory
of the skies, let us each be our own best version of ourselves, knowing that
what we breathe makes a difference.
How we treat the earth is a form of praise
and worship to our living, breathing, still Speaking God.
For that, let us say “Amen.”
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