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Background
 The personal effort
the woman put into
searching for her
one lost coin should
serve as an example
for the personal
efforts each person
may employ in care
for God's creation.
There is always the
temptation, when
faced with the
magnitude of
environmental
problems, to throw
up one's hands in
frustration and
mutter, 'What can
one person do?"
This session focuses
on how much one
person can
do. If this
reflection evokes
some healthy
controversy, do not
avoid it. Allow for
various points of
view in a group or
within yourself.
Pray for God's
Spirit to help you
know what you are to
learn. It may be a
different learning
for each person.
Reading
The
Parable of the Lost
Coin
Luke 15:8–9
Reflection
The woman in
Jesus' parable was
concerned about just
a small portion of
her environment. She
lost 10 percent of
her money; 90
percent was safe and
secure. Yet she
would not rest until
she recovered that
one coin and, in the
process, she
thoroughly cleaned
her entire house.
If
we misplaced 10
percent of our
personal resources,
we would probably
react the same way.
When it comes to
recovering lost
natural resources,
however, we may be
less determined in
our efforts. We may
have a hard time
seeing the loss of a
species of insect in
South America as a
personal loss.
Hardly
a week goes by
without news of
another source of
water pollution or
toxic waste leakage
discovered. The
closer it is to
home, the more
concerned we become.
The truth is,
however, that the
way in which we,
individually, care
for God's creation
affects not only our
local community, but
the whole planet as
well.
Yet
environmental
discussions and
decisions become
incredibly difficult
when equally
legitimate, but
conflicting,
concerns vie for the
use of resources:
saving jobs in the
timber industry
versus protecting
the habitat of the
spotted owl; using
non-renewable energy
sources versus
building nuclear
power plants.
The
woman in the parable
had a distinct
advantage in that
she could pursue her
goal with a
single-minded
dedication to the
task at hand. She
looked for her coin
in her house.
Our
"house" is
much bigger, and
there's a lot more
at stake.
Discussion
| 1. |
Consider these
10 natural
resources:
air, lakes,
soil, trees,
birds,
animals, fish,
insects,
sunlight, and
rain. Which
one (10
percent) could
you afford to
lose? What
difference
would it make? |
| 2. |
What efforts
can you make
to "clean
house" in your
community in
order to
recover a
nearly-lost
resource? What
steps are you
taking to make
care of God's
creation a way
of life? |
| 3. |
When
two
legitimate
uses of a
resource are
in conflict,
what
principles
and
guidelines
may you use
to address
and solve
the problem? |
Prayer
God of earth and
altar, we live
together on earth as
members of one
family residing in
one home. Forgive
our complacency
about the
environment you have
given us to tend,
and give us, we
pray, both wisdom
and compassion as we
care for your
creation. Amen
Written
by Susan K. Wendorf
for Women of the
ELCA. Copyright ©
1995 Women of the
Evangelical Lutheran
Church in America.
All rights reserved.
May be reproduced
for use by Women of
the ELCA in
congregations
provided each copy
carries the
copyright notice
above. For
all other purposes, contact
us.
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