Park View Mennonite Church offers creation series

Park View Mennonite Church, Harrisonburg, Va., completed an 11-week series based on the book, God’s Good Earth: Praise and Prayer for Creation, by Anne and Jeffery Rowthorn. “Spending 11 weeks on creation themes provided for a rich variety of topics, and no one complained about it being too much or too repetitive,” remarked Phil Kniss, senior pastor.

The series skillfully places topics such as thanksgiving, children, nations, cities and death and resurrection in the broader context of creation.
See an outline of the series.  See sermons.

Plants anchor Earth Day prayer stations

Willow Avenue Mennonite Church, Clovis, Calif., will welcome drop-ins throughout the day on Earth Day (April 22) with a series of prayer stations Each station will consist of a potted plant along with specific prompts for prayer.

“I’m a plant enthusiast, so thinking of plants as prayer prompts is just second nature for me,” Audrey says. “To do this for Earth Day is a way to do ‘outreach.’ Many people connect more with God when they’re in nature than when they’re in church. For those people, I want to affirm that God can speak through a cactus just as easily as through the Bible or hymns. For others, my hope is that this might be a new way to connect with God that would deepen their experience of God’s presence.”

Pastor Audrey Hindes is adapting the idea from a previous Maundy Thursday service. One of those stations is pictured. The text reads:

“This is a crown of thorns plant, Euphorbia milii.

“Look closely at all the different parts: flowers, leaves, thorns. Where do you feel it is safe to touch it? Where are you afraid to touch it?

“What different parts inside you hurt to touch? Can you let Jesus touch the parts of you that hurt?”