talking to animals on Christmas Eve

It's becoming a bit of a Christmas Eve tradition to share this reflection from Nancy Janisch of Conversation in Faith, a heartfelt and hopeful complement for 'the night before' ...

When you were young, did anyone ever tell you that animals can talk at midnight on Christmas?  I don’t remember who told me, but I do remember looking expectantly at our family Dachshund for several years on Christmas Eve.  For the record, he never said anything.  At least not in a human language.

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reconciling all things to Himself

courtesy Lauren Merritt of The Christian and Creation ...

In the evenings you can usually find me buried deep in a theology book.  Legos, dinosaurs, and 200 matchbox cars put away, after the kids’ bedtime, it’s my time to work toward my master’s degree in theology.  Every once in a while one of my text books has something especially lucid to say about the created order and our responsibilities and response toward it as God’s stewards.  I came across such a passage the other night, and though we’ll come to Colossians later in our current series, I wanted to share it now as well:

Those who have been reconciled to God become proclaimers of reconciliation, calling others to the reconciling love of Christ.  Finally, as Paul indicated in Colossians 1:20, the scope of reconciliation is cosmic.  God wills nothing short of the reconciliation and unification of all the created order.  This is not a far-fetched hyperbolic statement.  It has strong implications for ecology.  God desires nothing less than a completely harmonious and unified world as he created it to be.  Those of us who have been reconciled to God in Christ should seek to be ministers of reconciliation on every level – among our fellow human beings and toward the natural order as well. (John B. Polhill, Paul and His Letters)

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creature praise

thanks to Dean Ohlman of The Wonder of Creation for this poignant reminder of our calling to join God's creatures in worshiping our mutual Creator ...

I’m not sure how many churches today still incorporate in their worship the traditional “Doxology” sung to the tune of the “Old Hundredth.”  It was so common in the past and familiar enough now that in almost any crowd gathered anywhere in the English-speaking world, if you started singing it, you’d likely be joined by the majority—much like the singing of “Amazing Grace.”  I’ve always loved it:

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God's compassion for animals

A fundamental post, rich with biblical references to God's concern for animals, from Dean Ohlman of The Wonder of Creation ...

One of the many key indications of the reliability of the Bible is its addressing the broad span of the reality of life on earth.  I’m only vaguely knowledgeable of the scriptures of other religions, but I think it’s safe to say that the Bible is unparalleled in its “heart” for animals—from their origin to their destiny.  They were created by God before mankind (Gen. 1), they were put under man’s authority and responsibility (Gen. 1:20-30; Psalm 8:4-8), they were saved from destruction in the flood (Gen. 7:6-10), and they are remembered by their Creator who covenanted with them that they would continue under His protection and in His care (Gen. 9:8-16).

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the friendly beasts

I was vacuuming one of the children's rooms at church last weekend and noticed on one of the tables a copy of The Animals' Christmas Eve, a Little Golden Book which charmingly weaves together the stories of modern-day farm animals with those who surrounded Jesus at His birth:

In the barn on Christmas Eve,
After all the people leave,
The animals, in voices low,
Remember Christmas long ago ...

Written by Gale Wiersum, The Animals' Christmas Eve was originally published in 1977 (Western Publishing, see cover).  The original illustrations, though a bit dated and occasionally somewhat Anglo-Saxon, are quaintly attractive and remind me of Sunday School illustrations of a generation or two back.  An updated version of the book was released a few years ago, with more contemporary illustrations as you can see here. 

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this is my father's world

I first posted this Thanksgiving reflection two years ago, and again last year.  As I once again find myself heading into the holiday with much on my mind, I wonder if it's becoming a bit of an annual marker ...

Today is a day for giving thanks, and no doubt many of us are sharing the day with family, around a special meal prepared and enjoyed together.  It's a day for pausing to reflect on the many things we have to be grateful for, and certainly the wonderment of the animals in our homes, neighborhoods and throughout our world is one of them. 

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the interloper

"The Interloper" is a poignant poem contemplating the relationship of wildlife to God and to ourselves from Ben Witherington, a respected evangelical scholar and author, and professor of New Testament at Asbury Theological Seminary ...

On lime stones we’d laid
The chipmunk sat erect
His beady brown eye watched me
Wondering what to expect

While he devoured a nut
His teeth worked at warp speed
He sat oh so still
Satisfying his need.

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we are free

Good friend Leslie Strovas of All Things New: A Christian Conversation on Food adds a valuable perspective to our series on Christians and veganism, underscoring both freedom and discernment when it comes to food choices ...

By now, I should no longer be surprised or amazed at the parallels and intersections I see between my faith–Christianity–and my diet, veganism.  Now, settle down Christian brothers and sisters, I know Christianity isn’t veganism and that no laws or rules exist for the Christian where food is concerned.  We are indeed free.

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a compassionate Easter

Last Easter, Stephanie Feldstein, lead blogger for Change.org's Animals Cause and a gifted and prolific one at that, asked if I'd be interested in contributing a few reflections as a Christian and an animal advocate on some Easter traditions and their implications for animals, along the same lines as the post we've shared from Lauren Merritt on common Easter pets.  I was very grateful to be able to share a few thoughts on the holiday and animal compassion from a faithful perspective.

As believers who recognize the true origin and meaning of Easter, is it possible we can amend some of our traditions to better reflect the new life Christ made possible for all creation by His death and resurrection?  Here's part of what I wrote for Stephanie's post "Celebrate Easter for the Animals":

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is Narnia all fiction?

A hopeful vision for animals and our relationship to them, and one that pays due honor to the Creator, to start off the new year from Dean Ohlman of The Wonder of Creation ...

Praise the LORD!  Praise the LORD from the heavens; praise him in the heights!  Praise him, all his angels; praise him, all his hosts!

Praise him, sun and moon, praise him, all you shining stars!  Praise him, you highest heavens, and you waters above the heavens!

Let them praise the name of the LORD!  For he commanded and they were created.  And he established them forever and ever; he gave a decree, and it shall not pass away. ...

Kings of the earth and all peoples, princes and all rulers of the earth!  Young men and maidens together, old men and children!

Let them praise the name of the LORD, for his name alone is exalted; his majesty is above earth and heaven. (Psalm 148:1-6, 11-13, ESV, emphasis added)

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