Chickadee psalms
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Chickadee psalms

If I were a chickadee. . . I’d be a classical chickadee. My nest entrance would be a perfect circle.

Leaves aren’t  garbage
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Leaves aren’t garbage

Leaves should never go to the dump.

‘The righteous care for the needs of their animals’

‘The righteous care for the needs of their animals’

We were not blessed with children. In their absence we began to realize that our love of cats should turn into a kind of calling, and we should care for as many homeless, needy cats as we reasonably could.

Artificial Intelligence III: Imago Dei
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Artificial Intelligence III: Imago Dei

One of the charges given humans, part of our imago Dei, is to develop and care for creation with the specific talents God has given us as individuals. Some are given creative power to make art and do science, adding to the richness of creation

On your knees, biped

On your knees, biped

St. Paul, a rather famous self-confessed kneeler, saw creation groaning. I wonder if he took the time to see it from his knees, or from the interior of a crabapple tree, learning humility at the same time.

Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name
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Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name

Weather reports are now ubiquitous. Phone apps will give instant weather information, from anywhere, to anyone who carries a smartphone around day or night and wants to know. Some TV stations provide weather “on the 1s” (or whatever chosen minutes), meaning that at one minute, 11 minutes, 21 minutes, etc., past every hour, you’ll get a summary of your local weather. Then there’s the Weather Channel, endlessly presenting weather reports and documentaries from all parts of the globe.

Wind turbines divide communities and twist green energy plans
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Wind turbines divide communities and twist green energy plans

If at the heart of the Christian church lives a God with his arms outstretched in forgiveness, reaching wide for help and healing, there should be some way beyond the money, beyond the pain, that leads towards a restored community. Wind is not just a source of electrical power, but the Biblical symbol of a mysterious spiritual movement that can change both hearts and homes.

From creation care to climate justice
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From creation care to climate justice

I am puzzled. I thought calls to action on climate change would resonate within the Reformed branch of the Christian church and lead to a strong public witness. In reality, political leaders say they hear about other issues but not much about this one from our community. Numbers remain low for educational events, marches and letter-writing campaigns, leaving sponsors to wonder why. Perhaps unpacking possible reasons for the low response will help us think about this issue more clearly.

Lament for two small ponds
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Lament for two small ponds

This past Saturday when I drove past, the ponds were gone. So were the poplar groves and the few spruce and pine that grew in this section of a large field. Like all land-clearing operations, that small pasture now looks like a lunar landscape or war zone.

Science’s 2015 breakthrough of the year: CRISPR
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Science’s 2015 breakthrough of the year: CRISPR

This December, as it does each year, the journal Science announced the top science breakthrough of the past year.

The antidote to news-doom
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The antidote to news-doom

I awake from a nightmare in which all my human relationships have been threatened by my own actions

Echoes of Eden,  whispers of Paradise
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Echoes of Eden, whispers of Paradise

By the time you read this, I’ll be almost recuperated from two months of extreme gardening. Last fall we left for Florida without accomplishing much cleanup, so this past April consisted of endless days of raking leaves and clearing debris. May was all about weeding, planting and pruning. But June is sheer gratification. Time to sit back and marvel.