The following guest sermon was submitted by ULC Minister Astrid Birch. All members of the ULC community are invited to contribute their own sermons for consideration/publication. To submit a sermon, please email it to sermons@themonastery.org.
I don’t have to tell you that 2020 has been a year of enormous upheaval: neverending civil unrest, atrophied political discourse, and oh, yeah, COVID-19.
And as if we didn’t have enough on our 2020 plate already, Mother Nature, Gaia herself, is yearning out in pain. One needs only to look at the numerous natural disasters occurring at home and abroad to see that something is gravely wrong with our little corner of the Universe.
The question is, are these the death throes of the Goddess, or just a cry for help?
Take, for example, Hurricane Sally, a tropical cyclone hitting the Gulf Coast with unusual might. Sally’s leaving a wake of abject destruction in her wake, devastating parts of Florida and Alabama with winds over 100 MPH and rainfall totals measured in feet, not inches.
She’s even conjuring up tornados in affected areas too, because why not.
On the other side of the United States, wildfires devastate the entire West Coast, as California, Oregon, and Washington are quite literally constantly on fire. For days now, San Francisco, Seattle, Los Angeles, Portland, Or., and Vancouver, B.C. all ranked in the top ten for worst air quality on the planet, beating out Shanghai, Hanoi, and Tehran.
Wildfire smoke is giving the entire coast an orange haze, choking the lungs of human and animal alike. When the post-apocalyptic world of Mad Max appears to have better air quality than Portland, we’ve got a major problem.
Travel a bit up north and you’ll find an ice shelf the size of two Manhattans breaking off the coast of Greenland, a result of record high summer temperatures. In recent years, Greenland’s ice melted beyond a point of no return, a change so significant that it’s caused a measurable change in Greenland’s gravitational field.
Head down south and you’ll find much the same in Antarctica, where the Pine Island and Thwaites glaciers are experiencing rapid change in vulnerable points, risking their own collapse. Should that happen, sea levels worldwide could rise up to 25 feet, devastating coastal communities worldwide.
What do all these natural disasters have in common? Why are they coming all at once?
These are not normal occurrences. These are the results of a century of industrialization, capitalism, and human arrogance.
Of a desire for profit over maintaining a spiritual connection with the land on which we live.
Of human-made climate change, accelerated each year by our own hubris.
These are the punishments of our own doing.
Mother Earth and the human body are remarkably similar. When sick, they let you know. That’s what’s happening right now.
We’d be fools to ignore Her cries of pain.
35 comments
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Daniel Gray
How exactly? what delusional thought process did you use to come up with that statement? NASA and the US Geological society have proved that the Earth froze solid SIX TIMES in its history (called the snowball earth) and since man wasnt around till AFTER the 6th time, someone want to explain just HOW all of a sudden that mankind is responsible for this? Who was the ones or things that allowed the earth to unfreeze the last six times? And lets not forget the little ice age that didnt end until the late 1950's This is what caused the Black Death and allowed it to snow in what is now Dallas Texas on July 4th. You followers of the church of Climate change need to understand that this is cyclical and there is nothing mankind can do that mother nature cant undo. If we listened to you, we would have abandoned the whole east coast as Al Gore, the high priest of stupidity; swore that places like Boston and DC and Atlanta and NY would be under 30 feet of water by now. Florida would be all gone as from Tally south, not one thing is more then 10 feet above sea level. Seattle, Portland, Frisco, LA ALL would be gone. Yet they are still here. The Canadians have said there are more polar bears now then ever before...and yet if you listen to people Like Gore the polar bears are going extinct. According to NASA there is far more ice now in the poles then ever before. So when you finally get the sense God gave a doorknob, then come back.
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Shanta McBain
Hum polar bears more than ever. That is definitely not a fact. They are in danger of extinction due to our neglect,
You need to check your facts before making claims. It undermines your credibility on your good point. Not that I found any.
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Daniel Gray
Absolute lies, try again
https://www.npr.org/2013/02/02/170779528/the-inconvenient-truth-about-polar-bears
https://massivesci.com/articles/polar-bear-kane-basin-greenland-canada-climate-annual-ice/
Seems both Canada (and they should know as they have them in their northern provinces) and even the left wing NPR are saying you dont know what you are talking about
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Johnny Mac
Man made disasters? Yes we have them. From mismanaged sanitation, dumping refuse into the ocean, Drunk captains on oil tankers, faulty sea and land oil production platforms, to ecological manipulations from contrails of airliners! It was explained in The Holy Bible, that the next time earth will be destroyed it will be by fire. Not man made but by GOD! HE built the planets, Universe, and stars; so it is his tight if we misbehave to do what he must for us. The proof of that is also contained therein. New Jerusalem will come down and replace the old. And earth shall live again. We do not know what this new form may be but a better place it shall be, I am assured. Remember family pray daily and seek ye HIS knowledge. As it is written so may it be done.
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Lionheart
Personally, I always preferred the books of Harry Potter, and also Lord Of The Rings. They are much better stories, much better written, and not so gory at the end. Plus, when you've read them its obvious that they are fiction so there's no danger of getting psychologically brainwashed by them making you think they are real. I thoroughly recommend them, but please be aware they ARE fiction. I only mention that because I get that very sneaky suspicion you might think the stories are real, mainly because you've done it before, so please be careful when reading them.
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John T. Watson
Calling the earth, the planet God created, mother is idol worship. Read your bible and understand that any object that is placed ahead of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost is idol worship. The earth is a planet created by God not something to be worshiped. Man was told to use the world and its resources for its survival. Not to abuse it but to manage it like a gardener manages a garden. Has man done it correctly? The answer to that is in many cases ,No. Has the planet been polluted and the land abused? Yes. What is happening was prophecied by Jesus and other prophets mellenial ago. We are approaching the days of trouble that Jesus talked about occurring prior to His return. It will only continue to deteriorate. Use the pulpit and God's word to convince people to repent and accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Saviour with the time that is left. What is happening with the planet leave to God. The souls of men and women are worth much more to God than the earth.
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Minister Mike
During my daily chat with God, over coffee, this morning, we were discussing just these issues. For the first time in ages our conversation saddened me because God said it really is almost too late for humanity to fix itself. The bright side, though, was Its reassurance that after humanity destroys itself, the Earth will heal and a different species will be chosen to dominate the planet and all that lives in it.
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Douglas Robert Spindler
God has killed all but 8 people before in the past. No reason God won't do it again. Maybe God is tried of humans and will destroy is all to see what with evolution this time.
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Lionheart
Yes, and let’s not forget that many of those people the Christian god killed in the flood would have been little boys and girls, and pregnant mothers, but he was okay with the drunkard, Noah. I’m ready to punch him on his nose if ever I find that he’s real. I’ll stand up for those children even if that god doesn’t. It feels really good to have better morals than that angry, jealous, infanticidal god.
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Douglas Robert Spindler
Or are all the stories in the Bible works of fiction. On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection is the Bible that applies to all. Good think about it is you don't even have to believe in natural selection as it just happens. Praise Darwin for showing us the truth.
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Woodrow
If she is a goddess, she would stop the problems. Why can't she use her powers? She apparently can't use them. Since they are natural disasters, why blame humans. Put the blame on gaia.
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Amber Fry
Same would go for God then wouldn't it? Why isn't God doing something??
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SibylTheHeretic
The 50 year long fire in California is the result of hippies moving to the desert, refusing to properly manage the land and building cities where there is no water. Every thing else is caused by global warming which can also be blamed on hippies.
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Douglas Robert Spindler
The world has the hippies in California to thank for clean air, clean beaches, clean water, great music, brining an end to the Vietnam war and free sex. Massive fires in California pre-date the hippies by 50 years. California has always had fires. Native Americans in California were known to set fires because certain species of plants would not grow without fire. It was the Federal Government's policy of putting out all fires and not letting prohibiting the the Native Americas from setting fires is why California, Oregon and Washington forests are on fire. Ironic isn't it. During World War II the Japanese launched over 10,000 balloons to set the forests of California, Oregon and Washington on fire. They only succeeded in killing 6 people, mostly kids. But our government has had huge success at doing what the Japanese failed to do.
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SibylTheHeretic
California is so clean that it is the only state to need a poop patrol to clean the side walks.
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Douglas Robert Spindler
Yes it is sad that the dog owning Christians in our state do not clean-up after their dogs pop on other peoples lawns and on church grounds. Yes, we had to enact a law for these Christians to clean-up after their dogs. Once we did for the most part they are and we have a poop-free states. Praise God.
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SibylTheHeretic
The poo is not from dogs.
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Douglas Robert Spindler
You are correct it is holy poo.
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SibylTheHeretic
Gardeners for the lord.
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Lionheart
Which lord would that be? Lord Krishna, or Lord of the Rings? Mankind seems to have created so many, just like all the gods mankind has created.
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Paul J. Fumero
Global Warming you fools.
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Rev. Jonathan Peebles
I can some what believe that and know she does fight back but I think a lot of it is also our effect on the environment AKA climate change. So it is a bit of both I believe
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SibylTheHeretic
Comment removed by user.
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Krystina S.
Well. I can see that sectarian religiosity can lead to inane conclusions. FACT: Humans have caused an acceleration of Earth Climate Warming. FACT: This Climate Warming is making weather more severe, melting ice, making oceans warmer, endangering polar bears (who are only present in greater numbers where people live because they are starving), and creating other havoc on our entire planet. Indeed, we have heat waves on all continents which are becoming worse. We also are having the earth burning everywhere, including in the arctic. Not just the U.S. It is important to have scientific FACTS, NOT just to listen to "talking heads" (not the band, they are ok) who prognosticate in inane ways. The ice ages are in terms of hundreds of thousands and millions of years. We are talking in terms of DECADES. It is important to recognize orders of magnitude here. DECADES. This is NOT "natural" or "normal." Additionally, I would ask: If 99% of SCIENCE is "wrong," what is the PROBLEM with CLEANING up our Earth, Respecting the Biosphere, and creating CLEAN and RENEWABLE ENERGY systems for our planet??? There is no "there" there. No problem. So even the "Climate Deniers" should ALL AGREE that a Clean Earth and Renewable Energy is a good thing. I just don't get it. This is exactly the point where SOME PEOPLES' "religiosity" does NOT get to create a scenario in which destroying our planet and not cleaning it up is OK. That is not "righteous." That is saying "I am religious. I like filthy air, water, and soil. I like destroying the planet. I don't care about the future." It makes me ashamed to be a Minister, a person of Faith, to be likened to such people.
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SibylTheHeretic
I agree that humans are causing global warming. But I would argue that it is not the American humans that are causing most problems (with the exception being the hippies in California). China has had toxic air pollution forever and the south americans are burning down the forests for whatever reasons. Environmentalist need to take their protests to these countries. And if they survive they will come back and realize how nice it is in America.
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Roger Charles Driver
Why is it so difficult just to get a simple Christening ceremony on the this site?
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Dr. Pangborn
United States or at least the west is in the ring of fire. Its all volcanos and the center of Earth getting heated up by the auras of the sun. We have all the major gas giant planets on one side of the sun and it will be a few years until they have evened back out so this is a cycle that the solar system and Earth goes through to cleanse herself with fire and water. Earth has 7 chakras and the root chakra is Mt. Shasta in Northern California near Redding, CA. Mt. Lassen and the Buttes are all linked and the fires have been gasses being pushed out and she is building up pressure to blow. You get a pge line and some Co2 gasses and sulfer dixide it makes a torch. Like a can of hair spray and a lighter but a lot bigger. Than it leaves radon in the environment and that is radio active and causes Corona Virus. Volcanos in China and Hawaii and everywhere are going off but they keep quiet about CA for the economy to keep going cause CA brings the most money and most food and they don't want everyone to leave. However this chakra is about life stability and it needs to be balanced. The government is pissing off the Earth because it gets paid and is ran by breaking apart families with prisons foster homes divorce and courts and fighting for nothing but money and more laws and more pain and suffering. Other countries they stay together and ours is taught to seperate. Divide and Conquer Divide and Conquer
Noticed that the wildfires seem to terminate at the border between Canada and the United States and between the border of the United States and Mexico, so I’m guessing that global warming is only applicable to the United States. Or could it be that most of the left wing anarchist arsonists I are insistent on messing around with the data?
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Living on the southern California border we regularly have fires along the border. There is no forests along the border but a lot of highly flammable scrub brush. Often the fires that start on the Mexican side of the border cross over to the US because the prevailing wind is west southwest. The fires are fought from both sides but rarely make the news as the area is remote and few people live along the border east of San Diego.
I wonder if that's also applicable to the border between Canada and the US? We do know that some arsonists have been arrested. What we don't know is how many arsonists haven't been caught. It of course only takes one to make a huge fire, and its severity depends on weather conditions. Those to the left will minimize arsonists causing fires, and point solely to mother nature. Those to the right, knowing how criminals go looting and setting buildings and cars on fire, will point mostly to arsonists. I guess we'll never know for sure.
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no shortage of fire here in BC. Last I looked the border is south of us. So I you are not seeing reports of our fiery summer it is being suppressed. Not unlike the truth about covid, its creation, movement of death from flue over to the covid camp. etc.
I don't see much morality in accusing a non existent group of setting fires or sabotaging data. In fact it sounds more like personal politics. Is that what this is for? Or is to discuss sermons?
Yes you’re right Carl. I’d forgotten that according to Biden ANTIFA is only an idea.
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According to the all legitimate sources (SPLC FBI,CIA) there is no organization called Antifa. It is simply a movement to stop the Fascists that have infiltrated the White House. But you have to research the rest of the news from all over the country and world and resist the reality show put out by the White House. It's similar to the Bachelor or House Wives of where ever. Not reality but for show.
Please tell me which party you think those who are rioting, pulling down statues, causing mayhem, and looting belong to?
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