Today’s message based on the song text, “Each Breath Is Borrowed Air,” by Thomas Troeger, sung by the choir. [1]
Each breath is borrowed air,
not ours to keep and own,
and all our depths as one declare
what wisdom long has known:
to live is to receive, and answer back with praise
to what our minds cannot conceive; the source of all our days.
The sea flows in our veins.
The dust of stars is spun
to form the coiled encoded skeins
by which are cells are run:
to live is to receive, and answer back with praise
to what our minds cannot conceive; the source of all our days.
From earth and sea and dust
arise yet greater things,
the wonders born of love and trust,
a grateful heart that sings:
to give is to receive, and answer back with praise
to what our minds cannot conceive: the source of all our days.
And when our death draws near
and tries to dim our song,
our parting prayers will make it clear
to whom we still belong:
to live is to receive, and answer back with praise,
to what our minds cannot conceive: the source of all our days.
INTRODUCTION TO SCRIPTURE
Did you catch the magnitude of that song? Each breath is borrowed air.
Too often, do we forget from whom we are given air, and land, and life? Do we take for granted that we are owed this life? WHY LORD? WHY DO WE OVERLOOK THE MAGNANIMOUS WAY YOU HAVE GIVEN THE ELEMENTS THAT CREATE LIFE FROM CHAOS?
At times, has God so despaired of our ingratitude, our constant bickering, our lack of care of nature and humankind, the beautiful world we’ve been given, that God may wonder if we are worth it?
The story of Noah and the flood harkens back to a mystical event when humankind so vexed God that God unleashed the power of nature against humankind. In the account of Noah, only Noah and his family survived as a remnant from which God allowed rebirth of civilization. And God made a promise – I’ve set the rainbow in the skies as a symbol that God would not repeat this catastrophic event again. Let’s listen.
THE WORD IN SCRIPTURE Genesis 9:13-17 Nancy Powell
13 “I have placed my bow in the clouds; it will be the symbol of the covenant between me and the earth. 14 When I bring clouds over the earth and the bow appears in the clouds, 15 I will remember the covenant between me and you and every living being among all the creatures. Floodwaters will never again destroy all creatures. 16 The bow will be in the clouds, and upon seeing it I will remember the enduring covenant between God and every living being of all the earth’s creatures.” 17 God said to Noah, “This is the symbol of the covenant that I have set up between me and all creatures on earth.”
Leader: A Word of God that is still speaking,
ALL: Thanks be to God.
THE MESSAGE How Does Creation Sing? Pastor Donna Goltry
In Genesis 9, God made a covenant between Godself and all creatures of the earth, never again to seek destruction of earth. And signed this covenant with the sign of the rainbow in the sky. How appropriate. A sign in the air we breathe, created by the droplets of water vapor reflecting off the sun that warms the planet, viewed by us as we stand on the face of the earth. Next time a rainbow appears, can we remember to thank God for the air we breathe, for the water that sustains nearly all plants and animals, including ourselves? For the land where we stand and live. For the force of life that flows through our veins.
This is so well expressed in the hymn written by Thomas Troeger we heard sung to the familiar tune of “This Is My Father’s World.” In his reflection about the hymn, Troeger said he was writing the song to meld together people of strong faith with those who are “iffy.” How, he wondered, could he reach them both? His response was to draw his inspiration from the second creation myth of when God breathed life into the first human being, Adam, and melding it together with the science of life. He wanted to bring faith into this millennium. Faith that understands the miracle and the workings of life.[2]
He began with the phrase, “each breath is borrowed air.” He challenged anyone who to try to hold onto and control breath. Take a breath and try to keep it. TRY IT. It can’t be done except for a brief time.
Each breath is borrowed air, not ours to keep and own,
Humankind is not capable, in and of ourselves, of creating the air we breathe. It is God-given, a part of the universe that miraculously came to be and set in motion life on planet earth. We share the air, the atmosphere, with all who live on earth, plants and animals and fellow human beings.
and all our depths as one declare what wisdom long has known:
to live is to receive,
and answer back with praise (praising God for life)
to what our minds cannot conceive; the source of all our days.
On this weekend as Earth Day has been celebrated worldwide, we are thankful not just for the air we breathe, but also for the water that allows life to flourish. The waters, beginning in the sea, flowing through the rivers and streams, falling in the rain on parched landscapes, this water, originating in the oceans, is recirculating through the skies, and is essential for life on earth. And so we sing:
The sea flows in our veins.
Then he recalled another miraculous aspect of life, the miracle of DNA in cells of all living forms, DNA which is unique to each species and individual, and gives the blueprint necessary for living and reproducing.
The dust of stars is spun to form the coiled encoded skeins
by which are cells are run.
From these ingredients of air, water, earth and cells comes life; what an amazing thing it is! And yet, miracle upon miracle, there is even more. For humankind, it includes the capacity to love and give meaning to our days. It includes the capacity to seek God’s love, Christ’s love, and love of one another.
From earth and sea and dust arise yet greater things,
the wonders born of love and trust, a grateful heart that sings:
to give is to receive, and answer back with praise
to what our minds cannot conceive: the source of all our days.
How does creation sing? How do we answer that question? My suggestion for you to consider beginning by praising God and continuing by taking good care of the good gifts we’ve been given. Express our gratitude like with this song, or through our prayers. Then carry forth in takings responsibility for stewardship of these gifts we have been given. This earth is not ours to keep, it is here for us to take care of and protect for those who come after us. How are we doing with this?
How does creation sing? Is the response by giving praise to God and then taking good care of it? Can it be that simple, yet profound?
And when our death draws near and tries to dim our song,
our parting prayers will make it clear to whom we still belong:
to live is to receive, and answer back with praise,
to what our minds cannot conceive: the source of all our days.
Amen.
[1] 2002 Oxford University Press. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Reprinted under OneLicense S-922483 04-23-23, CCLI #1507403
[2] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w2fwFaEm_-c
Leave a Reply