Thearth-rat’s another way of asking “What future does God dream for this world?”  This was the topic for our second week in the D.Min programme at Luther Seminary.  Needless to say, such a question is especially ‘loaded’ this year with the freight of the shocking attack on LGBTQ party-goers in Orlando, the upcoming Presidential election in the US, not to mention the daunting refugee crisis facing the world, and the growing impact of humanly compounded global warming.  What a time to be asking  question, “What on earth is next!”  I remain in deeply in awe of and grateful for the extremely talented cohort members with whom I am studying. Thanks to them, the conversation was rigorous, and at times troubling, as you can imagine,  (which may explain why my Facebook posts were few last week!).

There are no simple answers, no one-size fits all solutions to the world’s crises and possibilities.  Except one:  God does have a Dream, and God does have a future for God’s creation, and for us as God’s people called to be blessing within this earth.  All we need to do now, is figure out just what our particular, peculiar gift is to this unfolding future!  And that’s where you come in, Cedar Parkers:  we get to figure this out together, in community, gathered in prayer, worship and exploration of the texts of Scripture and of our lives. What on earth is next is both in God’s hands, and ours, and that’s awe-inspiring, isn’t it?