THE GIFT OF A
WETLAND
When the people of St. Andrew
purchased our current property nearly 50 years ago, they assumed the
congregation had all the space the congregation would need for the foreseeable
future. But then awareness of the
value of wetlands increased and environmental regulations changed. Suddenly the wetland portion of our
property— approximately 7 of the 10 acres— was no longer developable; and it
seemed more like a liability than an asset.
In the 1990’s serious consideration
was given to the possibility that the congregation would need to move to a new
location in order to grow. A
decision was made to stay. That
decision looks more and more like a wise one. We have come to realize that we can do
more than first envisioned on the developable portion of the property. In addition, an adjacent ¾ of an acre
meadow and two houses in the adjacent cul-de-sac have been purchased. And in the last several years, with the
growing green consciousness, our wetland has once again become an asset. When people from other congregations
hear that we own a wetland, they think, as one person actually said to me, “That
is really cool.”
This evening we are gathered to
bless our wetland. We are coming to
realize that our wetland is a gift from God, entrusted to our care. What are some of the benefits of our
wetland?
First of all, as we are experiencing
this evening, it provides a place for worship and fellowship. Our “Sanctuary in the Firs” is a
beautiful setting to gather together in the presence of God! Technically, as Eric Luttrell explained
to me, we are not in the wetland here.
We are in an upland forest adjacent to the wetland. Since the great majority of the
undeveloped property is wetland, we will continue to refer to it as “our
wetland”. To worship in the actual
wetland would have required us all to wear hip boots, and that seemed like a
little much to expect.
Secondly, our wetland also offers us
a sanctuary for individual rest and reflection. Last Wednesday I came here to eat my
lunch and to prepare for writing this meditation. It is amazing how settings like this can
focus our hearts and minds. Those
of us who work at St. Andrew during the week will have multiple opportunities to
utilize this place for rest and reflection. Perhaps you could come back here on
Sunday morning before or after worship.
In the evening you may want to spend a few quiet moments before a
meeting. Or you may want to stop by
after work or some other time during the day. Eventually neighbors and community
members may view St. Andrew and our wetland as a place of rest and come to use
it for quiet and reflection. For
busy people in a busy suburb, such places of rest are truly a
blessing.
Thirdly our wetland will serve as a
place of learning. Our Preschool,
Sunday School, Vacation Bible School Children have used it already for nature
studies. The wetland is providing
our whole congregation with lessons in what it means to care for God’s
creation. As our Green Team chair
Bob Buchholz explains, our wetland “can
be a type of laboratory. Given the compromised state of wetlands and fringe
areas with invasive species and other man caused changes, it offers an
opportunity to show how mother nature can heal itself if given the chance. With
removal of the blackberry and ivy, it will be interesting to see how the native
vegetation recovers. Our wetland allows us to examine the interconnectedness of
all living things. Each plant/animal/insect in the ecosystem has its role to
play.” A fourth benefit of our
wetland that is extremely important to the neighborhood is flood control and
storm-water runoff. Eric pointed
out to me that this benefit could be enhanced by re-meandering the stream and
developing a pond/bioswale to filter storm-water runoff from the residential
upland immediately to the east. The
terrible flooding in the
All of the benefits thus far have
focused primarily on human beings.
Another wonderful benefit of our wetland is to provide a dwelling place—
a refuge or sanctuary-- for native animals, birds, and plants in the midst of an
urban setting. In Genesis 1 God
sees all creatures as good-- not just good for human beings, but good in and of
themselves. Our wetland is a place
for some of God’s precious creatures to thrive. If that were its only benefit, that
would be enough.
People of
St. Andrew, we have been given a beautiful gift in this wetland. In Psalm 104:30 the Psalmist writes: “When you send forth your spirit, they are
created; and you renew the face of the earth.”
In
restoring and caring for our wetland, we are participating with God in renewing
the face of the earth; and that is very good indeed.
In Jesus’
name,