Devotional for the week of

October 11, 2026

We are not separate from the care of creation: We are creation. Humus and humans are sacred and connected on this earth.

As Martin Luther said, “God must be present in every single creature in its innermost and outermost being…so that nothing can be more truly present and within all creatures than God will all God’s power.”

So, humans, please take off your shoes. Notice the bushes burning with the abundant wildfire fueled by human-created climate chance. Now imagine the fire of God within them instead. See God within them.

Now feel the humus or moss or grass between your toes. Be humbled before the Lord. The Creator is everywhere in creation. The Creator is even there in that bush, burning or not, and that moss, and the clouds and the stars.

Love the Lord. Love the land. Know that you, the land and all of creation are very, very much loved in turn by the Lord.

This message is excerpted from “Take off your shoes.” by Anna Madsen in the September/October 2022 Gather magazine.

Writing Our Prayers

Making Sense of What We Feel Writing can help us name our emotions, bring them honestly before God, and discover grace in the midst of them.

Emotional stewardship means finding a way to sort and make sense of all that we feel. Writing is one way to keep emotions in check. David picked up a lyre, but we can pick up a pen. Want to try your hand at writing a psalm? Here are some exercises to start with.

At the top of the page, write the words, “O Lord.” Then write a series of sentences with messages you’d like to give to God. Don’t worry about trying to connect them or make sense of them. Just pray, one small prayer after another, and write them down.
You’re allowed. You were given a voice for a reason. Tell God exactly what stinks – and then see if you can find the tiniest crack for gratitude and trust to flow through.
Look closely for things that make you thankful. Offer gratitude for each one. As you finish listing the blessings you can immediately see, cast your net wider and wider. Keep going for as long as you can.

This message is excerpted from “You, too, can be a psalmist.” by Karen Craigo in the September 2019 Gather magazine.