Moderator Mardi Tindal's blog: Prayers for plankton

Posted on: 05/22/2010 12:39

Last Saturday I had the distinct privilege of meeting Kathryn Randsdell at a full-day regional event held at Highlands United Church in Vancouver.

She approached me at the end of the day to talk about how we, as people of Christian faith, might best respond to the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. She moved me to begin adding prayers for plankton to my daily morning prayers.

This may strike you as an odd idea. Praying for creation is one thing, but plankton? Well, consider that plankton is responsible for 50% of the planet's oxygen. In human terms, every second breath we take, as Alanna Mitchell points out in her book, Sea Sick.

I've asked a couple of friends who are beautiful prayer writers, if they might compose poetic prayers for all life in the Gulf. When I receive them, I'll share them here. Then anyone who wishes can join with Kathryn and me to lift up a beautiful part of God's good Earth that is now under tremendous stress.

Yesterday, another friend sent me Kathryn's blog posting that followed our meeting last week. I commend it to you.

And please don't wait for others' prayers to appear here before offering your own. As we allow our hearts to be opened through prayer, God only knows what blessings may flow.

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Comments

reverendkath

Posted on: 05/25/2010 16:18

Mardi,

It was a blessing to my soul to read your blog post and to know that you are praying for the Plankton. It had not occurred to me to invite others to write prayers, and what a relief to see that you had this on your soul as it allows many to carry the burden to pray. So, for the 3rd time, I felt that nudge, so I created the Facebook page in an effort to try and make a prayer chain for the wildlife and vegetative life of the Gulf of Mexico. I don't know how to give a "link" within FB, put here is the group name:

Say/write a prayer for the Wildlife and Vegetative life in the Gulf

Let's see how the Spirit moves!

Peace,

Kathryn

Xango

Posted on: 05/25/2010 22:47

I think I understand where you are coming from, but personally I find it really hard to focus on plankton when there are so many suffering children in the world. Plus, the avarice of companies like BP and Haliburton screws so much up for the rest of us. Plankton are important, but they can't do much in the short term for helping this terrible situation in the Gulf. Let's pray for plankton, other wildlife, AND for justice-seekers who will rise up at all levels of society to put an end to this madness!!

Mardi Tindal

Posted on: 05/31/2010 16:32

Thank you so much for the Facebook page, Kathryn! And yes, indeed, Xango, let's pray for plankton, other wildlife AND for justice-seekers!

Another response to my invitation has come from the Rev. Margaret McKechney who has offered a beautiful prayer which deserves its own post - in addition to your contributions.

Watch for it in the next day or two.

All blessings to you.

GeoFee

Posted on: 06/05/2010 15:20

Perhaps we could do a small research into the relationship of plankton, with multiple other species in the web of ocean life, and solid waste from the fleet of pleasure cruise vessels sailing the coast lands of the world?

Perhaps we could stop encouraging persons from taking those cruises, as we do in the Observer? Imagine the mission we could fund on the saved cost of taking those cruises?

It occurs to me that the food scraped off cruise plates and dumped into the sea could feed a small nation of hungry children.

My prayer? Dear God... bring us to our senses.

RevLGKing

Posted on: 06/09/2010 17:54

"My prayer? Dear God... bring us to our senses." GF

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GF, if you get a response, will you let us know what it is?

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But seriouosly, we need to dialogue about the nature and function of prayer. I prefer to use what I call 'metapraying'. Have you heard about the book by a Franklin Loehr: The Power of Prayer on Plants"?

Years ago, in the 1963, I met Dr. Loehr. He was a US Presbyterian Minister, and with a deep interest in research on prayer. He visited the church I then served--Iondale UC in Toronto East. I learned a lot from him--and, later, others like him. It helped save the life of my daughter, who was then fatally-ill, with severe lung problems--and diagnosed at high risk of dying at Sick Childrens in Toronto.

She is now a healthy 53 year old, and an artist. She is living with her artist husband, on their floating home near Tofino, BC. Jean and I celebrated our 80th birthday there, last summer .

YouTube: LIFE IN A FLOATING HOME