A new study in the journal Science reports that some of the largest and oldest trees of the world are dying. There are many causes and among them are the selfish and short-sighted habits of human beings.  

And so we pray this news . . .

O Great Designer and Sustainer of Life,
we pray for the mighty old trees
that are dying around the world
at Yosemite Park in California,
in the African Savanna,
in the Brazilian rain forest.
and in European forests.

These great elders have given
us so much through
the gift of their breath,
the bounties of their beauty,
their shelter and homes for
birds and other animals,
the food provided by their
foliage, fruits, flowers, and nectar,
their recycling of soil nutrients,
and their role in the flow of
water through the ecosystem.

Bless these trees and all
their gifts to us and our world.
We honor in this prayer
all the mighty trees that
are now dying after
many years of thriving.
We lament the loss of these
largest living organisms
of the planet and our role
in their untimely deaths.

Bless the trees that have
survived the onslaught
of heat, logging, fires,
fungal disease, and insects,
May we do all we can as
caregivers and protectors
of trees - old and young alike -
that they may all live long
and healthy lives.
So be it.



Next Post: A Prayer for Holiday Shoppers