God's
Gift Of A Wild And Wonderful Land
A
Christian Declaration On The Spirtual Values Of
West Virginia's Monongahela National Forest
"Oh
Lord, how wonderful are your works! In wisdom have you made them all.
The whole earth is full of your riches." (Psalm
104:24)
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Christians
For The Mountains
heartily endorses a campaign to increase designated wilderness
areas in the eastern United States. The Appalachian region we
focus on has some of the most bountiful manifestations of God's
creation anywhere in the temperate regions of the world. All of
this region has been impacted by human action over the past 200
hundred years. God knows we humans need space to live and to extract
our livlihoods. God blesses responsible human use of land, air,
water, and the plant and animal creation.
Then why does Wilderness hold
spiritual value?
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In Wilderness we learn about God.
Wilderness cultivates community.
Wilderness is God's gift of Creaton
undefiled.
In wilderness we cleanse our minds
and spirits.
Wilderness nurtures beauty and
values.
Wilderness teaches humility.
Wilderness expands our vision
for life. |
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Recommendations for Action
Take time to visit West Virginia's
Wild Places
Love what God has created
Encourage others to respect wilderness
Bring
young people into wilderness
Promote policies to expand wilderness
in WV
Protect the beauty of undefiled
land
Honor wilderness protection as
service to God and country.
Wilderness is an excellent place
to pray, to sort out one's life, to intercede, to praise God.
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The Bible speaks
of wilderness as a place of purification
"..and Jesus withdrew himself
into the wilderness and prayed." Luke 5:16
"Behold a voice of one crying
in the wilderness, Prepare the way for the Lord, Make His paths
straight." John 1:23 (also Mt. Mk. Lk. Is)
"[God] brought out his people
to go forth like sheep, and guided them in the wilderness like
a flock." Psalms 78:72
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The Bible speaks of wilderness
as a place of worship
"Iwill make the wilderness
a pool of water, and the dry land springs of water. I will put
in the wilderness the cedar, the acacia, the myrtle, and the oliv;
I will set in the wilderness the cypress, the plane and the pine
together; that humans may see and know, may consider and understand
together, that the hand of the Lord has done this, the Holy One
of Israel created it." Isaiah 41:18-20
"But ask now the animals,
and they shall teach you; and the birds of the air, and they shall
teach you. Or speak to the earth, and it shall teach you. and
the fishes of the sea shall declare unto you." Job 12:7-9
"Holy, Holy, Holy is the
Lord God Almighty. The whole earth is full of His glory."
Is. 6:3
"Who is this that comes out
of the wilderness like pillars of smoke, perfumed with myrrh and
frankinsence?" Song of Solomon 3:6
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