By Rev. Dr. Dezo Schreiner
As we gather on Trinity Sunday, Psalm 24 reminds us of a truth that changes everything:
"The earth is the Lord's, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it." (Psalm 24:1)
Those words are more than beautiful poetry—they reshape how we understand our relationship with God, one another, and creation itself.
Growing up, many of us heard the same reminder before visiting someone else's home: "Remember—that isn't your house." We were taught to be respectful, to care for what belonged to someone else, and to leave it better than we found it.
Psalm 24 offers us that same reminder today.
This world is not ours to own.
It belongs to God.
Guests, Not Owners
When children visit another person's home, they may eat at the table, play in the yard, and enjoy every room in the house. They are welcomed with love—but they still remember something important:
The home belongs to someone else.
The same is true for us.
The earth, the oceans, the forests, the mountains, the sky—and even our own lives—belong first to God.
That means we are not owners.
We are stewards, caretakers, and partners in God's ongoing work of creation.
Everything entrusted to us is a gift.
Caring for What God Loves
Let's be honest.
Some guests leave a place cleaner than they found it.
Others act as though the "Please Clean Up After Yourself" sign is merely a suggestion.
Psalm 24 reminds us that caring for creation is not someone else's responsibility.
It belongs to all of us.
I remember my father teaching us that whenever one tree was cut down, we should plant more than one in its place.
That lesson was never just about yard work.
It was about gratitude.
It was about recognizing that what God gives, we do not waste.
What God loves, we treat with care.
Creation Care Begins with Worship
Sometimes people treat creation care as though it begins with politics.
Others approach it through guilt.
Still others see it as simply another cultural trend.
But Scripture tells a different story.
Creation care begins with worship.
We care for creation because creation belongs to God.
We love what God loves.
As theologian Jürgen Moltmann reminds us:
"The first act of God is creation."
Before there were temples, churches, choirs, sermons, or offering plates...
There was light.
There was land.
There was water.
There were trees, birds, animals, and humanity.
Creation itself is God's first testimony of divine goodness.
Created by the Triune God
On Trinity Sunday, we remember that the God who creates is never distant.
The Father speaks creation into being.
The Son is the Word through whom all things were made.
The Holy Spirit breathes life into all creation.
Everything flows from the love shared within the Trinity.
So when we care for the earth, we are doing far more than managing resources.
We are responding to divine love.
We honor the Creator.
We follow the reconciling work of Christ.
We walk with the Spirit who gives life.
Dominion Does Not Mean Destruction
Genesis tells us that God looked at creation and called it good.
The sunrise is good.
The rain is good.
The soil is good.
The trees are good.
The animals are good.
Our bodies are good.
Everything God made carries dignity because it bears God's love.
Somewhere along the way, however, we forgot that we are guests.
We began acting like owners.
We confused dominion with domination.
But remember this:
Dominion does not mean destruction.
To bear God's image means reflecting God's character.
God creates.
God blesses.
God provides.
God forgives.
God delights in life.
If we bear God's image, then our stewardship should reflect the same love, generosity, and care.
Loving Our Neighbor Includes Caring for Creation
Today we see polluted air and water.
Extreme weather.
Disappearing habitats.
Communities suffering because of environmental neglect.
And often those who suffer first are children, older adults, families living in poverty, and those already carrying heavy burdens.
Creation care is not separate from justice.
It is one way we love our neighbors.
As environmental justice scholar Robert Bullard writes:
"Environmental justice embraces the principle that all people and communities are entitled to equal protection."
If our neighbors cannot breathe clean air...
God cares.
If children cannot drink clean water...
God cares.
If families lose homes to floods, fires, storms, or earthquakes...
God cares.
Because the earth belongs to God—
and so do the people who live in it.
What Does Faithful Stewardship Look Like?
Not everyone will serve in the same way.
Some will plant trees.
Some will garden.
Some will reduce waste.
Some will teach children to love God's creation.
Some will advocate for cleaner air and cleaner water.
Some will help churches become better stewards of the gifts God has entrusted to them.
The question is not whether everyone does the same thing.
The question is:
What does faithful stewardship look like for you?
A Prayerful Invitation
The earth is not ours to exploit.
It is not ours to ignore.
It is the Lord's.
Everything in it belongs to God.
So today...
Look at your body differently.
It belongs to God.
Look at the world around you differently.
It belongs to God.
Look at every tree, every bird, every river, every neighbor—even those who are difficult to love—and remember:
The whole earth belongs to the Lord.
May we live with gratitude.
May we live with humility.
May we live with wonder.
And may we become people who faithfully care for what God loves.
Prayer
Lord, teach us to live as grateful guests in Your creation. Help us care for the earth, love our neighbors, and steward every gift You have entrusted to us. May our lives reflect Your goodness, Your generosity, and Your love. Amen.