My father grew up on a farm in West Michigan, and though he left the farm as a late teen, the farm—as has often been said—never left the boy.  It must have been in his genes, because there is something in me that yearns to be “back down on the farm.”  As I watch the spring chores being done on the farmland we pass on the road, I yearn to be more intimate with the soil.

It was this yearning, no doubt, that made me eager to take two assignments here at RBC Ministries: the writing of the Discovery Series booklet “Celebrating the Wonder of Soil” and co-production of the Day of Discovery TV series on the wonder of soil.  April is the ideal time for us denizens of the north to think soil: the snow is gone, the bare bean fields are filled with natural nitrogen and ready for their next crop, herds of deer and pairs of geese about ready to begin nesting are snatching whatever golden kernels can be gleaned from the newly uncovered corn stubble, and robins are getting fat as butterballs on worms coming to the surface through soil only recently free of winters’ freezing grip.

April’s predominant smell in this area is that of soil.  April is also the month in which Earth Day falls.  Whether or not you or your family or your church do anything special in regard to Earth Day—its being controversial in conservative evangelical circles since its inception—the fact remains that our soil is precious: it is the foundation of life.  So with this post I want to invite you to examine the Discovery Series booklet on soil and take a look at the DOD series on soil as well.  Either of these would be a good resource for your family, your small group, or your church to have as they react to the media crescendo toward Earth Day 2009.

What makes it easy is that you can read the booklet online here and view the DOD series online here.  These locations also give you all the information you need to obtain the booklet or video series if you want to make them available to family, friends, or church fellowship.

See you outdoors!

Dean