Pray with Costa Rica, February 5, 2023
Lectionary Selection: Matthew 5:13-20
Prayers from Costa Rica
God of life,
We thank you for the ministry of Latin American Biblical University, which has been providing theological education to women and men for more than a century. We pray for the work and witness of students and graduates leading churches and organizations throughout Latin America and the Caribbean. Empower them to continue sharing the light of Your love as they work to overcome structural injustices and heal creation.
We thank you for the country of Costa Rica, which has provided a home for our university and welcomed students from throughout Latin America and beyond. We give thanks for the strong environmental laws here. May government authorities take the necessary actions to protect biodiversity, and may other regional governments follow suit.
We offer our special prayers for communities experiencing the impacts of climate change in ever-stronger hurricanes or ongoing drought. May their cries for climate justice be heard in those places where decisions are made, and may resources be made available to build communities able to adapt and thrive.
These things we pray in the name of the Resurrected One as we hope for the renewal of God’s creation.
Amen.
Mission Moment from Costa Rica
How can we become a model of ecological sustainability in an urban setting? This has become the guiding question for us at the Latin American Biblical University as we seek to live out our commitment to love and care for the part of God’s creation where our campus is located in San Jose. Our initial garden, tended by students and staff, is serving as a pilot project for the larger community garden we are organizing with people from our neighborhood. Through workshops in composting, vertical gardens, and attracting native bees, we encourage people to adopt practices that nourish a healthy environment. Solar panels on our roofs provide most of the electricity we use. Through online presentations that reach students and graduates in many countries throughout Latin America, speakers promote work for climate justice. The liturgical materials we produce offer theological insights about our relationship to creation. Through public events, we call people of faith to action for climate justice. To be the salt of the earth today, we must care for the earth and show the way toward a healthy future for God’s creation.
Partners in Costa Rica
- Mi Tía Childcare Center
- Presbyterian Evangelical Church of Costa Rica (IEPC)
- Latin American Biblical University (UBL)
Make a gift to support the Latin American Biblical University (UBL)