• A Mainline Protestant Response

Scripture and tradition remind us that the whole earth is filled with the glory of God. Here in our beloved New England we perceive that glory in wild forests and open fields, in clear lakes and rocky seashores, in mountains, dunes, and rolling hills. With Martin Luther, we know that "God writes the Gospel, not in the Bible alone, but also on trees, and the flowers and the clouds and stars." With Thomas Aquinas, we affirm that "Revelation comes in two volumes - the Bible and nature." The world is God's creation, and God delights in it ("God saw everything that [God] had made, and indeed, it was very good," Genesis 1:31; "The heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament shows [God's] handiwork," Psalm 19:1). (Episcopal Bishops of New England, “To Serve Christ in All Creation.” )