To begin our series promoting the Michigan Conference’s Earth Day of Action, Rev. Chris Lane shares his thoughts on the majestic sequoia he has befriended near Manistee and emphasizes the importance of caring for the trees in our backyards.
REV. CHRIS LANE
Retired Pastor, Michigan Conference
“When you have come into the land that the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance to possess . . . you shall take some of the first of all the fruit of the ground, which you harvest from the land that the Lord your God is giving you” (Deuteronomy 26:1-2a, NRSVUE).
Over the years, I have heard this scripture employed in church stewardship campaigns to encourage tithing and sacrificial giving, which is a good thing. But today, I see another meaning to this mandate for those living off the land (which we all are, by the way).

I hear in this command that we are to save something. Our National Park System serves as a great example of this. We must honor creation by preserving what we can. Specifically, I am thinking of trees, the mature monarch trees that thrive around our state in forests and neighborhoods. We need to save these members of God’s creation.
I’ve come to see that long-living trees are our teachers. Most were here before us and will long outlive us. They teach us many lessons about resilience, calmness, God’s faithfulness, and being deeply rooted. A friend of mine with Ottawa lineage refers to trees as the “standing nation,” forever pointing upwards. I like that.
A special tree lives near me here in Manistee. It is the Michigan Champion giant sequoia. Planted at Lake Bluff Farms as a seedling in 1948, it is the largest known giant sequoia tree east of the Rocky Mountains, standing 116 feet tall and 5 feet in diameter. Every week, regardless of the weather, I make my way to this tree. I’ve even named her “Sequoiacal.”
Most of the time, on my walk, it is enough to simply stand beneath her, appreciate her girth, touch her bark, and see her as a messenger of God’s faithfulness bearing fruit in our world. In those moments, I am moved to prayer, sensing a God who takes the long view.
Standing there, I can see a goodness again in the world: God is equipping us all to stay rooted in our setting and work for good where we are. We need such monarchs for their sakes as well as ours. They are the “first fruits” of the land, after all. Come over the Manistee sometime, and I’ll introduce you to Sequoiacal.
There is an exciting nonprofit effort in Copemish, which is not far from my home. Its mission is to clone and propagate some of the ancient tree specimens still standing and then reforest those saplings. They are known as the Archangel Ancient Tree Archive, and their work inspires me. They are a great example of being stewards of creation’s first fruits. Consider taking a tour sometime. You can get a sense of their mission in this short video produced by CNN.
So, as a Christ-follower who is in love with God’s creation, I encourage you to care about trees this Lent and on the Michigan Conference’s Earth Day of Action, April 26. This can be as simple as planting a tree on your property this spring. The town where I live will transplant trees onto residential properties, for a fee, creating beauty and shade and food sources for animals. Find out where the oldest tree is in your community and what is being done to preserve it. Explore what is happening near you leading up to Earth Day. Perhaps there is a tree-planting party you can join. Or see if there is a land conservancy in your county whose mission is to save tracts of land from development and show up at one of their meetings. You’ll find great neighbors there.
The early Hebrews knew to save the first fruits of the land as a way to honor the God of creation. May we do the same. May we also find a grand old tree near us whose canopy we can stand under. Perhaps we can even pray out loud or just be quiet and listen. A line from Mary Oliver’s poetry might help: “Love for the earth and love for [You] are having such a long conversation in my heart” (“Thirst”).
Editor’s note: Join United Methodists all over Michigan on Saturday, April 26, for the Earth Day of Action. Worship together online and then plan to do one act of service to care for God’s good creation. Read this article to learn more and to register.
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Last Updated on March 17, 2025