‘Bees give freely of themselves to provide the wax for the candle. … The bees and the candle both pro-
Bees by the numbers
• There are seven to nine varieties of honeybees.
• Queens have a three-year life span; workers about four to five weeks in the summer.
• Queens are inseminated 10 to 15 times by different drones (males).
• Honey has a shelf life of infinity—it has been found in catacombs and pyramids. (Don’t microwave honey because it kills the enzymes that keep it from spoiling.)
• Queens lay about 1,000 eggs per day during the highest pollen and nectar season.
• Bees’ flight range is 2 to 10 miles.
• Fifty to 80 percent of flying bees are collecting nectar; 15 to 30 percent are collecting pollen.
Paul Diehl, member of First Trinity Lutheran Church, Washington, D.C.
vide an example for the church to emulate. … Christ, who emptied himself for the life of the world.’
In his commentary on this
prayer for the Lutheran Book of Worship, ELCA pastor Philip Pfat- teicher wrote: “Te wonders of this night bind all creation together in one interdependent and mutually instructive whole. Te natural world shows the ethical foundation of the cosmos and can teach the church lessons in sacrificial living. “Bees give freely of themselves
to provide the wax for the candle. … Te bees and the candle both provide an example for the church to emulate, as all imitate the kenosis of Christ, who emptied himself for the life of the world.” Knoll said, “Restoring creation is important to First Trinity.” Te bee
project has increased the congrega- tion’s creation care awareness, he said, adding that the bees have also served as a draw for young adults. “Paul tells us amazing stories
about what bees do in restoring God’s creation, keeping it, improv- ing it,” he said. “Understanding the bee reminds us how intricate God has made this creature and the pol- lination process for plants that feed us and flowers to edify our land.”
Author bio: Sevig is managing editor of The Lutheran.
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www.thelutheran.org
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