Creation Care New Year’s Resolutions for 2012
We invite you to join us in making creation care New Year’s resolutions for 2012. Register you commitment in the comments section below and if you use Facebook, please share your resolution on our Blessed Earth page too! The first ten people to register their Creation Care New Year’s resolution will receive a free copy of Go Green, Save Green by Nancy Sleeth. Check out our FREE downloadable Tip Sheets for some ideas on how to get started.
Compromising or Selling Out? A Creation Care Christmas.
So, I’m feeling pretty virtuous. I buy 100 percent renewable electricity from the Energy Cooperative in Philadelphia; it’s the real deal, all wind and solar with a smidge of low-impact hydroelectric. So, when I switch on my Christmas lights, watch TV or run the central heating, I have a no-carbon, ultra-low pollution footprint. And it’s the same price as the 50 percent coal-sourced electricity from the regular supplier! AND – when I cook, I’m on propane, which is the cleanest … Continue reading
Sabbath in a 24/7 World
Earlier this week, Dr. Sleeth shared some reflections on the fourth commandment — remembering the Sabbath — with medical students at the University of Kentucky. It was clear that the message he shared was both a gift and a challenge to this hard working group of young people. The gift: to be reminded we are created by a loving God who longs for us to discover our place in His world and to be healed. The challenge: to wrestle with our … Continue reading
How the Blessed Earth Series Changed My Life
I first watched the presentation about Sabbath rest by Matthew Sleeth about a year ago (Session #7 in the Blessed Earth Film Series). At that time I knew it was something I should take seriously but instead I continued with my hectic pace. A few months later, I watched the video again as I was preparing to teach the session on Sabbath rest. This time I was struck by how much I had really not been taking a Sabbath. I … Continue reading
Consuming Less and Sharing More
Last week, my husband looked like an angel to me, up to his elbows in dishwater, scrubbing a seemingly endless stream of commercial-sized pots and pans. On Monday nights, we attend a worship service, take communion, and feed those in need. After the shared meal, we help distribute donated food. It’s become a regular highlight of our week. On this particular Monday, we had about twice as many people attending as usual. Extra tables were set up. Testimonies were shared. … Continue reading
The Gift of Place
“To love a place is to care for it, to keep it healthy, to attend to its needs as if they were my own, because they are my own. Responsibility grows from love. It is the natural shape of caring.” (Kathleen Dean Moore) As Christians catch a vision for creation care they are often inspired to take responsibility for their place. While this can be a delightful journey it can also be overwhelming. Where do we start? Lightbulbs, parking … Continue reading
Save Our Hemlocks
“I go among trees and sit still.” Thus begins Wendell Berry’s cycle of “Sabbath Poems,” conceived and written, according to Berry, in silence, solitude, and often in the outdoors. Berry’s reflection flows naturally from the directive of Psalm 46 to “be still and know that I am God.” On October 22, 2011, a small group of teens and adults from the St. Paul Parish youth group traveled to Kentucky Ridge State Forest in Bell County. There we partnered with the … Continue reading
First Tree Planting a Huge Success!
Thanks to the generosity of Blessed Earth friends and volunteers, the first day of the tree planting project was a resounding success. Church and community members gathered on a sunny autumn morning to help plant trees in an under-served neighborhood of Lexington, KY. A total of 33 trees are being planted, with requests already coming in to expand the project in other communities next spring. We still need your help! You can help us grow the project in four ways: … Continue reading
Gratitude: Sowing in Tears
I recently returned from a trip to Houston, Texas, a city I called home for 7 years. While living in Houston, I co-pastored Mercy Street, a group of people recovering from addictions and bad church experiences – often both. It was heart-breaking to drive around the city and see the effects of this summer’s drought – countless trees dead and dying and once-productive gardens left untended because of water restrictions. On Saturday night, I went to worship with Mercy Street. … Continue reading
The Longest (and best!) Sabbath of the Year
Thanks to the end of daylight savings time, last week was the longest Sabbath of the year. Matthew had a strong desire to see water flowing downhill, so we packed a picnic and happened upon a local park along Elkhorn Creek. What a delightful discovery! Not only was it one of the prettiest spots we have seen in Kentucky, but the time resting in green pastures and walking the trail along gently flowing waters most definitely restored our souls. The … Continue reading