Church
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
The Question That Haunts Me
[reposted with permission from the blog Alien Nation by Reverend Darin Collins] “When asked by pollsters, 90 percent of Americans identify themselves as ‘kinder than average.’ If we say we care about the least in the kingdom, if we identify ourselves as ‘kinder than average,’ if we see ourselves as responsible stewards of nature, then we are content. Contentment does not result in change. The content mind is one of the greatest obstacles to a rich spiritual life. The content … Continue reading
Technology, Social Networking, and Babel Tower
[reposted with permission from the blog Alien Nation by Reverend Darin Collins] “We have forgotten that we have far more in common with the honeybee than we do with our SUV of DVD…Do you know in which direction the Milky Way traverses the sky? As the phases of the moon progress, does the light go from right to left, or left to right? Can you identify a greater number of trees or cars? If the Bible says God knows every … Continue reading
Beginning to Downsize
Last May at a United Methodist Women (UMW) Assembly in St. Louis I attended a workshop led by Nancy Sleeth. The workshop was one of the most moving parts of that assembly for me – especially as I shared the experience with my mother, whose life models responsible living in many ways. She attended the “Downsizing Your Life” workshop with me because, as a widow in her mid-eighties, she may be moving from her home in the next few years. … Continue reading
Going Green at VBS
Since our church congregation has become acquainted with the Sleeths and their ministry, it has begun to make small changes to heighten awareness of our responsibility to care for the earth and its inhabitants. There is a short column in our newsletter called “Green Notes” that gives information about good stewardship; we use mugs to serve coffee and tea before church; we have a recycling drop-off area where people can bring plastics that can’t be recycled in our community; we are trying to make our … Continue reading
Ministry That Makes Cents
Want to save money while saving the earth? Below is an illustration that one Blessed Earth friend used to prompt her church to “go green”: Shut down the computers in the church office when not in use $219 Turn off the power strip when electronic devices are not in use $200 Trade disposable coffee cups for reusable mugs $400 Use cloth hand towels instead of paper towels in the bathroom $390 Change exit sign bulbs to LED bulbs $150 Replace … Continue reading
What the Church Can Offer the Environmental Movement
“Am I supposed to say anything?” I whispered to the woman who had invited us to the meeting. “That’s why you’re here!” she responded. Yes, it was a set up—in the best sense. Matthew and I had been asked to lead a retreat on stewardship of God’s creation. The church was in a period of transition and planning a major building project. The night before the retreat, we were asked to attend a presentation by the lead architect. Matthew and … Continue reading
Creation’s ‘New Awakening’
A little over a year ago, I was led to read Dr. Sleeth’s writings, and after reading I heard the Holy Spirit’s voice say “contact him NOW” – so I did. I knew there was a reason God wanted to connect our lives, and God began to unfold a vision and mission of a creation care ministry at Centenary to help our members to learn to be good stewards of the earth and its people. The next miracles were direct … Continue reading