• The first words of the New Year go to the late Archbishop Desmond Tutu, who said that reconciliation with God, each other, and the whole of God’s creation is the “supreme work” of Jesus Christ. May the Archbishop rest in peace. May his spirit bless and strengthen everyone who seeks to share in the “supreme work” of Jesus.

• Make your New Year’s low-carbon resolution!

GreenFaith invites everyone who lives in global North countries to join in Time for Living the Change, a season to make your New Year’s low-carbon resolution and live it out between the 1st and 31st of January.

“We choose climate-friendly living because we reject the desecration of people and planet and embrace joyful lives of simplicity and solidarity. Individual behavior change alone can’t save the Earth. Massive corporations, unwilling governments, and greedy financial institutions stand in the way of climate justice. But aligning our lives with what we believe is central to our faiths, and principled personal commitment is vital to every social movement.

“During ‘Time for Living the Change,’ you’ll select one behavior change from the areas that make the biggest impact - transport, diet, and home energy use. We have many opportunities for you to choose from, along with inspiring testimonials that are honest, concrete, and spiritually rich. Aligning our lives with what we believe is central to our faiths, and principled personal commitment is vital to every social movement.”

Take a look at the website and decide whether you’d like to make a big change right away or to start with something small – it’s entirely up to you. You can sign up as an individual or a group.

• Bending Toward Justice 2022

Join the Diocese of Western Mass. for our third annual gathering to pray and discern the work of justice in this place, at this time. Sponsored by the Social Justice Commission of the Diocese of Western Massachusetts, this online gathering is open to all who work for justice in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. I will be leading two breakout groups on creation justice; please join me at one of them! Other breakout groups will focus on gun safety, refugees, anti-racism, Poor People’s Campaign, and more. Please join us!

Keynote: The Rev. Dr. Mark Bozzuti-Jones

The Rev. Dr. Mark Francisco Bozzuti-Jones is an Episcopal priest at Trinity Church Wall Street in New York City. He serves as the Priest and Director of Spiritual Formation of Trinity’s Retreat Center in West Cornwall, CT.

For more information, click here. To register, click here.

• CCJN Retreat: Embodying Change

The theme for the annual retreat of Creation Care Justice Network (Dioceses of MA and Western MA) is "Embodying Change." We can't simply think our way out of climate change, racism, or other systemic ills. Through spiritual grounding, music/movement, and focused conversation, we will explore practices and programs to help us embody/incarnate new (old) ways of relating to others and Creation. Together we hope to develop habits as individuals and congregations that counter ingrained Whiteness and that bring about systemic change toward a just and healthy planet.

This annual working retreat is a rare opportunity for people in both dioceses to collaborate on Creation care. One focus of the conversation will be whether to adapt the UCC’s Green Congregation Challenge for Episcopal churches in our two dioceses. What do you think? Please join me in this important discussion! To register, visit here.

• Preaching Hope in a Climate Emergency: A Lenten Conversation with Jim Antal and Margaret Bullitt-Jonas

If the world’s average temperature will soon shoot past the 1.5ºC target to ensure climate stability, how do we preach about hope? Geared to the season of Lent, this informal, hour-long conversation will provide a space for reflecting on Gospel hope, keeping in mind the systemic challenge of keeping fossil fuels in the ground and the connections between racial, economic, and environmental justice. We’ll touch upon a few lectionary readings for Lent, and there will be opportunities for questions and discussion. This ecumenical event is open to all preachers.

For more information – including a short list of recommended readings – and to register, visit here. (NOTE: This event replaces the one originally scheduled for January.)

• Wildness & Spirituality for the Common Good

A joint offering of The BTS Center and School of Global Citizenry, this five-week, online course is for everyone who wants to deepen their relationship with the elements of wild nature and to consider how that relationship might sustain and enrich their work in the world. For more information and to register, visit here.

• Spiritual Leadership for a Climate-Changed World

A joint offering of The BTS Center and Maine School of Ministry, this four-month, online course is for ministers and other spiritual leaders who want to deepen their understanding of what is necessary to guide our communities toward reclaiming a right relationship with the earth and our collective future. For more information and to register, visit here.

• Greenfaith: Take Action Together in 2022

 In addition to its January program, Time for Living the Change, Greenfaith will offer in 2022 a global faith-in-action call regarding deforestation, an interfaith summit on climate finance, and a Sacred Season of Climate Justice. If you’d like to learn more or to help with planning, please visit here.

• 2022 American Climate Leadership Summit 

Only 6% of Americans talk about climate change regularly, even though 78% are concerned. We know that climate change is already affecting us, and that every person every day can be part of the solution. Your climate leadership can make a difference. You can help inspire more Americans to climate action.

That’s why I hope you will join me at the 11th annual American Climate Leadership Summit (ACLS 2022) which will take place virtually March 28-31, 2022. ACLS 2022 is for climate leaders of all levels. Save the date – and register now!

• Thirsty, and You Gave Me Drink

I’m happy to announce publication of a new collection of sermons for Year C, including one that I wrote. Other contributors include Richard Rohr, Brian McLaren, Mark Bozzutti-Jones, Jan Richardson, and many more.

Here’s the official blurb: “After its first, successful and award-winning book series of homilies and reflections for the three liturgical cycles, Clear Faith Publishing is thrilled to continue publishing its new series! So, once again, some of the finest homilists come together to build a new compilation of homilies and reflections, continuing with Cycle C of the Liturgical Year. Thirsty, and You Gave Me Drink breaks open the Sunday and Feast Day readings in order to provide insight, warmth, humor and spiritual food for the reader.”

Proceeds from the sale of every book go to charities that feed the hungry and give drink to those who thirst. Choose from the soft-covered book, the Kindle version, and the Apple iBook version.

• Tell EPA to cut methane pollution

Interfaith Power and Light urges people of faith to submit comments to the EPA as they develop new rules on methane emissions. Please ask that the strongest possible safeguards be implemented. Language you may use (or edit) is provided. Click here to submit a comment by January 14.

• If you are over 60 and missed the launch of Third Act, now being organized by Bill McKibben and Akaya Winwood, you can view it here. Visit their website here. Plans include a faith working group – do come on board!

• Creation Care Justice Network

If you’re an Episcopalian in Massachusetts, please join Creation Care Justice Network (CCJN), which includes folks in both dioceses. Would you like to learn more about CCJN? There are 3 working groups: Action and Advocacy, Spiritual Practice and Grounding, and Communications and Networking. You can be involved with one or all of them.

For information about the Action and Advocacy group, contact Alex Chatfield or Sue Swanson for information. Contact Lise Hildebrandt for information about the Spiritual Practice and Grounding group. Contact Liz Good for information about the Communications and Networking group. I’ve been attending meetings of the Action & Advocacy Group and I’d love to see you there. And I hope you’ll come to our February 5 retreat!

• Please visit the newly updated Creation care pages of the Diocese of Western Mass and decide how you will Pray, Learn, Act, and Advocate for God’s Creation this year. If you have suggestions or wish to be in touch, feel free to drop me a note at mbj@revivingcreation.org.

Creation Care Advisor (Episcopal Diocese of Mass.)