Province V Creation Care
June 2020
|
|
Dear Friends in Christ,
We find ourselves in unsettling and tumultuous times where the normal rhythm of our lives has been upended and is being replaced by something new-- ideally something more just, connected, and reflective of God's Kingdom. We are devastated by the global pandemic and the loss of familiarity and comfort that we had enjoyed before. Also, we continue to see brothers and sisters of color harmed by oppressive systems. We join as one voice to demand equality for all in this country, just as we are all equally loved in the eyes of our Most High God.
At the heart of Creation Care is love-- love for every person, plant, animal, and landscape that God made. God exists in all of them. Environmental degradation and climate change disproportionately affect poor people and people of color in the United States and around the world. The lack of access to clean drinking water, clear air, and healthy food (among other things) deny good health to too many.
Environmental work
is justice work. We talked at our June meeting about access to local food, and you will find some resources and news related to that topic below. Also, there are events, articles and information specifically related to eco-justice and the racial implications of climate change. We must continue to broaden our understanding of how our work fits into the larger patchwork of racial healing, which is God's vision for humanity.
In peace,
Catherine Duffy
Convener, Province V Creation Care Network
|
|
Welcome!
The Province V Creation Care Network is
for all people, lay or ordained, who are working on caring for God's creation in their dioceses, parishes, or personal lives. It is a resource for information about ministries and best practices, and a space to build relationships across the province.
Help us build our network:
Share this email by sending
this web page
to anyone who loves God's creation (forwarding will distort the formatting/links). If you've received this email from a friend, click
here
to sign up to receive it monthly.
Our monthly meeting: The Creation Care Network meets monthly on the first Monday of each month as a chance for members to connect and get to know one another and share ministry ideas and knowledge.
Our next meeting is
Monday, July 6th at 11:00am Eastern/10:00am Central. We will begin a conversation around local food and community gardening and how it can transform parishes and surrounding areas. Zoom/connection information is available
here.
|
|
Creation Care Headlines, Resources, and Perspectives
|
Perspective from Washington Post columnist Ayana Elizabeth Johnson on race and climate change:
|
|
Oregon Master Gardener Coordinators addresses diversity and its future:
|
|
The Episcopal Church invites participation in Good News Gardens:
|
|
The Living Church reports when food insecurity grows, the Church plants:
|
|
From the Episcopal News Service, supporting migrant and seasonal farmworkers amid pandemic:
|
|
"
Plainsong Farm’s mission is to restore lost connections between people, places and God. Our work involves agroecology, experiential farm-based education, leadership formation and national initiatives around church-owned land stewardship.
As a
CSA farm
, we grow food using regenerative agriculture practices. Members buy shares of our weekly harvest; approximately one quarter of our crops is provided to a local poverty relief agency for distribution to those in need. We also sponsor an
heirloom wheat ministry
, where community members hand-plant and hand-harvest wheat for member churches to use in communion bread.
But most important, our farm is a living laboratory – a sacred space for the intentional exploration of our relationships to the land, our neighbor and our Creator. Our
Sabbath at the Farm
series combines rest and renewal, a short informal worship service, and a potluck meal. We gather regularly to plant and harvest together, getting hands dirty as we rediscover the joy of hard work in community. Last summer, we inaugurated our groundbreaking
Fellowship program
with three young adults who are now more able to serve at the intersection of faith, ecology and justice. And this past winter, a new
Churchlands
initiative brought together church leaders from around the country who have been entrusted with the stewardship of church-owned land.
|
|
|
Hospitable Planet with Steve Jurovics
Tuesday, June 23rd, 12:00 pm ET
Presented by North Carolina Interfaith Power and Light
|
|
Protest During a Pandemic
Wednesday, June 24th, 10:00am ET
Presented by Earth Ministry
|
|
Mid-Atlantic Climate Change Education Conference
Monday & Tuesday, June 29th-30th 12:30-4:30 ET both days
Presented by a convening of formal and non-formal mid-Atlantic educators
Register: www.maccec.org
|
|
|
|
You can find Province V online:
|
|
The Episcopal Church
welcomes all who worship Jesus Christ, in 111 dioceses and regional areas in 17 nations. The Episcopal Church is a member province of the worldwide Anglican Communion.
In Jesus, God so loved the whole world. We follow Jesus, so we love the world God loves. Concerned for the global climate emergency, drawing on diverse approaches for our diverse contexts, we commit to form and restore loving, liberating, life-giving relationships with all of Creation.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
