Green Blades Rising Newsletter September 2020

"Now the green blade rises from the buried grain..."

My Eyes on Creation:

From the Derecho in Iowa

Greetings companions in creation care! My name is Erica Bjelland, communications coordinator for the NE MN EcoFaith Network. I grew up in Iowa, and happened to be in Iowa the day after the derecho hit. I wrote an Eyes on Creation reflection about home and feeling forgotten here.

I would love to hear and share your eyes on creation stories too!

Share them with me here: ecofaith@nemnsynod.org

Synod Sustainability Stories

In 2014, the Northeastern Minnesota Synod, meeting in Assembly, affirmed earth stewardship as integral to every faith practice. Each month, Green Blades Rising will offer information and highlight one or more examples around the synod and region of integrating creation care in our worship, community action, education, congregational life, stewardship, and care of building and grounds.

Creation Care in Programming:

Voyageurs Lutheran Ministry

The EcoFaith Leadership Team had a retreat at Camp Hiawatha in July and realized how important a camp connection was to many people's connection with nature. Voyageur's Lutheran Ministry cares for God's great northwoods through their forestry management, restored shoreline, and programming for youth in our natural surroundings.

If you have a camp EcoFaith connection you would like to share, email ecofaith@nemnsynod.org

Creation Care in Grounds: Zoar Lutheran Church in Tofte

Zoar Lutheran Church in Tofte, MN is working on installing a solar array at their church. Read more about this in the featured by the Clean Energy Resource Teams (CERTs).

Did you know that there is currently one solar PV manufacturing plant in Minnesota and it is located in our region in Mountain Iron, MN. The company, Heliene, is based out of Canada and has a plant in MN. Read more here.

We want to continue sharing synod stories like these! If you

have a sustainability story to share from your congregation, please email ecofaith@nemnsynod.org

EcoFaith Microgrants Available

Did you know your congregation is eligible for an EcoFaith Microgrant of $100-$1,000? You can apply to help support new earth stewardship initiatives in the areas of Worship, Education, Congregational Life, Building and Grounds, and Community Engagement.

Check out more here.

Announcements & Resources

Worship Resources for the Season of Creation

S eason of Creation 2020 Renewing, Repairing, and Restoring created with Lutherans, Episopalians, and Anglicans from the US and Canada

Celebrating the Season of Creation during September Creation connections and stories

Season of Creation Introduction An Overview of the Season of Creation

Lectionary commentary for preachers in September by Dennis Ormseth

Tell us or send us pictures of how you are celebrating the Season of Creation! ecofaith@nemnsynod.org

Moments of Arising:

A Video Series for the Jubilee Year of Earth Day

Have you watched the currently released Moments of Arising videos? Here is the full list of the videos and you can see all the videos here.

Earth Day, Our Moment to Arise
Earth Day’s Jubilee Year
Promise, based on Stanza 1, Now the Green Blade Rises
Exploitation, newly composed Stanza 2, Now the Green Blade Rises

Coming Soon:

The next Moments of Arising video being released this month!

Slumber will features the performance of Paul Jacobson’s arrangement of stanza 3 (stanza 2 in the original Easter hymn). Jordan Lutz, the Sustainability Project Manager for Bemidji State University and Lutheran Campus Ministry board member, offers a prophetically challenging reflection on current manifestations of “love by hatred slain”. Jordan Stone, a Luther Seminary Jubilee Scholar from Sioux Falls South Dakota, opens us with an original litany.

Moments of Arising; Exploitation (captioned)

This Month's Green Tips

Feel free to use these helpful Green Tips created by two Synod members for your bulletins and general knowledge! These are meant to inspire earthkeeping action!

Here are Laura Raedeke's Green Tips Lutheran Church of the Cross in Nisswa and here are Steve Spigarelli's Green Tips from First Lutheran in Aitkin.

LUTHERANS RESTORING CREATION OFFERS YOUR CONGREGATION A SEASON OF CREATION WORSHIP

Lutherans Restoring Creation is busy preparing a creation-focused worship service utilizing the lectionary texts for Pentecost 16 (September 20, 2020) that congregations can download and use however they wish on Sept. 20th.

Partner Feature:

Minnesota Interfaith Power and Light (MNIPL)

Minnesota Interfaith Power and Light is a nonprofit working to build the interfaith climate movement and action in Minnesota. One recent example of their work in action was delivering $4,000 of meals, groceries and additional support to those most in need in the Duluth area. As COVID-19 continues, they are raising funds again for the community here.