"Simplicity enables us to live lives of integrity in the face of the terrible realities of our global village." Richard Foster, Freedom of Simplicity

The reality that we are addressing through our creation care ministries includes the unjust impacts of climate change on those who did the least to cause it and the way that we are running creation in reverse (as Bill McKibben likes to say) through biodiversity loss. Human greed and overconsumption are primary drivers of these effects, and simpler living is the answer.

The best possible thing we can do for the planet and all its inhabitants is to demand "less" of everything. We can do more to help the planet by consuming less. Examples include reducing meat consumption to halt biodiversity loss (reduces clearcutting of forests to graze beef, reduces overfishing to extinction, etc.), reducing the amount of packaging used for our convenience (resealable, microwavable, squeezable, transportable, etc.), and reducing the number of miles we travel (use public transit, EVs, hybrids and carpool).

Simplifying our lifestyle is one of the best ways to preserve what God has given us, while making sure that there is enough for all beings on Earth.

I have learned to be content with whatever I have. I know what it is to have little, and I know what it is to have plenty. In any and all circumstances I have learned the secret of being well fed and of going hungry, of having plenty and of being in need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me. --Philippians 4:11b-13

• Buy less...MUCH less!
• Before you purchase, make sure you can’t borrow the item instead (think tools, that outfit you will only wear once).
• Learn to repair items. Build relationships with neighbors by forming a club that sews, patches and tinkers. Set up a neighborhood inventory of tools people are willing to lend.
• Go grocery and clothes shopping with a list so that you buy only what you actually need. This will reduce waste in the long run.
• When you must purchase, consider the packaging and always opt for less material used. Avoid especially single-use plastics like bottled water, individual dental floss "plackers", and produce bags (bananas, onions, and potatoes really don’t need to be bagged...they are already in their own packaging).
• Avoid buying throwaway items such as cheap party favors and get creative with wrapping paper.
• Buy in bulk, then re-package in reusable containers and share the bounty.
• One practical suggestion for churches: collect plastic containers with lids (takeout containers, sour cream, cottage cheese...) and use these to send home leftovers from church dinners with parishioners.

When you embrace a simple lifestyle you only purchase what you absolutely need. You learn to live with less and focus on what actually matters.

Actions:

• Tons of Living Simply ideas from the UK. Create your own "LiveSimply" award.
• Simple Living ideas for Honoring Earth Day from the Methodists
• Sermon tying simple living to generosity
• Live Simply Challenge from Woking, UK - links to lots of great ideas for parishes

Adult studies:

• Simpler Living, Compassionate Life: A Christian Perspective, including a study guide for groups and individuals
• Ecumenical Giving Magazine, issue on Simple Living
• Christian Minimalism: Simple Steps for Abundant Living
• Fun and engaging Climate Care "Zine" resource from Sojourners (this is just for fun; not only about simple living)

Vacation Bible School:

• Free resource from the Lutherans - Earth Guardians: Growing Up Green
• Free resources from Creation Justice Ministries

Sharing only a couple of photos from Diocesan Convention in February, since we were so busy we forgot to take many pictures!

Ed Austin with the Holy Cross Flower Guild in Pensacola prepared a beautiful altar arrangement for our table, as a demonstration of how lovely it can be to use backyard flowers and greenery for altar decoration.

We are pleased to share that Deb Davis of St. Mark's in Troy (pictured above) won the square foot herb garden door prize drawing and Beth Woods of St. Monica's in Cantonment (not pictured) won a Seasons of Creation cookbook. These items and much, much more can be found in the resources summary that we shared with all attendees of the Commission's workshop "Practical Ideas for Creation Care Ministry."

Province IV and V Monthly Environmental Gathering

What We've Been Reading

"Are We More Addicted to Shopping Than We Think?"

By Tish Harrison Warren for the New York TImes

This opinion piece from 2022 by Anglican priest Tish Harrison Warren addresses our materialism and addiction to stuff. Warren concludes "I don’t expect that I, or many of us really, can completely escape consumerism, as entrenched in it as we are. I am not going to achieve perfect purity by any means. But I hope I can better learn, bit by bit, to be faithful to God, even in what I consume, and to hold it all loosely, with unclenched hands and unclean lips, awaiting grace."

For a deep dive into the topic of simpler living, we recommend Simpler Living, Compassionate Life: A Christian Perspective, with Henri Nouwen, Richard Foster, Cecile Andrews and others. The book includes a study guide for groups and individuals. This is an older edition book, but is an excellent resource for considering the ramifications of our insatiable consumption habits.

What We've Been Watching

"Less Stuff, More Happiness," TED talk in which Graham Hill asks: Can having less stuff, in less room, lead to more happiness? He makes the case for taking up less space, and lays out three rules for editing your life.

"How to Fix Fashion and Protect the Planet," TED talk in which designer Amy Powney explores the fashion industry's brutal impact on the environment and human health, modeling what ethical, planet-friendly clothing can look like — and inviting us all to think beyond the label.

Kinema releases the "Global Climate Playlist," The Global Climate Playlist is a curated list of global documentary films financed by Doc Society’s Climate Story Unit, which supports compelling storytelling and impact campaigns from around the world. Every film funded is considered a powerful story that can move the world closer to a climate-just and biodiverse future.