There are two global emergencies facing humanity today: the massive population dislocation and migration of populations driven from their homelands by war, civil violence, and economic injustice, and that of climate change. Any in-depth exploration of either the migration or climate emergencies quickly reveals that the two emergencies are inextricably linked; each impacting upon the other in a complex set of interlocking interactions.

Many of us feel overwhelmed, not knowing where to begin in finding our way through the welter of conflicting political and economic agendas that undergird and overlay both these great emergencies. As Christians, we begin with faith as the repository of the wisdom of thousands of years of human experience. In each case we approach each of these major catastrophes facing humanity from theological and biblical first-principles.

I am excited that this Lent we will have an opportunity to explore a very faith-based understanding that maps out for us a way of moving forward in addressing the climate change emergency. We will follow the Bishop’s pastoral teaching on the environment as they outlined it in: A Life of Grace for the Whole World . A five-week study guide has been written to help us work through the theological and practical principles outlined in the bishop’s pastoral beginning with the first session titled: A Time for Repentance and Renewal; and ending with session five: A Time to Commit and Act.

At St Martin’s our Lent Program will once again run on Tuesday evenings. You can join the evening at 5:30 with Stations of the Cross or come at 6:15 for soup and salad, which will be followed by the study program at 7 pm. We can be out the door by 8:30 pm. I am very aware however, that for parents with children a weekday evening is an impossible time and so each week we will rerun the study element of the program in the Adult Formation time on Sunday morning. Child care will be provided during this time. I am detailing the Lent Program now because although we still have 20 days to Ash Wednesday, I want you all to be thinking seriously about your participation in this year’s Lent Program.

We have purchased 50 adult work books. These are available as part of the Tuesday night food and study package of a suggested cost of $60 for the five weeks. For those attending Sunday Morning, the book can be purchased for $10 and if we run out it is also available on Amazon smile in both Kindle and paperback formats. So please start to plan for Lent now!!!

For those of you unable to attend the Sunday Forum series on Christian Essentials, each week can be viewed on the website’s Adult Formation page.

See you in Church, this Sunday.

Mark+