Learn | Pray | Act | Advocate... for all Creation | | |
Earth Day Sunday, April 27, is a perfect opportunity to address the topic of creation care at your church. The secular Earth Day 2025 theme is "Our Power, Our Planet."
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Invite clergy to have the liturgy reflect our kinship with the Earth. Ideas include: using Eucharistic Prayer C, creation-focused Prayers of the People, and perhaps a sermon that explores a Christian response to climate change.
- Organize a display on an environmental issue to share during the coffee hour.
- Make a sign-up sheet and invite others to join you at any of the upcoming outdoor events listed below.
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Plan a community service project or organize your own holy hike.
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Offer TEC's new creation care curriculum, "Love God, Love God's World," as a study series during Easter.
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For children: Episcopal Relief and Development's "Abundant Life Garden Project".
See below for links to additional resources that will make your Earth Day planning easy and engaging.
| | Ideas and Links to Earth Day Resources | | Province IV and V Monthly Environmental Gathering | |
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The Stations of the Cross and Creation
with The Rev. Jerry Cappel and Artist Amy Tidwell
Monday, April 14 at Noon (CT)
Join the meeting to learn and exchange ideas with environmental advocates from around the Episcopal Church.
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At this month's gathering we explore The Stations of the Cross and Creation, an original production of the Stations of the Cross. Envisioned by The Rev. Jerry Cappel, these stations combine the bible texts of the Scriptural Stations of the Cross with original artwork of Amy Tidwell and selections from the poetry of Wendell Berry.
While still honoring traditional themes, these Stations select imagery, poetry, and prayers that more explicitly express our own complicity in the continued presence of betrayal, violence, and injustice. They also broaden our perspective through the inclusion of all creation in the story.
The Rev. Jerry Cappel is an Episcopal Priest in Kentucky and serves as the Province IV Environmental Network Coordinator and Director for the Center for Deep Green Faith. Amy Tidwell is a local artist living in Louisville, Kentucky.
| | Get Outdoors (and bring friends)! | | | | |
Planned activities include:
- Opening music from Ryan Balthrop, with young Nora Curtis at 10AM, and New Cahoots at 11AM
- Love Your Community Volunteer awards at Noon
- Mobile Public Library Storytime throughout the day
- Food trucks, craft vendors, lawn games, electric vehicle car show, rock climbing wall and more!
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Urban Holy Hike
Oakleigh Neighborhood, Mobile
Sunday, April 27 at 5:00PM
Meet at
Washington Square
250 Chatham St.
Mobile, AL 36604
Contact the Rev. Mary Alice Mathison with any questions.
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Experiencing Christ in Creation
Longleaf Forest,
Mobile Botanical Garden
Tuesday, April 29 at 5:00PM
5151 Museum Drove
Mobile, AL 36608
Activities include meditations and a walk through the forest. Bring a comfortable chair and an umbrella in case of rain.
Contact the Rev. Bob Donnell for more information.
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Easter Retreat
Living in View of the Resurrection
A retreat at
Chapel of Divine Creation
at Saloom Properties
Evergreen, Alabama
Saturday, May 17, 2025
9:30am-4:00pm
Led by The Rev. Marshall Craver
and Dr. Salem Saloom
Register early as space is limited. Cost $20. Questions?
Contact: Dr. Salem Saloom
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The Episcopal Creation Care Gathering is an annual church-wide gathering focused on the work of Creation Care through the intersections of outdoor, agrarian, climate, activism, evangelism, and discipleship ministries.
Episcopal Creation Care Gathering is co-sponsored by Provinces IV & V, Procter Center and the Diocese of Southern Ohio.
Registration for the 2025 gathering will open in May 2025.
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Join the Center for Deep Green Faith's year-long ecumenical interdisciplinary program that shares the theology and spirituality of creation care. Learn to encounter the sacred in nature, interpret that experience, and reflect on its implications for your own life, your church, and society.
This year's Contemplation and Care for Creation program starts with an online retreat June 4-7, 2025, and ends in May of the following year. After the initial retreat, participants will then spend the year meeting together online, and will finish with an in-person retreat.
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What We've Been Reading
Read the Episcopal Church's Statement on Creation Care (released 1/23/25) and explore a link to the many environmental resolutions adopted by General Convention over the years.
This 2015 essay "All Creatures" by Norman Wirzba is an exploration of how our theological understanding should bring us to care for all of creation and a look at why so many Christians remain unmoved by the plight of "all creatures" facing the environmental crisis.
The Rev. Jerry Cappel, Province IV Environmental Network Coordinator, has been appointed co-facilitator of Third Act Faith, the faith-based arm of the national climate action group Third Act, formed by Bill McKibben. Jerry is also Director of the Center for Deep Green Faith.
What We've Been Watching
Check out and be inspired by this very clever video by Presbyterian Church of Traverse City, Michigan. What a compelling way to introduce the public to their creation care ministry. The church also has a great webpage featuring the work of their creation care team/ (Thanks to Debra Reinstra in Refugia Newsletter #88 for this recommendation!)
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Be an inspiration to others! We want to hear how your congregation is caring for creation through worship, education, outreach and advocacy. Reply to this email and a commission member will be in touch to learn all the details.
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Questions?
Schedule a parish visit?
Share your creation care story?
Contact:
In Alabama - Lella Lowe lellalowe1@gmail.com
In Florida - Sonja Crawford sonjacrawford6@gmail.com
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