Staying Mindful of Creation Care
“O Lord, how manifold are your works! In wisdom you have made them all; the earth is full of your creatures.” (Psalm 104:24)
Even as we are preoccupied with the coronavirus crisis, we can give thanks and revel in the goodness of God’s creation. Daily neighborhood walks can be restorative as we breathe the fresh air and watch the world spring back to green from winter. As nature continues to sustain us, we remain called to care for it.
Following up on the parish listening session in January, the creation care committee met on March 5 to consider next steps. The listening session revealed twin interests in “acting locally” and in fellowship with one another. The committee consequently will plan a variety of activities when it’s safe again to hold community events. Possibilities include inviting a speaker from the county to address best practices in recycling, organizing a stream clean-up, and holding an information session on using native plants in our gardens.
While we wait to pursue those initiatives, we’ll begin considering practical steps related to our hospitality and fellowship. We’ve already made significant progress in making coffee hour “green,” especially by using mugs instead of disposable cups, but we seek to do more to minimize waste. Eliminating single-use plastics is a particular goal, in accordance with a resolution to do so that the diocese adopted at the Annual Convention in November 2019 (available here). We’ll even aim to reduce waste and eliminate single-use plastics at this year’s block party. It will be challenging, to be sure, but is a goal we plan to achieve!
The listening session also discerned interest in understanding more deeply why creation care is a “church” issue. Briefly, it relates back to our fellowship: harm to creation threatens our community, and as we are one in Christ, we are called to respond to sustain each other. The national church thus identifies creation care as integral to our loving, liberating, and life-giving relationship with God, each other, and the world. As part of the Way of Love, the national church further invites all to take the Episcopal Creation Care Pledge to protect and renew the Earth. Details on the church’s teaching and a link to the pledge are available here.
We are all blessed to be in a parish community that values creation care and holds it up in prayer and for action. The committee welcomes more ideas and input at any time and looks forward to working with everyone in person as soon as possible.