NCC Eco-Justice Working Group -- Capsules: July 2005

July 2005

Young Adult Ecumenical Forum, St. Louis, Mo.
The 2005 Young Adult Ecumenical Forum is a grassroots, collaborative response to the lack of programming for young adults. We will create space for dialogue rather than dogma, and, together, visualize the role that justice-drive young adults can take within the church. The event will be August 11-14 at Eden Seminary in St. Louis, Missouri. The application deadline has been extended to July 15! Assistance may be available through the UCC. For information on how to apply and other details, download the PDF

September 24th, 2005 is National Public Lands Day - a celebration of the 600 million acres of public lands in America. From coast to coast, volunteers will pitch in for a day of trail maintenance, improving wildlife habitat, protecting cultural resources, and more. It's a chance to witness the glory of God's lands and answer the call to care for and restore creation while sharing in fellowship with your congregation, study class, or youth group.
For more information, contact Christine Hoekenga at choekenga@ncccusa.org or 202-544-2350 or visit the NCC Lands Page

“The Faithful Consumer” is a monthly column written by Sarah Streed, Executive Director of the Wisconsin Interfaith Climate and Energy Campaign. The column is for those who want to connect faith and the environment, but in a real, practical way, not in an unworkable, idealistic way.Read more . . .

Seeking to widen coverage of intersections between faith and the sciences, the Episcopal News Service has launched an online forum called "FEAST: Faith, Environment, Action, Science, Technology." Underscoring the importance of individual and corporate responsibility for preserving the abundance of God's creation, the online forum will also echo the familiar liturgical response: "Therefore, let us keep the FEAST."

The Splendor of Creation: A Biblical Ecology (Pilgrim Press/May 2005) is the work of pioneering thinker Ellen Bernstein, founder of Shomrei Adamah, the first Jewish environmental organization. Click here to find out more about this unique book that invites the reader to take a fresh look at the Bible through the lens of ecology.

Eco-Justice Working Group

Church of the Brethren

Environmental Justice Office of Presbyterian Church (USA)

Presbyterian Washington Office

Episcopal Ecological Network

Greek Orthodox Church in America

Luthern Earthkeeping Network of the Synods

Reformed Church in America

United Church of Christ

United Methodist Board of Church and Society

NCC Launches Public Lands Initiative
The National Council of Churches Eco-Justice Program recently launched a Public Lands Initiative designed to help people of faith answer the call to protect and redeem God's lands. The initiative, which is part of NCC's continued commitment to restoring creation, will work to raise consciousness about caring for all of God's lands, with an emphasis on public lands in the West. Sign up to receive The Tenants' Journal, NCC's new land-specific e-newsletter or contact Christine Hoekenga at choekenga@ncccusa.org. Read More…

Water: The Key to Sustaining Life
Water is a vital ingredient for both the diversity of life on Earth and for human well-being. As people of faith, we are stewards and caretakers of God’s wondrous creation. As we become aware of threats to God’s precious waters, we must respond with action. We must hold accountable those people in positions of power for the decisions they make regarding our health, well-being, and continued opportunity for a quality life. Click here to read and affirm the Ecumenical Statement on Water, Climate Stewardship Act letter and Theological Statement on the Environment.

NCC Statement on Senate Resolution Regarding Greenhouse Gas Emissions
The National Council of Churches USA, an ecumenical body compromised of 36 member communions representing close to 45 million congregants, applauds the "sense of the Senate" resolution yesterday calling for passage of mandatory reductions in greenhouse gas emissions. However, we are gravely disappointed that the Senate did not pass binding legislation that would require mandatory steps to stop climate change. Read the full statement....

July 17th is Lake Superior Day!
The purpose of the day is to highlight people's spiritual, personal, environmental, and economic connections to the world's biggest lake through educational activities, words, art, music, science, and personal action. The Forum sponsors an extensive website that offers ideas for how to promote and celebrate the day, as well as invite others in the Lake Superior basin to celebrate one of the the world's most treasured lakes.

Celebrate A Season of Creation with Christ in September.
The National Council of Churches and the Office of Environmental Education and Advocacy of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America invite congregations to adopt a "Season of Creation" as part of the liturgical year. We observe the seasons of Advent, Epiphany, Lent, and Easter to celebrate the life of Jesus. And we observe the Season of Pentecost to celebrate the Christian life in the Spirit. Now we have an opportunity also to celebrate God the creator and to reflect on our human responsibility as creatures of earth to serve and protect all of life. Click here to read more.

Congregational Update:
Greening Synagogues in New Jersey
Coalition on the Environment and Jewish Life's (COEJL) Greening Synagogues pilot project is underway in New Jersey to help congregations conserve energy, use renewable energy, improve the environmental sustainability of their operations and encourage their involvement in environmental advocacy -- all through a Jewish context. Participating congregations include Bnai Keshet (Reconstructionist), Congregation Agudath Israel (Conservative), and Congregation Sharey Tefilo-Israel (Reform). We will select an Orthodox congregation soon. Working together with the New Jersey-based GreenFaith, we are transforming these institutions into centers of environmental awareness, stewardship, and justice. This project will serve as a prototype for synagogues and houses of worship from other faith traditions in New Jersey and beyond.

From the Desk of . . .
by: Cassandra Carmichael, NCC eco-justice program director

At the end of May, I took out my trowel and planted my garden with native flowers and exotic herbs. The plants were small and seemed insignificant compared to the weeds that were poking their heads up at every turn. I longed to tend the garden and nurture my tiny plants along. Instead, I packed my bags and went on the road for several weeks. I left instructions with my roommate to water when able. I took one last look at my garden before I walked out the door, wondering if I would return to a garden withered on the vine. God had other plans, however. For not only did the days deliver a wealth of sun but also plenty of rain showers to water the garden. I returned in mid June to a lush landscape. The small plantlings I had tucked into the soil now stood knee and waste high, proving once again that I, as God's tenant gardener, am not as integral as I sometimes think. My garden proved that miracles and progress rest more in the Spirit than in me.

You are the God who performs miracles; you display your power among the peoples. -- Psalm 77:14