Climate Revival 2013 – Boston

An Ecumenical Festival to Embolden the Renewal of Creation

Saturday, April 27, 2013, 10am – 4pm
10:00 am Old South Church, UCC
11:30 am Lunch (bring your own), info fair, press conference
1:15 pm Trinity Church, Episcopal
3:00 pm Climate Justice Rally Copley Square, Boston

This event will be led by national and international religious and environmental leaders. Preachers so far include:
The Most Rev. Dr. Katherine Jefferts Schori, Presiding
Bishop of the Episcopal Church
The Rev. Geoffrey Black, General Minister and President of the
United Church of Christ
Desmond Tutu, Archbishop Emeritus South Africa and
Bill McKibben, author will send video messages.

Come together for an inspirational day of preaching, worship, prayers and music as we celebrate the splendor of Creation, mourn the desecration, and advocate for restoration and renewal. We will call upon the Holy Spirit as we rise up to stabilize the climate and to create a better future. Churches will have the opportunity to participate in an informational fair about their environmental ministries.

A project of the New England Regional Environmental Ministries, a cooperative effort of the Episcopal Church and the United Church of Christ.

http://www.macucc.org/climaterevival

#climaterevival

RI-Interfaith Power and Light – 6th Annual Interfaith Conference on Climate Change

          ECO: Inspired Solutions for a Sustainable Future

An interactive discussion on climate solutions for members of our faith communities & business.

When: Thursday, April 11, 2013, 5:00 pm through 9:00 pm
Where: Roger Williams Park Casino, 1000 Elmwood Ave, Providence, RI

5:00 pm – 6:00 Program Opening with exhibits & hors d’oeuvres

6:00 pm – 7:30 Prayer Offering, Imam Farid Ansari, Muslim American Dawah Center

Interfaith Panel Discussion & sit-down catered meal of local/organic foods

MODERATOR: Rev. Dr. Donald Anderson, Executive Minister, RI State Council of Churches

PANELISTS:
• Rev. Jim Antal, MA Conference, United Church of Christ
• Nuri Friedlander, Islamic Chaplin, Harvard Divinity School
• Jeanie Graustein, R.C., Environmental Ministry Coordinator, Archdiocese of Hartford
• Rev. Stephanie M. Johnson, Carbon Footprint Ministry, Episcopal Bishops of New England
• Rabbi Amy Levin, President, RI Board of Rabbis, Rabbi at Temple Torat Yisrael and member of Rabbinical Assembly’s Committee on Jewish Law and Standards
• Rev. Charles Redfern, Baptist Minister & Huffington Post writer
• Swami Yogatmananda, Vedanta Society of Providence (tentative commitment)

7:30 pm – 7:45 Dessert & Coffee buffet-style & break.
Attendees select Table Discussion Topic and move to corresponding table.

7:45 pm – 8:45 Interactive Discussion with exhibitors, faith panelists, & technical experts on green technologies and ways to collectively reduce our energy footprint.

TABLE DISCUSSION FORMAT & TOPICS: Panelists, exhibitors and climate solutions innovation experts will participate in table discussions and answer attendee questions. Topics include energy assessments & rebates, faith collaborations to respond to climate change, financing energy efficiency & renewables, local investing for climate justice, product experts, geothermal in RI, how to choose a contractor, & more… E XHIBITORS SOUGHT – If your business offers products or services that reduce global warming and/or address the unique building needs of houses of worship, contact RI-IPL.

Please REGISTER ON-LINE.   http://www.ri-ipl.org/Conf2013.html

This event was rescheduled from March 7th due to weather.  If you registered for the March 7th event you do not need to re-register.

Questions? Contact us at  info@ri-ipl.org.

FORWARD ON CLIMATE WASHINGTON, DC 2013!

On a February day with a significant windchill factor more than 40,000 people gathered in Washington, DC to support major efforts to address climate change.  The Forward on Climate Rally drew people from around the country, many arriving on chartered buses early Sunday morning only to depart after the rally late Sunday afternoon. 

Speakers at the Rally included Bill McKibben, Van Jones, representatives of first nations in Canada and our own Senator Sheldon Whitehouse.  Their messages were uniformly inspiring and informative. The spirit of the rally was lively, positive and determined.  College students helped spur a decidedly energetic march around the Whitehouse following the speakers’ program, but grandparents, grandchildren, and all ages in between were to be found in abundance.

And among those who were present that day were representatives from Rhode Island: from Ascension in Cranston, St. Paul’s in Wickford, and St,. Augustine’s in Kingston. 

The challenge now is to encourage our brothers and sisters to focus on the needs of God’s Creation, to encourage responsible environmental policies, and to foster respect at every level with a vision to the future.

RI-Interfaith Power and Light – 6th Annual Interfaith Conference on Climate Change

ECO: Inspired Solutions for a Sustainable Future

An interaction discussion on climate solutions for members of our faith communities & business.

When: Thursday, March 7, 2013, 5:00 pm through 9:00 pm
Where: Roger Williams Park Casino, 1000 Elmwood Ave, Providence, RI

5:00 pm – 6:00 Program Opening with exhibits & hors d’oeuvres

6:00 pm – 7:30 Prayer Offering, Imam Farid Ansari, Muslim American Dawah Center

Interfaith Panel Discussion & sit-down catered meal of local/organic foods

MODERATOR: Rev. Dr. Donald Anderson, Executive Minister, RI State Council of Churches

PANELISTS:
• Rev. Jim Antal, MA Conference, United Church of Christ
• Nuri Friedlander, Islamic Chaplin, Harvard Divinity School
• Jeanie Graustein, R.C., Environmental Ministry Coordinator, Archdiocese of Hartford
• Rev. Stephanie M. Johnson, Carbon Footprint Ministry, Episcopal Bishops of New England
• Rabbi Amy Levin, President, RI Board of Rabbis, Rabbi at Temple Torat Yisrael and member of Rabbinical Assembly’s Committee on Jewish Law and Standards
• Rev. Charles Redfern, Baptist Minister & Huffington Post writer
• Swami Yogatmananda, Vedanta Society of Providence (tentative commitment)

7:30 pm – 7:45 Dessert & Coffee buffet-style & break.
Attendees select Table Discussion Topic and move to corresponding table.

7:45 pm – 8:45 Interactive Discussion with exhibitors, faith panelists, & technical experts on green technologies and ways to collectively reduce our energy footprint.

TABLE DISCUSSION FORMAT & TOPICS: Panelists, exhibitors and climate solutions innovation experts will participate in table discussions and answer attendee questions. Topics include energy assessments & rebates, faith collaborations to respond to climate change, financing energy efficiency & renewables, local investing for climate justice, product experts, geothermal in RI, how to choose a contractor, & more… E XHIBITORS SOUGHT – If your business offers products or services that reduce global warming and/or address the unique building needs of houses of worship, contact RI-IPL.

Please REGISTER ON-LINE. Questions? Contact us at 401-261-3426 or liz@ri-ipl.org.

R I Interfaith Power & Light 6th

Resources with a Religious Connection

We at GreenWays promote efforts to care for God’s Creation….a tall order which requires efforts along several lines…But connecting people with resources affiliated with our religious base is a fundamental responsibility.  The previous post sites EcoRI as a source for local environmental actions and reporting – important indeed!

But here’s an article that was just relayed through EpEn, the Episcopal Ecological Network, a nationally based information source.  Phyllis Strupp has written a well considered look at environmentalism.  After reading this you may want to read more from lens The Episcopal News Service or  sign on for an e-mail feed from EpEn.

Unnatural affections

By Phyllis Strupp | April 19, 2012

[Episcopal News Service] Six years ago, our district’s state representative granted my request for a meeting. Waiting in his office, I noticed that the walls were covered with pictures of smiling people receiving awards, celebrating birthdays, and holding babies. As he settled in behind his desk with a cup of coffee, he asked what was on my mind. On behalf of the Diocese of Arizona’s Nature and Spirituality Program, I urged him to give careful consideration to ecological consequences when deciding how to vote on several pending bills. Leaning forward, he looked intently at me and said, “I hate environmentalists. I hate them because they like trees more than people.”

There is a shred of truth to his harsh words. I have met some environmentalists who have an unnatural affection for nature, embracing it as an escape from destructive human relationships. But far more common is my representative’s unnatural affection for people above everything else.

This human-centric perspective is especially common in the Episcopal Church, underlying the anemic response to the bishops’ pastoral teaching on the environment issued in September 2011. This theologically profound work indicates the time has come for reconciling the broken relationship between the church and creation.

Based on my experience with green ministry, four widespread attitudes in the church are hindering the Holy Spirit’s work in this area. First and foremost is the view that people come first and nature comes second—as if they are separate entities. Human needs for air, food, water, clothing, shelter, and other necessities are met by resources drawn from the natural world. Even manmade products depend on natural resources. Creation can live without people, but people can’t live without creation. If you don’t care about creation, you don’t really care about people.

Secondly, is the attitude that environmentalism is a political issue that should not come up in the church. This concern has kept many clergy from preaching about creation, less they step on the political toes of well-healed parishioners during tough economic times. Creation as a spiritual issue can be addressed in ways that build bridges between liberals and conservatives. We were able to do this among the members of the Nature and Spirituality Program. However, this bridge building requires spiritual formation on creation that the church is not currently providing to clergy and lay leaders.

Thirdly, is the belief that money matters more than natural resources or just about anything else. Perhaps this is an unconscious defense to avoid the unpleasant truth that many Episcopalians’ wallets and the Episcopal Church’s coffers are filled with dirty money that was earned by exploiting the creation.

Fourthly, is the view that creation has nothing to do with the gospel and Christ. Perhaps this attitude persists because there is so little preaching and liturgy that includes Creation. However, the Bible confirms that God has a glorious plan for all of creation, not just people. The first two chapters of Genesis reveal that a human being is defined by his or her relationships with God, creation, others and self. The New Testament builds on this spiritual foundation. Jesus refers to his second coming as “the renewal of all things” (Matthew 19:28) and commands, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation” (Mark 16:15).

We are joined at the hip with creation, physically and spiritually.

Earth Day, April 22, provides a convenient opportunity to get behind the Holy Spirit’s green work in the church. Is there someone you know who has a passion for environmental advocacy or animal welfare? Take the time to learn more about their work, and how they came to be concerned about the issue. Affirm their willingness to be a voice crying out in the wilderness of an indifferent church and a hostile society. Ask your clergy to preach and teach more about how God is at work in our relationship with creation. Ask the prayer group to pray for the healing of creation and all people and species who have been harmed by ecological distress. Resolve to be just as careful with natural resources as you are with money. Give thanks to God for this good earth—and delight in a natural affection for all that God has made in nature and humanity.

– Phyllis Strupp is the author of the award-winning book “The Richest of Fare: Seeking Spiritual Security in the Sonoran Desert” and Church Publishing’s companion curriculum “Faith and Nature: The Divine Adventure of Life on Earth.”

The Episcopal Ecological Network or EpEN  is a valuable resource.  News from the website is at http://eenonline.org/

http://eenonline.org/educate/confer.htm

RI-IPL Calling for Preach-In Ahead of February Climate Change Conference

Announcing: Preach-In and Conference on Global Warming

Clergy:
Preach-In: On the weekend closest to Valentine’s Day, hundreds of faith leaders of different religious traditions from around the country will express their love of Creation and their concern about climate change. The New England Regional UCC Environmental Ministries joins with Interfaith Power and Light (IPL) to encourage you to give a sermon on the environment or climate on February 12, Click  here to sign up and receive a variety of resources as soon as they become available:
• Denomination-specific liturgical and thematic notes
• Ready-to-go sample sermons on global warming
• Global warming fact sheet and bulletin insert
• Selected DVDs on request with companion discussion guides

Clergy and Lay people:
Conference on Global Warming: The Preach-In will serve as a great motivator and segue for RI-IPL’s “Ethics of Climate Change” conference to be held February 28th at the Open Table of Christ Methodist Church, 1520 Broad Street, Providence, RI.
The conference will feature as keynote speaker, world-renowned philosopher, author, Prof. Roger S. Gottlieb (for more information about Prof. Gottlieb, click here.) Prof. Gottlieb, a clear, dynamic and engaging lecturer, will develop a convincing argument that the sacred teachings of the world’s major religions compel an ethical response to the climate-change problem. The conference will include informational exhibits, interactive workshops and a low-carbon-footprint fair (for more conference information, and to register click here).

CONNECTING FOR CHANGE: A Bioneers by the Bay Conference

OCTOBER 21-23 2011 │ NEW BEDFORD, MA

A SOLUTION based gathering that brings together a diverse audience to create deep and positive change in their communities.  Join the movement.

     If you haven’t heard about this conference in the past, check out their website: CONNECTING FOR CHANGE: A Bioneers by the Bay Conference presented by the Marion Institute.  This is an annual event not to be missed.  The line up of speakers and workshops is impressive to read and even better to attend.

Each October, right here in New England, within carpooling distance of all points in RI, this conference will inform, energize and inspire you on into the coming year.  To learn more from someone who has attended this event over the years,  please contact Paula Keogh, a member of GreenWays and a parishioner at Grace Church.    E-mail providencekeoghs@cox.net or cell phone 480-6805

Be sure to mark your calendar and register!

Looking For Local Environmental Info?

Try ecoRI for well researched, LOCAL information.  www.ecori.org  This site, provided by ecoRI Inc.,” is a nonprofit, journalistic initiative devoted to educating readers about the causes, consequences and solutions to local environmental issues and problems.”

The professional staff focuses on environmental/social justice news and issues which provide strong informational resources for those involved in environmental stewardship projects.    GreenWays, individual parishies, and the Diocese of RI can all benefit from the offerings of the ecoRI news agency.  Click on the link above to see for yourself.   Their mission, as stated on their website, may be a secular one, but it fosters the care of God’s Creation.  You might want to sign up for their weekly e-mail publication.

For a calendar of RI environment related events there is What Grows on in RI.    Check to see what’s coming up and click on the event for a more detailed description.  Or add your own event, free of charge, when you go to this site. 

Solemn Collects for Good Friday

Here are some resources to access during Holy Week – which, this year, includes Earth Day:  Our thanks to The Rev. Margaret Bullitt-Jonas, Priest Associate, Grace Church, 14 Boltwood Ave., Amherst, MA 01002

 

“As you know, Good Friday coincides this year with Earth Day.  The Diocese of Massachusetts had made available a revised set of Solemn Collects for Good Friday that includes prayers for Creation.  To download a pdf of the revised Solemn Collects, go to http://www.diomass.org, click on ‘Events’, and on April 22.  Or visit this link:

http://www.diomass.org/event/good-friday-cathedral-church-st-paul”