April 2024: Faith, Theology and Reflection in our Library

Creation Care in our Library: Faith, Theology and Reflection

The Creation Care Task Force encourages you to take advantage of the books available in our Library. Additional titles are being added. The titles below are about Faith, Theology and Reflection related to our Lutheran perspectives and substantiate the Christian call to Creation Care.

Crucified Creation: A Green Faith Rising, Gregory E. Sterling, Dean & Publisher [Reflections, Yale Divinity School, Spring 2019] If you only have time to read one volume, this is it… especially if you enjoy a magazine format, multidisciplinary articles, analytical yet personable writing and multiple authors. The 35 writers and poets are scientists, theologians, artists and environmental stewards who are moved existentially and theologically.
They challenge Western Christian historic attitudes of conquesting of nature, each from their own perspectives and disciplines. In doing so, they bear news, push us further and test our faith-based resolve to act and meet the crises of climate change.

Eco-Reformation: Grace and Hope for a Planet in Peril, Lisa E. Dahil & Rev. James B. Martin-Schramm, editors [Cascade Books, 2016] In the midst of many appeals for reformation today, a growing number of theologians, scholars, and activists believe Reformation celebrations in the immediate future need to focus now on the urgent need for an Eco-Reformation because of the rise of industrial, fossil-fuel-driven capitalism and the explosive growth in human population that endangers the planetary life-support systems on which life-as-we-know-it has evolved. If human beings don’t reform our relationship with God’s Creation, enormous suffering will befall many - especially the weakest and most vulnerable among all species. The conviction at the heart of this collection of essays is that a Gospel call for ecological justice belongs at the heart of Reformation observances and - if not the - central dimension of Christian conversion, faith, and practice into the foreseeable future. Like Luther’s 95 Theses, this volume brings together critical Biblical, pastoral, theological, historical, and ethical perspectives that constructively advance the vision of a socially and ecologically flourishing Earth. “In the footsteps of … Martin Luther, … the authors in this timely volume express a critical and expansive Lutheran voice for the urgent case of creation and the common good. The essays make a compelling point that honoring and choosing life in its different forms belongs at the center of the re-orientation and paradigm shifts with the Reformation legacy.” [Kirsi Stjerna, Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary, California Lutheran University]

Behold the Lilies: Jesus and the Contemplation of Nature - A Primer, Rev. Dr. H. Paul Santmire [Cascade Books, 2017] Paul Santmire is a pioneer in the field of ecological theology and spirituality who is a retired Lutheran theologian and pastor living in New England. This book draws from the riches of his long-standing works in the theology of nature and Christian ecological spirituality, especially from his classic historical study, The Travail of Nature (1985), and his exploration of Franciscan spirituality, Before Nature (2014). In this volume, Santmire maintains that those who would follow Jesus are mandated not just to care for the earth and all its creatures but also to contemplate the beauties of the whole creation. Through his first-person reflections are triggered by varied natural settings, the reader shares Santmire’s non-systematic, contemplative spirituality attuned to global ecological and justice issues. “... H. Paul Santimre has blessed us with a delightful new book. As the subtitle indicates, it is full of wise reflections on following Jesus and contemplating the natural world. How do we take seriously the summons to behold the world around us? (He) shows us how. Insightful, honest, hope-filled, and engagingly written” [Steven Bouma- Prediger, author of For the Beauty of the Earth: A Christian Vision for Creation Care].

Before Nature: A Christian Spirituality, Rev. Dr. H. Paul Santmire [Augsburg Fortress, 2014]
This book caps a set of themes first brought to the fore in Santmire’s previous work, most notably the classic The Travail of Nature. Here Santmire continues the pursuit of a theology bound up with nature and its condition, especially the fragility and fervent expectation of nature’s redemption. Santmire invites readers on a theological and spiritual journey to a prayerful and contemplative knowledge of the Triune God, in which practitioners are inducted into a bountiful relationship with the cosmic and universal ministry of Christ and the Spirit uniting all of nature in a single vision of hope and anticipation. "With a pastoral heart and prophetic passion, Santmire continues his lifelong conversation about creation centered spirituality. Unapologetically Christian, Santmire weaves a Trinitarian vision into a universal fabric—calling the reader toward an inner/outer journey that integrates prayer and action. With his most personal testimony to date, the author has created a theological legacy rooted in a lifetime of faithful ministry" [Rev. Dr. Susan R. Andrews, Presbytery of Hudson River - PCUSA].

Christianity, Climate Change and Sustainable Living, Nick Spenser & Robert White [Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge / The Jubilee Centre / The Faraday Institute, 2007]
The authors have two primary foci: 1} our current habits of consumption and production in the West cannot be maintained; and 2} we urgently need to reconsider our lifestyles and the policies that shape them. This book represents a serious Christian engagement with the issues of sustainable consumptions and production. Spencer & White analyze the scientific, cultural, economic, and theological thinking that makes a Christian response to these trends both imperative and distinctive. Their practical conclusions explore what can be done at the personal, community, national, and international levels. Firmly rooted in the Good News of the Christian faith, this, above all, is a constructive and hopeful book with a realistic vision of a better future.
“Don’t read this book if you are not prepared for its challenge” [Sir John Houghton, FRS].

A New Climate for Theology: God, the World, and Global Warming, Sallie McFague [Fortress Press / Augsburg Fortress, 2008] At its heart, Sallie Macfague maintains, global warming occurs because we lack an appropriate understanding of ourselves as inextricably bound to the planet and its systems. This book not only traces the distorted notion of unlimited desire that fuels our market system. It also paints an alternative idea for what being human means and what a just and sustainable economy might mean in an unfolding universe of divine love and human freedom. “Global warming is as much a theological challenge as an engineering one. How do we understand God in a world where we’re now dominating nature? How do we understand ourselves in such a way that we might shrink or impacts” Sallie McFague officers a lucid and powerful guide to these questions, and helps advance the field of environmental theology a giant step” [Bill McKibben, renowned environmentalist, Middlebury College].
“(Sallie McFague) calls Christians to a new feeling, new acting, and new thinking. Perhaps as the threat to our world that she describes so well presses more obviously upon us, the church will begin to listen” [John B. Cobb, Jr., Claremont School of Theology].

February 2024: Creation Care in Our Library: Practical Stewardship

As you may recall, the Church Council established a Creation Care Task Force earlier this year to study Creation Care in our congregation. The Task Force wants to alert you about the books available in our Library. Additional titles are being added. This article’s focuses on Practical Stewardship - that is, things you and your household can do.

Green Living: The E Magazine Handbook for Living Lightly on the Earth, Editors of E/The Environmental Magazine [Plume Book/Penguin Group, 2005]. This continues E/The Environmental Magazine’s great tradition of providing readers with practical tips for living healthier, more eco-friendly lives. The authors clearly lay out the steps we all can take to ensure a better world for ourselves and future generations. Experts suggest that 40 percent of American homes buy organic, yet a large majority have only a limited knowledge of how to actually make informed green choices. Green Living offers a thorough, step-by-step plan for every aspect of your life, from the kitchen to the garage to the bank. Although this book was released 16 years ago, it remains a very helpful guide today.

**50 Simple Things You Can Do to Save the Earth [Earthworks Group, 1989]. ** This book is a classic and among the first of its kind. The basic premise of this book is that “we can make a difference” in its information-packed 96 pages. It is a consumer guide for combating specific environmental problems and compiled from a diverse array of sources. Earthworks Group shows how to recycle effectively, use energy and water more intelligently, and make ecological buying choices with the assertion that we are the genesis of the solution.

The Green Consumer, John Elkington, Julia Hailes and Joel Makower [Penguin Group, 1990]. “You can buy products that don’t cost the earth” is this volume’s cover tag. Every time you shop for toiletries, cars, cleaners, batteries, baby food - and most everything - you make choices that affect the environment. This brand-specific handbook, in spite of its age, delves into simple buying decisions.

Use Less Stuff: Environmental Solutions for Who We Really Are, Robert Lilienfeld and William Rathje [The Ballantine Publishing Group / Random House, 1998]. This groundbreaking consumer guide presents smart consumer strategies to reduce consumption, conserve resources, save money and simplify your life that remain relevant. It recognizes that recycling has its limits. Among the many creative suggestions you’ll learn to reduce and reuse at home, during the holidays, at the store, at work & office, at school, and in the outdoors.

December 2023: Nature, Advent Meditation, and Climate Change

“We are called to care for the earth as God cares for the earth.” (from the ELCA Social Statement)’

“This summer of 2023 climate change moved from the abstract to the concrete….While some of us still deny it, the rest of us look on with sober fear….The evidence of our impact on the planet is clear.” (Bishop James Hazelwood).

In Advent we’re called to meditation. We’re called to evaluate our place and our accountability in the world. But slowing ourselves down in present times, let alone in December, is hard. We have so many responsibilities—shopping, wrapping, mailing—and so many activities—office work, meetings, neighborhood parties. It’s hard. Add to this the fact that the larger world is filled with terrible, frightening events, and we can’t escape them. Here in New Hampshire, it’s political fighting. Throughout our country, children are hungry and people are homeless. Around the world, we see wars and rumors of wars. And everywhere, nature is threatened by climate change.

But ironically, while we know nature is in danger, there’s no better way to slow down emotionally, to calm ourselves, than to be in nature.

So, let’s take the nature walk. We go into the woods and hold very still, and we’re blessed with the sounds of nature. We watch the birds. A squirrel scampers by. We wait; we keep silent. There’s a snowshoe hare, almost hidden in the snow. Then leaves rustle and a raccoon appears. A red fox chases a woodchuck.

After a while we drive to the seacoast to watch the waves. Overhead seagulls squawk before they dive to fish. A great blue heron wades near the shoreline. We hear barking and turn our heads to find a harbor seal.

Feeling calmer, feeling filled by nature, we head off to church for yet another activity. There we find the Climate Care section in the BGLibrary displayed on the carousel. There’s a book that draws our attention: Behold the Lilies: Jesus and the Contemplation of Nature by H. Paul Santmire. In it he describes that when he stays in his rustic vacation home in New Hampshire, when he works the fields and digs into the dirt, he discovers how to meditate, how to be in holiness.

Santmire’s book is just one of many in the Climate Care section that teaches us about how we can care for the earth. Caring for the earth is meditation. I urge you to check out Santmire’s and some of the other caring books on this carousel.

More Than Recycling: What My Household & I Can Do

Creation Care More Than Recycling: What My Household & I Can Do

Becoming an advocate for Creation Care is not merely a factor of one or two elements. Just as it is with most matters of faith, it emerges and evolves in response to God’s Love and Grace through a variety of means - personal, familial, church, community, and beyond. There is so much more each of us can do than recycle! This Creation Care article provides ideas for you and your family/ household to internalize Creation Care discipleship and response in the name of Christ.

Meditation & Prayer

Saunter. “What?” you ask. The word “saunter” implies more than “a leisurely stroll”. It is derived from a French word, “santren”, meaning “to muse, to wonder.” Although the origin of this word is unclear, some say it comes from “sainte terre'', French for “holy earth”. When I saunter, I quietly, meditatively and slowly walk with all senses and heart open to the Earth around me, allowing God’s voice to be heard. For a change of setting, set out on a saunter in one of the land trusts and conservancies noted below.

If reading is a spiritual practice you prefer, I highly recommend any titles from H. Paul Santmire. For starters, try Before Nature: A Christian Spirituality1 and Behold the Lilies: Jesus and the Contemplation of Nature - A Primer2. Santmire, a well-respected Lutheran theologian, personably invites readers into a theological/spiritual journey and a prayerful/contemplative knowledge of the Triune God, in which practitioners are inducted into a bountiful relationship with the cosmic ministry of Christ and the Spirit uniting all of nature in a single vision of hope and anticipation. In these books Santmire continues the pursuit of a theology bound up with nature and its condition, especially the fragility and fervent expectation of nature’s redemption.

Find a Psalm you like that includes multiple “nature” items. Then gather others in your family/household and tell them they’re going to “make a video in their mind” by imagining video pictures based on the words you read to them with their eyes closed. Slowly read the Psalm and ask each to describe their video after your finished reading (this especially works well with younger children). Another of my favorite Psalm activities is to slowly read Psalm 104 - another Biblical account of creation - while listening to Aaron Copland’s musical composition Appalachian Spring. Both follow similar story lines, that is, following spring water in the mountains as it grows into a river and finally in the ocean, providing life for plants, animals and humans along the way.

You can also google “nature as a key to Christian spirituality” and find many choices for reading, listening and viewing.

Home Stewardship

Although recycling is on the decline,3 we still can accomplish much at home by reusing, repurposing and reducing plastic, metal, and glass waste. Be creative and have fun!

There are many other consumer actions your household can take, such as those described in three HTELC Library books, 50 Simple Things You Can Do to Save the Earth, Green Living and The Green Consumer.

Don’t forget about buying in bulk (food and household products). The higher expenses of natural foods may be reduced by cooperating with neighbors and friends. Here are some outlets in our area: Dover Natural Foods, Dover Market & Cafe at Emery Farm, Durham Summit Natural Foods, Exeter Hampton Natural Foods, Hampton New Morning Natural Foods, Kennebunk Golden Harvest Produce Market, Kittery Rising Tide Natural Foods, Kittery The Spice & Tea Exchange, Portsmouth Whole Foods Market, Newington.

Filleries are also not to be forgotten. Here you buy household products, but the products are put into your own reusable containers. The distributors in our area are:
We Fill Good, Kittery The Refill Station, Portsmouth Leave No Trace Refillery, Portsmouth & Seacoast (only shop online with delivery).

Also to be considered are efficient appliances (Energy Star) and home solar energy, often with incentives or rebates. See the vendors and your energy providers for the details.

Together in Play, Advocacy and Volunteering

There’s something uniquely exciting about experiencing nature in community. Regardless of who you are, there are many groups and opportunities in our area for outdoor recreation (“play”), environmental advocacy and conservation volunteering. Most of the following offer at least two of those experience types and all of them provide online information.
Appalachian Mountain Club - NH and ME Chapters Sierra Club - NH and ME Groups Meet-Up Groups - join online Great Bay Coalition Audubon Society - VT Centers in VT, ME and CT New Hampshire Rivers Council Maine Rivers Gay Outdoors Land Trusts & Conservancies - Of the 117 in NH and ME, these are in our area: Southeast Land Trust of NH Bear-Paw Regional Greenways Howfirma Trust York Land Trust Kittery Land Trust Great Works Regional Land Trust Society for the Protection of NH Forests

Individuals and families can also join and support the likes of the Appalachian Mountain Club (national) Sierra Club (national) Wilderness Society Environmental Defence Fund National Resources Defense Council Ocean Conservancy Greenpeace EarthJustice

At HTELC

At church, we regularly experience the intersection of nature and faith in worship. Not a worship service goes by without bonds to nature in scripture, prayers and/or hymns. Nature imagery is also used in faith formation and Bible study to clarify our faith, grace, love and Christian community.

In the coming months our church will form a “Green Team'' to explore if and how HTELC can become a “green church.” More information will be in the next and final Creation Care article. Until then, please contact this article’s author (below) if you or a family member have interest in this “Green Team.”

Faith-Based Resources for Individuals and Households

There are a variety of books in our HTELC Library. The following resources are only available online and are a great start for you and yours to discover more about creation care.

Lutherans Restoring Creation. https://lutheransrestoringcreation.org/ LRC is a grassroots movement promoting care for creation in the ELCA. They cultivate a community of dedicated stewards of the earth, proclaiming God’s promise of hope and healing for all and offer good resources for individuals and households on their website.

Web of Creation. https://www.webofcreation.org/ The Web of Creation is maintained by the Lutheran School of Theology/Chicago, is a Christian ecumenical organization and provides environmental resources for people of faith. .

Earth Ministry. https://earthministry.org/ Earth Ministry's website provides extensive resources for all although its work focuses on the Pacific Northwest. Of special interest to individuals and households is that they show the depth of creation care through their faith-based values.

Evangelical Environmental Network. https://creationcare.org/ The EEN seeks to equip, inspire, disciple, and mobilize God's people in their effort to care for God's creation.

Interfaith Power and Light. https://www.interfaithpowerandlight.org/ IP&L mobilizes religious responses to global warming in 39 states, including New England. They focus on tangible results, putting our faith into action through the promotion of renewable energy, energy efficiency, and conservation.

Closing Encouragement

Each of us enter into new understandings and spiritual journeys through different routes. Mine were through unexpected, intersecting encounters in/with meditation, worship, nature, social action, reading, Christian community, teachers, clergy, peers, and outdoor recreation. In my youth, family vacations included new discoveries of God’s Creation. As a young adult my awareness of environmental justice grew and deepened especially through a mentor who used nature as a tool to reveal the Gospel. Through the years and experiences since then, I’m increasingly compelled to act and advocate for justice and the preservation of God’s first gift to us, Creation. I encourage each HTELC participant to absorb God’s Creation by any path so as to be more-fully engaged with the Love and Grace of Christ.
Glenn Oswald glenncanoe@gmail.com 603-507-7363 (mobile)

1 Augsburg Fortress (2014) 2 Cascade Books (2017). This book is available in the HTELC Library. 3 More-and-more municipalities are not able to truly recycle waste anymore, largely because there’s no market for it, it’s too expensive and/or China is not accepting recyclable waste.

Worship & Spirit: Shallow without Nature/Creation

Creation Care

Did you ever notice how often components of creation are directly and indirectly mentioned in a typical worship service? Nearly every Sunday morning worship service includes at least one hymn, at least one prayer and at least one lesson that incorporates nature/creation components. Even the sacraments themselves include the natural elements of water, bread (wheat) and wine (grapes).

Nature/creation are indeed very Biblical. Nature/creation are used to give praise. They clarify faith matters such as stewardship, forgiveness, and the three persons of God. No wonder: the people of those times lived much closer to nature than now. Their spirituality was distinctively clarified through nature. As we’ve become more technological and profit-centered, we’ve become less aware of the fullness of nature/creation to focus matters of faith, spirituality, justice and life itself.

One of these matters is that of worship. {1} To be clear, we do not worship nature/creation. To use a scholarly term, we practice panentheism, the theological position that God is immanent within the Universe and transcends it. It is distinguished from pantheism, which holds that God is synonymous with the material universe. In panentheism, God is viewed as the creator (animating force behind the universe), and the source of universal morality, justice and mercy. We use nature/creation in worship to recognize, celebrate and encounter God in all and of all. “There is one body and one Spirit, … one hope of your calling, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in all.” {NRSV, Ephesians 4: 4-6}

Other than the October Sunday honoring St. Francis, Creation Care is not specifically identified in the liturgical calendar as it was when I was a youth ... but it is indeed historically supported in Rogate Sunday and the festival Rogation Days, traditionally the fifth or sixth Sunday after Easter and immediately before Ascension Sunday. The ELCA document “What Are ‘Rogation Days?’” states:

"Stewardship of creation is an ongoing ministry in the church. The creation, which God declared good, is entrusted to the care of humankind. Exercising that care is one dimension of daily Christian discipleship. Rogation Days are a way for the church to honor God for the gift of creation and to pray for the land, the gift of labor, and the needs of all people. ... The word, Rogation, has its roots in the Latin word “rogare” which means to ask or petition. ... In some places, the celebrations of Rogation Days were quite elaborate and included processions from the church to and around fields while asking for God’s blessing. Churches that have maintained the practice of celebrating Rogation Days in our time now no longer mark these days specifically before Ascension. Instead, Rogation Days are celebrated at times and places that meet local needs. With an increased awareness of the need for the stewardship of creation both within the church and within contemporary culture, the themes of thanksgiving for the land and petitions for a fruitful earth may be adapted around broader cultural celebrations of Earth Day or at other times. ... These days (now) underscore the dependence of all people, urban and rural, on the fruitfulness of the earth and human labor. The themes of Rogation Days may be highlighted in a special worship service or in prayers of intercession in the Sunday assembly during the spring. Practice Evangelical Lutheran Worship has a set of propers to commemorate the "Stewardship of Creation (see Evangelical Lutheran Worship)." {2}

Without doubt, the Goods News is for all people, including the marginalized. It is also for all creation. "For creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the children of God, ... in hope that creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and will obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God." {NRSV, Romans 8: 19, 21} The more creation is compromised, the marginalized are more adversely affected and all humanity is more jeopardized. Creation Care is about… Vision Urgency Hope Justice and The Call to Justice Commitment of the Church and Its People Action (Claiming the Promise) These themes - and then some - are substantiated in the many works of Christian theologians, such as those in the Lutheran tradition (i.e., Martin Luther, Larry Rasmussen, Joseph Sitler, Jim Martin-Schramm). Likewise, the 12-page ELCA Social Statement, “Caring for Creation: Vision, Hope, and Justice” (1993), also expands on the above themes, concluding with:

“Given the power of sin and evil in this world, as well as the complexity of environmental problems, we know we can find no ‘quick fix'—whether technological, economic, or spiritual. A sustainable environment requires a sustained effort from everyone. The prospect of doing too little too late leads many people to despair. But as people of faith, captives of hope, and vehicles of God’s promise, we face the crisis. We claim the promise of ‘a new heaven and a new earth’ (Revelation 21:1), and join in the offertory prayer (Lutheran Book of Worship, page 109): ‘Blessed are you, O Lord our God, maker of all things. Through your goodness you have blessed us with these gifts. With them we offer ourselves to your service and dedicate our lives to the care and redemption of all that you have made, for the sake of him who gave himself for us, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.’ ” {3}

Although the lectionary doesn't easily lend itself to preaching on Creation Care, there is substantial room for doing so when speaking about vision, justice, our call to justice, commitment, stewardship, and action (claiming God’s promise). There are many suggestions for preaching, prayers, confession, lectionaries, hymns, settings and their respective appropriateness from Lutherans Restoring Creation, other worship resources and our hymnal, Evangelical Lutheran Worship.

Although worship and spirituality are related, they are not identical. At the risk of being too simplistic: spirituality informs faith >> faith shapes theology >> theology builds organized religion >> organized religion institutionalizes worship.

Spirituality tends to be more individual than corporate, and as such, more meditative, mystical, and internalized. Another “way to define and describe spirituality is that it grows out of the depth of our awareness of God’s presence, both within our own being and within all that surrounds us.” {4}

It can be said that internalized nature/creation experiences are essential to spirituality. Here’s what a few Christian writers/theologians have said:

“The Spirit of life dwells in every living creature and calls us to enter into relationship with him.” {5}

“... if we feel intimately united with all that exists, then sobriety and care will well up spontaneously. The poverty and austerity of Saint Francis were no mere veneer of asceticism, but something much more radical: a refusal to turn reality into an object simply to be used and controlled. … A sense of deep communion with the rest of nature cannot be real if our hearts lack tenderness, compassion and concern for our fellow human beings. … The universe as a whole, in all its manifold relationships, shows forth the inexhaustible riches of God.” {6}

“What makes creation spirituality different? … (It) does involve, for some, a new way of seeing and a new way of learning to be receptive to God’s immanence, or presence. … St. Augustine called creation God’s other ‘great book.’ … Thomas Acquinas put it this way: ‘Sacred teachings are bound in two volumes, that of Creation and that of Holy Scripture.’” {4}

Future Tidings Articles about Creation Care “What Can HTELC Do?” “What Can I and My Household Do?” Content Summaries of Creation Care Books in our HTELC Library

{1} “Lutheran worship is a foundation of faith for everything we do through God’s word, water, bread and prayer. In worship we gather together, nurtured in faith and sent out into the world. Worship is fundamentally about what God is doing and our response to God’s action. Worship is an encounter with God, who saves us through … Jesus Christ.” https://www.elca.org/Our-Work/Congregations-and-Synods/Worship (ELCA) {2} https://download.elca.org/ELCA%20Resource%20Repository/What_are_Rogation_Days.pdf (ELCA) {3} https://www.elca.org/Faith/Faith-and-Society/Social-Statements/Caring-for-Creation (ELCA) {4} http://download.elca.org/ELCA%20Resource%20Repository/Awakening_To_Gods_Call_To_Earthkeeping.pdf (ELCA) {5} National Conference of the Bishops of Brazil (Roman Catholic), A Igreja e a Questão Ecológica, 1992, pages 53-54
{6} Encyclical Letter Laudato Si’ of the Holy Father Francis on Care for Our Common Home, Dicastero per la Comunicazione - Libreria Editrice Vaticana (2015)

From Then to Now; Older Than We Think & Less Than We Know

Thousands of Years & Countless Religions

If we think that faith-based Creation Care is a relatively recent development and that it’s primarily Christian, we are sorely misguided. “Creation care” (and other like ideas) spans thousands of years and globally across countless religions. In Chapter 1-4 of his acclaimed book, GreenFaith: Mobilizing God’s People to Save the Earth (Abingdon Press, 2015), Fletcher Harper1 overviews the development of “green” theologies, faiths and practices in Judaism, Christianity, spirituality, ethics, indigenous religions, Hinduism, Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism, Judaism, Islam, and some variations of each.

To give you an idea of one of Harper’s foundational convictions, the first sentence of his book states “Nature, the outdoors, the environment is fundamental to religious faith and spirituality.” The final paragraphs of his book are subtitled “Faith in Action.” Since this article is for a Christian congregation, a summary of what Harper writes about Judaism and Christianity are only noted here.

Judaism. Harper goes back to the first story of creation itself (Genesis 1) and works through the Old Testament (Torah) to highlight primary tenants:

  • God made the earth and it was very good.
  • God is committed to the full community of universal life.
  • God owns the earth and - through stewardship - so do humans.
  • The biodiversity of nature demonstrates nature’s goodness and its right to exist for its own sake and for God’s sake.
  • Humans have a place in the larger order of the universe which, in turn, evokes authentic humility.
  • Everything God created - human and non-human - are joined in mystical, collective praise of God the Creator.
  • The second story of creation (Genesis 2) establishes humanity’s responsibility to guard, protect and watch over nature.
  • Wastefulness and extravagance are contrary to the biblical limits for human care of the earth.

Christianity. Harper Fletcher reviews the full breadth of New Testament books - including the apocryphal Revelations to John - in GreenFaith where he clarifies:

  • Jesus’s connection to nature throughout His life, teachings, actions, death and resurrection.
  • “...Christ is the force that enables the universe to cohere, to exist, to make sense.”
  • “...The scope of Christ’s resurrection is not focused solely on Christians (or people). It is truly universal. ‘All things … whether things on earth or in the heavens’ are reconciled to God.”
  • “Revelation's vision (of the second coming) isn’t an endorsement of a ‘torched’ mind-set. It’s a confirmation that God’s commitment to the Earth is every bit as real (and) long-lasting as God’s commitment to us.”
  • “The time has arrived for Christianity to recognize creation’s basic dignity along-side humanity’s.” (Food-for-thought from this article's author: In Communion and Baptism, the sacramental elements of bread, wine and water, are indeed for humanity and directly proceed from nature.)

Faith-Based Environmental Organizations & Programs - Christian

Now we step away from Fletcher Harper’s book to look at the broad scope of environmental organizations, programs and advocacy in American Christendom. The list below is not all-inclusive; any one of the following will lead to many other web pages of resources and faith community actions. This list is not presented in any particular order. However, since we’re an ELCA congregation, the first three are those related to the ELCA.

Lutherans Restoring Creation (ELCA) lutheransrestoringcreation.org

LRC is a grassroots movement promoting care for creation in the ELCA. They accomplish their goals by cultivating a community of dedicated stewards of earth and neighbor who proclaim God’s promise of hope and healing for all. LRC is driven by laity, pastors, lay professionals, synodical leadership, and others who hold positions in the ELCA and its institutions. This movement grows out of a long history of Lutheran concern (the ELCA’s 1993 social statement Caring for Creation: Vision, Hope, and Justice, and other pre-ELCA Lutheran documents) and involvement.

Web of Creation webofcreation.org/

The Web of Creation websites maintained by the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago (ELCA). As the founder of the Green Congregation Program, the Web of Creation has been a Christian ecumenical organization active in providing environmental resources for faith communities in the area of worship, education, building and grounds, lifestyle at home and work, and public witness.

Bible and Ecology www.bibleandecology.org

Bible and Ecology is an offshoot of the Web of Creation. Its purpose is to provide resources for individuals, churches, pastors, scholars and activists wanting to explore the biblical foundations for sustainability and eco-stewardship ("creation care"). We want to challenge people to see - and to begin to read - the Bible as an ecological book. Our aim is to point to some of the best resources currently available, both print and online, on the Bible and what it has to say about creation, the deep connectedness of all forms of life and the role of humankind in helping to sustain and heal the earth.

United Methodist Creation Justice Movement umcreationjustice.org

The Creation Justice Movement is emerging at this kairos moment to connect and support groups within the United Methodist Church and beyond for the work of creation care, justice and regeneration.

Earth Ministry earthministry.org

Earth Ministry's work is focused on Washington state and the Pacific Northwest, but its website provides extensive resources useful to other faith-based environmental groups.

Environmental Justice from the General Board of Church and Society - Global Ministries, United Methodist Church umcjustice.org

The Economic and Environmental Justice Program calls the church and society into a greater faithfulness to the biblical vision of wholeness and justice for all of God's creation. From global warming and environmental racism to worker justice and poverty eradication, the program seeks to restore right relationships among ourselves, others and the created world. There are three primary programs: Creation Care, Sustainable Development and Hunger & Poverty.

Evangelical Environmental Network creationcare.org

The EEN seeks to equip, inspire, disciple, and mobilize God's people in their effort to care for God's creation, to be faithful stewards of God's provision, to get involved in regions of the United States and the world impacted by pollution, and to advocate for actions and policies that honor God and protect the environment. EEN's work is grounded in the Bible's teaching on the responsibility of God's people to "tend the garden" and in a desire to be faithful to Jesus Christ and to follow Him. EEN tends to be individual and congregation and denominations from more-orthodox Protestant denominations.

The Forum on Religion and Ecology fore.yale.edu

The Forum on Religion and Ecology is the largest international multireligious project of its kind. It is engaged in exploring religious worldviews, texts, ethics, and practices in order to broaden understanding of the complex nature of current environmental concerns.

The Green Seminary Initiative greenseminaries.org

The Green Seminary Initiative encourages schools of theology to be participants in, and keepers of, God's creation in all its human, biological, geological, and ecological manifestations. To that end, the Green Seminary Initiative is dedicated to building a nationwide coalition of theological schools that infuse care of the earth into all aspects of theological education.

Interfaith Power and Light interfaithpowerandlight.org

Interfaith Power and Light sees itself as a religious response to global warming. It is a campaign of the Regeneration Project that mobilizes a religious response to global warming in 39 states. It focuses on tangible results in congregations, putting our faith into action through the promotion of renewable energy, energy efficiency, and conservation.

Creation Justice Ministries (National Council of Churches of Christ) creationjustice.org

The Eco-Justice Program office of the National Council of Churches works in cooperation with the NCC Eco-Justice Working Group (of which the United Methodist Church is a member) "to provide an opportunity for the national bodies of member Protestant and Orthodox communions to work together to protect and restore God's Creation.

Let All Creation Praise letallcreationpraise.org

Let All Creation Praise offers worship resources for congregations to celebrate God's love for creation, to worship God with creation so as to reconcile and restore our human relationship with the rest of nature, and to foster love and care for God's whole creation. It also provides resources to celebrate a "season of creation" or "creation time" in the church year.

The National Religious Partnership for the Environment nrpe.org

This partnership is comprised of four major religious organizations, each representing faith communities across the US: the Coalition on the Environment and Jewish Life, the Evangelical Environmental Network, the National Council of Churches of Christ, and the US Conference of Catholic Bishops

Let All Creation Praise letallcreationpraise.org

Let All Creation Praise offers resources for congregations to celebrate God's love for creation, to worship God with creation so as to reconcile and restore our human relationship with the rest of nature, and to foster love and care for God's whole creation. We also provide resources to celebrate a "season of creation" or "creation time" in the church year.

Presbyterians for Earth Care https://presbyearthcare.org/pcusa-programs/

PEC is part of the Presbyterian Hunger Program (PCUSA) which works to inspire and equip congregations and presbyteries to work for eco-justice for all of God’s Earth. It produces, promotes and distributes faith-based environmental resources and oversees the Earth Care Congregations program.

Catholic Creation Care https://www.catholiccreationcare.com/

Roman Catholic Creation Care is not as much an organization as nationally-led educational and action-oriented resources for families and parishes, including personal study, an indigenous peoples’ park program, graded parish school lessons, and courses.

Creation Justice (American Baptist Church USA) abc-usa.org/creation-justice/

American Baptist Churches USA has long heard God’s call to tend, love and care for God’s creation and all people. They’ve understood that ecological care and human justice are one, two sides of the same coin. The Office of the General Secretary has partnered with the ABC Creation Justice Network, Creation Justice Ministries and ecoAmerica to galvanize the work their churches have been doing on climate solutions and to build visible national leadership. The ABC Creation Justice Network can offer introductory workshops and training sessions for clergy and congregations.

Future Creation Care Articles

While this monthly series of Creation Care articles is a work-in-progress, at least four more articles are anticipated to address these matters:

  • Interconnections of Nature, Worship and Spirituality
    • What Households Can do for Creation Care
      • What Can HTELC Do for Creation Care
  • Creation Care Books and Resources in the HTELC Library

Your comments about Creation Care articles are most welcomed. Please direct your questions, ideas and concerns to me. Thank you!

Glenn Oswald

glenncanoe@gmail.com

603-507-7363

1 Fletcher Harper is an Episcopal priest and Executive Director of GreenFaith. His highly-recommended, easy-to-read book will soon be available in the HTELC Library.

Deep and Wide

The depth and scope of Creation Care is extensive and surprising, even just within Christianity. The breadth of issues are also perplexing because they call us to consider the fuller meanings of Scripture, their historical context, verbiage, scientific research, ecology, social justice, the economy, theology, and holistic concepts of Grace, Love, Reconciliation and Justice.

“That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet .” Although “Creation Care” is the tag used to focus these articles, it is not solely a Lutheran term. In fact, there are many more tags from religious traditions, environmental science, community action, politics, and others. The multiplicity of tags reflects the depth and scope of the issues and sometimes convey the source traditions and theologies of religious groups, specific human/ecological issues in/around a community, different scientific disciplines, cultural and political climates, and more. Here are some of the tags used within Christianity.

  • Restoring Creation
  • Caring for Creation
  • Environmental Stewardship
  • Stewardship of the Earth
  • Unity with Nature
  • Environmental Discipleship
  • Christology of Nature
  • Earth Community
  • Earth Ethics
  • Call to Ecology and Justice

Non-Humans are indeed Our Neighbors

An article in the Journal of Lutheran Ethics1 emphatically and clearly states that Christ is for ALL Creation, not just humans.

“Christ is central not only to God's redemption of a fallen humanity, but also central to God's creation of everything. The same theme comes to us powerfully in the soaring poetry of Paul's letter to the Colossians. The key words in Col. 1:15-20 are ‘all things…’

He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation; for in him all things in heaven and on earth were created, things visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or powers, all things have been created through him and for him. He himself is before all things and in him all things hold together. He is the head of the body, the church: he is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that he might come to have first place in everything. For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him God was pleased to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, by making peace through the blood of his cross. These are profound words, mind-stretching words. They do two things for us. They proclaim our Lord's central role in both creation and redemption. Equally important, they move us beyond our prejudice that humankind is all God cares about. To say Christ is cosmic means this: that Christ shows us God's mighty deeds in creating everything and God's mighty deeds in redeeming everything, which means ALL things will be reconciled back to God and ALL creatures will be reconciled to one another.”

It is clear that God’s intent is that reconciliation and redemption are for humans and nature alike. As such, all things made are neighbors.

Environmental Stewardship

“Some environmentalists … divinize the earth and insist on ‘biological egalitarianism,’ the equal value and rights of all life forms…. This philosophy negates the biblical affirmation of the human person’s unique role as steward and eliminates the very rationale for human care for creation. The quest for the humane treatment of beasts by lowering people to the level of animals leads only to the beastly treatment of humans.”2 This writer precisely clarifies the role of Chistians: we are not of the world, but for it.

“The doctrine of creation also emphasizes the special vocation of humanity to assist God in the task of sustainability. In Genesis the first creation account describes the responsibility of stewardship in terms of ‘dominion’ (Gen. 1:28), and the second creation account refers to this task as ‘to till and keep it’ (Gen. 2:15). In both cases the stress is on humanity’s stewardship of God’s creation.”3

Eco Justice & The Economy

Environmental justice is about fairness and healing for/of the whole of the Earth… humans, flora, fauna, seas, fresh water and the ground on which we walk, drive, farm, and build. The intersections of all “earthly elements” are numerous and complex. Environmental justice and social justice are alike - this author contends environmental justice is far more inclusive.

For example, recent research has found that the poor and people of color have been significantly more adversely affected by air and water contamination from fracking, lack of pollution controls and disregard for human rights. Psychologists and sociologists have long noted that those who have access to parks and the outdoors typically are happier and healthier.

There are those who shortsightedly insist that economic gain takes precedence over environmental justice. Biblically speaking, it is not a matter of one over the other, but of sustainability, sufficiency, sharing and mutuality.

Environmental Deterioration

The interlocking problems of environmental deterioration - and projected failure - include:

  • Global Warming
  • Sea Level Rise
  • Energy Consumption
  • Water Usage
  • Power Generation
  • Clean Air & Water
  • Species Loss
  • Recycling
  • Sustainability
  • Food Production
  • Pesticides & Herbicides
  • Wind & Solar Power
  • Politics
  • Personal/Corporate Privilege
  • Human Impact

“...Lutherans can stress four vital Christian insights. First, our theocentric worldview combats the rampant and destructive anthropocentrism among the privileged and powerful who assume that all of creation is for their benefit and exploitation. Second, our incarnational theology repudiates destructive dualisms that skew a holistic understanding of life and are often conjoined with a logic of domination to justify men in charge of women, one race in charge of another, owners in charge of workers, and humans as masters over nature. Third, our belief that Christ exists in community counters the excessive individualism of modern industrial culture and points to the fundamental reality that we are utterly interdependent upon the health and well-being of all below us on the food chain.... Fourth, our accountability to God leads us to care about the welfare not only of present generations but also of future generations even though our economic and political systems are happy to dump current social and ecological costs on future generations.”3

What Can I / We Do?: Participation & Action

Do you remember (or heard about) the era when the popular eco actions were to place a brick in your toilet tank (conserve water) and to only buy milk in glass bottles (fewer petrochemicals)? Now-a-days we individually and collectively have many more options to make a difference… and they all revolve around participation and action.

Individual and corporate efforts will be discussed in the future. For now, though, draw your attention to two different organizations that can be of aid, Lutherans Restoring Creation and GreenFaith, both noted below. They offer opportunities for faith communities to publicly and functionally become a “green church” to one degree or another. Our congregation may wish to explore becoming a “green church” in the future.

Additional Resources

Here are some options where you can learn more about Creation Care issues. You can also search the internet for far more options.

1 Charles Lutz, “Loving my Neighbor in the Whole of God's Creation,” Journal of Lutheran Ethics, Volume 3, Issue 3 (March 2003). 2 “A Biblical Perspective on Environmental Stewardship,” Action Institute. 3 Jim Martin-Schramm, “A Lutheran Ethic of Environmental Stewardship,” Augustana Digital Commons Citation, Intersections: Vol. 2012: No. 36, Article 7 (2012).

Ten Reasons Why Lutherans Care For All Creation

Many of us are concerned - to say the least - about the state and future of our environment. And well we should because the “Earth is the Lord’s and its fullness thereof, it is the right thing to do and fuller understandings of Judeo/Christian and other theologies are achieved when faith and religious texts are viewed from their environmental origins.

Some in our congregation have taken individual steps to reduce their carbon footprints (reduce, repurpose, reuse and recycle), donate to environmental stewardship and even take action. But what can we do as a Christian congregation? How and to where does God call us?

This is the first of articles this summer to help us as a congregation discern these matters.(1)

Lutherans care for creation for many reasons, including:

1. Theology: We affirm God as Creator of all. We have an incarnation theology that cherishes the continuing presence of God in, with, and under all reality. We see redemption as the restoration of creation, as “new creation.” We see the future straining toward the fulfillment of creation.

2. Cross and Resurrection: The Gospel leads us to see God in solidarity with the human situation in all its pain and agony, especially the most vulnerable—humans and non-humans. A theology of the cross gives us solidarity with “creation groaning in travail” and stresses that God redeems all Creation. Our affirmation of resurrection offers hope for new life in this world.

3. Worship and Sacraments: We affirm that the material is a vehicle of the divine and that Christ is present in such ordinary elements of life as grapes and grain—the basis for our delight in and reverence for Creation. Our worship invites us into transforming encounters with God deep in the flesh and in the world. We are called to worship God with Creation.

4. Ecclesiology: Our human vocation is “to serve and to preserve” Earth. We believe that the church exists for the sake of the world. We do not have an escapist theology. We are called to continual reformation in response to the needs and crises of this life. When Luther was asked what he would do if the world would end tomorrow, he apparently replied, “Plant a tree.”

5. Ethics: We have an ethic of faith-active-in-love for neighbors and for all Creation. Liberated from a legalism that enslaves, we are freed to address new situations, such as the ecological state of the world. We do so not to dominate but as servants to our human and non-human neighbors. We do so not out of fear or guilt or arrogance but joyfully out of grace, love, and gratitude.

6. Social Ministry: With a heritage back to the Reformation, Lutherans have a history of social service to the poor, the elderly, the sick, the oppressed, the marginalized—through hospitals, homes for the elderly, social ministry agencies, Lutheran Immigration Service, and Lutheran World Relief. We extend that service to healing our Earth community.

7. Advocacy: We ELCA Lutherans have relevant social statements: “Caring for Creation” and “Sustainable Livelihood for All.” We have a staff person in environmental/hunger advocacy in Washington and Lutheran Public Policy offices in many states.

8. Scholarship and Education: Many Lutheran scholars have written and spoken on ecology—in theology, ethics, biblical study, and social commentary. Colleges and seminaries of the ELCA have environmental ministry courses that prepare Lutherans for leadership in church and world. Many continuing education events for clergy and laity highlight Creation care.

9. Caring for Creation across the church: Several synods with Creation-care committees have declared themselves to be Care-For-Creation Synods. Many Lutheran congregations incorporate Earth-care commitment in their life and mission—worship, education, building and grounds, discipleship at home and work, and public ministry. Lutheran camps have brought environmental concerns to many people. The ELCA headquarters has a Green Team that works to model environmental action. The ELCA offers grants for environmental projects.(2)

10. Organizations for Earthkeeping: Lutherans have led in the Green Congregation Program, the Green Seminary Initiative, the Web of Creation, promoting Creation-care, and worshiping throughout the church year with resources from and Lutherans Restoring Creation(1) and others.

Lutherans are in a critical position to listen to the cry of the poor along with the cry of Earth and to take leadership in addressing these critical issues of our day. In whatever context you may be serving and living out the Gospel, you’re encouraged to participate in this endeavor.

Our Church Council is considering if and what our congregation is called to do regarding Creation-care. As it was with the Reconciling in Christ process, HTELC may likely undergo a period of study, prayer, and conversation before any decisions are made.

Comments are welcome and may be sent to Glenn at glenncanoe@gmail.com

Glenn Oswald

(1) The title and body of this article (between the asterisks) is from the Lutherans Restoring Creation (LRC) website with minimal editing. LRC is an organization affiliated with the ELCA.

(2) There’s a bounty of faith-based environmental initiatives that can be found on the internet, including LRC, GreenFaith, Creation Justice Ministries, and programs of many Christian denominations and religions.