Tuesday, November 4, 2014

Creation Corner Col., 11/14: Caring for Creation Web Sites


Creation Corner Column for November 2014

 Caring for Creation: A Sampler of Web Sites

"Just 'googling' around" for examples of ministries that take a caring approach to God's creation results in many sites.  Of especial value are these:
 
BioLogos---Science and Faith in dialogue and harmony

BlessedEarth---Serving God, Saving the Planet.  Energy Audits (church, home, business), good steward worksheets, Starting an Ecology Ministry, etc.

Covenant(s) for Care of Creation---google that site for examples

CreationCare---includes the Evangelical Environmental Network Adult Study Guide: Why Christians Should Care about God's Creation, and other resources for laity and preachers
Creation Care: An Introduction for busy pastors (for evangelicals and scientists united to protect creation), from the Harvard School of Public Health, Center for Health and the Global Environment; the pdf can be downloaded at http://www.chgeharvard.org/resource/creation-care-introduction-busy-pastors

CreationJustice---An “umbrella” effort, Ministries for Stewardship of God’s earth and people for and by 37 major U.S. Christian denominations, with an emphasis on justice
EarthCareOnLine---Caring for God’s Creation, Creation Care web sites and statements, Bible verses, church facility management, etc.

EcoPreacher---Ecotheological sermons, essays, reflections, etc. by central PA Lutheran Rev. Dr. Leah D. Schade

GreenFaith---Interfaith partners educate, inspire and mobilize people of diverse backgrounds for environmental leadership.  A “must see” site with varied emphases
WebOfCreation is an “all purpose” site that includes Care of the Earth: An environmental resource manual for church leaders; Green Congregation Program, denominational statements, biblio. etc.

Worship resources and suggestions (with or behalf of creation), creation-celebrating hymns, books on ecology and worship, green congregation training, themes for Sundays of the Season of Creation (land, mountains, animals, river, forest, ocean, storm, universe, humanity, wilderness, outdoor worship, Earth Day, Harvest, Rogation), weekly care for creation commentary on the lectionary, etc. are at LetAllCreationPraise

Other examples of searches you could do are those for Interfaith Power and Light, Green Seminaries, Bible and Ecology, Blessed Tomorrow, Care of/for Creation, etc.
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Three secular sites of value:

EnergyJustice is a network of advocates for grassroots environmental justice causes, providing platforms for action on various fuels and technologies, fact sheets and publications

Religion OnLine provides nearly 50 articles; see ecology/environment under Social Issues

Arguments from global warming skeptics and what the science really says can be found at Skeptical Science  
 
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