2/17 Creation Corner: News You Can Use

Creation Corner Column for February 2017:  News You Can Use

"Let Justice Flow Like Streams...of sparkling water, pure, enabling growth, refreshing life, abundant, cleansing, sure."  first verse, Hymn 763 in "With One Voice: A Lutheran Resource for Worship" hymnal.

Headlines of "Global Warming In Overdrive" prompt concerned readers to respond.

A recent global evangelical God-centered effort committed to care for the climate through regular prayers and action, with an emphasis on glorifying God and loving our neighbors is www.climatecaretakers.org .

An international grass-roots environmental group that trains and supports volunteers to build relationships with elected representatives in order to influence climate policy is the ten-year-old www.citizensclimatelobby.org .  Also see www.citizensclimateeducation.org .

Another online action center is the www.momscleanairforce.org ,fighting pollution and climate change (it's for dads too!)  It is supported by the 50-year-old Environmental Defense Fund.

For whatever part of God's creation you hold dear, and wish to protect and defend, if you cannot be an "activist" there are many opportunities for you to be a "clicktivist" (signing petitions online), and/or being a "checktivist" (sending financial support for that cause).

As Earth Day April 22, 2017 approaches consider the materials your denomination has for caring for creation at its website (Presbyterian, United Church of Christ, etc.).  Look for the ecological ministries at www.creationjustice.org.

Consider the resources at the Earth Day Network and its 2017 campaign theme of "Environmental and Climate Literacy" (March for science, green schools and cities, endangered species, reforestation, communities of faith for the environment, etc.).

European Christian churches are organized as the European Christian Environmental Network ( www.ecen.org ).

Following Earth Day is the Stewardship Week in late April.  The 2017 theme is "Healthy Soils Are Full of Life".  Materials are from the National Association for Conservation Districts (www.nacdnet.org) .

And be mindful that the annual Arbor Day celebration is the last Friday in April.

From the archives:  1992: The Garden of God: Selections from the Bible's Teaching About the Creation.  Glenn Paauw, assisted by Cal DeWitt and John Stek.  International Bible Society.

Inspiring Quote:  "Hope and optimism are different.  Hope has to do not with thinking everything's going to be O.K., but seeing that it's not and then you move anyway".  Anna Deavere Smith, Time magazine, Nov. 7, 2016, p. 64.

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