Resources for Worship

Religion-Environment Photo Contest Winner: Jacob Taylor Biography

Picture courtesy of Jacob Taylor

Jacob Taylor is a lifelong resident of the Mill Creek watershed in SW Ohio. He earned his BA at the University of Cincinnati for literary and cultural studies, and is currently studying environmental theology at the Methodist Theological School in Ohio. His interests include community gardening, herbalism, reading the mystics, and pining for the revolution.

Jacob’s photo won first place with the title, “Theotokos in the Apothecary.” He states this about his photograph: “The guiding question behind my work concerns what it means to live incarnationally & eucharistically in the age of the Anthropocene. How can I, with Mary as a model, bear Christ into a world where the heavy foot of human domination and extractive economics has driven our common home into a mass extinction event? I continue to draw strength and meaning from my tradition’s central sacred story of incarnation — it gives me the courage to keep moving and struggling towards shalom against the odds, trusting the mystery of “God with us” as we face this bewildering moment in human/geological history. Theotokos calls me to remember that something profound occurs when we consent to the invitation of God. At the core of the Christian eschatological vision is the unwavering assertion that all things are being made new and that human beings are invited to conspire with God in this process of restoration. May we, with Mary, have the courage to say yes, come hell or high water. ”

Image may contain: 1 person

The Ecology of Prayer

Picture courtesy of .paxgaia.ca

The Ecology of Prayer is an essay written by Fred Bahnson in Orion magazine where he discusses how crucial it is for people of faith to actively be engaged in stopping climate change and making the world a more sustainable place. Bahnson directly asks Christians:  “If the underlying message is that we just need to green up our lifestyles without any real sacrifice, what’s the point? But no, I fear that the crisis before us will ask far more of us than we realize. Climate change can’t be just another bullet point on the church mission statement. We need a deeper form of political engagement, one that leads us to confront the darkness of the human heart.” To read The Ecology of Prayer, click here.

A Month of Gratitude

A Month of Gratitude

Image courtesy of creationcare.org

A Month of Gratitude is a way that Christine Sine, creator of Godspace and writer for EEN Moms, is focusing on God’s abundant blessings. Instead of just making the week of Thanksgiving a gratitude week, she has decided to make October and November a season of gratitude. She offers simple ways that anyone can join her by praying, focusing, and practicing. To read more about how you can join her in this season of gratitude, click here.

Building Regional Food Hubs: A Conference Connecting Healthy Food, Farms, and Communities

Picture courtesy of mtso.edu

Building Regional Food Hubs: A Conference Connecting Healthy Food, Farms, and Communities is an event dedicated to the life and work of Patrick Kaufman on Friday, November 9th in Delaware, Ohio. Attendees will learn from food system projects across Ohio, including in the Mansfield and Columbus area, and connect with food system practitioners from around the state. There will be a group of speakers including: Anna Haas, Local Food Connection in Cincinnati, Ohio,  Piper Fernwey, Bon Appétit Management Company, Leslie Schaller, Appalachian Center for Economic Networks (ACENet), and Casey Hoy, The Ohio State University Initiative for Food and AgriCultural Transformation (InFACT).  The registration fee is free for students and $10 for others. To learn more or register for the event, click here.

Permaculture Extension Initiative

St. John's residence design

Picture courtesy of ecofaithrecovery.org

Permaculture Extension Initiative is a project from EcoFaith Recovery. The project is meant to build ecological and biblical literacy in faith communities while engaging in practical and transformative projects. The pilot project offers faith communities the opportunity to engage in: weekend workshops on the themes of permaculture, gardening, or watershed discipleship and biblical ecology; design and implement a food-bearing, pollinator friendly, or native habitat landscape and garden; permaculture/eco-biblical literacy mentoring of interns as opportunities present themselves. To read more on the Permaculture Extension Initiative, click here.

God’s Good Creation Vacation Bible School

Picture courtesy of elca.org

God’s Good Creation is a vacation bible school (VBS) resource from Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. The VBS focuses on teaching children about hunger, hope, and the work to which God calls on us to aid in ending hunger for good. There are five days that each contain learning activities with different themes. To read more or download God’s Good Creation, click here.

Beyond the Steeple: New Life in Texas

Picture courtesy of
elca.org/

Beyond the Steeple: New Life in Texas is a video on New Life Lutheran Church in Dripping Springs, Texas. Every Sunday, rain or shine, they hold their worship outdoors under the live oaks on their property. The short video shows an average Sunday at the church and also talks to members about their experience attending a church with no building. Pastor Kara Stewart stated, “I love that in order to come to worship I need to know what’s going on in the world, like the actual creation world not just world events; that we pay attention to what the land will be experiencing when we’re here.” To watch the video on New Life Lutheran Church, click here.

EcoFaith Recovery

EcoFaith Recovery

Picture courtesy of ecofaithrecovery.org

EcoFaith Recovery is a faith-based leadership development effort in the Pacific Northwest. Their purpose is to revitalize congregational ministries to participate in the healing of creation. They envision themselves as the tree of life, rooted and growing at the junction of ecology, faith, and recovery. They hope to create and network small groups and learning communities that can discover new and sustainable ways of being, to engage, mentor, and nurture one another in spiritual, economic, and community leadership, and to build and re-build powerful institutions that can employ the resources of Christianity, creation, cosmos, and community toward the work of healing. To read more on EcoFaith Recovery click here.

Hope is the Thing: A Sermon for Climate Justice

Hope is the Thing

Picture courtesy of unitedmethodistwomen.org

Hope is the Thing: A Sermon for Climate Justice from United Methodist Women is an account from Bishop C. Joseph Sprague on the sermon he gave at the United Methodist Caretakers of God’s Creation Conference. The Bishop discusses the complexity of being caretakers of God’s creation and how to remember that you are not alone in the journey. To read the entire article, click here.

Spiritual Wholeness and Climate Justice

The United Methodist Women logo taken from http://www.unitedmethodistwomen.org

Spiritual Wholeness and Climate Justice is an article from the United Methodist Women. They believe that, “Part of being whole persons in Jesus Christ includes a just relationship with earth and all its communities.” The article goes on to talk about taking action, living with purpose, and how to “Be Just. Be Green.” To read the entire article, click here.