The Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) Resource Page

Image courtesy of ccinoh.com

The Christian Church sees their mission to move toward wholeness for the whole world as directly connected to their commitment to creation care. Their resource page offers links to connect with Green Chalice, a partnering ministry that is the official creation care ministry for The Christian Church. Links to further reading, resources for mindful eating, and the Alverna Covenant (a creation care covenant) can also be found on the page.

 

To be connected with this resource click here. 

Food and Faith

Image courtesy of johnshopkinshealthreview.com

The Baltimore Food and Faith Project works to unite faith communities around issues of food systems in the Maryland area. They work to improve the food crisis at a systematic level, but Jason Jordan-Griffin was personally affected by the work of Baltimore Food and Faith Project. He joined a program called “Food and Faith” when he felt that he was not treating his body as the temple God had given him. The program includes lessons from a nutritionist and faith based perspectives on eating well, not only for one’s self but for one’s community and the world. Jordan-Griffin found that this deeply affected his connection with the faith-based moral and ethical implications of eating. The article linked below tells his story and the benefits of uniting mindful eating with faith practices.

 

Click here to access the article or to learn more about the benefits of the Baltimore Food and Faith Project.

The Baltimore Food and Faith Project

Image courtesy of jhsph.edu

Started as an initiative of the Johns Hopkins Center for a Livable Future. This organization connected with faith communities in attempts to improve food security and the food systems in the Maryland area. By connecting food to the ethics of faith, they offer many opportunities to reflect on one’s own earth stewardship.

To connect to the Baltimore Food and Faith Project including their resources from text studies, congregation toolkits, and gardening resources click here.

 

The Methodist Theological in Ohio: On Food and Faith

Training cohort from 2018. Image courtesy of mtso.edu

In May 2019 The Methodist Theological School in Ohio held a conference on sustainable food practices to fight poverty, hunger, and climate change. This conference was intended to support the education of faith leaders on current environmental issues led by Al Gore, Heber Brown III, and Aster Bekele.

To learn more about On Food and Faith click here.

“Social and Environmental Impacts of Everyday Food Choices” in Simpler Living, Compassionate Life

To see a general overview of Simpler Living, Compassionate Life click here.

In this section (Social and Environmental Impacts of Everyday Food Choices): “The Pleasures of Eating by Wendell Berry (105-109); “The Great Hunter-Gatherer Continuum” by James T. Mulligan (110-116)

Berry begins this section by arguing that eating is an agricultural act that we, as consumers, have been disconnected from. The industrial economy has demanded higher quantities for lower cost and has left quality in product and experience behind. In this disconnection we also eat rushed food and lose not only the pleasure of eating but the pleasure of cooking.

The conclusion of this essay will be welcome for those who have been reading this work and appreciating the theoretical arguments, but wanting examples of action they can take. Berry gives seven suggestions for ways that readers can make their eating more responsible and enjoyable. Mulligan then places all the ways in which we gather food on a continuum from the most culturally normative to the most earth friendly. He argues for a move to the earth friendly side of the spectrum, buying from farmers markets and gardening, whenever possible. Both authors introduce accessible changes that readers can make to take a step away from cultural over-consumption and toward a more simple, earth friendly lifestyle.

OSU Students Impact Sustainability

Capstone students in the Environment, Economy, Development and Sustainability (EEDS) major have made important contributions to sustainability decision-making and program implementation in the City of Columbus and at The Ohio State University. The following links detail some of the stories of this success.

20142015: Students impacted the release, framing, and implementation of Green Memo III, the five-year strategic sustainability plan for the City of Columbus

2016: Student projects similarly helped shape priorities and implementation of OSU’s new university Sustainability Goals (video)

2017-2018: Students collaborated with Smart Columbus staff to provide analyses and strategic recommendations for the $50M Smart Cities grant won by Smart Columbus (video)

2018: Students from three capstone groups in two Engineering classes and six groups in the EEDS capstone collaborated to tackle Smart Columbus Multi-Disciplinary Projects (video)

Engineering a Smart Columbus – EEDS Capstone 2018 from Scott Spears on Vimeo.

EcoTheo Review

Image courtesy of ecotheoreview.org

In 2013, several seminary friends set out to bring ecological and faith groups together and to “create a lasting affection toward the natural world.” The EcoTheo Review publishes art on their website and through their digital quarterly. Sharing writings and art, their active website and blog continue to publish posts in between official publication of the journal.

The journal can be purchased and submissions can be made through their website. Click here to be directed to the website.

University of Dayton Divests from Fossil Fuels

Image courtesy of udayton.edu

In June 2014, the University of Dayton became the first Catholic university in the United States to announce their divestment from coal and fossil fuels. Members of the university staff see this move as part of the university’s commitment to “being a responsible steward of the Earth’s natural resources.” This decision was commended by the president of the Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities. Their decision was one inspired by faith reflection as well as a commitment to financial stability for the university.

Beyond divesting from coal and fossil fuels, the university has taken further steps to move their campus toward efficiency and sustainability. A signatory of the of The American College and University President’s Climate Commitment (ACU PCC) and a member of other sustainability committees, the university now has two full time employees who work to improve campus sustainability and offers academic programs in these areas as well.

The University of Dayton is also home to the Hanley Sustainability Institute.

Click here to be linked to The University of Dayton’s site on their efficiency and sustainability initiatives. Click here to be directed to the Hanley Institute homepage.

Podcast: Young Minds Big Questions – An Interview with Brian McLaren

Image courtesy of apple.com

Young Minds Big Questions (YMBQ) describes itself as a podcast “about challenging Christians to wrestle through doubts, fears, and questions. We talk apologetics, theology, and philosophy.”

“Climate Change and Christianity – An Interview with Brian McLaren” was released on April 26, 2017 and is part one of a two part conversation on climate change and Christianity. Guest, Brian McLaren is an author, speaker, activist, and public theologian. His work as a pastor led him to begin writing, and he has published numerous books on faith and Christian life.

McLaren unpacks some of the science of global climate change, and its everyday effects for human life around the world. Looking at the dangers of a changing climate, McLaren turns to faith as the inspiration for advocacy and change. In his own words, “Ultimately, climate change is a spiritual matter.” McLaren attributes reluctance to accept or take action to prevent climate change in part to a certain kind of eschatology.  He then goes on to discuss instances in which average congregations inspired by care for God’s world made real changes to combat climate change. The podcast concludes with McLaren’s own recommendations for any Christian wanting to learn more about creation care.

Find this episode of YMBQ  on apple podcasts here,  Youtube here, and on other podcast providers. For more information on Brian McLaren, click here to be directed to his personal website.

Religion and Environment Songs: Ones and Zeros by Jack Johnson

Picture courtesy of jackjohnsonmusic.com

Song Picks by Natalie

Ones and Zeros is song by Jack Johnson that starts out by saying,

“There’s a black hole pulling me in
I slowly bend until I see the back of my own sins
I stole my soul from myself now I wonder”

I believe that he is referring to being sucked into a state of oblivion and not even realizing what is a sin and what is not. At this point, man is no longer himself. He then says,

“In the future we’ll be laughing at who we were right now
As man plays god with the land that he plunders”

“To the one unknown no one can know nor see
That’s resistant to greed
If we listen to time after time, time can never go under”

Here I think he starts out by saying that when future generations look back, they will laugh at how man treated the land. People in the future will see how absurd it is that man tried to play God and take control of the land. I believe he is then referring to people ignoring God. He is referring to God by saying “the one unknown no one can know nor see” and that if people listen to Him, we can never go under.

He makes several other references to people being oblivious and ignoring the problems of the planet.

“Into a world of boys and girls
Are holding their handheld devices
While they’re eating and they’re sleeping
And they’re dreaming of the prices
We’ll be paying down the line
When the ice melts maybe it will turn to wine”

“And a lot of people like to have a feast
Not so many could stomach the killing”

At the end he says,

“Lot of traffic on the streets, so who’s really doing all the drilling
Keep on filling what can never be full”

I believe he is saying that people must take responsibility for our actions. We are the ones constantly wanting more and never being satisfied with what we have already been blessed with. We can never be content and that is the true problem.

To read the lyrics, click here.

To listen to the song, click here.