Houses of Worship

Creationtide

Picture courtesy of creationtide.com

Creationtide is the period dedicated to God as Creator and Sustainer of all life. It is the equivalent of the Season of Creation, the period between September 1st and October 4th, but the Church of England refers to it as Creationtide. The resource page contains liturgies and examples of services and prayers from across the Church of England to help people explore and celebrate Creationtide. There are also weekly suggested readings and discussion questions, an actions and reflections sheet focused on food, and a Letters for Creation project, which discusses the impacts of climate change. To read more, click here.

2018 Season of Creation Celebration Guide

Picture courtesy of seasonofcreation.org

The Season of Creation is a time set aside to deepen the relationship between each other, all of creation, and the Creator. As the environmental crisis deepens, Christians are urgently called to witness faith by taking bold action to preserve the gift we share. The 2018 guide is meant to help Christians celebrate the Season of Creation by providing event checklists, ideas on how to celebrate, and an introduction and history of the event. To read the entire guide, click here.

Divest and Reinvest Central

Divest and Reinvest Now logo

Picture courtesy of greenfaith.org

GreenFaith has created a list of known religious efforts to divest from fossil fuels. The list includes religious groups that have: divested their own funds, committed to never investing in fossil fuels, passed or considered national or local resolutions, focused on reinvestment, or taken divestment or reinvestment on pension funds. There is a key that provides further detail on the action of each religious group. To read more, click here.

Energy Star Action Workbook for Congregations

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Working with religious leaders and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Mitch Hescox and others worked on a study to find ways for congregations to become more renewable energy friendly. Their work resulted in a guide called “Energy Star Action Workbook for Congregations” which outlines effective and achievable actions faith communities can take to improve their energy efficiency and in this way save money which can be used to serve the church in other areas.

To be taken to energystar.gov where the free pdf of the workbook can be found, click here.

Religion and Development in Tanzania

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Picture courtesy of tanzaniabest.com

For the month of June, I will be interviewing different religious denominations in the village of Marwa in Tanzania. There are a total of five different denominations within this rural village: Pentecost, Lutheran, Muslim, Seventh-day Adventist, and Catholic. The purpose of these interviews is to ultimately help the OSU Maji Marwa project learn more about the people of Marwa in order to offer them the best possible assistance. This is also a personal research project.

My original plan was not to make a post about each of these interviews. However, after interviewing in a few of the denominations, I changed my mind. I first spoke with the Pentecost ya Umoja Marwa church, which translates to Pentecost Church of Unity in Marwa. I first met the pastor, Mbatiani, and he radiated light. We do not speak the same language, but I could feel the love his smile radiated. After interviewing him and a few of the parishioners, they asked me if I could share their message of love with my friends in America, so I asked them if they would like me to make a post and they very excitedly agreed. So, I thought I would make one post about this specific church and their views on the relationship between sustainable community development and their religion.

Subsequently, after interviewing the Masji min auwarami, which translates to Mosque of Muslim Unity, and the Marwa Seventh-Day Adventist church, I have decided to write a post about each of the different denominations I interview.

I am inspired by the positivity and love that the religious leaders and parishioners have towards me, a complete stranger from across the world who does not even speak their language. I think that it would be unfair for me not to share these messages, and so with the blessing of my collaborators, I will be posting small descriptions of my conversations along with pictures and videos I have taken along the way.

San Diego Creation Care Team Success Stories

Picture courtesy of catholicclimatecovenant.org

Catholic Climate Covenant has created two short videos to discuss how different churches in the San Diego diocese in California have worked to be better stewards of God’s creation. The parish of Our Mother of Confidence in San Diego, California, has taken action to reduce water and energy usage while the Saint James Parish and Academy in Solana Beach, California, has implemented environmentally conscious projects and initiatives in their community. To watch these two short videos, click here.

Fossil – Free Electric Supply for the Catholic Diocese of Rochester

Picture courtesy of catholicclimatecovenant.org

Catholic parishes around New York are powering their churches, schools, and other diocesan facilities with non-fossil fuel energy. A new, three-year energy contract is bringing 100% green power to the twelve-county Diocese of Rochester, which is home to 350,000 Catholics.  The new contract with New Wave Energy of Buffalo, NY, is not only answering Pope Francis’ call to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, but also bringing the parishes a significant reduction in energy costs compared to the previous energy contract. To read more on this success story, click here.

Ideas for Earth Day Sunday Celebrations

Picture courtesy of creationjustice.org.

Creation Justice Ministries has created a list of ways to celebrate Earth Day Sunday this year. They include educational ideas, prayer examples, leading by example, and celebrating in God’s creation by immersing yourself in it. To read more, click here.

Columbus Diocese 150th Anniversary Tree Planting

Picture courtesy of columbuscatholic.org

In celebration of the 150th anniversary of the Diocese of Columbus, they are encouraging all parishes to plant at least one tree in recognition of the historic milestone. The commitment should be done before April 22nd, Earth Day, when Bishop Cambpell will celebrate Mass to recognize the anniversary. The Diocese is also offering a Blessing of a Tree that can be downloaded. To make the Tree Planting Commitment or download the Blessing of a Tree, click here.

Sikh Environment Day

Picture courtesy of ecosikh.org

In 2018, Sikh communities will be celebrating the 8th annual Sikh Vatavaran Diwas (Sikh Environment day) on March 14th. It is a day for Sikhs to celebrate and reflect on their bond with the environment. Gurdwaras (local congregations) can hold divans (conferences) on nature themes  and try to inspire sangat (companies) to install solar panels, host workshops, participate in kitchen gardening, and story sessions for young children. By joining in, Sikhs across the world will share what the environment means to them, and raise awareness about the state of ecology across their spiritual homeland, Punjab. To read more or register for Sikh Environment Day, click here.