Readings Psalm 8
For the director of music. According to gittith. A psalm of David.
Lord, our Lord,
how majestic is your name in all the earth!
how majestic is your name in all the earth!
You have set your glory in the heavens.
Through the praise of children and infants
you have established a stronghold against your enemies, to silence the foe and the avenger.
you have established a stronghold against your enemies, to silence the foe and the avenger.
When I consider your heavens,
the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars,
which you have set in place,
what is mankind that you are mindful of them, human beings that you care for them?
the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars,
which you have set in place,
what is mankind that you are mindful of them, human beings that you care for them?
You have made them a little lower than the angels and crowned them with glory and honor.
You made them rulers over the works of your hands; you put everything under their feet:
all flocks and herds,
and the animals of the wild,
all flocks and herds,
and the animals of the wild,
the birds in the sky,
and the fish in the sea,
all that swim the paths of the seas.
and the fish in the sea,
all that swim the paths of the seas.
Lord, our Lord,
how majestic is your name in all the earth!
how majestic is your name in all the earth!
Genesis 1: 1 and 28–31
1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
28 God blessed [humankind] and God said to them: “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and every living thing that moves upon he earth.”
29 God said, “I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food. 30 And to all the beasts of the earth and all the birds of the air and all the creatures that move on the ground – everything that has breath of life in it – I give every living green plant for food.” And it was so.
31 God saw all that he had made and it was very good.
May the words of my mouth and the meditations of all our hearts be now and always acceptable in thy sight O Lord our strength and our redeemer. Amen
What an amazing world we live in - we know that … take a watch …
But the questions remain as to what we need to do about it what is the best course of action
Pope Francis back in May
Specifically, Pope Francis called on ministers to commit to several specific goals:
- to value what is important, not what is superfluous;
- to correct our national accounts and our business accounts, so as to stop engaging in activities that are destroying our planet;
- to put an end to global dependency on fossil fuels;
- to open a new chapter of clean and safe energy, that utilizes, for example, renewable resources such as wind, sun and water;
- above all, to act prudently and responsibly in our economies to actually meet human needs, promote human dignity, help the poor and be set free of the idolatry of money that creates so much suffering.
I just wonder if we were to make calls around care of creation what would we try to change
When it comes to the issues of the day We take the evidence that we’re presented with and try to make the changes - these changes won’t be popular but the creaking we’re hearing at the moment is going to be more pronounced in the years ahead.
But its going to take wisdom, its going to take creative thought and sensible heads to save us from swinging from one rally cry to another.
It seems that one day there is calls against beef and then its a band wagon call against fossil fuels.
We’ve got to remember that there are huge forces at play here but one wonders what might need to be a comprehensive plan that takes the small efforts and envisages how the power of one us able to mount up.
Within the Church of Ireland we’re not taking these things seriously enough. I’m not taking these things seriously and that needs to change. In a recent article in the church of Ireland Gazette - Stephen Trew - a Parishioner in Down and Dromore - provocative questions have been asked - and I pose them in this space because I presume they affect other places and people as well.
Greta Thunberg has inspired thousands of young people around the world to protest, including in Ireland. In fact, in Dublin the weekly school #ClimateStrike has been happening outside Leinster House for six months. These young people are crying out for people to care, to care for the planet, to care for justice and to care for their future.
Has the Church of Ireland responded to the #ClimateStrike young people? No. We are failing our children’s future. It’s no wonder that young people feel the Church has little to say to them - they think we do not care.
LEADERS THAT CARE
Thankfully, one of the world’s most famous naturalists, Sir David Attenborough, has shown leadership. He must surely be the closest thing that the secular sphere has to a pope. Sir David said about climate change: “If we don’t take action, the collapse of our civilisations and the extinction of much of the natural world is on the horizon.”
Commenting on the fact that 50% of all the world’s wildlife has disappeared in the last 50 years, he said, “I find it hard to exaggerate the peril. This is the new extinction and we are half way through it. We are in terrible, terrible trouble and the longer we wait to do something about it the worse it is going to get.”
Christian leaders have an ancient message that speaks into today’s politic - we need to turn around, change direction and, as a society, we need to repent. We need a repentance narrative.
So, what changes should the Church of Ireland make? Stephen Trew asks in the Article and then sets forth a number of suggestions!
NET ZERO CHURCH
The next 10 years are critical for the survival of civilisation. The world needs to reduce its carbon emissions in half over the the next decade if we are to keep global warming below the dangerous threshold of 1.5 degrees heating. The question for all of us is: do we really care for creation, do we care enough to act?
Our Church can set a leading example, this is what we need to do.
The Church of Ireland can declare a Climate Emergency and become a Net Zero Church - by setting a target of net zero emissions by 2030.
This means that over the next decade, we must radically reduce our carbon emissions and invest more in natural carbon capture
(growing trees and restoring peatland) to catch the carbon that we cannot cut out. We should do the following:
• End investments in fossil fuel companies now and increase investment in clean energy and ecosystem regeneration;
• Launch a scheme to help insulate and draft-proof clergy homes;
• Replace the locomotory allowance for petrol and diesel vehicles with an allowance for electric cars, with the aim of clergy and staff having no fossil fuelled vehicles by 2030;
• Require parishes to report their energy usage to the RCB annually, measure the carbon footprint and invest in ecosystem services to offset the emissions;
• Promote organic farming on Church of Ireland owned farmland;
• Promote healthier eating as part of a Christian lifestyle - increase fruit and vegetables and reduce meat consumption; and
- Continue to engage in the political sphere through citizens’ assemblies and public forums calling for radical change.
To these things I would add things such as
- The involvement in the public conversation
- The speaking out on issues around our communities where there is bad practice
- Look at the management of Grave yards though environmental eyes
- Our Use of Plastics
- Sustainable Living
Trew makes this point extremely strongly and I would want to stand with him in this - If a proposal is brought to synod next year its one I will be supporting - yes it will be quite problematic - me and my Unleaded car, that enjoys flying to places.
We stand at a critical point in human history. When a Church understands that mission includes care for creation, then its leaders can speak into the climate and ecological crisis to call for a revolution of repentance and an end to the sacrifice of civilisation.
When we show we care for creation, then we can connect to a young generation calling for change. But to do this, we need to repent of investing in fossil fuels. And then, let us lead the change that our children are calling for, call a Climate Emergency and commit to become a Net Zero Church.
Trew suggests a few other things in a recent blog
- Read about creation care theology - try Bishop Tom Wright's books.
- Sign up to the mailing list of Christian Aid, Tearfund or similar organisations.
- Sign up to EcoCongregations newsletter for news from Ireland.
- Get involved in a campaign - such as ending fossil fuel investments.
- Transform your church - go Fairtrade and Plastic free.
- Reduce your own carbon footprint - use public transport, walk more, drive and fly less.
- Speak to friends and colleagues about the threats to the planet.
In all of this - what are we being called to do?
How do you respond to this call?
What do we as a parish need to do?
What do we as a community need to do?
What do you need to do?
What followed was a lively discussion on the topic
and a light hearted finish ...
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