Creation Care Network E-news
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Dear friends,
Happy New Year and Happy Ninth Day of Christmas!
Celebrating Christmas season has been particularly moving to me this year. I am awed by God’s willingness in Christ to enter our dark world, to share in our joys and sorrows, and to keep shining the light of faith, hope, and love.
“The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it” (John 1:5). During these Twelve Days of Christmas, we celebrate the One who says, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life” (John 8:12). Imagery of light is also basic to the season of Epiphany, which begins on January 6. How will we bear witness to the light of Jesus Christ?
Writing a letter is one way to bear witness to the light. A few weeks ago the Boston Globe published a Letter to the Editor that I wrote in response to its editorial, “Trump’s unprecedented assault on Mother Nature.” The text of my letter is
here
.
Another way to bear witness to the light of Christ is to participate in the new campaign, “
Light Up the Map
.” Did you know that local elected officials receive so few phone calls and postcards that hearing from just six constituents is enough to create a mandate for action?
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Light Up the Map
is a simple and effective way to honor the commitment we made at our last diocesan convention to carry out public advocacy on behalf of God’s Creation. All you do is
1) click a button to find your representative;
2) make a phone call (a script is provided, and the message is as simple as “I care deeply about the climate” or “I want carbon pricing”); and
3) click a button when you’re done. TA DA! A light bulb lights up on the map.
It is inspiring to see these lights gradually work their way across the Commonwealth, as one legislator after another hears from his or her constituents. If a single light can light a path forward, many lights combined can be irresistible. Please
add your light to the map
and let your light shine!
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Because putting a price on carbon is one of the most effective strategies we have for combating climate change, Massachusetts Interfaith Power & Light encourages clergy and other faith leaders to sign the Interfaith Call for Carbon Pricing. Clergy members can sign the Interfaith Call
here
.
I was interested to learn that, so far, most of the two hundred clergy who have signed the letter are Unitarian or UCC. I encourage my Episcopal brother and sister clergy to step forward and sign on, too! If you would like some basic information about climate change, carbon pricing, and the carbon bills now being considered in Massachusetts, please visit
here
.
Ready for more inspiration to keep your light shining? Watch the new 12-minute video,
The Tide Is Rising
, about the faith-based climate justice movement in Massachusetts. Featuring my friend and ally, Rabbi Shoshana Meira Friedman, the documentary offers a powerful meditation on faith, climate justice, and civil disobedience. I am honored to be included in the documentary, which covers the arrest in May 2016 of sixteen clergy members in our peaceful protest of the West Roxbury Access pipeline.
This short film
would make a great conversation-starter for a coffee hour or adult education program.
More acts of non-violent, faith-based civil disobedience are likely to lie ahead. I hope that you will pray about your own call to participate. Please let me know if you’d like to be part of the next wave of faith-based climate disobedience.
You are also warmly invited to attend a workshop/retreat that I’m offering through the Sojourner Truth School for Social Change Leadership. Entitled “Spiritual resilience and resistance: Practices for keeping a peaceful heart,” the retreat will be held on Thursday, February 1, from 6:30-8:30 p.m. at Community Room, 40 Center Street, Northampton. The class is free and open to the public, but pre-registration is required. For more information and to sign up, please visit
here
.
Finally, if you’re looking for the light of Christ, take some time to bundle up and head outdoors. Over 100 studies show that spending time in God’s Creation lifts our spirits, benefits our bodies and minds, and strengthens our capacity to be kind. Here is yet another article that makes the case for the beneficial effects of connecting with the natural world:
How Nature Makes Us Healthier and Happier
.
Thank you for all the ways you shine the light of Christ!
Blessings,
(The Rev. Dr.) Margaret Bullitt-Jonas
Missioner for Creation Care
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Opportunities for engagement
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Mark your calendars!
Lutherans Restoring Creation
, alongside New York Upstate and Energy Star, are holding a boot camp January 12-13 in Albany, NY, that will help jump-start our individual and collective creation care efforts for this upcoming new year!
Come join people from New York and New England for a weekend of networking, worship, resource-building, and learning. Engage with everything from energy saving tools that you can share with facilities managers, to resources for preaching about political issues without getting partisan, hands-on techniques for engaging youth, and practical ways to incorporate waste reduction in food sharing programs. Leave knowing that you are supported by a community of like-minded folks committed to acting for environmental justice.
The event is free, but pre-registration is encouraged. For more information and to register, visit
here
.
When:
Friday,
January 12 (6.00pm to 9.00pm) and Saturday, January 13 (9.00am t0 4.00pm)
Where:
First Lutheran Church, 646
State St, Albany, NY
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In 2015, 21 youth took our federal government to court over its "role in causing climate change and violating their rights to life, liberty, and property, while also failing to protect essential public resources." This landmark case,
Juliana v. US,
continues to unfold. On December 11, 2017, a three-judge panel heard oral arguments by the youth plaintiffs and by Eric Grant, representing the Trump administration, who argued that the case should be dismissed. The youth and their attorneys are now awaiting the panel decision. You can find more details about the case
here
.
In solidarity with the youth, religious leaders have issued an ecumenical call for more than a thousand sermons about the climate crisis. Both clergy and youth are encouraged to pledge to preach about climate change in the coming months. Why not ring in the New Year with a pledge to join your voice to the voices of many others who are speaking out on behalf of our planet and our (perhaps fellow) youth?
To learn more about this initiative, pledge to preach, and how to spread the word on social media, visit the website
here
.
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This inspiring documentary from Matthew Ludvino, Peat Duggins, and Sam Quigley is part of a collaborative film project called Protest Songs, which documents "personal stories of resistance and activism." "The Tide Is Rising" chronicles the faith-led movement in Massachusetts to stop construction of the West Roxbury fracked gas pipeline, particularly the work of Brookline-based Rabbi Shoshana Meira Friedman, who composed the invigorating song that gives the film its title.
Have a look at the short film and have a listen to the song! It should be a great way to stoke our resolves for this upcoming year.
To learn more about the Climate Disobedience Center, go
here
.
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Organization highlight! Mothers Out Front is a non-profit organization of mothers, grandmothers, and other caregivers working to "ensure a livable climate for all children."
Mothers Out Front has spearheaded a wide range of initiatives, many of which have made the
news
, and it operates via local chapters all around the US, including one in our very own
Pioneer Valley.
Check them out. You can find their main website
here
, and their Facebook page
here
.
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The Unitarian Universalist Society of Amherst's Green Sanctuary Committee is hosting a screening of
Chasing Coral,
a "beautiful and informative Netflix movie about climate change," particularly as it impacts our coral reefs as integral part of the ocean's ecosystem. The film includes "gorgeous underwater photography and stories of scientists gathering real data in the ocean, which can be a peaceful or a stormy field site. It is a great way to be newly inspired to continue the process of trying to work against climate change."
There will be a communal discussion after viewing. As UUSA says, "climate change is easier to face with friends!" Amen. Come join, watch, talk, and leave more informed and refreshed.
When:
Tuesday, January 16, at 7:00pm
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If you've enjoyed this newsletter, please feel free to forward to one or two friends you think may be interested.
Blessings!
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MBJ Photo credit: Tipper Gore, 2014
Morning Doves Photo credit: Robert A. Jonas, 2017
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![Chasing Coral | Official Trailer [HD] | Netflix](https://web-extract.constantcontact.com/v1/thumbnail?url=https://i.ytimg.com/vi/b6fHA9R2cKI/hqdefault.jpg)
