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Suggestions for caring for Creation during the season of Lent A program of Tennessee Interfaith Power and Light |
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Powering Down, A Less is More Proposal
About this program
We ask those celebrating Lent to abstain as much as possible from fossil fuel use. This can be achieved by employing simple energy efficiency measures. Also, if you are able to purchase green power from your local utility, you can rest assured that your power is coming from clean renewable sources instead of fossil fuels. This program is inspired by and borrowed in part from the Catholic Committee of Appalachia. Goal: To expand our definition of what it means to love our neighbors by protecting their health from coal plant emissions. To love and protect the Creation that God made and called good. In addition, we suggest that reducing our reliance on so-called “time saving devices” (such as computers, palm pilots, dryers, cars etc), may actually encourage our connection to nature, to each other, and to God by pulling us out of the hustle and bustle of daily life.
The program includes: A Program Packet
Supplemental Documents
Questions or comments? Contact us.
Lent Lesson Plan for Youth
This material can be adapted for any age.
Goal of the Session: To help students relate to Earth as home, as a listener, as caretaker. Lent is a time when we try to get in right relationship with God, with our neighbor, and with Creation. So in this lesson we will try to deepen our relationship with Earth.
1) Opening Prayer: Choose from the following Psalms: Psalm 65,104,136,145,147 and 148 Also: 19:1, 33:5, 66:1, 95:3-5 OR: Lead the children in the following prayer: Close your eyes and pray silently about your relationship to God and to God’s Creation, to the universe and to all of life which shares our home planet. Pray about how you would like the world to be and how you can start living so that the world will be the way you want it to be.
2) Activity: Where are we from? Ask the children to write down their address. Then go around the room and ask each child to read his/her address. Ask them to make the address more complete by adding the following:
What do you love best about your home, Earth? Spend some time getting their answers. If the discussion does not start on its own, or if the children are reluctant to speak up, you could encourage them by talking about what you like best, or making suggestions such as:
3) Activity: Listening Ask the children to go outside (if it is not possible to go outside, ask them to use their imaginations or hold a globe) and listen to what Earth may be telling them. When they have really listened, ask them: What did you learn from Earth? What did Earth tell you? If the discussion does not start on its own, or if the children are reluctant to speak up, you could encourage them by asking questions such as: r Did you see any signs that it is going to rain? r What is the temperature like outside? r Did you see what season it is? How can you tell? r Did you see any animals outside? Do they have names? r Did you see any flowers? How did you feel when you saw them? Do you know what they are for? r Can you tell what time it is by looking at the sun? r What color was the sky? Was the sky the same color all over? (If time permits, ask them to write a poem on what they heard or draw a picture of what Earth was telling them.)
4) Deepening/Summary: Making connections. (This part depends upon the age of the student) For very young children, it may be enough to say that because our world is so wonderful, that we need to take care of Earth and make sure that we use resources in a just and careful way so that others in the world and future generations will also love and share in Earth’s bounty. That God loves us through Earth and that we love God by loving and caring for Earth. If the children have not brought up the “pains and sufferings” of Earth, the teacher can tell the children that the energy we use for electricity and for fuel, is causing the whole Earth to change... The Earth cannot take care of us if we do not take care of Earth. For older children, you can bring up energy use and Global Warming in a more detailed way. They have probably learned of this in school and will be able to share. The important thing is to challenge them to do something about it.
5) Action: How do we show our love? What can you do to show your love for Earth especially during this time of Lent? Name/write down one thing that you will do during the time of Lent for Earth. Get ideas from Students: Suggestions can be simple as:
Print out copies of the Powering Down brochure and give to students to take home to their parents.
6) Closing Prayer: O God, you have created a world so beautiful—a world with plants and flowers of all colors; a world of rocks and mountains; a world of wonderful animals and bugs; a world of stars, sun and moon. You also created the human family to care for your Creation. Help us to love you and to love you through caring for your Creation, our home.
7) Follow the activity with a song if time permits.
Sample Sermons and Sermon Seeds These could be used in connection to promoting the Powering Down Lent Program if the congregation is involved with it.
Sermon 1
Lent’s Call to us Lent calls us, as individuals, to interior conversion and acts of repentance in preparation for Easter. During the weeks of Lent, we are more open to recognition of our wrong-doing, and to repentance and confession. We are more open to fasting and sacrifice in order to make ourselves ready to celebrate Easter. Lent also summons the Church community to a corporate examination of conscience and a renewal of fundamental Christian commitment to justice, reconciliation and compassion.
Call to Justice as Right Relationships One fundamental Christian commitment is to justice, to Biblical Justice, which is defined as “…right relationships with God, our neighbor, and the whole of Creation. These right relationships are embodied in Christ and in God’s covenants with Israel, and securing these right relationships is an essential element of the mission of those who seek the kingdom of God. Sin is the sundering of those relationships, the separation of us from one another, our God, and Creation. Whatever destroys these relationships is to be avoided. We seek only to deepen those relationships individually and collectively.” Quoting Rev. Raymond B. Kemp Homily Help: Preaching God’s Environment. Therefore, as the people of God, Lent is a special time to look at our relationships, and make sure that we are in “right relationship” with God, our neighbor, and the whole of Creation. If we are not in “right” relationships, then we need to “right” those relationships.
Are we in Right Relationship to Earth? Today, let us look at our relationship to Creation and see if we as individuals and as the human community are in right relationship. To be more specific let us look at one aspect of this relationship, Global Warming. Global warming is contributing to Global Climate Change and is due in large part to human activity. If we have been listening to any news lately, Global Warming will not be unfamiliar to us. It is not just a scientific concern, but it must also be a concern of us as people of faith. First of all, climate change, global warming will affect all living things; it will affect all of Creation. As Psalm 24 tells us, “the Earth is the Lord’s and all that is in it.” The primary revelation of God to his people is through God’s Creation. We human beings are called to care for Earth, to love and nurture Earth as a sacred trust to be passed on to future generations of both humans and future generations of all living species. Global Warming will cause at the same time more droughts and more floods, along with soil erosion and a rise in sea levels. The entire planet as we know it will undergo drastic changes. We do not have to look too far, or think too hard, to know that we are not taking good care of God’s Creation; that we are not in right relationship.
Our “Wrong” Relationship with Earth affects how we love our neighbor. We as people of faith have long believed that we are “our brothers’ and sisters’ keepers.” We are responsible for each other’s well being. Global warming will affect the health and safety of everyone. With climate change, heat waves will happen more often. As temperatures rise, diseases that thrive in warmer climates – malaria, encephalitis, cholera, dengue and yellow fevers – are apt to spread with expanding range of mosquitoes and other disease-carrying organisms. The changes in the weather will threaten our supplies of food and water. Those living on islands and low-lying coasts could lose their homes. They will lose more than their houses. The very places they are from will be submerged and disappear. They will have to say that they are from a place that no longer exists. As people of faith, we are called to justice and fairness. The rich of the world—the industrialized nations—are primarily responsible for the increase of greenhouse gases. But it will be the poor in the developing world, and in the US and other industrialized nations, who will be the first affected by heat waves, storms, floods, and disease. Those who benefit the least from profits and products of industrialized society will be harmed the most.
How can we right our relationship with Earth? Since human activity is a major cause of Global Warming, we are the ones who have to change, to be converted. If we continue along this current path, then we are definitely not in “right relation” with Earth. So what are we going to do about “righting that relationship?” One way to begin to try and slow down or lessen Global Warming is to look at our life styles. Trying to power down and use less. It is so easy to blame others, government, big business for all the carbon emissions that cause climate change. Yes, big business does its share of contributing to Global Warming. But if you read “What Have We Done?” a comprehensive assessment of the ecological health of the Upper Tennessee Valley and Southern Appalachian Mountains, the hard conclusion is that it is our materialism, our addiction to fossil fuels, our energy consumption that is the most damaging. We need to find a new way to live, a life style that is enhancing rather that damaging to Earth…that is in right relationship to Creation. And although change is difficult, a change to a simpler life style is good news both for us and for the rest of Creation. And there are no universal rules for a more simple style of life. Each community and individual will need to be creative, use their own imaginations according to their particular situation. Choosing a simpler life-style can be meaningful and significant. It can indeed be good news A life-style that would reduce our energy use is an act of love for all Creation, now and into the future. As a personal act of faith a simple life-style would be an expression of a personal commitment to a more equitable distribution of the world’s resources and our option for the poor. A life-style that was less dependent on material things, could celebrate the riches found in creativity, spirituality and community with others. In our efforts to simplify life, we would become aware of how our wants and needs are artificially created and be free from that manipulation. We could direct our attention to see how everyone’s genuine needs could be met. A simple life-style could bring us closer to the source of where our food, our energy, our material needs come from, and thus help us to know the Source of all life. A simple life-style can be an act of solidarity with the majority of humankind, which has no choice about life-style. A simple life-style is a way to follow more closely in the footsteps of Jesus and live in right relationship to Creation, to each other and to God. (refer to 10 Reasons for Choosing a Simpler Life-Style by Jorgen Lissner, U.N. Development Programme) Faithfulness has always involved demands, and opportunities to do the right thing. The reality of global warming now provides both demands and opportunities. Will we be faithful? Can we return to a right relationship with Earth? Will we be able to celebrate Easter this year in a more resurrected way? We pray... Some ideas were taken from “Global Climate Change: A Religious Issue” by Rev. Dr. Robert Edgar, former General Secretary of the National Council of Churches of Christ, USA.
Sermon 2
A Time for Reflection Lent is a very precious time ... It is the sole time in the church calendar that specifically sets aside time for remembering – and even questioning -- what we believe. This is not something most of us would do during the rest of the year. In fact, many people frequently over-commit their time, sometimes in order to avoid taking on something that is spiritually troubling. There are of course lots of times for reflection: whenever any of us walks alone in the woods, sits quietly with a loved one, or even meditates over the passage of a stirring piece of prose or poetry. But nothing can compare with the faith questions we are confronted by in the story of Jesus’ painful struggle to come to grips with what it is that he has been led to do by his commitment to God: establish God’s realm of love, compassion and joy on this so often pain-filled planet.
How does God love the world? We know from the repeated declaration in the Christian scriptures that God loves the earth; finds it good; full of good things; worth sacrificing for. And today, one of the things threatening the earth is the use of fossil fuels to provide energy. US Citizens are becoming aware that we have a terrible problem with energy. The President talked about an “addiction to oil” but it is not just oil ….. it is energy and its extravagant use by virtually everyone of us.
How can we more fully love the Creation? Do we really believe that God so loved the earth? We don’t act like it sometimes. If we really loved the earth we would do as God asked us -- till it and keep it. In this country we’re pretty good at tillin’, keepin’ is another issue. I am not suggesting that we go back to log cabins. We don’t need to. But we do need to be conscious and prayerful about how we use energy, where it comes from and how it will affect God’s good earth and all of the creatures the Creator pronounced “good.” I suggest that we need to remember what Alice Walker wrote in her novel The Color Purple. One of the characters was sitting with a friend in a field of purple flowers --- and she said ” when I looked up at that old tree, I knew if I cut it, my arm would bleed.” This character realized how interconnected the world was, and knew that if she injured the tree, she would hurt herself also. Not everyone will reach that deep a level of connection with our Creator’s planet. But I do think that at least during this reflective time of the year we can ask ourselves if we really believe that God loves the world …… If you answer yes, then think about our connection to each other and to the rest of God’s very good Creation. Think about where that power is coming from when you turn on the computer or flip the light switch ----- mostly coal fired power plants here in Tennessee. Mining and burning coal has negative side effects on human health, and Creation. Many of the things we do, like turning on the car or the lights in our home, have serious impacts far beyond the end of our fingers. And many of those impacts are the exact opposite of “tilling and keeping” the world that “God so loved.” With God’s help we can do better. We can show our love of God’s creation by taking simple measures to protect it, such as using less electricity and purchasing green power and --- now why don’t you sit down with the family after church and finish this list? Just think on it …. Lent points us to this way, for God did, and continues, to love the world….
Sermon 3
Ash Wednesday, To Fast or Not to Fast Jesus taught us, there is a time to fast and a time not to fast. Our Scriptures tell the story of Jesus’ confrontation with some religious leaders who took offense that his disciples were not fasting like the disciples of John and those of the Pharisees (Luke 5:29). The real reason behind this confrontation had little to do with fasting, though. The confrontation occurred because some people objected to Jesus' eating with the despised tax collectors and other outcasts. By eating with the outcasts, Jesus acknowledged them as people worthy of fellowship. This implied that these people were worthy of more than the shabby treatment they received at the hands of society's "respectable” people. In this case, Jesus' eating and drinking with the socially undesirable was a public criticism leveled against the moral numbness of his society. Fasting, in that case, would have denied Jesus' expression of solidarity with the outcasts. The time for fasting, said Jesus, is after the bridegroom is taken away, and then, as Jesus reminded his listeners in the gospel reading for Ash Wednesday, such reflecting is best done in secret (Matthew 6:6). In the past year, the US has begun to focus attention on an issue that many around the world have been working to resolve for some time – global warming. The increasing amount of heat trapped in our atmosphere threatens to make the world much less hospitable for our children and grand children. This is a problem that we – all of us – whatever car we drive or how much money we have --- have been complicit in creating. And during this Lenten we may want to focus at least a part of our reflections on how we might change the things we are doing that make the problem of global warming worse. Decreasing our electricity, gasoline, and other fossil fuel use by at least 20% can be a very enlightening experience. It may reveal wasteful habits that are costing both money and clean, healthy air. At home we can look at our habits. When we make a change we can do this privately. In the Lenten tradition, we need not share the wasteful habits we’ve identified with anyone. Done in the right spirit and at the right time, fasting is to spiritual growth what pruning is to the nurture of a fruit tree. This year we can prune habits and unconscious practices that waste energy to make way for intended growth in our connections with each other and our glorious earthly home. In a society that encourages us to consume without restraint, fasting can be a way to get a new perspective on our lives and care for God’s creation and our families’ futures at the same time. PRAYER: 0 God of all Creation, give us wisdom to know when and what to feast on and when and what to make the focus of our fast, and let both be for the sake of others and your glorious creation, so that our spirits may truly grow and bear fruit.
Sermon Seeds
1) God has given humankind a special responsibility to care for Creation. Genesis 2:15 says God took the human and put him in the garden of Eden to till it and to keep it. A form of the Hebrew verb "shamar," meaning "to keep," is also used in the Aaronic blessing with which we sometimes conclude our worship services: "May the Lord bless you and keep you" (Numbers 6:24). Let us nurture, sustain and care for Creation the way God nurtures, sustains and cares for us
2) Lent was originally a season of fasting and penance for new converts preparing for baptism on Easter Eve. The 40 weekdays between Ash Wednesday and Easter correspond to Jesus' 40-day fast in the wilderness in preparation for his ministry. Actually, Lent is a period of 46 days because Sundays, days when fasts could be broken, were not included in the 40 days. Today lots of people think it is an imposition to stop for a few minutes every day to think about our world, our place in it, and our relationship to Jesus and God. For example, if we know (and we do) that burning fossil fuels pollutes the air and contributes to global warming, ---- then why don’t people who claim the believe in the resurrection, who proclaim proudly that God so loved the world -- not just the humans, and not even just the animals or plants, but the whole creation – why don’t these people take a minute during Lent to reflect on what the “realm of God” would look like here on earth. Hmmmmmm …… One thing Jesus was clear about was not wasting, destroying, or misusing the gifts that the Creator has given us.
4) Christians are called to witness to the resurrection of Jesus Christ. In our words and actions we are called to reflect the love of the one whose victory over sin and death was a victory for the whole of creation. "The church is not an elite body, separated from a doomed world," writes New Testament scholar, J. Christian Beker, "but a community placed in the midst of the cosmic community of creation. The church’s task is not merely to win souls but to bear the burdens of creation, to which it not only belongs but also to which it must also bear witness. . . . The vocation of the church is not self-preservation for eternal life, but service to the created world in the sure hope of the world's transformation at the time of God's final triumph." (Paul the Apostle: The Triumph of God in Life and Thought, Augsburg Fortress, 1980.)
Suggestions for Reducing Fossil Fuel Use
Not all these suggestions need to be employed for you to reduce your impact on Creation. You may pick and choose any combination of these suggestions or think of your own ideas and write them in the space provided below. Try to choose some out of each category. One Time or Periodic Actions r Make the TVA Green Power Switch. It is important to reduce your energy usage. But if you continue to purchase power from coal-fired plants, you are still contributing to health and environmental problems that result from burning coal. Purchasing green power will allow you to rest easy knowing your electrical needs are not harming the Creation. r Turn the thermostat down and put on a sweater. Layers of clothing can be put on or taken off to keep comfy. This way we use the body's natural heating and cooling system. r Replace your incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent light bulbs. r Ensure your furnace filter is clean. r Seal up air leaks in your home including caulking around windows and doors and installing weather stripping. r Plant native, deciduous trees on the west and south side of your home to provide shade in the summer, but allow the sun to pass through in the winter. In addition, native plants require less maintenance and provide homes and food for local wildlife. To find trees that are native to the Tennessee Valley, visit www.tva.gov/river/landandshore/stabilization/plantsearch.htm r If you have plans to replace any appliances, consider purchasing Energy Star appliances. r Install insulating foam pads under your outlets and light switches. r Check the insulation in your attic. r Turn down the temperature on your water heater to 120 degrees.
Weekly Actions Some of these actions would prove too burdensome to be performed daily in our society. Therefore, we suggest you choose one day during each week to perform these actions. For example, you might choose to keep your computer off only one Monday during Lent, but to use alternative lighting every Wednesday. r Decide to keep your computer turned off for one day. At work, catch up on filing, organizing, or cleaning your office. r Use alternative lighting for an evening, such as candles or an oil lamp. r Pick a day to hang your clothes outside to dry, or hang them up in the shower. r Turn off your TV for a day or evening. Instead read a book or magazine, take a walk, or play a board game with friends or family. r Eat a cold meal or share a single pot meal with neighbors. r Use a rake instead of a leaf blower. r Instead of watching the news on television, walk to the library and read the paper. If you have children, bring them along and let them look at books in the children’s section. r Read the Story of Noah in Genesisi:6-9:17. Reflect on 6:19-22 and 9:8-17. God does not want the Earth harmed. r Plan recreation that gives physical exercise and/or builds relationships but uses little fuel or other nonrenewable resources. Daily Actions r Turn off and unplug appliances when they are not in use, or attach your appliances to a power strip that can be turned off. r Turn off your computer when not in use. r Turn off lights when not in use. r Consider using a lower wattage light bulb where possible. r If you are able, walk or ride a bike instead of driving. Or take public transportation. If this is especially difficult from your location, you might make this a weekly choice. r When you turn on a light switch or use an appliance, think about where that electricity is coming from.
Special Offers on Energy Efficient Products
Energy efficient appliances accomplish the same tasks and produce the same quality results as their more wasteful counterparts, but use only a fraction of the energy. Sometimes there is a higher upfront cost for energy efficient appliances, but over the lifetime of the product, this extra cost will be recouped in energy savings. For example, a compact fluorescent light bulb may cost $3 to $4. But will save you about $35 on your utility bills over its lifetime. In addition, these products help protect our environment and fulfill your commitment to Lent by cutting down on your demand for coal-powered electricity.
Bosch Home Appliances Corporation Rebate - Mail-in Clothes Washers 02/01/2007 - 03/31/2007 $100 rebate on all Bosch ENERGY STAR qualified Bosch Nexxt washers.
Rebate - Mail-in Clothes Washers, Dishwashers, Refrigerators & Freezers, Room Air Conditioners 01/01/2007 - 03/31/2007 Beginning January 1, 2007 and running until March 31, 2007 Whirlpool brand is kicking off the new year with the _Style for Living Event_. Customers who purchase 4 qualifying Whirlpool brand products (including the ENERGY STAR qualified GX5SHTXT or GD5NVAXS refrigerators and GU2700XTX dishwasher) during the program period will be eligible to receive a $400 cash rebate by mail.
Rebate - Mail-in Clothes Washers, Dishwashers, Refrigerators & Freezers, Room Air Conditioners 01/21/2007 - 03/18/2007 Customers who purchase 2, 3, or 4 eligible KitchenAid products during the KitchenAid _Gather in the Kitchen Event_, running January 21, 2007 until March 18, 2007, will become eligible to receive up to a $700 cash back, by mail. Customers who purchase 2 eligible products, such as the ENERGY STAR qualified KitchenAid KSSC36Q side-by-side refrigerator and KUDD01DP drawer dishwasher will receive a $150 Cash Back by Mail, and those purchasing 3 eligible products will receive $300 Cash Back by Mail. Customers are eligible for a $500 Cash Back by Mail when they purchase 4 eligible KitchenAid products. Customers who purchase a select KitchenAid Built-in Refrigerator as part of the _Gather in the Kitchen Event_ are eligible for an additional $200 Cash Back by Mail.
Rebate - Mail-in Clothes Washers, Dishwashers, Refrigerators & Freezers, Room Air Conditioners 01/07/2007 - 03/10/2007 Customers will be eligible to receive up to $400 Cash Back with the purchase of 4 qualifying Maytag brand products, including selected ENERGY STAR qualified Maytag products during the _Tried & True Kitchen & Laundry Event_ January 7, 2007 through March 10, 2007. Customers will receive a bonus $100 Cash Back when they include the ENERGY STAR qualified Ice2O French Door refrigerator with dispensing ice as part of their purchase. Customers will be eligible to receive a $200 Cash Back with the purchase of three qualifying products, and $100 with the purchase of two qualifying products.
Source: www.energystar.gov
Credits
Catholic Committee of Appalachia Alternatives For Simple Living “Global Climate Change: A Religious Issue” by Rev. Dr. Robert Edgar Touch the Earth Sr. Kathy Sherman, CSJ www.ministryofthearts.org The Blue Green Hills of Earth Paul Winter Ecophobia, by David Sobel, EarthEthics, Vol.6, No.2 Glenda Struss-Keyes Reverend Douglas Hunt Rachel Matvy Lent Lilly Image on cover and brochure from www.anbg.gov.au
Suggested Resources
It’s God’s World: Christians, Care for Creation and Global Warming, A Five session study for congregations by Vera K. White, published by The Eco-Justice Working Group, National Council of Churches of Christ in the USA (#EJ-9701) 1-800-762-0968 or 219/264-3102
Eco-Church, An Action Manuel. Albert Fritsch, S.J. with Angela ladavaia-Cox Resource Publications, Inc. 160 E. Virginia Street, Suite 290 San Jose, CA 95112-5876
Loving Our Neighbor, the Earth. Christie L. Jenkins, Ph.D. Resource Publications, Inc. 160 E. Virginia Street, Suite 290 San Jose, California 95112-5876
A Sense of Wonder by Rachel Carson
Sharing Nature With Children by Joseph Bharat Cornell
Thinking Like a Mountain Towards a Council of All Beings. John Seed et al. Philadelphia New Society Publishers. 1998.
Lent Program Feedback Form
This program was designed with you in mind. So please tell us how we can make it better for you by filling out the form below and mailing it to Rachel Matvy, PO Box 1842, Knoxville, TN, 37901, or faxing it to 865-542-4479 (no cover sheet needed). Or send us an email, rachel@tn-ipl.org.
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