Preaching green

The Arizona Republic reports “that church leaders and their congregations are increasingly becoming God’s green soldiers” by bringing together spirituality and ecology.

“There is something inside us that responds to the Earth coming alive this time of year,” said Doug Bland, chairman of the Earth Care Commission with the Arizona Ecumenical Council. “It’s also a time when we face our own failings and sins. And as we look around us, we can see our role in the destruction of the planet.”

Parishioners are being asked to embrace environmentalism in a variety of ways. Members of Community Christian Church in Tempe are encouraged to go outside and reflect on Scripture surrounded by nature. Churches in Arizona’s Episcopal Diocese have formed green teams that conduct energy audits of individual churches. At First United Methodist Church in Tempe, the most recent adult Bible-study topic was “Taking Care of God’s Earth.”

Jeff Rossini, 24, of Phoenix, bikes 16 miles to and from work four days a week as a way of practicing his faith.

“One person not driving isn’t going to save the world,” he said. “But it boils down to me believing that I should be a good steward of the Earth to the best of my abilities and that I am to protect God’s creation.”

The Diocese of Arizona has a Nature and Spirituality Ministry. They describe their vision and mission as follows:

Our Vision: God, Nature & humanity are all one family in The Kingdom of Green, peacefully coexisting together at home here on Earth.

Our Goals:

* Restore enjoyment, reverence, and kinship to our spiritual relationship with Nature.

* Empower faith communities to bring both hope and action to the climate change issue.

* Identify lifestyle changes that reduce our use of fossil fuels, disposable items, water, and toxins.

* Educate people about the connection between social justice and the care of Nature.

The Arizona Republic writes:

The Episcopal Church has a 30-year history of environmental stewardship, so many of the country’s dioceses already have a commission devoted to the cause.

Valley Episcopal Bishop Kirk Smith said many churches have rediscovered their role as caretakers of the Earth.

“As a friend of mine says, ‘If God was our landlord, we wouldn’t be getting our deposit back,’ ” said Smith, who recently bought a Toyota Camry Hybrid as a nod to gas conservation.

Two years ago, the Episcopal Diocese founded the Arizona Nature and Spirituality program. Led by Phyllis Strupp, the program helps churches form “green teams.” The teams look at what the churches can do to be more environmentally friendly, such as arranging energy audits and replacing incandescent lightbulbs with energy-efficient fluorescent bulbs.

The program also presents environmental-education programs to non-Episcopal churches. Although some churches across the country are encouraging things such as a “carbon fast,” or abstaining from driving during Lent, Strupp wants her group to be about celebrating nature, not self-denial.

“We’re trying to build this sense of hope that springs from a place of appreciation and joy,” she said. “We want to raise the awareness that human beings and nature cannot be separate and then encourage action.”

Read: Arizona Republic: Churches preaching green.

See also: The Diocese of Arizona Nature and Spirituality Ministry.

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