Lisa’s Pieces: Creation Care Tips from the Synod Lutherans Restoring Creation Team for November 2022

Oct 20, 2022

By Lisa Brenskelle

For more information on any of the below, or for creation care assistance/information, contact Lisa Brenskelle at gcs.lrc@gmail.com or see our new website! The team is seeking additional members. If you would be willing to serve, please contact us.


The mission of Lutherans Restoring Creation is to promote incorporation of care for creation into the full life and mission of the church, working in five areas: worship, education, discipleship, building & grounds, and public ministry/advocacy. For some timely information in these areas, see below:

Worship

What does pastoral care for climate change look like? Here is a source with a variety of creation-focused prayers. Check out these other creation-focused worship resources. A new seasonal creation-focused prayer is posted each week. Creation-focused commentaries on the lectionary are available from a Lutheran source.

Education

Learn to host sustainable celebrations, online on Nov. 13. Contemplate the oneness of all creation from both a scientific & scriptural perspective in Oneness: Scripture & Science online on Nov. 27. The book The Blessing of the Beasts is great for kids’ creation-education. Consider how your church can build community climate resilience in Faithful Resilience, weekly online, starting Nov. 8. Host a screening of the documentary The Territory with discussion afterward.

Discipleship

Share these “Bulletin blurb” eco-tips (+ verses & quotes) with your congregation. Make use of this creation-focused Advent devotional. The book Franciscan Lectio can deepen your spiritual practice. Use a daily devotional to pray for world leaders at the U.N. Climate Conference in Egypt, and ourselves, Nov. 6 – 18. Do your investments reflect the values of your faith? Check out Invest Your Values.

Building & Grounds

Consider the impact of the financial institutions used by your church: banks, credit cards, insurance & more. How do your church’s finances align with the faith’s values? Conserve water & reduce flooding by pre-ordering a discounted rain barrel – pick it up on Nov. 6 in Houston. A new solar co-op will launch in November – join the solar co-op waitlist to go solar for less! Plant-based foods are healthier for people and the planet. Be sure to prefer such foods for church functions. Avoid pesticides and herbicides use on the church lawn – these pollute waterways and damage marine eco-systems.

Public Ministry/Advocacy

The weekly Opportunities to Care for, Learn About, and Enjoy Nature features volunteer events in the greater Houston area. Join The Path of Hope, online, beginning Dec. 1, to learn about climate impacts on church ministries & how to engage in advocacy. Urge GM & Toyota to commit to electric vehicles. Join the Lutherans Restoring Creation bike team for the family-friendly Park to Port Ride in Houston on Nov. 5. A new eco-justice advocacy opportunity is posted on the team’s website each week.


November & December Creation Care Events