When most people hear the topic of climate change they go into a stupor. It’s depressing to think about it. We’re not quite sure what any of us can do, so we just try not to think about it.
So when the “Earth Care” committee of our church asked me to speak about the environment this month, I wasn’t sure how to do a series that wouldn’t sound like academic lectures on carbon footprints. I’ve finally settled on a sermon series called “Earth, Wind, Fire and Water.” We’ll look at each of those elements as sacramental. We will remember that for much of history, people believed ourselves to be composed of these four “elements.” We will then juxtapose that poetic view with how we are actually treating those elements in our natural world. We will then consider how we might actually put reverence for the elements back into practice.
Tomorrow’s sermon, “Fire,” will address the subject of energy in general. We will turn to the story of the foolish virgins in Matthew 25:1-13 to consider how our species might move from the myth of eternal “progress” to the realities of entropy. We will consider the call to Sabbath, not as mere austerity, but our sacred task of “tending the flame.’
Love the sabbath thought. The sabbath concept is so important and aspects are often overlooked. Since I don’t believe god is some kind of being who needs or needed to “rest”, I have never seen sabbath as primarily about that. For me that part of the story of god and us has to do with, in the metaphors of the story, that on the 7th day..a day of completeness – god was at peace, at one with creation. Creation is fulfilled in this oneness of all things. Sabbath witnesses that oneness. The sabbath injunctions in scripture are really radical. The commands that no one work or compel the work of another (manservant, maidservant, ox) create a “day” of utter, absolute equality…whe no one can coerce the service of another living being..even if the norms of a hierarchical society would permit that otherwise. On the 7th day, the day that witnesses the oneness that is the completeness of creation, the creation lives out its deep reality…utter equality of every part., valuing of the equality and oneness that is the truth at the heart of creation. Sabbath, then, does not make something true for one day; but it is a living out for that day of what is the truth for every day. The story in its metaphors is reaching toward a realization that perhaps a deep appreciation of a day of living out true oneness and equality would lure us to cherish such a reality all days, every day.
One thing most churches in general could do is— turn their air conditioning settings in the summer higher-we do not need to be the “frozen chosen”.Also,we could layer up more in the winter an save on the heating bills.Of course I plagiarized the frozen chosen thing from someone.I have heard that is the title for “us Presbyterians”.Every tiny bit we do to save energy counts.