Stewardship: Not the financial kind, but the earthly kind

Greetings, Friends!!

I seem to begin many of these blogs by saying “Well, it’s that time of year again,” and once again, I am tempted to repeat myself.  Because it is – We live and work in a liturgical year so the seasons, with their respective events and traditions, cycle around for us.  Most of us are beginning to look at Stewardship in our congregations at this time of year.  Stewardship – one of our “&^*%$ words” along with Evangelism – makes us a bit uncomfortable despite knowing that the discussion is about our relationship to time and talent, as well as treasure.  We fear being asked to give more, and do more.  Well, you can relax; I’m not going to talk about doing more, just doing differently.

I’m thinking today of our stewardship of the planet.  As God’s appointed care-givers, we do have a responsibility for God’s creation here.  I realize that political issues can divide us as to how best to accomplish our work but, regardless of which side of the aisle you align with, as God’s children, we need to take this task seriously.  And, guess what?  We have some resolutions to suggest topics that we all need to consider:

B023: Environmental Justice

Resolved, That the 77th General Convention of The Episcopal Church stands in solidarity with those communities who bear the greatest burdens of global climate change: indigenous peoples, subsistence communities, communities of color, and persons living in deprivation around the world; and be it further

Resolved, That the 77th General Convention calls on congregations, institutions, dioceses, and the Domestic and Foreign Missionary Society of The Episcopal Church to support policies that provide tangible benefits to overburdened “frontline” communities (those already experiencing the impacts of climate change) and “fence-line” communities (those suffering in body and spirit for their proximity to the extraction and processing of fossil fuels); and be it further

Resolved, That the 77th General Convention calls on congregations, institutions, dioceses, and the Domestic and Foreign Missionary Society of The Episcopal Church, to work for the just transformation of the world’s energy beyond and away from fossil fuels (including all forms of oil, coal, and natural gas) and toward safe, sustainable, renewable, community controlled energy, and that fossil fuel workers and their families be supported during the transition to a “postcarbon” society; and be it further

Resolved, That the 77th General Convention calls on congregations, institutions, dioceses, and the Domestic and Foreign Missionary Society of The Episcopal Church to resist the development and expansion of ever more unconventional, dangerous, and environmentally destructive sources of fossil fuel and move toward conversion to more sustainable sources; and be it further

Resolved, That the 77th General Convention calls on congregations, institutions, dioceses and the Domestic and Foreign Missionary Society of The Episcopal Church to support the self-determined aspirations of communities around the world, who, like the Iñupiaq Community of Kivalina, Alaska, having emitted minimal amounts of carbon and having received negligible material benefit from fossil fuel consumption, nevertheless bear the brunt of climate-change impacts; and be it further

Resolved, That the 77th General Convention calls on congregations, institutions, dioceses and the Domestic and Foreign Missionary Society of The Episcopal Church, including Episcopal Relief and Development, to support the implementation of grassroots, community-based solutions to climate change, including, but not limited to, adaptations to improve local resilience, to build local food sovereignty, to support ecological restoration and economic re-localization.

Wow, there’s so much here!   This is such a big issue, I’ll take a few weeks to address individual resolves so for his week, let’s focus on just the last resolve.  How does your congregation support community-based solutions?  Do you recycle?  Are you spending your resources on the most ecologically-sound products?  Are there food co-ops or farmers’ markets in your area where you can purchase supplies for social events?  Do you have a spot of land where you might plant a community garden – and are there some in your church family who could teach others in the community about gardening?  Perhaps someone in your congregation has a passion for environmental concerns and would like to be a voice and ears at local government meetings.  Perhaps they are just waiting to be asked!  Can we help our communities build sustainable infrastructures that will benefit all including future generations?

I’d love to hear of your efforts within your homes and congregations.  Please share what you’re doing so that we can encourage others with ideas.  Let’s see if we can “Go Green in 2014!”

~  Judith Schellhammer, chair, Resolution Review Committee, Diocesan Council