Comment - January 2010
How are the New Year resolutions?
Still strong - or are you in need of support and encouragement? Help is hand. The first thing is to prepare a 40 day Carbon Fast during Lent which will benefit you and the planet.
In 2008 and 2009 people and churches across the UK joined the Carbon Fast. It was a huge success both in terms of the publicity that it generated for participating churches and its educational value in explaining the sometimes complex arguments underpinning the climate agenda.
This year's Carbon Fast is being organised jointly by the Church of England and Tearfund. It offers a simple and easy way to help us all move on from the disappointments and frustrations of the Copenhagen Climate Summit. It is a fun way of re-engaging people and churches with the challenges of climate change and can be readily used alongside other Diocesan Lent initiatives.
The Carbon Fast is a 40 day journey through Lent which you can see illustrated on a leaflet poster for display with everyday's action clearly shown or on www.tearfund.org/carbonfast
But what about something more long term? I've just been sent a great book which Dave Bookless of A Rocha describes as ‘a wonderful resource for small groups which gently and creatively takes us on a journey through the Bible, showing how God wants us to relate to the beautiful, fragile creation he has entrusted to our care'.
God's Green Book by Charlotte Sleigh and Bryony Webb, published by SPCK, contains seven bible studies on the environment and aims to get to the core of how green issues fit into the gospel and encourages readers to embrace a greener lifestyle without fear or guilt.
In their introduction Charlotte who is leader of an environmental ‘cluster church' and Bryony who is an experienced leader of church small groups say: ‘ When Christians understand more about God, themselves and the environment the list of green ‘thou shalt nots' get replaced with a deeper appreciation of how God is revealed in creation, and of how God's plans for humans are inseparable from the fate of creation. Once we truly understand this, our desire to respect God's creation grows naturally, and so our lives change.
Come on, it's still early days so get the book ISBN 978-0-281-06206-5 and let it help you make a real difference by the end of the year.
Positive environmental news was featured in nearly twenty issues of the Parish Pump News. Unfortunately lack of sponsorship to cover the publication and distribution means that copies have not been produced during 2009. However, many of the items which would have appeared are now featured on the web: www.conservationfoundation.co.uk/news_other.php New stories, publications and events are added regularly.
