"We believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all that is, seen and unseen." (Nicene Creed)
"Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God of Hosts! Heaven and earth are full of thy glory." (Sanctus)
St. Paul’s Earth Care Ministry affirms care of God’s Creation as integral to our baptismal covenant as Christians. Working through prayer, liturgy, community activities, arts, education and advocacy, St. Paul’s Earth Care Ministry works to increase awareness of God’s Creation as blessing and to decrease our individual and collective environmental footprints on Earth.
Mike Winslow of the Lake Champlain committee talked to us at an Adult Forum last May about new contaminants in Lake Champlain and how the sewage treatment systems can't remove pharmaceuticals from the water released into Lake Champlain. Concentrations of drugs found in the lake are low, and it is not known what their effects may be. A wise approach is to act preventively before effects on fish and other aquatic life become obvious or irreversible. We live and worship in the Lake Champlain Basin. The water in our baptismal font and the water used at Eucharist comes from the lake. As we give thanks each Sunday for God's presence within and around us, let us also remember our connection to the water we see out the windows of St. Paul's. One way of caring for this water is to dispose of old medicines correctly, rather than throwing them down the drain. Take advantage of drugstores offering collection of out-of-date medicines - or mix old prescriptions with water and cat litter or used coffee grounds and throw in the trash. Be sure that all personal information on the label is blocked off before disposal to prevent identity theft. Disposing of old medications is one way that we can all take responsibility for water quality in the Lake Champlain Basin. We are all part of a web of life. Everything is connected.
Here are a couple of books I have enjoyed, been inspired by and from which I have learned much. Sylvia Knight(Oct. 2010)
Rasmussen, Larry L.,Earth Community, Earth Ethics. (Maryknoll, NY, Orbis Books, 1996)Dr. Rasmussen is Reinhold Niebuhr Professor of Social Ethics, emeritus, Union Theological Seminary. He is now a conference leader and lecturer on Earth Care. The book provides a penetrating yet very readable story of where we are and provides pithy direction and strong vision for creating a sustainable world.
Theokritoff, Elizabeth, Living in God's Creation: Orthodox Perspectives on Ecology. (Crestwood, NJ: St. Vladimir's Seminary Press, 2009)Dr. Theokritof melds her deep spirituality with profound care for God's creation in the context of a theology that honors the deep sacredness of Creation. She describes our responsibility as persons of faith to honor that sacredness and the inter-relatedness of life.This book is very readable and deepens one's spirituality.
