Earth Day Weekend 2024
The first Earth Day was celebrated April 22, 1970—54 years ago. An estimated 20 million people attended events across the United States that year. Elementary ages through elders came together to support a change in how we “use” our world resources. Today, many children learn about creation care from their first breaths, thanks be to God! It’s not something new, nor is it separate from our identities as people of faith. Scripture repeatedly names that God made the earth and all that is it, and God described it as “good.” Part of our call as Christians is to help steward God’s beloved creation.
For the last year, First Congregational Church’s Green Team has been working with Multifaith Network for Climate Justice (MNCJ) on the Sacred Earth Fair Urban Edition. They’ve pulled together groups who’ll share about backyard pollinators, urban composting, legislation work, and more. There will be tables to peruse, workshops to attend, and a panel discussion with city leaders, local agencies, and a youth activist (our own Jonna Gillham!). We hope you’ll join us at the church this Saturday to learn, network, and live your faith as a part of building God’s Shalom here on earth. The opening ceremony is at 1:00 pm, and events continue through 4:00 pm.
On Sunday, the United Church of Christ’s Minister for Environmental Justice, The Rev. Brooks Berndt, will be our guest preacher in worship (thank you, Green Team!). Before becoming the UCC Minister for Environmental Justice in 2015, Berndt served for eight years as the pastor of First Congregational UCC in Vancouver, Washington. While there, he became active in two environmental campaigns that were ultimately successful: transitioning the state of Washington away from its only coal plant and preventing the establishment of the largest marine oil terminal in the country in Vancouver.
Then, on Monday, Hawaii’s Kanaka movement and the Lummi Nation invite us to a Prayer Service in celebration of Earth Day, 7:00-9:00 pm in the sanctuary. This will be an interfaith event with people from many faith traditions present, including Islam, Buddhism, Judaism, Christianity, Bahai and Sikhism. Together, can we begin to answer Wendell Berry’s questions: "What are the children of the future asking us to do? What does the earth require of us if we want to keep living on it?"
The earth is the Eternal’s and everything in it,
the world, and its inhabitants too. (Psalm 24:1)
May we honor our Creator with the ways we steward this world we are a part of.
In hope,
Sharon
