A Climate of Tradition!

September 1, 2024

Today is creation Sunday …In today’s The Gospel Jesus Calls the leaders hypocrites…Bob has called our conference out as being hypocrites. At the annual Gathering eucharist, while focusing on care for the earth we used plastic cups with juice and a wafer sealed on top. Sometimes it is hard to do our due diligence when it comes to creation.

The season of creation used to follow a set Pattern for years it was land, ocean, forest, air and blessings of the animals. Over the three year cycle the names of the Sundays changed but the themes were basically the same. It May have been wilderness, water, mountain you get the idea but what has any of that to do with Jesus challenging the leaders of the church?

“Jesus is challenging them as to how their traditions contribute to them fulfilling their mission. And I think this is just where this week’s sermon might bring this odd passage to bear on our shared life. I mean, maybe we don’t seem at first blush quite as fussy about tradition as Jesus’ opponents did, but what if you were to suggest tinkering with some of our own traditions? Perhaps changing worship in order to make worship more understandable and accessible to a younger generation? Or what if you were to drop the lectionary in favor of moving through the narrative of the Bible? Or what if you were to cancel all committees in favor of a more nimble way of governing the congregation? Or what if you were to suggest make the sanctuary space more flexible so you could offer it to some community groups? Or what if each fourth Sunday folks didn’t come to church at all but rather were engaged in community service throughout your county? Or what if…?

You get the idea. We each have traditions that are more than traditions. They are markers of what has been accepted as right and wrong and thereby serve to lend us a sense of stability. (Never mind that our traditions do in fact change over time – what’s important is that they appear unchanging in the moment!) This passage serves both to relativize our traditions – should we really hold them sacred? – while also pushing us to the far more important concern of the law to help us care for each other. ”[i]

The broader context into which this interchange between Jesus and the pharisees occurs presents an interesting backdrop. On the one hand, there are two generous feeding of the hungry multitudes (6;30-44; 8:1-10), and an extravagant summary of Jesus’ healing s in and around Gennesaret (6:53-56). They pose a sharp contrast to the restrictive issue of washing the hands before eating. On the other hand, the interchange of the Pharisees is followed by the stories of the persistent faith of the Gentile woman of Syrophoenician origin, who asks only for the crumbs from the table and her daughter is healed. And the restoration of hearing and speech to the deaf man living in the gentile area called Decapolis (7:24-37). It is as if Jesus’ critique of Kosher laws (“thus he declared all foods clean,” 7:19) is then documented by the healings of these non-Jewish people.”[ii]

It is not what we put in our bodies but what comes out of our hearts and lips. Proclaiming that the kingdom of God belonged only to the Jewish people who followed only certain rules and regulation as opposed to offering peace, healing, food, welcome, to those beyond their borders was what was wrong. You can keep your traditions as long as they are not interfering with the work of Gods kindom here on earth.

Letting people know they are loved welcomed and cared for isn’t always easy. Sometimes it contradicts our own “traditions.” We are called as Christians to grow, study , learn…as a result we have ONA churches. “Open and Affirming (ONA) is the United Church of Christ’s (UCC) designation for congregations, campus ministries, and other bodies in the UCC which make a public covenant of welcome into their full life and ministry to persons of all sexual orientations, gender identities, and gender expressions.”[iii]

We have immigrant welcoming churches. “In a world becoming increasingly globalized, more people are leaving their homelands to seek better lives and opportunities in new countries. Their reasons for leaving are diverse and complex: economic necessity, war, or persecution. The U.S. has long been a nation of immigrants, and we have consistently been conflicted about this. We gratefully welcome immigrants and their contributions, and we exclude them, discriminate against them and, at times, inflict grave harm upon them.

As Christians, we are called to love our neighbors. The Bible is unambiguous in calling us to welcome aliens and strangers in our land, and to love them as we love ourselves. In these times, let us listen to the voice of the still-speaking God. We will learn how to respond to these new sisters and brothers residing among us.”[iv]

We are an earth Justice Denomination…

This video I want to share maybe 6 year old but just as relevant today

Since we are beginning the season of the season of creation one can look up climate events happening around the world or just here in Florida. The climate instate of Florida has a list of events and actions such as Heat; the 4^th Biennial juried art exhibition in Gainesville, a symposium on flooding adaptation, or a climate leader training online.[v]

Florida right to clean water actually has a series of events occurring around the season of creation.

“Celebrate the Season of Creation (September 1st through October 4th) by learning how the FL Right to Clean Water = GOOD STEWARDSHIP!

September 1st – DAY OF CREATION – Click here to see a “Message of His Holiness Pope Francis for the World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation.”

In the St Augustine area? September 2nd – Rosary Walk in Saint Augustine. Information can be found here, or email Elyse at [email protected].

In the Fort Myers area? Every Wednesday in September (6th, 13th, 20th, and 27th), you’re welcome to join a Walking Meditation on Bunche Beach from 7:30-8:30am. Click here for the event link on Facebook.

September 7th, 4pm – “Call to Prayer / Meditation,” an online event open to all who wish to be (re-)inspired and (re-)connected. Click here for the event link on Facebook.

In the Orlando area? September 10th, 4pm – Season of Creation event, presenting the Right to Clean & Healthy Waters – an in-person presentation hosted by Broadway United Methodist Church, 406 E. Amelia St, Orlando. Panelists include Jim Durocher (FL RTCW initiative), Gabbie Milch (St Johns Riverkeeper), and Dr. Jeff Greenberg (Indian River Lagoon Roundtable). Feel free to access and share this flyer!

September 14th, 7pm – “Living Waters: A Call to Creation Care Stewardship,” an online event featuring our guest speaker, Monsignor Haut. Click here for the event link on Facebook. Click here to register for the event!

October 2nd, 7pm – “Healing Waters, Saving Lives: The time to act is NOW!” — an online event featuring our guest speaker, Reverend Dr. Latricia Edwards Scriven, Senior Pastor at Saint Paul’s United Methodist Church. Click here for the event link on Facebook. Click here to register for the event!

October 4th – time and title TBD – We will host an event in celebration of the Feast and Birthday of St Francis of Assisi, closing out the Season of Creation, hoping that all the faith communities we were able to reach have been inspired to activate “good works” in support of this initiative for Creation Care Stewardship.”[vi]

According to blessed tomorrow our food and faith are connected to our climate as well.

What You Need to Know Food is an important part of how we express our faith in our daily lives, many worship services, and some religious holidays. What foods we choose to eat also impacts the climate.

More fruits and vegetables in our diets are better for our health and our climate. Higher proportions of plantbased foods are healthier for us. Agriculture, including meat and dairy production, is one of the top sources of harmful pollution in the US.

Local food is fresher, more nutritious, and travels shorter distances which equates to lower pollution and healthier, more prosperous communities.

Reducing food waste is practical, and also reduces pollution. Less waste = less wasted dollars and less food and packaging sent to landfills = less methane, among the most potent sources of climate pollution.

Avoiding prepackaged foods is safer. Plastics are made from fossil fuels and do not degrade. They can end up in our waterways and show up in our bodies as microplastics. Packaged food can also contain chemicals harmful to us.

Food grown without pesticides keeps our soil, waterways, and bodies healthy and helps our crops to maintain vital nutrients.

Climate change is increasing food prices and food insecurity. Stabilizing our climate will make food more affordable and accessible, especially for people experiencing poverty. When we lower climate pollution we restore crop yields, the ability to farm, and the nutritional value of crops.

Choosing foods thoughtfully and eating prayerfully connects us to the Divine, to each other, and to all creation. What and how we eat is an act of faith.

What You Need to Do We can all eat more thoughtfully in a way that aligns with our faith and benefits our health and creation. Focus on including more delicious and nutritious fruits and vegetables. Share your healthy habits with neighbors, congregation members, and policymakers.

Eat the rainbow — more fruits and vegetables. Fill half your plate with colorful fruits and vegetables, locally grown and organic when possible. It’s good for you and good for our climate.

Prioritize plant-based proteins. Choose beans, lentils, seeds, nuts, plant-based proteins or sustainably grown fish, chicken, eggs, and turkey when possible. These are excellent sources of nutrition with lower climate impacts.

Eliminate food waste. It saves money, diverts food from landfill, and reduces methane pollution. Eat what you buy, freeze your leftovers, and compost food scraps to improve the soil of your garden or yard.

Eat locally and seasonally whenever possible. Not only is this more delicious, but it’s often more interesting, less expensive, and reduces pollution versus food that travels farther to your plate.

Start a community garden with your congregation. Involve children, youth, and people in your neighborhood in planting, growing, and harvesting. Use the food in congregational activities, donate to congregants in need, local food pantries, and food programs.

Vote with your dollar by buying foods grown from sustainable and regenerative farming practices, like organic foods, when possible. Also, try to avoid fast food and prepackaged foods, which are not healthy for you or creation.

Vote for candidates and policies that support sustainable agriculture, food equity, and food access. Talk to your neighbors and community about these actions and opportunities.

And so we have a proposal to work with our preschool and create some raised beds where we can better practice what we preach and engage our kids in learning how food is grown and how fresh produce tastes much better and is much better not just for our bodies but for the earth.[vii]

[viii]

Over the next few weeks, we shall focus on how we can better care for ourselves and all of God’s creation through this season of creation. Please feel free to engage, bring up opportunities in the community and share maybe something you’re doing to help make a better tomorrow.

Let us pray,

Triune God, Creator of all,

We praise you for your goodness, visible in all the diversity that you have

created, making us a cosmic family living in a common home. Through

the Earth you created, we experience love and nourishment, home and

protection.

We confess that we do not relate to the Earth as a Mothering gift from

you, our Creator. Our selfishness, greed, neglect, and abuse have caused

the climate crisis, loss of biodiversity, human suffering as well as the suf-

fering of all our fellow creatures. We confess that we have failed to listen

to the groans of the Earth, the groans of all creatures, and the groans of

the Spirit of hope and justice that lives within us.

May your Creator Spirit help us in our weakness, so that we may know the

redeeming power of Christ and the hope found in him. May the groans of

the Spirit birth in us a willingness to serve you faithfully, so that we may

hear and heal Creation, to hope and act together with her, so that the

firstfruits of hope may blossom.

Loving and Creator God, we pray that you will make us sensitive to these

groans and enable us to have the same compassion as that of Jesus, the

redeeming Lord. Grant us a fresh vision of our relationship with Earth, and

with one another, as creatures that are made in your image.

In the name of the one who came to proclaim the good news to all Crea-

tion, Jesus Christ.

Amen.

[i] http://www.davidlose.net/2015/08/pentecost-14-b-tradition/

[ii] Brueggemann, Walter, and Charles B. Cousar. Texts for Preaching: A Lectionary Commentary, Based on the NRSV. Louisville, KY: Westminster/John Knox Press, 1993.,pg. 492

[iii] http://www.ucc.org/lgbt_ona

[iv] http://www.ucc.org/justice_immigration

[v] https://floridaclimateinstitute.org/events/upcoming

[vi] https://www.floridarighttocleanwater.org/events

[vii] https://www.onehomeonefuture.org/community-garden

[viii] https://blessedtomorrow.org/