NOTES FROM WEST MOUNTAIN – The Rev. Mark E. Diters
Season of Lent…Mother Earth…20-20 Vision 2020-Environment & Justice
“Behold, I make all things new!” Revelation 21: 5
The Rev. Jim Antol, in his book Climate Church Climate World, names climate change as the greatest moral challenge humanity has ever faced. Let that statement sit with you a moment, let it simmer and percolate, settle in, and take the time to wonder over it. I believe him.
“When in awe of God’s creation, we view earth from outer space, this mysterious, floating marble, strewn with clouds and bathed in grace, how can we not pause in wonder, seeing earth as one and whole.” Hymn # 688 begins with these lines expressing the elegant miracle that is our home.
“We live on a big round ball; I never do dream I may fall. But even one day if I do, I’ll jump up and smile back at you. I don’t even know where we are, they tell me we’re circling a star. They may be right I don’t know. Cause I’m dizzy so it may be so.” Jimmy Buffet, in his song, “Defying Gravity”, offers a parallel vision of our celestial home from the vantage point of space and distance. The thing is, up until 70 years ago we could not view the earth from outer space. No matter, whether we observe our planet earth from ground level, right up close, or we view it from the vantage point of outer space, it is our one and only home.
In recent years many significant voices have spoken out about climate change. Pope Francis, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I, (leader of the Eastern Orthodox Church), and a huge host of others, scientists, artists, and most importantly, those with first-hand accounts, witnesses of the effects of global warming… have shared with urgency the necessity for human beings to change our behavior. Specifically, we need to reign in our misuse of natural resources and our abuse of our atmosphere, water, and land. A review of their collective works makes it evident that to call our situation a crisis is not strong enough.
During the weeks of Lent, we will engage with our Environment and Justice from differing directions and hearing from multiple voices. The emphasis will be on what people of faith are called to do. These short six weeks of Lent will be the beginning of something new.
Peace in this prayerful and solemn Season of Lent,
Mark
CLIMATE CHURCH, CLIMATE WORLD BOOK STUDY
Climate Church, Climate World argues that climate change is the greatest moral challenge humanity has ever faced. Hunger, refugees, poverty, inequality, deadly viruses, war—climate change multiplies all forms of global social injustice.
Environmental leader Reverend Jim Antal presents a compelling case that it’s time for the church to meet this moral challenge, just as the church addressed previous moral challenges. Antal calls for the church to embrace a new vocation so that future generations might live in harmony with God’s creation. After describing how we have created the dangers our planet now faces, Antal urges the church to embrace a new vocation, one focused on collective salvation and an expanded understanding of the Golden Rule (Golden Rule 2.0). He suggests ways people of faith can reorient what they prize through new approaches to worship, preaching, witnessing and other spiritual practices that honor creation and cultivate hope.
Participants will have the option of meeting Wednesdays at 11:00 a.m. on March 4, 11, 18, and 25 or Sundays following church on March 8, 15, 22, and 29.
MARCH SECOND MILE OFFERING: 4OCEAN
To align with one of our church goals, Environmental Justice, the Board of Christian Service has chosen 4ocean as this month’s Second Mile Offering. The founders grew up on the Florida coast, swimming, diving, fishing, and surfing. They took a trip a of a lifetime to Bali but when they arrived, they found a beach completely covered in plastic, with trash-filled waves delivering more garbage with each break. In talking with the locals, they were told that the beaches had been cleared hours earlier and the trash they were wading through had only just washed ashore. They immediately vowed to try to do something about it. They hired boat captains and local workers to clean the ocean and coastlines full time. In order to make the biggest impact on the global problem, they launched their efforts in places like Bali where multitudes of plastic and garbage accumulate. To pay for the massive cleanups, they developed 4ocean bracelets (made from 100% post-consumer recycled plastic bottles) and pledged to pull a pound of plastic for each bracelet sold, using the profits for cleanup operations, donations to ocean-related non-profits, and to build an organizational structure for future growth. Since 2017, they have recovered 8,135,706 pounds of trash.
The Board of Christian Service will purchase 4ocean bracelets for each person who submits a $20 donation (the price of a bracelet).
Be recognized as a member of the clean ocean movement and send in your $20 today!
AFTERNOON OPEN MIC
Please join us on Sunday, March 29th at 4:00 p.m. for a special afternoon of shared talent! Friends of all ages are welcome. Light refreshments will be served.
SILVER LAKE SUMMER CAMP 2020
The Board of Christian Service will reimburse $250 for each youth who attends Silver Lake Summer Camp. Parents/Guardians are asked to submit proof of payment to the church office for reimbursement. Investing in our youth’s commitment to their spiritual growth as well as supporting Silver Lake as a resource for our church community, is an important goal for Flagg Road UCC. If you are unfamiliar with the Silver Lake Summer Program, explore their website at https://www.silverlakect.org/summercamp and consider registering your child for a summer adventure they will always treasure.
YOGA AT FLAGG ROAD UCC
All are welcome to join the free yoga class offered at Flagg Road UCC on Saturday mornings, 9:00 a.m. – 10:15 a.m.
T’AI CHI CLASSES
All are welcome to attend the T’ai Chi class meeting here at Flagg Road UCC on Monday, February 3rd and Monday, February 17th. 6:00-7:00 pm.
CENTER CHURCH SUNDAY SUPPER-MAY 31ST
Save the date! The Board of Christian Service has scheduled the Center Church Sunday Supper for Sunday, May 31st, 2020. More information to follow.
HOMECOMING & OPEN HOUSE EVENT
The Worship Service and Events & Experiences Teams, with the support of the Board of Deacons, are in the process of determining what interest there might be in holding an event that will showcase the changes, redesign, and upgrades we’ve made to Flagg Road UCC since June 2019. Not only would former members and their adult children be invited but also the community at large in an effort to expand the Flagg Road community. We are saving the date of 9/20/20 for this event.
As a first step to determining if we should proceed with this event, we’d like your input and the names and addresses of former members you think might be interested in reconnecting with the church, as well as any people you know who might attend such an event if they received a formal invitation to do so. Please email your ideas, names, and addresses to Prudence Cleary at prudence1912@outlook.com by March 31, 2020.
In preparation for this event, the teams have determined the church could use some spiffing up so a church-wide clean-up will be held on August 8, 2020. More details to come!