Six months ago I left my family, friends, and loved ones and
moved halfway across the country to begin my first call at Mayflower UCC in
Minnesota. Why? Because the position of being a Lilly
Resident Pastor was too good to pass up, because I was fresh out of seminary
and needed a job, because I wanted to experience a new part of the country? Yes and no. Those all played into my decision, but
ultimately I was drawn to Mayflower UCC because they were taking environmental
stewardship seriously. All of the
practical reasons for accepting the call to Mayflower paled next to the fact
that they were a congregation that really saw that loving God means you have to
love God’s creation too.
In the
hands of a Master Creator we were molded… and so was the rest of creation. As a 20-something, I’m over the arrogant,
human-centric religion that has dominated Christianity’s past. I’m also over the soft tree-hugging approach
to God’s creation that only talks about loving the whole world, but doesn’t put that love in action. The truth is God’s
creation is in trouble. We’ve known it
for decades. If we love God, why are
there so few churches, synagogues, mosques, meeting houses, temples,
congregations doing anything about it?
Well, over
the next year and a half I’ll be sharing the story of one church that is doing
something about it. I don’t know how the
story will unfold, but I’ll share it nonetheless with the prayer that other
churches, synagogues, mosques, meeting houses, temples, and/or congregations
will join us on this journey to becoming carbon neutral.
