Ordained Ministers

Chuck Knows Church
Episode 21

Lay Ministers

Chuck Knows Church
Episode 20

The Lord's Prayer

Chuck Knows Church
Episode 19

Candles!

Chuck Knows Church
Episode 18

Ash Wednesday

Chuck Knows Church
Episode 17

Shrove Tuesday

Chuck Knows Church
Episode 16

Lent

Chuck Knows Church
Episode 15

The Cross

Chuck Knows Church
Episode 14

The Baptismal Font

Chuck Knows Church
Episode 13

The Organ

Chuck Knows Church
Episode 12

Clerical Collar

Chuck Knows Church
Episode 11

Sacristy

Chuck Knows Church

Episode 10

I Have A Dream

[...]

Let us not wallow in the valley of despair, I say to you today, my friends.

And so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream.

I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal."

I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia, the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.

I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.

I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.

I have a dream today!

[...]

I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, and every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight; "and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed and all flesh shall see it together."

The Narthex

Chuck Knows Church
Episode 9

Focus on Christmas

Chuck Knows Church
Episode 8

The Offering Plate

Chuck Knows Church
Episode 7

The Hymnal

Chuck Knows Church
Episode 6

The Advent Wreath

Chuck Knows Church
Episode 5

Pulpit vs. Lecturn

Chuck Knows Church
Episode 4

mailchimp html email campaign builder

my first mailchimp campaign. thanks immensely to natalie may who led me to this amazing site!

http://us7.campaign-archive2.com/?u=b3ae523a1f9ce9799a1120443&id=ee5e977ae3

No Stranger

I heard the ancient voice say, you are no stranger to me, for I knew you when you took your first breath. I knew you as a child, when you wobble walked across the floor, and finally ran for the sheer joy of knowing how to run. I saw you through your early fears and kept you close in your sorrows. I grew with you, from year to year, by your side in triumph and loss, learning what you learned, loving as you loved. You are no stranger and never shall be, until we draw the stars to sleep, and rest together in the eternal rest of knowing.

Image above (and on front-page mastheads): Red Earth by Sarah Rehfeldt.

Words above by Steven Charleston.

Fish Symbolism

Chuck Knows Church
Episode 3

Robes or Albs

Chuck Knows Church
Episode 2

Liturgical Colors

Chuck Knows Church

Episode 1

Letter Writing

I know that emails back and forth are a totally really bad idea, but I just can't help myself. 

So, background story is in order...

I emailed Pastor Roy about a Sunday to honor our graduates. He replied back, a bit indignantly if fact, of honoring those who never seem to grace the sanctuary of the church with their presence ... those who are baptized, may come when a small child and never to return except to be praised and honored on a graduation Sunday. I wrote him back trying to encourage the graciousness of supporting the grandparents and parents of these kids and acknowledging the success of the kids, especially those who do not grace our building with their presence. It's the Christ like thing to do. He wrote back and agreed and voiced some of his frustrations, lack of a youth program and societal priorities of families today over church being two of those frustrations. I then wrote a novella, not literally but close, back in reply. Here then is that reply:

Ted mentioned the same thing about the youth program...Jeff effectively killed it, though not intentionally. A LOT of really bad decisions were made on discerning the leadership of the youth programs. I am as much at fault in its failure as Jeff and the SPRC just flat out hired the wrong person(s) inevitably. And yes, having an active children's ministry lends to involved youth. Parents are to blame for sure because too many set worship and church activities very low on their list of priorities. God seems rarely to be first in the lives of modern day peoples - of their time, their finances, and/or their resources. God rarely gets the best 10% of anything...IF He gets anything at all.

I know you are frustrated. You have been ministering for over 30 years now. Times are different, people are different, community is different now than when you began. And, YOU are different. You are at a stage in your life where you want more freedom to travel, to enjoy your life, your home and your family that is scattered in three states from Massachusetts to Georgia. And your wife near to Afton Mountain, nearer to your only grand baby than you are. You don't get to go see her as often as you would like (your wife AND your grand baby). You should be thinking about retiring at this point in your life; you just don't have the energy left for the battles that exist within a community of believers...let alone one that is now a struggling community. It seems as if you were plopped into our midst under false pretenses and maybe you were but it wasn't deliberate, honest.

I'm not sure how the Bishop's council of D.S.s pulled your name from a hat ... drug you out of sabbatical ... to place you at St. Marks. God alone knows. Maybe what we need is a specific prayer group that prays for God's guidance and for discernment. God has a plan for St. Marks, I do not doubt that ... I just don't know it. And it seems, right now, that none know it. I had heard once that if something is a part of God's plan, then things are made available, doors are opened, and the path is straight and easy. I'm not sure I believe that. Scripture says straight and wide is the path to destruction but crooked and narrow the path to salvation (a horrible paraphrase but you get the point). I had believed the FLC was God ordained because everything was so easy and simple. It wasn't cost prohibitive, we had oodles of man power, and a highly successful building fund. However, many of the functions mentioned have never been realized. The building was designed for volleyball, but no volleyball has been played in there. The showers were installed for the homeless, but they are forbidden to use them. There were going to be community events, fish frys and BBQs and we could serve meals from that "fabulous" kitchen. Now it seems merely to be a "money making" building...how much can be charged for its use? Most of the time it sits dark and empty.

Java Hut was successful in the beginning, Heather Shook did a great job...but it was a doomed venture due to promises made that could not be kept. The preschool, likewise, seemed successful in the beginning. With Samantha's contacts, personality, and her ability to publicize and reach out to parents, we had a waiting list...but it too was a doomed venture due to promises made that were not kept. We even had a Navy Wives group that met at St. Marks monthly, mostly due to Samantha and her Navy connections. And our venture into a contemporary service was not wholly supported from the outset. BUT ... there is yet a LOT of potential. We had relationships with the Cub Scout troop at Gloria Dei, which could have fed into our Boy Scout Troop, we can have that again. We had a Brownie Troop, did you know that? We can have again. We used to have picnics on the lawn and Sunday evening Bible Study with dinner provided. We can have again. We used to work closely with Emmanuel and Hampton Christian, the ministers would even meet weekly, a sort of pastoral support group where they could bounce ideas, vent, share concerns, and pray with and for each other...gone now (and I think Darren really misses those moments of support). But we can have that again.

St. Marks needs a revitalization, that much is true. Sometimes it takes a split within the community, some who are dissatisfied enough that they leave and regroup as their own congregation. Then the parent church REALLY looks at itself, examines who it is and what its principles are and what direction it wants to go in. The parent church has a make-over and is renewed. I'm not saying that will happen at St. Marks. It is what had happened though - St. Marks, the daughter of another. That history I only know a bit of though and what happened to the parent church I don't know, is it 1st downtown? I think it's much more difficult in the Methodist church to splinter off like that. But maybe not...we do after all have Wallace, Fox Hill Central, and 1st Fox Hill that are all ridiculously close to each other.

I know we need to think outside of the box however, when you are in the box it's really hard to get up to the edge to see out of it. St. Marks is a church that is too concerned with itself to even attempt to see over the edge of the box to beyond. The elder people of the church complain because the young don't seem to care about the church. The young don't care about the physical manifestation of the church, nor the doctrine, more the mission and priorities of the church. A building does not a church make...maybe we would be better off without the trappings of the buildings that have to be maintained and upkept year after year, that drain our resources and our finances more and more each year as the building ages. It would be nice to go to the park, set up a mini-console and speakers, plug Brian in, sing praise songs and hand out sack lunches, have a prayer and a short message and then communion and just be in the presence of God, of nature, of community. How expensive is that? Obviously we need a place to prepare the sack lunches, store the chairs and sound equipment but maybe that could even be a trailer...a kitchen equipped trailer. Ah, just dreaming.

I know you are frustrated and tired. I know you feel alone in all of this. You aren't though. You have a flock that you are the shepherd of...give us direction and we will follow, it's what sheep do best. Jeff was VERY good at that...he was manipulative and conniving but he had goals, he had a direction to go, and he was focused. And we followed. It's what sheep do best. And I think we were very successful in one very important way...he reached the broken, hurt, lost, and we nurtured them, at least until they weren't broken, hurt, or lost any more. Most didn't stay...we obviously didn't infuse the love of God into them or they would have desired to stay in relationship with Him. We didn't turn the broken, hurt, lost into disciples...that was our failure. I get that now, I didn't get it then. When I was in college we had a Paul/Timothy program where a more "mature" Christian was paired with a "baby" Christian. The Paul would take the Timothy on and mentor the Timothy in the scriptures, in prayer, in doctrine of the church, and in mission ministry and evangelism. It was very successful. I did that with Suanne Muniz before she moved to Guam, I mentored her in UMW and watch her become a leader...someone that I fully expect will someday become a district and maybe even a conference officer (later now rather than sooner since the Methodist Church in Guam closed). We don't have discipleship training. We don't have a discipleship team. Do we even know what "make disciples for Jesus Christ" means? It's our mission statement but do we do it? Nope...and the sad thing is, we aren't trained to - not by the conference, the district, or within our own churches. Ask ten people "what does it mean to be a disciple" and you will get 10 different responses. Ask ten people "how do you make a disciple" and I betcha you'd see a lot shoulder shrugs.

I know St. Marks is broken, hurt, and lost. How do we heal her? How do you mend a church? How do unite a fragmented community? How do we become one mind, one body, one spirit for the fulfillment of the mission and the great commission of Jesus Christ? And maybe as our shepherd you can give us guidance and direction so we aren't so lost and floundering BUT the LEADERS need to sit down, at a specially called Administrative Council Meeting (which is where all the leaders are SUPPOSED to gather), and come up with the definition of disciple, with how to make disciples, and then come up with concrete and measurable goals, a vision, a focus. And you know what? We won't get young people in on that, heck they aren't even ON Administrative Council because we have failed following the guidelines of the Book of Discipline and making sure at least one member of SPRC/Trustees/Ad Council is a young adult/youth. But...BUT...maybe IF we old grumudgens can become of one mind and set goals and have a purpose for being, then maybe we can get the young people on board to follow...because lambs will follow the sheep, for the most part, when not frolicking with each other in the pasture.

Wow, I didn't mean to write you a novella. I guess, as you can tell, I'm frustrated as well. But I feel as if YOU are ready to give up on St. Marks, throw away the oars, and let go of the helm. I'm not there yet. There IS hope, there is ALWAYS hope. NOTHING is impossible and as I said somewhere way up above God DOES have a plan for us!

Ok, my vent is done now too.

Hope I haven't offended you, hope that you know that I am on your side, I have got your back and as a leader I am expecting to be called upon to help you. You are NOT in this alone, a lone shepherd watching over his flock...you do have some rams and strong ewes to help lead the rest of the sheep. Equip us, train us, use us.

meMonica

Comparisons (as such)

I have been pondering, as of late, the relationship between the Shepherd and his/her flock of sheep. 

I know of this relationship quite well, through all of the Christian teachings I have had from childhood through adulthood. It is, of course, a metaphor of Jesus Christ the Shepherd and the persons who believe in Jesus Christ as the Son of God being the sheep. Jesus, with his shepherd's crook, diligently watches over his flock. He counts his sheep morning, noon, and night. He knows when even one little sheep or lamb has wandered away or been led astray and He goes seeking the lost to bring it home. He keeps watch that evil wolves do not slip past him to injure even one of his sheep. He watches for thieves that may steal into the night and take His lambs. I imagine Jesus upon a hill that gives Him full view of the entire pasture and maybe even the pastures, hills, and wilds that are all around. In the valley are His sheep, munching peacefully on the grasses, nibbling gaily at the clover, romping and frolicking through the wildflowers. It is a very pleasant vision that I have in my head.

Now, if I take this metaphor from the "big" picture and localize it ... well, this is what I envision  ...

The minister is the shepherd and the congregation his flock. The minister keeps watch over his flock; he guides them to the clear, clean waters and to the sweet tasting grasses. When one of the sheep gets hurt, he goes to it, tends the wounds, takes it to be refreshed and revitalized. When one of the lambs/sheep wanders too far away, he goes after it. He keeps an eye out for things that would tempt his sheep, the wolf in sheep's clothing that could corrupt or destroy a little lamb or sheep. And just as I have imagined Jesus upon a hill for the full vantage point, I imagine the minister upon a hill ... how else can he see the goings on of all of his flock?

And now to focus specifically upon St. Mark's United Methodist Church, the flock, and Pastor Roy P. White, the shepherd ...

Pastor White seems to be a very nonchalant shepherd. It seems, from my point of view - a sheep in the valley - that our shepherd spends a great deal of time resting under the big oak tree, or looking behind him towards his home (which is really not very near to the pasture that IS St. Mark's). I believe that often times he is asleep, his eyes closed and his breathing even and steady. He is unaware of what his flock is doing, where they are going, who has wandered into its midst, if the water is crystal clear or has become muddied, the grass over-run with weeds. From my point of view, as a sheep of the flock, he seems not to care about the flock as a whole. He cares for a few of the sheep specifically, all of the lambs that he sees frequently but the majority of the flock are floundering and lost. 

There are small "pockets" of sheep gatherings ... 

... they gather by the muddied water and mumble to each other about the stream doesn't flow as it once did. The source is blocked by a myriad of negativism that seems to come from the hill the shepherd lies upon. The shepherd's lack of enthusiasm has caused stagnation. How do we clear these heavy, moss covered stones so that the water flows once again?

... they gather by the fence line, wishing that their grass looked as green and abundant as the grass on the other side of the fence. Some slip through the gaps in the fence and never return, others whisper their desires to go but then, looking back at their flock of friends and family, feel stuck. How can we get our brothers and sisters back from the tall, thick green grasses when our own grasses are filled with weeds and brambles that hurt? How can we enjoy the tall, thick green grasses when our hearts would ache so for those we left?

... they huddle in small groups trying their best to bolster each other, mend the hurting heart, heal the broken spirit, guide the disheartened who feel so lost. They look up at the shepherd who seems to have not even noticed the hurting, injured sheep and shake their heads. When will he begin to care for us? When will come into our midst and listen to our pains? When will he come bring us home?

I want to go to Pastor Roy and tell him that we need a REAL shepherd. We need him to take his shepherd's crook and lead us to fresh water and green grasses. We need him to go to the hurt, the injured, and gently lift them and carry them towards healing - if not physical healing then at least spiritual healing. We need him to keep a positive outlook on the direction his flock needs to go. It is his motivations, His enthusiasm, HIS joy for the work of the church that will infect into each and every one of us and give us enthusiasm, motivation, and joy.

I want to tell him that not visiting all of our church members who are hurt, injured, or lost is abandoning them. 

I want to tell him that we do not invite others to come to our pasture because there is nothing pleasant about our pasture ... the grass truly is greener on the other side. When we dread even entering our valley each day with a dismissive shepherd, why would we want to invite another? If there is no evangelism, then there are no new faces. Those who do wander into our pasture, we greet wholeheartedly. They stay for a few weeks, a month or two, but then they move on to the pastures with the greener grasses. 

We have no pastor led Bible Study, no spiritual growth...nothing, that is, that is led by our shepherd. We set up our own studies, small group, Bible Studies and desperately grasp at straws to draw the correct interpretation of scripture. We flounder.

We don't know each other any longer ... gone are the days of Sunday night suppers, Sunday afternoon picnics, ice cream socials ... the things that would unite the first and second service folks ... the things that made us a family.

We are demoralized. Struggling with lack of programs, lack of participation, lack of committees and leaders and ways to revitalize ourselves. We whisper in the hallways, call each other on the phone. We mumble to each other the things that we believe are failing, things that we wish we were doing, things that we would like to try, how we can succeed. But all of that is within dark shadows, small groups, couples. None are brave enough to bring these concerns into the light. None willing to say, HEY! We NEED DIRECTION!! GUIDE US!!!

I can do it ... I may yet do it. I hear from too many people who are disappointed that Pastor Roy is returning for yet another year. To many people who see the dying church on it's final breath and who fear that another year with Pastor Roy will be like taking a wounded horse to the back of the barn and shooting it. 

I too feel it. Going to one service is admitting that yes, we are a declining church that cares more about hunkering down and surviving for as long as we can rather than revitalizing no matter the cost. And what is that cost? What does revitalization look like? What changes must we each make, individually, to ensure not only the survival of St. Mark's but the thriving of St. Mark's.

I know what surviving is - it is merely going through the motions of living but not engaging in life, it is putting on the pretty colors, painting on the smile, and pretending that everything is alright. Thriving is experiencing new things, trying to be something different, remaking yourself, shaping who you are into something that you like; thriving is living life, not cowering from it ... engaging life, not dismissing it ... enjoying life, without pretense. Thriving is being proactive, not reactive.

A good shepherd is proactive ... our shepherd is reactive and I guess he has been since the day he stepped foot into our fold. 

Someone needs to tell him. I guess that someone will be me...       

Wicked

                                                  Wicked!

DrawSomething 2 word that I got when I was to draw for Pat. I love Wicked so of course the musical,is the very first thing I thought of to draw. I bought a t-shirt the last showing of the musical that I saw so I used it as my reference. I used the spray can for the black, white and Glenda's flesh tone, a crayon for Elphaba's face tone, and the pen for the detail work on the faces and hand. And of course the blinged out finishing touches were done with the glitter pen.

forgive me, Lord

i cried endlessly last night,
my heart was heavy,
my mind raced,
my head heated ...
i am bitterly angry.

i leave the comfort of my bed,
after tossing for an hour,
after kicking my husband twice,
after elbowing his side once ...
i cannot sleep in that bed -

- not with her in the next room,
in my son's room,
invading my space,
my peace,
my grief ...
claiming my family!

and yes, i did listen to her story;
stressed from a 60 hour work week,
little pay that barely pays the bills,
and no ability to further herself in life ...
and i am unsympathetic.

she is jealous of so many others;
young adults who live with their parents,
my own son and daughter
who have help for living expenses
and school ...
a care - free - life.

she is jealous of her sister;
her "sugar daddy",
who has a wife who
"turns a blind eye",
her sister;
who is cared for,
and provided for
for her every need ...
and my neck hairs rankle.

and i want to throw her out
right then and right there.

and forgive me, Lord
but i do not care.
and forgive me, Lord
for my lack of compassion.
and forgive me, Lord
that i wish her to just disappear.

forgive my anger, Lord.
be disappointed in me, Lord,
for honestly ...
i will not change -
- MY husband
will NOT be
her "sugar daddy".

and i will NOT
turn a "blind eye".

forgive me, Lord,
for i hate ...

Servant Leadership

Are You A Servant Leader?

Place a check in the box of each of the following questions that you would answer with a “yes.” 
If you can check more than seven of these, you may be well on your way to becoming a servant leader.

• �  Do people believe that you are willing to sacrifice your own self-interest for the good of the group?
  
• �  Do people believe that you want to hear their ideas and will value them?
• � Do people believe that you will understand what is happening in their lives and how it affects them? 
• � Do people come to you when the chips are down or when something traumatic has happened in their lives?
• � Do others believe that you have a strong awareness for what is going on?
• � Do others follow your requests because they want to as opposed to because they “have to?”
• � Do others communicate their ideas and vision for the organization when you are around?
• � Do others have confidence in your ability to anticipate the future and its consequences?
• � Do others believe you are preparing the organization to make a positive difference in the world?
• � Do people believe that you are committed to helping them develop and grow?
• � Do people feel a strong sense of community in the organization that you lead? 

Servant leaders have a natural desire to serve others. This notion of having a calling to serve is deeply rooted and value-based. Servant leaders have a desire to make a difference for other people and will pursue opportunities to impact others’ lives — never for their own gain. A servant leader is willing to sacrifice self-interests for the sake of others. 

Servant leaders are excellent listeners. They are receptive and genuinely interested in the views and input of others.

 Servant leaders can “walk in others’ shoes.” They understand and empathize with others’ circumstances and problems.

Servant leaders are people who others want to approach when something traumatic has happened. They have developed a remarkable appreciation for the emotional health and spirit of others. They are good at facilitating the healing process and others gravitate toward them when emotional needs arise.

Servant leaders have a keen sense for what is happening around them. They are always looking for cues from the environment to inform their opinions and decisions.

Servant leaders seek to convince others to do things rather than relying on formal authority. They are naturally very persuasive and offer compelling reasons when they make requests.

Servant leaders nurture the ability to conceptualize the world, events and possibilities.

Servant leaders have an uncanny ability to anticipate future events. This is not to say they are psychic or always right, but they are adept at picking up patterns in the environment and seeing what the future will bring.

Servant leaders often are characterized by a strong sense of stewardship. A steward in an organization is responsible for preparing it for its destiny, usually for the betterment of society.

Servant leaders have a strong commitment to the growth of people. They believe that all people have something to offer beyond their tangible contributions.

Servant leaders have a strong sense of community spirit and work hard to foster it in an organization. They believe that an organization needs to function as a community.

... heavy sigh ...

I have realized the injustice that was done through the SPRC committee in regards to the way we all handled (or failed to handle) the Adam Flores situation that arose at this time nearly three Easters ago. It's hard to believe it this will be the  third Easter  - the hurt is still so raw to me personally. The mention of the name Adam Flores still causes my heart pain and my stomach to flinch. I still see red after all this time. And what is worse is the part that the SPRC committee played, inadvertently played but played all just the same.

What SHOULD have happened was that Adam Flores should have been fired for indecent proposals/propositions to a lay member directly under his supervision. What SHOULD have happened was that charges on behalf of the lay member should have filed. What SHOULD have happened was to not let the attorney on the behalf of the church settle the case. THAT action let Adam Flores off WAY too easily. Adam Flores should have been prosecuted under the law and his records should ever more show that he IS a SEXUAL PREDATOR!

But alas.

Shame on us...all of us.

And now, three years later, there are members of our congregation that are "pining" for the "good ole days" of Adam Flores. There is one in particular, one who SHOULD even KNOW better, who is stating clearly to Pastor Roy that she longs for the return of Adam Flores. SERIOUSLY?! Trish, do I slap you around NOW? YOU of all people should know the damage he has done to not just one woman but a couple of women; ONE who lives  with you RIGHT NOW - who is so messed up that she is in the depths and bowels of depression, eating herself into obesity, and wallowing in self-loathing and self-pity. WHY?! Why, Trish, would you go to Pastor Roy and pine for Adam Flores?! For a SEXUAL PREDATOR!?!!!!???!!!

And me, me who was on the SPRC at that time, can say NOTHING to her. NOTHING! Remember how this blog started so many years ago - censured? Well, now I am censured again. Some stupid legal bullarky that states that we, as SPRC, cannot talk about the release of Adam Flores. Is SPRC a hat that I can NEVER take off? Is this something that I will NEVER be able to vent about, EVER?! Will I be prohibited from telling Trish what a goomba she is being for ever and ever amen, even when I'm not ON the SPRC?!??

This iS LUDICROUS!!!!

I did do a very VERY bad thing. I did go to someone who works for the Hampton City School Division and tell her, "if you EVER see the name Adam Flores come across your desk, do NOT hire him. Adam Flores is a SEXUAL PREDATOR and young girls do NOT need to be exposed to this man!" Was I wrong? I don't know. My heart tells me that what I did was right. That THAT man would even consider working as a teacher is just beyond my scope of understanding. He has been let go at three United Methodist Church's now ... his records SHOULD have a black balled mark, a huge stamp across his face, a horrible disfiguring check mark that forever travels with him in whatever career pursuits he endeavours upon.

But no ...

sadly, no ...

So I vent here...it doesn't help. I am still seeing red, seething inside, desiring revenge that includes not only emasculating the man but also turning him into an eunuch.

heavy sigh ...

... heavy sigh ...

Lenten Carbon Fast

Day 42: What you can do today What if - in advance of Hurricane Sandy - the churches along the east coast of the United States had embraced their calling as harbingers of hope in a climate crisis world?  What if they had recognized the critical role they are called to play as promoters of resilience?  Once again, Peter Sawtell's reflection, which draws from The Atlantic Magazine, David Roberts from Grist and the World Bank offers guidance for the church:  http://www.eco-justice.org/E-121102.asp

Lenten Carbon Fast

Day 41: What you can do today Reflect on the fact that the richest 20% of the world's population consumes 80% of the world's resources, and those who contribute least to the causes suffer most from the effects of climate change.  Pray for people living in poverty and affected by climate change.  Visit Peter Sawtell's eco-justice ministry website and review his March 2013 newsletters on Worship http://www.eco-justice.org/E-list.asp.  Consider how your worship can incorporate some of these suggestions, and how you can tell your community what you're up to.

Lenten Carbon Fast

Day 40: What you can do today Take a shower instead of a bath, and try to limit your shower to less than 5 minutes.  If you already shower, consider taking a "shipboard shower" - turn the water on only to rinse.  Look into getting a more efficient shower with a "low-flow" showerhead.  An average bath uses 40-60 gallons of water; an average shower 17 gallons; a shipboard shower less than 5 gallons.

Lenten Carbon Fast

Day 39: What you can do today Celebrate Earth Hour TODAY with millions of people around the globe by turning off your lights for one hour, beginning at 8:30 pm.   For more information, seewww.earthhour.org/. Take it one step further by organizing or attending an Earth Hour event in your community through www.meetup.com/earth-hour-global.  For extra credit, get your city or town involved by joining the World Wildlife Fund's Earth Hour City Challenge.  Learn how at www.worldwildlife.org/focusearthhour.   More than 7,000 cities and towns in 152 countries and territories switched off their lights for Earth Hour 2012, sending a powerful message for action to save the planet. This year, more than 200,000 individuals accepting I Will If You Will challenges on YouTube to turn their symbolic action for the planet into an ongoing commitment to a sustainable future.

Lenten Carbon Fast

Day 38: What you can do today World Water Day is observed today.  Learn about the global scarcity of safe water and sanitation and the effects of climate change on water athttp://water.epa.gov/.  Learn, too, about the collective, hopeful efforts to find solutions that affect millions of vulnerable people.  For example, consider this program coordinated by  International Relief and Development (IRD).

Lenten Carbon Fast

Day 36: What you can do today Say no to bottled water and drink tap water.  Buy a refillable washable bottle to use instead.  More than 150 billion liters of bottled water are sold worldwideevery year. This contributes significantly to landfill and transport emissions.  To learn more about the environmental impact of bottled water, please seehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Se12y9hSOM0 andhttp://www.allaboutwater.org/environment.html.  To eliminate undesirable chemicals and additives in your drinking water, purchase a low cost filtering system.  Did you know that the Grand Canyon has banned disposable bottles in the park?

Lenten Carbon Fast

Day 35: What you can do today America's national parks, wilderness areas, wildlife refuges are a treasure.  But only 1/3 of public land is protected from commercial development.  Click here to read how drilling is now permitted on land the size of California and Florida combined!  And don't tell climate hero Tim DeChristopher that one person can't make a difference.  Watch trailer for film "Bidder 70" and ask what you can do for our children's future: http://www.bidder70film.com/#!trailer/cxbx.

Lenten Carbon Fast

Day 34: What you can do today Plant a tree.  One tree will absorb about a ton of carbon dioxide over the course of its lifetime.  Trees also provide shade that could reduce your air conditioning bill significantly.  The UCC's Mission 4/1 Earth effort includes planting 100,000 trees world-wide.  Find out how you and your congregation can participate: http://www.ucc.org/earth/purchase-and-plant-trees.html. MACUCC Green Congregations item (Level III, #13)

Lenten Carbon Fast

Day 33: What you can do today Don't eat any meat today, and see if you can cut down on the amount of meat you eat each week.  Meat production has a large carbon footprint, with 2.2 pounds of beef producing the equivalent amount of CO2 as an average European car driving 155 miles.  It takes 2,500 gallons of water and many pounds of grain to make one pound of beef for your table.  It's been estimated that if Americans were to reduce our meat consumption by 20%, it would be the equivalent of all Americans switching from a standard sedan to a Prius.  (See "ReThinking the Meat Guzzler," by Mark Bittman, New York Times, 1/27/08.)  For hundreds of free vegetarian recipes, visit http://www.bestveg.com/.  Also, see Anna Lappé's Diet for a Hot Planet: The Climate Crisis at the End of Your Fork and What You Can Do about It.

Lenten Carbon Fast

Day 32: What you can do today With 350 parts per million of carbon in the atmosphere recognized as the sustainable limit, what is the "vocation of the church" now that the world is at 396 parts per million and headed to 450pp or much more?  In the 1950's and 60's the vocation of the church was to advocate for civil rights.  The engagement of the church changed the laws of the land.  What is God calling the church to do, to be, to become, to claim, to proclaim now?

Lenten Carbon Fast

Day 31: What you can do today 100 years ago Nobel Prize winner Albert Schweitzer expanded the Golden Rule to include all living things.  Think of it as "Golden Rule 1.7."  Now, the fundamental ethical challenge for our generation is to recognize that future generations are no less our neighbors than those who live next door to us today.  Think of it as  Golden Rule 2.0.  If we treated future generations as our neighbors, it would be unthinkable for only six generations of humans to have burned over half the oil and gas reserves that nature took tens of millions of years to create.  How will your church live out Golden Rule 2.0?

Lenten Carbon Fast

Day 30: What you can do today Consider making creation care / earth stewardship / sustainability a focus for both adult education and Sunday School.  Earth Ministry  in Seattle has collected numerous helpful resources.  Consider using an environmental curriculum for Sunday School written by the environmental ministries team at the Congregational Church of Weston Massachusetts, UCC; or consider the Lenten Bible Study on Creation from the Anglican Communion.  Once again, the National Council of Churches of Christ has a terrific collection of resources that can be studied by your congregation.

Lenten Carbon Fast

Day 29: What you can do today  Host a party with friends and neighbors to watch and discuss one of these films: Carbon Nation: http://www.stonyfield.com/climate-change-movie-about-so-much-more  Journey of the Universe: http://www.journeyoftheuniverse.org/  Forks Over Knives:  available via Netflix - our dietary choices affect not only our own life but the environment as well.

Lenten Carbon Fast

Day 28: What you can do today Though it may be challenging to contemplate, think about greening your "final arrangements." Visit Greenamerica.org  or Greenburials.org for more information.

Lenten Carbon Fast

Day 27: What you can do today How will your congregation mark Earth Day on Sunday, April 21?  Consult these resources from the National Council of Churches:http://nccecojustice.org/earthday/PastEarthDayResources.php.  How frequently does your worship emphasize creation care and invite earth advocacy as a spiritual practice?

Lenten Carbon Fast

Day 26: What you can do today Find the lowest carbon impact method of getting to church today (walk, bike, take public transportation or carpool).   Learning to reduce the amount of miles we drive is one of the most effective ways to reduce our carbon footprint.  The average person makes 44 car trips a year which are under a mile.  Calculate your carbon emissions from driving.  Try to maximize efficiency by doing shopping on your way home from work or somewhere else you have to go. When possible, walk or share rides with friends.  When you need a car, consider a local ride-share service such as Goloco or use ZipCar.  Consider the advantages of walking: a four-mile round trip by foot keeps about 15 pounds of pollutants out of the air we breathe (WorldWatch Institute).

Lenten Carbon Fast

Day 24: What you can do today Take some time to read Yale Divinity School graduate Scott Claassen's blog about his 11,500 mile bike ride across the country - documenting, talking and praying about climate change: http://carbonsabbath.org/.

Lenten Carbon Fast

Day 23: What you can do today Learn about http://climatesummer.net/  and  http://rideforthefuture.org/.  If you're in New England, find a way to help.  If you're elsewhere, discover something similar in your area or consider initiating a similar program.

Lenten Carbon Fast

Day 22: What you can do today Learn about, use or start a local bicycle sharing program as has been done in Tulsa, Miami, Boston, Vancouver and other communities around the world.  To find out more, please visit: http://sandvault.com

Lenten Carbon Fast

Day 21: What you can do today The number of innovative ideas about transportation available at theSierra Club's transportation page is unlimited!  Apply what you learn to reduce your personal carbon footprint.

Lenten Carbon Fast

Day 20: What you can do today This is a hard one:  Keep your highway driving speed between 55 and 60 mph today.  For most vehicles, 55 mph is the most fuel efficient highway speed and will save you up to 20-30% in fuel costs compared to driving at 75 mph. Automobile emissions are one of the leading causes of greenhouse gases.  Don't idle your car at traffic lights and drive-up windows.  If you have to stop for more than 10 seconds, you will save gas and reduce greenhouse emissions by turning off your engine.

Lenten Carbon Fast

Day 19: What you can do today Environmental justice has been a concern of people of faith since at least 1987, when the United Church of Christ's Commission for Racial Justice published a study, Toxic Waste and Race, and coined the term "environmental racism". Read more about environmental justice.

Lenten Carbon Fast

Day 18: What you can do today War is harmful, costly and opposed to life in so many ways that its obviousness as a threat to a sustainable eco-system makes it at once redundant to state and easy to overlook. Today - be an advocate for peace - by any life-affirming means which feels right to you.  To learn more about the specific harm to the eco-system caused by war, read something by Michael Klare:http://www.tomdispatch.com/authors/michaelklare/

Lenten Carbon Fast

Day 17: What you can do today One month from today begins Mission 4/1 Earth - a shared resurrection witness for Planet Earth during 50 great days of greening up, powering down, and shouting out. http://www.ucc.org/earth/  Initiated by the United Church of Christ, this campaign is open to all Christians.  Spread the word and make plans to engage the three goals: 1,000,000 hours devoted to Earth care; 100,000 trees planted worldwide; 100,000 advocacy letters written to elected officials and the media.

Lenten Carbon Fast

Day 16: What you can do today More than likely, you know someone who is already affected by fracking. Spend 30 minutes learning about fracking:  http://thinkprogress.org/tag/fracking/.  Have a look at Yoko Ono's poster: Imagine there's no fracking . Learn how fracking releases methane, a greenhouse gas between 72-105 times as powerful as carbon dioxide.  Watch the movie Gasland: http://www.gaslandthemovie.com/

Lenten Carbon Fast

Day 15: What you can do today Keeping carbon in the ground - not just a personal fast from carbon but ending society's dependency on coal, oil and gas - "Is not this the fast that I choose...?" (Isaiah 58:6).  Since August 2012, a movement to divest from fossil fuel companies has taken off among colleges and universities and in December 2012, the Mass. Conference of the United Church of Christ voted to bring a divestment resolution to the UCC's national gathering.  macucc.org/divest   How can you support this? How can you prompt similar action in your faith community?