YOUR PERSONAL COVENANT TO PROTECT CREATION
Jun 10, 2020
By Sharon Tyson, Member of the Environmental Stewardship Committee
I am writing this as a Synodical Deacon Intern. I am also a member of the MNYS Environmental Stewardship Committee. This ministry and love of God’s creation has inspired me to develop a Green Shepherd Ministry, through Lutheran’s Restoring Creation. LRC is a grassroots movement promoting care for creation in the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America.
Climate change is a moral issue and a responsibility for every person. We can choose to harm our planet and jeopardize future generations or we can take steps to head toward a cleaner healthier Earth. Children, the elderly, and disadvantaged communities, including those of color right here in the United States and across the globe are harmed by climate change. Our ELCA social statement on Caring for Creation recognizes the many ways we have broken ranks with creation. The land and its inhabitants are often disenfranchised by the rich and powerful. The degradation of the environment occurs where many people have little or no voice in decisions—because of racial, gender, or economic discrimination.
GENESIS 2:15 “The Lord God took man and put him in the Garden of Eden to till it and keep it”.
At Christ Lutheran, East Northport our congregation has come to recognize and embrace our responsibility as stewards. Our new ministry is “Caring For Creation”. “Personal Care For Creation Covenants” are a list of different ways to help our environment. Many of us already do many of the energy saving things on the covenant. The covenant has some suggestions you may not have thought about or would like to try.
I challenged the congregation to complete 50 personal care for creation covenants for 50 years of Earth Day. We did it! Even with our church doors shuttered during the pandemic, we were able to still accomplish this. We had handed out the covenants before COVID-19 shut our doors. Church still keeps going online and through our web page. The personal Care for Creation Covenant was put online. Reminders each week in our newsletter helped as well.
Are you or other members of your congregation ready to sign-on to the personal care covenant? By signing, you promise to reflect upon how your personal actions effect the environment and try to do more to sustain it. United with churches across the ELCA, each one of us plays an important role. You can download the personal care for creation covenants from the the following link: https://lutheransrestoringcreation.org/personal-discipleship/personal-covenant-with-creation/ .
If you have any questions please email me at [email protected]. If you have green ministries I would love to hear from you as well. Let’s do this together, one covenant at a time.