Going Green

I was so excited to preach on Earth Day and to 'wear my green crusader cape'. I paraphrased The Lorax at children’s time, one of my all-time favourite Dr. Zuess books, and I got six volunteers to each hold a string with the other end tied to a large rubber band. The volunteers were challenged to pull in equal tension to balance a beach ball on the rubber band and they were even successful for a while. Some in the congregation may have been turned off by the environmental justice focus, but I hope that it generated discussion and reflection.

But now that we’re into the week I need to look at my own choices and how the words I preached need to be reflected in my own life. I was raised with composting and recycling in a house with a crippling mortgage, so we really didn’t have extras and realized that we didn’t need them. Over the years I’ve cut down on the meat I consume, switched to green shampoos, conditioners, deodorants, toothpaste and cleaning supplies. I try to buy natural fibres, to reduce and reuse and recycle. I also know that I can do better and am planning to refuse straws at restaurants, and to be more conscious of taking reusable bags not just for groceries but for all shopping. There is always more that we can do.

At the same time, the church should be modeling green living. God sent Jesus to die for us out of great love for the world, not just its people. We should be honouring God’s awesome creation in our choices as communities of faith, and respecting the various gifts and resources available to us and our interdependence with all creatures and the water and the air. Depending on your church’s culture, this can be a tough sell when practices are entrenched and volunteers are few. Even something as simple as washing dishes instead of using disposables can be a hurdle. What strategies can we use to make green awareness and positive environmental practices the norm? Here are some strategies to try:

1. Take careful note of things that your church is already doing that help the environment. Celebrate these and thank those who actively recycle, do dishes, turn out lights and switch off fans. Start from where you are, noting that it probably isn’t square one. Also take careful note of things that aren’t so good, like excess garbage, waste of water and other resources and products that are used which are harmful to the environment.

2. Find out who also cares about these issues and would be willing to be on your church’s “green team”. It may even be that your youth group or seniors want to take this on and find creative ways of being better stewards of creation. These people may want to help you with the environmental audit above. Start with small things and find success before moving on to big projects.

3. Typically it is the board who make decisions about the operations of the building, its heating and cooling and utilities. Try to find at least one person on this committee who cares about reducing your carbon footprint. Get together good information about greener products and alternatives and be willing to stand by this person in presenting ideas that will not only help the environment but that will also save the church money.

4. Raise awareness either through a worship service themed on God’s creation or workshops or social media posts. Help to fill in gaps of knowledge so that people understand the issues around things like bottled water, renewable energy and food sustainability.

5. Work with your green team to come up with exciting ideas that not only honour your building as a gift from God, but also that are wise stewardship and may even serve your community, such as a community garden, used clothing swap or garage sale. For gently used furniture and other large items normally left at the side of the street or taken to landfill, find a way to connect these items with those in need. The possibilities are endless and the reward is in helping others and knowing that you are caring for the earth.

I really do get excited about these things. If there isn’t much openness at your church right now to being environmentally aware, don’t lose heart. As an individual you can model a life that honours creation and still make a difference. Pray for wisdom and discernment of how to raise your concerns. God may just be calling on you to be a Lorax right where you are.