faith climate action week

March 2020-The Cusp of Springtime

This was first published as March 2020 newsletter. Now that we have fully entered this time of COVID-19, we trust that our members will use resources responsibly — virtually, in-household , or much later. As you will see in other posts, the newsletter included March and April events, an action idea, and a review of our February Annual Conference. We will be adding virtual connecting points and more.

Going Virtual

The Cusp of Springtime

Although some would say there was no real winter in 2019-2020, nonetheless, the calendar heralds a change in the season. Thoughts of springtime fuel our March newsletter’s opportunities, and yet we pause first to take in all that is alive and churning within us – and the myriad ways we are called to respond.

Today, like every other day, we wake up empty and frightened.
Don’t open the door to the study and begin reading.
Take down a musical instrument.
Let the beauty we love be what we do.
There are hundreds of ways to kneel and kiss the ground.
(The Essential Rumi, trans. Coleman Barks, San Francisco: HarperSanFrancisco, 1995)

Please join others around the state as we honor all the ways there are to ‘kneel and kiss the ground.’

Earth Hour

Have you made plans to host, or attend, an Earth Hour gathering? It’s not too late!
Since 2007, people around the world have paused on a Saturday close to the Spring Equinox – this year March 28th – to ‘power down’ and turn off the lights from 8:30-9:30 pm local time. PA IPL encourages and supports all kinds of Earth Hour gatherings — concerts, house parties, vigils, and celebrations – all opportunities to show reverence for our planet. Two special celebrations in Philadelphia and State College are fundraisers for PA IPL, helping us continue our programming, keeping it affordable and accessible.

Bike Trip

NOW is the time for interested cyclists and volunteers to sign up for the 2020 Bike Trip. We are seeking riders from several locations around the state, particularly Philadelphia, State College, and Harrisburg for the new Capital-to-Capital ride, our annual ‘minimal carbon’ event delivering a message directly to elected officials. This year’s trip takes place May 15-19, with a launch overnight on May 14. If you know someone who might be interested in riding, or in supporting the riders, please encourage them to join us! Potential cyclists and volunteers can access a recording of the informational webinar; we’re asking for cyclist registration and commitments by March 31st.
Would your business, foundation, community group, or congregation like to sponsor the bike trip? Pass this information on by sharing this newsletter, or this 1/2 page print sheet.
PS – watch for the 2020 supporters’ prayer project which is forthcoming!

Congregations around the country are gearing up for Faith Climate Action Week April 17-26. This annual “week” of action organized by Interfaith Power & Light calls faith communities to preach, teach, and act for the climate. This year’s theme is Love Made Visible, and includes activities around tree planting, art, and activism or civic engagement rooted in love. There are downloadable resources, or you can order a print kit for a small fee.
This year’s suggested film is The Human Elementby filmmaker James Balog, who also made the powerful and beautiful film Chasing Ice.

Earth Day

The 50th Anniversary of Earth Day is on April 22nd. The theme is Climate Action, and the day handily falls immediately before the Ecumenical Advocacy Days sponsored by the Council of Churches, which is also climate-themed this year.

Engaging Active Hope

With more coverage of the growing phenomena of climate anxiety and despair, we are offering more opportunities to gather to strengthen our spirits and resolve. We are just wrapping up our first Engaging Active Hope Virtual Workshop, and are about to offer an in-person workshop in Philadelphia. Would your congregation, school or organization like to host an in-person or online workshop?
Please be in touch.

Faith Climate Action Week

This was first published as part 4 of the February 2020 newsletter. Now that we have fully entered this time of COVID-19, we trust that our members will use resources responsibly — virtually, in-household , or much later. As you will see in other posts, the newsletter included March and April events, an action idea, and a review of our February Annual Conference. We will be adding virtual connecting points and more.

Faith Climate Action Week April 17-26… or anytime during the year!

This annual “week” of action organized by Interfaith Power & Light calls faith communities across the country to preach, teach, and act for the climate. This year’s theme is Love Made Visible, and includes activities around tree planting, art, and activism or civic engagement rooted in love. There will be downloadable resources, or you can order a print kit for a small fee. This year’s suggested film is The Human Element by filmaker James Balog, who also made the powerful and beautiful film Chasing Ice.

The 50th Anniversary of Earth Day is Wednesday, April 22. The theme is Climate Action, and the day handily falls immediately before the Ecumenical Advocacy Days sponsored by the Council of Churches, which is also climate-themed this year.

This early spring is the time of year when, if we give our attention, we can see the power of the life force gathering. Pause to notice a swollen or reddening twig. If you have a little snow on the ground, you may see not only the emerging green tips of daffodils, but also the melt right around them, caused by the heat of the metabolism fueling their growth! Make space to share your awe and wonder on a congregational bulletin board or sharing table, and include us by sharing photos, poems, drawings, songs, or whatever you are inspired to create. With your permission, we will post in our online spaces (and we will credit you however you would like).

This was first published as part 4 of the February 2020 newsletter. Scroll up or down for more upcoming March and April events, an action idea, and a review of our February Annual Conference.

January 2018 newsletter: Greening and Growing in the Dark

Photo credit: Darlene O’Neal, Bellefonte PA

somehow, in some way,
it has managed to survive –
pampas grass in the snow

— Matsuo Bashō, 17th c, Japanese

It is winter – and it is 2018 – and so it’s understandable that we seek evidence of ‘survival,’ perhaps against all odds. At Pennsylvania Interfaith Power & Light we know that surviving – even thriving– is most fully realized when we can reach for meaningful action, companions in the work, the sense of fullness that comes from prayer, ritual and meditation, and always, always, generative hope. Here are some ways we are cultivating all of these around the state right now – we hope you’ll join in! Continue reading January 2018 newsletter: Greening and Growing in the Dark

Sermon: The Passing of New Things

The Rev. Alison Cornish delivered this sermon, entitled The Passing of First Things, on April 24, 2016, at PA IPL member congregation Tabernacle United Church in Philadelphia.

Good morning, and thank you so very much for the invitation to be with you here this morning. Having an opportunity to participate in worship of many different faith communities is one of delights I cherish as Executive Director of Pennsylvania Interfaith Power & Light.

I sincerely doubt that the common lectionary that lays out the cycle of scripture readings for so many Christian communities intentionally aligns itself with the relatively new, and entirely secular, holiday of Earth Day – officially 3 days ago – but what a gift they have given us this morning! First, those beautiful images from Psalm 148 that Susan read earlier – words, in fact, that are the basis of St. Francis’ Canticle of the Sun – words that one author describes as ‘a symbiosis of praise involving humans and nature.’ And then, the vision from Revelation of a new earth, a new creation, of almost Edenic quality, coming to pass at the end times. I’ll dig deeper into each of these in a few moments, but for now, let us savor these images, connecting perhaps to moments in our own lives when the qualities of our environs have elevated us, inspired us, nurtured Continue reading Sermon: The Passing of New Things

Sermon: When Do We Get Our New Heavens and Our New Earth

PA IPL Board Member Barbara Ballenger gave this homily on Earth Day Sunday, April 24, 2016, at St. Martin-in-the-Fields in Philadelphia (where she is on staff). Reprinted here with permission. NOTE: St. Martin’s follows the Revised Common Lectionary, a 3-year cycle of scripture readings. The readings for this day were Acts 11:1-18; Revelation 21:1-6; John 13:31-35.

So I have a question. When do we get our new Heaven and new Earth? This set is wearing out, and it seems like it’s about time for God to deliver on those promises that God made in our second reading from the book of Revelation (Revelation 21:1-6).
I don’t want to rain on your Earth Day weekend but:

This year, 2016, is rivaling last year as the hottest year on record – mainly due to human-made, heat-trapping gases in the atmosphere.
We might just be able to blame that on the recent El Nino, except that 15 of the hottest 16 years on record have all happened since 2000. That’s my daughter’s lifetime.
We can prevent climate catastrophe if we limit the increase in warming to 1.5 C by the end of the century, climate scientists say. If we don’t make any changes in our energy emissions the climate will warm by 4C in that time. And a 5C increase is considered the end of life as we know it.

480887_10152743155550105_643811093_n We have 84 years to get this right – that’s roughly my mother’s current lifetime. And in the meantime we have fires, floods, famines, droughts and mass species extinctions to worry about.
So by the time my daughter is her grandmother’s age, she Continue reading Sermon: When Do We Get Our New Heavens and Our New Earth