The Emerging Church and Global Warming

Friends,

I've been working on an article on worship and global warming for the past couple of days... and several things along the way have gotten me thinking.

1) We don't have any language that specifically addresses our care for the planet (or God's other creations) in our baptismal vows
2) Most of our churches probably never pray for the earth or its welfare, or the welfare of other creatures or lifeforms on it
3) We don't have any entities in the UMC whose purpose is to organize us for caring for the environment (Church and Society is about advocacy more than grass-roots action-- not a criticism, but a point of awareness!)
4) Despite the talk about a "new environmentalism" as part of the current generation generally and the emerging missional church particularly, in casting about on some "emerging" websites over the weekend after the monumental announcement last Friday, not word one from the blogs... at least not the ones I saw.

So, let me kick it back to y'all...

How are the congregations where you serve responding to the latest report on the realities of global warming and the need to radically REVERSE (not simply stabilize) greenhouse gas emissions (especially CO2) if we're going to see any reduction in the predicted massive changes in sea level, precipitation patterns, climate change, and the attending changes that will affect all life on the planet?

Or perhaps better... how might we as United Methodists who are into this whole emerging missional thing actually help lead our church (and congregations where we serve and communities where we live) get a handle on it? What are some things we can do as communities of the body of Christ together that will reduce our own greenhouse gas emissions as individuals and churches, and help others do the same?

Peace in Christ,

Taylor Burton-Edwards

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