From Left to Right – Procession to the altar with nature examples, Thanks to Nancy for a book of devotions taken on numerous scout trips, Season of Creation banner, Celebrating Cleo Coleman’s birthday, Family Vacation – Jerusalem, Celebrating nature’s “creeping things” and the River at Port Royal
Pictures and text from this Sunday, Sept. 1, 2019
Videos from this Sunday, Sept. 1, 2019
The Jerusalem Pilgrimage – powerpoint and video
The Week Ahead…
Sept 4 – 10:00am – Ecumenical Bible Study
Sept 8 – 10:00am – Christian Education – Family Vacation in Galilee
Sept 8 – 11:00am – Holy Eucharist, Rite II
Sunday, Sept. 8 Readings and Servers
Christian Education in September
Family Vacation-Let’s go! During September, at 10AM, we’re going to take some trips around the world, specifically to the Holy Land, to Ireland, to Guatemala, and then on the last Sunday of this Season, Along Your Road. Your tour guide will be Catherine. We are going to enjoy traveling together and searching for God along the way. You and your family are invited. Come to the front room in the Parish House, prepared to travel. And hopefully, you’ll find some surprises on these journeys that will hopefully bring us closer to God, to the natural world, and to one another. Jesus spent his ministry travelling, and so we’ll go with Him along the Way.
The Second Sunday we will spend in Galilee. “Consider the lilies, how they grow.” Luke 12:26
Where is Galilee ?
Geographically Galilee was separated from Judea by the non-Jewish territory of Samaria, and from Perea in the southeast by the Hellenistic settlements of Decapolis. Galilee in the first century was dotted with small towns and villages.
Matthew 4:12, Mark 1:14 and John 4:1-3, 4:43-45 relates the return of Jesus to Galilee upon the imprisonment of John the Baptist. Jesus’ return to Galilee marks the beginning of his “public ministry” in Galilee, as he begins to preach there.
The Pharisees heard that Jesus was gaining and baptizing more disciples than John, although in fact it was not Jesus who baptized, but his disciples. When the Lord learned of this, he left Judea and went back once more to Galilee. John’s Gospel narrative refers to Jesus travelling through Samaria in order to reach Galilee, and describes his meeting with a Samaritan woman at a well at Sychar in Samaria.
In Mark’s Gospel, Jesus returns to Galilee from the desert after John’s arrest, following a period of solitude and temptation.
In Matthew’s Gospel, the narrative suggests that after his baptism he had spent time in the desert, the “holy city” (Jerusalem) and a mountainous area before returning to Galilee. He left Nazareth, where he had grown up, and dwelt in Capernaum, which is by the Sea of Galilee “in the heart of the world, in a busy town, and near others, on the shore of a sea that was full of fish, and on a great international highway”.
In Matthew’s interpretation, Jesus’ return to Galilee the fulfillment of the prophecy of Isaiah (Isaiah 9): “The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, By the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles: The people who sat in darkness have seen a great light, And upon those who sat in the region and shadow of death, Light has dawned.”
Galilee became the center of Jesus developing support among the poor peasant population. It was mainly agricultural, with little fishing industry, and its population was economically strongly dependent on the wealthy elite. The elite lived by depriving the Galilean rural population, with no direct connection to the ordinary people. Their agents collected taxes, and usually the villagers had the opportunity to deal with minor legal things themselves in local assemblies, the synagogues. The poverty in Galilee is also reflected by the fact that almost no remains of storage buildings for grain or other products have been found in archaeological excavations in Galilee and no shops at all. The Galileans seem to have consumed all they produced. Having paid the rents, taxes, loan remissions and interests there simply was nothing left to trade with.
What is the Season of Creation?
During the seasons of Advent, Epiphany, Lent and Easter we celebrate the life of Christ. In the season of Pentecost we celebrate the Holy Spirit. Now, in the season of Creation, we have an opportunity to celebrate creation and the Creator. Thus, the Trinity – God the creator, Christ the redeemer of creation, and the Holy Spirit as sustainer of life. For centuries, our theology, our ethics, and our worship have been oriented in two dimensions: our relationship with God and our human relationships with one another. Now it is time to turn our attention to God’s relationship with all creation and with our relationship with creation (and with God through creation).
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. All that was, all that is, all that will be, all this comes from God. Right from the off the Bible speaks of a God who is not passive or distant, but active and involved. The opening chapter goes on to describe the scale, the diversity, the goodness of God’s creation, but here it is enough to simply reflect on the one who creates.
Basil of Caesarea was a Bishop in the fourth century in what is now Turkey. In one of his sermons he compared God the creator to a potter who, after painstakingly crafting a series of beautiful pots, ‘has not exhausted either his art or his talent’. The creation of the world was not a one time burst of energy that left God exhausted, rather it was a pouring out of something deep within God—a desire to create, to bring about beauty and order and all that is good. God created because God is creative and God’s creativity does not run dry.
This creative heart has left its fingerprints throughout the creation: in the wild evolution of nature, in the instinctive desire of our earliest ancestors to make art on the walls of their caves, in the stories that we tell to our children. The world is filled with creativity because it was created by a creative God whose art and talent are inexhaustible. In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth—and that was only the beginning!
For Five Sundays in September, we join in celebrating with creation. On September 1 we are invited to celebrate Creation Day with Christians around the world. Creationtide is originally an Eastern Orthodox initiative, but has now spread widely among Anglican, Roman Catholic and Protestant congregations, bringing Christians together to pray and work for the protection of the environment that sustains everyone.
Dr. William P. Brown of Columbia Theological seminary wrote the following about creation care. “The fundamental mandate for creation care comes from Genesis 2:15, where God places Adam in the garden to “till it and keep it…” Human “dominion” as intended in Genesis is best practiced in care for creation, in stewardship, which according to Genesis Noah fulfills best by implementing God’s first endangered species act.”
Creation Care Prayer
God, maker of marvels,
you weave the planet and all its creatures together in kinship;
your unifying love is revealed
in the interdependence of relationships
in the complex world that you have made.
Save us from the illusion that humankind is separate and alone,
and join us in communion with all inhabitants of the universe;
through Jesus Christ, our Redeemer,
who topples the dividing walls by the power of your Holy Spirit,
and who loves and reigns with you, for ever and ever. Amen.
-Liturgical Materials for Honoring God in Creation Reported to the 78th General Convention
A Theme for this Season – Web of Life
Witness the diversity and balance of life and the need to preserve it.
A Little Science- Carbon and the Carbon Cycle
Carbon
-An element
-The basis of life of earth
-Found in rocks, oceans, atmosphere,
-Carbon is an essential component of proteins, fats and carbohydrates which
make up all living organisms
Carbon cycle – the way carbon moves through organisms and the environment
1 Plants take in CO2 via Photosynthesis – make organic molecules (glucose)
2 Organisms release CO2 via Respiration of organic molecules (burning of organic compounds in body)
3 Fires release C02 from organic molecules
4 Geochemical processes can absorb C02 and release it. Fossil fuel formed over a long period time , heating and cooling water
What’s your carbon footprint ? A carbon footprint is defined as:
“The total amount of greenhouse gases produced to directly and indirectly support human activities, usually expressed in equivalent tons of carbondioxide (CO2).
In other words: When you drive a car, the engine burns fuel which creates a certain amount of CO2, depending on its fuel consumption and the driving distance. (CO2 is the chemical symbol for carbon dioxide). When you heat your house with oil, gas or coal, then you also generate CO2. Even if you heat your house with electricity, the generation of the electrical power may also have emitted a certain amount of CO2. When you buy food and goods, the production of the food and goods also emitted some quantities of CO2.
Your carbon footprint is the sum of all emissions of CO2 (carbon dioxide), which were induced by your activities in a given time frame. Usually a carbon footprint is calculated for the time period of a year.”
You can check calculate your carbon footprint – here. A simpler version is from the Environmental Protection Agenday (EPA).
6 Key Environmental Issues
1. Climate Change
2. Deforestation
3. Pollution
4. Water Scarcity
5. Loss of Biodiversity
6. Soil erosion and degredation
We will be reviewing these issues over the weeks in the Season of Creation starting with Climate Change.
1. CLIMATE CHANGE
97 percent of climate scientists agree that climate change is occurring and greenhouse gas emissions are the main cause Specialists indicate that the fossil fuel combustion which provide 93% of the world’s energy sources represents the greatest contributing factor to, greenhouse gas emissions In the 20th century, specialists indicate that the global average temperature increased with 1 degree Fahrenheit. Hence, the planet overheats, affecting humans, plants, and animals at the same time
Renewable energy comes from natural resources that can be replenished during an average human lifetime and includes the following types of power: Solar, Wind, Hydro, Geothermal, and Biomass Renewable energy sources are beneficial because they have a very limited negative environmental impact when compared to fossil fuels. They can also reduce the worldwide carbon dioxide emissions.
Overall, renewables are growing faster than fossil fuels. Last year, solar and wind power accounted for nearly 95% of new energy in the US. A 2018 report recently published by the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), predicts the cost of renewable energy will experience a noticeable drop by 2020, putting it on par with, or cheaper than, fossil fuels.
Climate Change – an issue for our time
“The ultimate test of a moral society is the kind of world that it leaves to its children.” –Dietrich Bonhoeffer
Presiding Bishop Michael Curry describes the crisis in these words: “The work of saving this creation, on one level, it is saving our own lives, and on another level, it is saving the world that God has made and God has created, and we dare not deface what God has made.” Our actions to reduce our own contribution to global warming can seem insignificant in light of the climate crisis. Switching to LED lighting? It may save money, but what difference can it really make?
Why is this an issue with St. Peter’s ?
1 Creation is a reflection of the glory of God. We are grateful for the gifts we’ve been given, and must fulfill our God-given responsibility to be good stewards of God’s creation, which includes all of us who live within it
2 Climate change is a spiritual challenge. Some may see climate change as a political, economic, or scientific issue, but we recognize it, first and foremost, as an ethical issue. Leading on climate is part of how we live our faith.
3. We have a responsibility to care for the least of us. The poorest amongst us bear the greatest burden and risk of climate change. We witness this firsthand as we restore communities in the wake of unprecedented storms, droughts, and disasters.
4. We are called to respond to what we see around us. We are moral messengers for the common good, and must translate our compassion into action.
Observations from around the world show the widespread effects of increasing greenhouse gas concentrations on Earth’s climate.
1 High temperature extremes and heavy precipitation events are increasing. Annual average temperatures have increased by 1.8°F across the contiguous United States since the beginning of the 20th century.
Over the next few decades, annual average temperature over the contiguous United States is projected to increase by about 2.2°F (1.2°C) relative to 1986–2015, regardless of future scenario. As a result, recent record-setting hot years are projected to become common in the near future for the United States.
Extreme high temperatures are projected to increase even more than average temperatures. Cold waves are projected to become less intense and heat waves more intense. The number of days below freezing is projected to decline, while the number of days above 90°F is projected to rise.
The season length of heat waves in many U.S. cities has increased by over 40 days since the 1960s. The length of the frost-free season, from the last freeze in spring to the first freeze of autumn, has increased for all regions since the early 1900s. The frequency of cold waves has decreased since the early 1900s, and the frequency of heat waves has increased since the mid-1960s.
The relative amount of annual rainfall that comes from large, single-day precipitation events has changed over the past century; since 1910, a larger percentage of land area in the contiguous United States receives precipitation in the form of these intense single-day events.
2 Glaciers and snow cover are shrinking, and sea ice is retreating. Since the early 1980s, the annual minimum sea ice extent (observed in September each year) in the Arctic Ocean has decreased at a rate of 11%–16% per decade
3 Seas are warming, rising, and becoming more acidic, and marine species are moving to new locations toward cooler waters. Flooding is becoming more frequent along the U.S. coastline. Growing seasons are lengthening, and wildfires are increasing. Annual median sea level along the U.S. coast (with land motion removed) has increased by about 9 inches since the early 20th century as oceans have warmed and land ice has melted
Sea-level rise alone could force tens of millions of people to move from their homes within the next century. Climate change impacts are expected to drive human migration from coastal locations, but exactly how remains uncertain
4. Climate change has doubled the devastation from wildfires in the Southwest.
Climate change has led to an increase in the area burned by wildfire in the western United States. Analyses estimate that the area burned by wildfire from 1984 to 2015 was twice what would have burned had climate change not occurred. Furthermore, the area burned from 1916 to 2003 was more closely related to climate factors than to fire suppression, local fire management, or other non-climate factors
Climate change has driven the wildfire increase, particularly by drying forests and making them more susceptible to burning. Specifically, increased temperatures have intensified drought in California, contributed to drought in the Colorado River Basin, reduced snowpack, and caused spring-like temperatures to occur earlier in the year. In addition, historical fire suppression policies have caused unnatural accumulations of understory trees and coarse woody debris in many lower-elevation forest types, fueling more intense and extensive wildfires.
Wildfire can threaten people and homes, particularly as building expands in fire-prone areas. Wildfires around Los Angeles from 1990 to 2009 caused $3.1 billion in damages (unadjusted for inflation). Respiratory illnesses and life disruptions from the Station Fire north of Los Angeles in 2009 cost an estimated $84 per person per day (in 2009 dollars). In addition, wildfires degraded drinking water upstream of Albuquerque with sediment, acidity, and nitrates and in Fort Collins, Colorado, with sediment and precursors of cancer-causing trihalomethane, necessitating a multi-month switch to alternative municipal water supplies.
2°C: BEYOND THE LIMIT
Extreme climate change has arrived in America
From the Washington Post, Aug 13
1. Warming is very uneven. At the extreme, some regions show more than 2 degrees Celsius, or 3.6 degrees Fahrenheit, of warming. Others have barely warmed at all, or cooled slightly, over the entire period from 1895 to 2018. The average warming of the Lower 48 states, about 1 degree Celsius, obscures the severity of some of the nation’s temperature spikes.
2. Large regions show clear and strong warming signals. Scientists tell us that it is difficult to draw conclusions about temperature changes — and their causes — over small areas because of random variability and other complexities. But as The Post’s map makes clear, some large swaths of the country have seen consistent, remarkable warming. They include the Northeast, much of the U.S. border with Canada, and major parts of Utah, Colorado and Wyoming.
It’s important to note that this map merely tells us how much an individual place has changed over 124 years. It does not explain the cause. It is likely that factors other than global climate change, such as urbanization and regional air pollution, have also played a role. However, in recent years, as the pace of warming has picked up across the globe — including across the United States — the influence of human-fueled climate change has emerged as the key driver.
3. When it comes to the Northeast, the winter season has been transformed. When we examined the data more closely, it became clear that winter is the fastest-warming season in the Northeast, consistent with the expectations of climate scientists. We also found that the pace of warming over the past 60 years or so has accelerated. Once again, the Northeast led the pack, but on a state-by-state level, the Southwest also emerged with very fast warming rates in more recent decades.
4. Some of the fastest-warming regions have very few people living in them. Others, though, are highly populated. We found only a very weak relationship overall between the rate of warming in individual counties and their levels of population density. This suggests that urbanization, which is known to cause warming in local areas, cannot explain most features of this map. NOAA also tries to control for urbanization in its data set, though it cannot be ruled out as a cause.
In particular, because New York and Los Angeles are each part of larger warming regions, urban trends probably cannot fully explain their warming, although they might contribute, several experts told The Post.
Because these two highly populous regions have warmed quickly, The Post calculated that more than 30 million people live in counties that have warmed by 2 degrees Celsius or more since 1895.
5. These changes are already having major impacts, which vary depending on the location. In the Northeast, changes are being felt in agriculture — which is witnessing a strong shift of the seasons and of winter most of all — and in greater pressure from insects, such as ticks and agricultural pests, which plague humans and wildlife alike.
Climate change can accentuate the differences between rich and poor countries
The world is facing a “climate apartheid” between the rich who can protect themselves and the poor who are left behind, the UN has warned.
A UN report published in June, 2019 estimated that more than 120 million people could slip into poverty within the next decade because of climate change
One example he gave in the report was the aftermath of the 2012 Hurricane Sandy in New York City. While thousands of low-income people were left without power and healthcare for days, the Goldman Sachs HQ on Manhattan was kept safe by tens of thousands of sandbags and powered by a private generator.
Two Stanford University researchers modeled the country-by-country effects of global warming over a 50-year period
India’s gross domestic product per capita, for example, was 31% lower in 2010 than it would have been if not for global warming caused by human activity over the prior half century, the study found. Chad’s economic activity per person was 39% lower, Venezuela’s was 32% lower, and Nigeria’s was 29% lower.
In absolute terms, many of those countries have actually boosted their economic output significantly over the past half century, and as a result, inequality between countries has declined in recent years. However, that progress could have moved faster if temperatures weren’t rising, the study found.
Rich countries also tend to be further north and have cooler temperatures, on average. And they may, in fact, actually have benefited from the warming trend as they approach the “optimum temperature” for economic growth, further widening inequality across countries.
Links:
1. UN Report
So What Can We Do About Climate Change ?
Actions taken by households can have a significant impact on global warming. Each household can be part of reversing the trend towards environmental disaster. Together, our choices matter! In the United States alone, 40% of greenhouse gas emissions detrimental to the climate are the choices made by households – not those by industry, agriculture, or land management. We make decisions about how we power our homes, use transportation, nourish our bodies, and recycle our waste.
The key is to consider how you can positively affect the environment, in addition to how you negatively impact it.
1. Drive a fuel-efficient vehicle – Cut your atmosphere-polluting emissions up to a third by purchasing a smaller, more fuel-efficient vehi When buying your next car consider a vehicle with manual transmission and fewer options like air conditioning, power windows and heated seats—all of which can increase fuel consumption. Consider a hybrid vehicle.
Carpool or use public transportation. If you own a business, encourage carpooling or allow telecommuting to reduce carbon emissions.
2. Eating
A. Shop at a local farmers’ market for groceries grown in your area. Insist your fruits and vegetables come from your province or some place nearby. Buying local fruits and vegetables helps maintain nearby farmlands and wildlife habitats and reduces the pollution created when produce is shipped great distances.
B. Eating organic meat and produce keeps pesticides and chemical fertilizers off your plate and out of rivers and streams.
C. Eat less meat and animal products. Farm animals emit methane, a potent greenhouse gas that contributes to global warming, and raising animals for food requires many times more land and water than growing food crops. Every time you sit down to a plant-based meal instead of an animal-based meal, you save about 280 gallons of water and protect anywhere from 12 to 50 square feet of land from deforestation, overgrazing, and pesticide and fertilizer pollution
3. Change your light bulbs – Make the switch to energy-saving, compact fluorescent light (CFL) bulbs or better yet LED. These bulbs use 75 per cent less energy compared to incandescent bulbs
Other Climate Change Links
1. Summary Change from the 4th National Climate Change Assessment
This is required to be published every 4 years.
2. How to be green without giving up life’s luxuries?
3. Climate Change and Children’s Health
Lectionary, Sept. 8 2019 – Season of Creation 2, Year C
Genesis 1:26-2:3
Last week we covered the beginning of creation in Genesis, Days 1-5.
On Day 6, land animals are created. 1:24 says that God caused the earth to “bring [them] forth”; however, in 1:25, God creates them directly. The creation story was handed down orally for centuries, and a tale varies in the telling. As we often find in Genesis, the author (or editor) is not afraid to include divergent versions.
“Let us” (1:26) is like a royal we; the creation of humans is the climax of the creation story. Human is made (created) in God’s “image” (the Hebrew word implies an exact copy or reproduction); but he is also a “likeness” (resemblance, similarity). He rules over all creatures. Sex is of divine origin. It is because of God’s blessing that we have procreative power. Human is to “subdue” (1:28) the earth and all that is in it. His rule over the animals won’t always be easy. 1:29-30 say that we were initially vegetarian. (God permits Noah to eat meat.)
Day 7 is the day of rest, a reminder of the Sabbath. God blesses the seventh day, thus setting it apart. There is no evening of this day: the relationship between God and man continues for ever.
Genesis uses “generations” (2:4) to mark important stages in God’s actions, starting with creation. The text shows him as creator in his total and uncompromised power, the intrinsic order and balance of the created world, and mankind’s importance and his key role in the scheme of creation. God’s creation is also peaceful, unlike the warring factions (gods) of Enuma Elish. The focus is on the emergence of a people; the earth serves as an environment for the human community. Genesis 1 works within the science of its time to tell of divine power and purpose, and the unique place of humans
Read more about the Lectionary….
Block Print by Mike Newman
Projects
3-Minute Retreats invite you to take a short prayer break right at your computer. Spend some quiet time reflecting on a Scripture passage.
Knowing that not everyone prays at the same pace, you have control over the pace of the retreat. After each screen, a Continue button will appear. Click it when you are ready to move on. If you are new to online prayer, the basic timing of the screens will guide you through the experience.
Daily meditations in words and music.
Your daily prayer online, since 1999
“We invite you to make a ‘Sacred Space’ in your day, praying here and now, as you visit our website, with the help of scripture chosen every day and on-screen guidance.”
Saints of the Week, – Sept. 1 – Sept. 8
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1
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2
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The Martyrs of New Guinea, 1942 |
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3
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Phoebe, Deacon |
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4
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Paul Jones, Bishop, 1941 Albert Schweitzer, Theologian & Humanitarian, 1965 |
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5
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Katharina Zell, Church Reformer & Writer, 1562 Gregorio Aglipay, Priest, 1940 |
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6
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Hannah More, Religious Writer & Philanthropist, 1833 |
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7
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Kassiani, Poet & Hymnographer, 865 Elie Naud, Catechist, 1722 |
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8
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Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary Søren Kierkegaard, Philosopher, 1855 |