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As we celebrate Earth Day in the Season of Eastertide and continue to strive to be better stewards of God's Creation, we invite you to “take up” a new discipline and focus on the Earth. As you do the daily exercise and read the daily scripture, you will find a God who not only breathed life into creation, but did so with the intention that creation would be a reflection of God and a connection to God. Wishing you a joyful Easter season, as you move into a deeper, fuller sense of God’s connection to and with creation. -Bill Prescott, FUMC Business Administrator & Green Team Leader “The power of God is present at all places, even in the tiniest leaf . . . When I look at the night sky and see the work of your fingers – the moon and the stars you have set in place – what are mortals that you should think of us, mere humans that you should care for us? - PSALM 8:3-4 Daily give thanks. Thank God for God’s beautiful creation, and ask for help to care for it. Read what God’s Word says about caring for creation & the people who depend on it. Dear Heavenly Father: Thank you for the bounty of your gifts, for the beauty of your created world, and for the sustenance you provide me every day, both physical and spiritual. Thank you for giving me everything I need in such glorious abundance – from the air I breathe to the water I drink to the food I put upon the table. Please forgive me for taking your creation for granted, and give me the strength and will to become a better steward of your blessings. Teach me to appreciate all you have given me, and help me to restore the forests, mountains, rivers, and oceans so that they can glorify You, the creator of heaven and earth. Day 1 Begin to speak of the earth as “creation” rather than “nature,” “resources,” or “the environment.” Memorize one Bible verse about God’s love for his creation, such as Psalm 24:1: “The earth is the Lord’s, and the fullness thereof.” Day 2 Recycle all glass, metal, paper, and plastic that you can’t reuse. Read - Exodus 3:1-6 Day 3 Unplug your phone charger when not in use. Read – Psalm 19:1-5 Day 4 Turn down your thermostat 1 or 2 degrees. Learn how to be comfortable at a lower temperature. Read – Revelation 4:9-11 Day 5 Today, after church, go for a walk. Take a hike. Enjoy firsthand the world that God has given you. Pick up and throw away any trash you see on the ground. Day 6 Turn off the faucet while brushing your teeth. Read – John 1:1-5 Day 7 Turn off the lights, TV, radio, stereo, etc., when you leave the room for more than 5 minutes. Read – Genesis 9:8-17 Day 8 Turn down the setting on your hot water heater. Read – Acts 17:24-28 Day 9 Change at least 3 lightbulbs in your home to compact fluorescents. Day 10 Wash your dishes by hand. If you must use the dishwasher run it only with a full load. Read – Job 9:1-10 Day 11 Spend at least ten minutes with God – quietly in nature. Read – Psalm 24:1-2 Day 12 Take a walk during your favorite time of the day. Look around you and notice all the “good” you see in creation. Find a stone, feather, leaf, or some other item from nature that you can bring home. Put it somewhere in your home as a reminder that God created all things and declared them good. Read – Psalm 104 Day 13 Give something away. Read – Jeremiah 10:10-16 Day 14 Check out a faith-based organization working to save God’s Created Earth. Day 15 Bike, walk, carpool, or use public transportation instead of driving. Day 16 Clean or replace air filters in your home. Read – Colossians 1:15-17 Day 17 Check for and fix leaky toilets. Fill a liter plastic bottle with water, replace the lid and place it carefully into your toilet tank. Water and energy will be saved with every flush. Read – Psalm 27:4 Day 18 Take a day of rest – no shopping, no working, no driving. Read – Job 38 Day 19 Go outside this afternoon and sit by a body of water or simply lie on your back and look at the clouds. Go outside tonight and look at the stars. What do these natural elements tell you about God? Find a place outside where you feel close and connected to God. Make a point of returning to this place whenever you need reminding of God’s presence in your life. Read – Psalm 65 Day 20 Find ways to save paper. Do you really need to check your email today? If so, don’t print it out. Read – Numbers 14:20-24 Day 21 Put out some bird food. Birds will almost certainly find it wherever the location. Day 22 Give up a meal and donate the cost to a Food Pantry. Read – Isaiah 65:17-25 Day 23 Donate some books to the library. Read – Joel 2:18-27 Day 24 Plug your computer, TV and stereo into a power strip and switch them off when not in use. Read – Jeremiah 32:17-23 Day 25 Clean out your closet and donate some clothing you have not worn in the past year. Read – Revelation 21:1-5 Day 26 For the next week, keep track of your environmental footprint. Write down how long you shower lasts. Notice when you turn on a light, and see if you remember to turn it off. Pay attention to the times when you jump in your car instead of using other forms of transportation. This isn’t an exercise in guilt, but in awareness. Our connection to the rest of creation means we are to be mindful of how our presence impacts other parts of creation – for good and for ill. Read – Psalm 147 Day 27 Check your tire pressure. Low tire pressure means high energy / fuel consumption. Day 28 Ask your utility company to conduct and energy audit on your home and follow up on their advice. Or do your own audit based on your last twelve months of utility bills. Then get recommendations on how to be more energy efficient at www.energystar.gov. Read – Isaiah 52:7 Day 29 Make today a “vegetarian” day – no meat with any meals. Read – Acts 14:16-17 Day 30 Say NO to plastic bags. Keep your own supply of canvas / recycled bags in the car for shopping trips. Read – Psalm 77:16-19 Day 31 See your pet dog, cat, or goldfish as an opportunity to get to know another part of God’s creation. Read – Joel 2:22-24 Day 32 Laundry day? Only run your washing machine if you have a full load. Remember to wash in the coolest water possible. Read – I John 1:5-7 Day 33 Think about a group of people who make you feel out of your comfort zone. The homeless? Prisoners? The aging or dying? Commit to spending one hour this month volunteering with an organization that helps that group of people. Read – Matthew 6:25-33 Day 34 Investigate getting involved with an environmental organization. Read – Hosea 4:1-3 Day 35 Cut back on the amount of junk mail you receive by writing to:
Include date, name, address, and signature, along with the message “Please register my name with the Mail Preference Service.” Read – Isaiah 44:3-4 Day 36 Think about the role of your church within its local environment. Is there anything that could be done to make it more environmentally friendly? Read – Psalm 98:4-9 Day 37 Take something you would normally throw away, and find a new way to use it. Day 38 Begin to make your own fertilizer with compost from the kitchen. Day 39 Stop your home from “leaking” heat. Check for air leaks around your windows and doors and caulk or weather-strip. Read – Galations 5:22-23 Day 40 Gather six small stones from your neighborhood to make a stone cairn or memorial. Ancient peoples – including the Israelites – used piles of stone to mark meaningful events. Use them as a reminder of all you’ve been doing as you connect with God through prayer and meditation. Read – Psalm 148 Day 41 Distinguish carefully between “needs” and “wants.” Use WAIT and MAKE DO as a way to kick the buying habit. Read – Isaiah 55:12-13 Day 42 Start a hobby which doesn’t involve a lot of “getting,” but does involve a variety of creation. Read – I Chronicles 16:23-33 Day 43 Make a soup, stew, or casserole, and double the amount. Either freeze the leftovers for next week or share with someone in need. Read – James 2:14-18 Day 44 Plant something. Dig down into the richness of life. Consider planting a garden or starting a community garden with a friend. It nourishes the soul to help living things grow. Read – Matthew 26:26-30, 36-46 Day 45 In Wales, a century ago, people used to walk to church barefoot on Good Friday in order not to disturb the earth. This is a day to meditate and reflect. As we sit in darkness, we celebrate the triumph of the cross – “It is perfectly accomplished.” The fruit of the tree of death, freely given, reverses the wrong choice made in the garden of Eden, and the tree of death becomes the tree of life. After the deep contemplation Good Friday calls us to, our perception of the earth should change forever. And so should the way we live. Read – Acts 10:39, Matthew 27:45-51, John 19:41-42 Could FUMC be greener?
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