Reference Documents

A Message from the Creation Care Ministry of the Delaware-Maryland Synod

We realize that churches, and especially pastors, have a lot on their plate right now. You’re navigating the world of streaming virtual services and Zoom meetings; what reopening looks like and how long that will go on for; perhaps all while congregational giving is declining….and more.

It’s easy to say now is not the right time to be encouraging the Creation Care message. Everyone is focused on “getting back to normal”. We’ve been cooped up at home and everyone wants to get back to their daily and weekly rituals; going to work, shopping, eating at our favorite restaurants, getting together with friends, going to church, and so much more.

But related to a number of things, do we really want to get back to normal (or go back to the way things were)?

The recent deaths at the hands of the police have shined a light on age old issues of racism and inequality. But it seems like there is momentum to really move our culture forward in a positive way. Do we want to get back to the way things were?

The Coronavirus pandemic has highlighted that the most vulnerable (the poor, the elderly, people of color) have been disproportionally impacted the most. That our health care system often fails those that need it the most. That healthy food is not available to many in urban food deserts. Are those things we want to go back to?

Our planet is still in need of healing. Time is still short as the climate crisis marches on. However, the past several months have given us a glimpse of how people can change their behaviors and how that can have a positive effect on the environment. We’ve seen images of cleaner air over cities, a decrease in CO2 emissions worldwide and improvement to our atmospheric ozone layer. We’ve seen cleaner water ways. And we’ve seen images of animals reclaiming spaces usually populated by people. God’s healing power has been evident when we embrace it. Do we want to go back?

We talk about the “new normal” and what that will look like. Well, here’s the good part in all of this. We get to decide what the new normal looks like. We get to decide how we want to change our behaviors, beliefs, actions, etc. We get to be the change we’ve been waiting for!

We are surely going to need healing on a lot of levels; individually, in our families, in our communities, and for our country. We need physical healing, emotional, spiritual, social, financial and our planet needs healing too. We think now is a perfect time to talk about Creation Care because, if we don’t heal our collective home, the rest of it won’t matter. Our planet is still warming, we continue to consume resources at an unsustainable rate, the oceans are still awash in pollution and plastics, and biodiversity is still declining.

With God’s help, we can begin to collectively heal. The Creation Care Ministry has funding available to assist congregations that are interested in going forward with activities that will be beneficial to us and our neighbors. These are activities that can be safely done now by taking necessary precautions such as wearing masks and socially distancing.

These are but a few suggestions:

· Plant a community garden and donate the produce to food banks and food pantries. You can start out with a single raised bed.

· Plant a native tree or trees.

· Plant blueberry/blackberry/raspberry bushes.

· Plant pollinator plants like purple coneflower or asclepias (butterfly weed).

· Purchase a compost bin and compost food waste.

· Purchase recycling containers and start recycling.

· Purchase cleaning products that are more earth friendly but just as effective in killing germs.

· Switch to energy efficient light bulbs.

· Purchase energy star rated appliances.

· Purchase programmable thermostats.

To discuss funding for these or other ideas you have, please contact Deacon Laura Heller at lheller1@msn.com or 443-791-0248.