Monday, April 20, 2009

Jubilee: Creation Care


This coming Saturday we will hold an event at St. Paul's called Jubilee: Creation Care which is a morning designed to consider the practical care of God's good Earth. Our son, Isaac, is the co-ordinator of the Green Church Project in Montreal and he is coming to speak about his experience in that role. We are offering seminars on finding locally produced food, taking care of our yards without pesticides, how to be a local activist, worshiping "green" and others. We even have a program for children. I am really pleased that our ministerial has pulled this together. I have worked with a great team of colleagues, including the principal of the Christian high school.

The only "fly in the ointment" (found locally of course) is that nearly all the registrants are from our congregation. Even though six other congregations are officially participating it is our folk who are registered. Maybe it is my long-term passion for "living with respect in Creation " (see the United Church New Creed) which has motivated me to promote this so vigorously. That, and an impressive desire on the part of many of our members to live their faith through responsible stewardship of resources. I have decided not to worry about it and to enjoy our morning together.

The term Jubilee is found in the book of Leviticus which calls for a regular sabbath for the land, a reminder that this is God's Earth and should not be abused.

The Lord spoke to Moses on Mount Sinai, saying: 2Speak to the people of Israel and say to them: When you enter the land that I am giving you, the land shall observe a sabbath for the Lord.

3For six years you shall sow your field, and for six years you shall prune your vineyard, and gather in their yield; 4but in the seventh year there shall be a sabbath of complete rest for the land, a sabbath for the Lord: you shall not sow your field or prune your vineyard. 5You shall not reap the aftergrowth of your harvest or gather the grapes of your unpruned vine: it shall be a year of complete rest for the land.

6You may eat what the land yields during its sabbath—you, your male and female slaves, your hired and your bound labourers who live with you; 7for your livestock also, and for the wild animals in your land all its yield shall be for food.

No comments: