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December News |
As Advent begins in the church, in the Midwest over 37,500+ people are following the daily trek of a young moose making his way through birch forests and harvested fields back to his kin and homelands in northern Minnesota or Canada. Rutt—named after a character in the movie Brother Bear—crossed the Iowa-Minnesota border weeks ago, and after braving I-94, as of this writing he has been seen near Bagley, Minnesota. Brenda Johnson, who created and administers the Facebook group, “Central MN Moose on the Loose,” shares her enthusiasm that “he might make it home and meet some other moose in time for Christmas!” Images of furry toy moose wearing Santa caps near fireplaces hung with stockings are also showing up on the site. Following Rutt has brought “the wild” into our Advent season, even if our hopes for him sound like a cozy Christmas special. But how we ache to know he finally finds home and community!
So how might wildness be showing up for you in Advent? This month, we reflect together on what “re-wilding Advent” might mean for us, our faith communities, our beloved United Methodist Church, and God’s beloved planet. Whose wildness is trekking through our lives? Where are hearty seeds rooting and new sprouts of possibility emerging? From the Gospel stories of Jesus' birth, we imagine dusty sheep showing up, birds nesting in the rafters, and cows, donkeys, and camels breathing nearby too. But can our imaginations expand more widely and wildly…like desert seeds brought in clinging to fur and cloth, then gestating in the holy darkness of soil and shadows? In our current time, where can we see energies of creation-kin and justice emerging? This Advent, be on the lookout for wildness. Rise up, earthkeepers and follow!
Rev. Nancy Victorin-Vangerud Minnesota Hopeful Earthkeeper Abiding in Dakota Land Garden tender and urban forager
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Action Alerts |
Right now world leaders are meeting in Dubai, UAE, at the annual United Nations climate Conference of the Parties (COP28). Negotiators will receive a detailed update, a “Global Stocktake,” on how well we, as a global community, are fulfilling the promises of the Paris Agreement. Unfortunately, there remains a yawning gap in both the emissions reductions necessary to keep global average temperatures from rising above 1.5 degrees Celsius and in the financial support necessary to assist countries most impacted by the climate crisis. As leaders debate the next set of commitments to help close these gaps, we as people of faith must speak out. The reality is that leaders cannot commit internationally to more than they can deliver through domestic policies. It is therefore imperative that those of us in the United States call on the US Congress to support climate action—reducing emissions and scaling up support for climate finance including loss and damage.
Take action today through our partners at United Women in Faith and Church and Society. |
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In September, the Building Integrated Grids With Inter-Regional Energy Supply (BIG WIRES) Act, legislation was introduced, to update and streamline the United States’ patchwork energy transmission system. The Act would accelerate America’s transition to cleaner energy, by strengthening its strained electric grid. Other benefits would include maintaining national security, cutting high energy costs, enhancing energy independence and avoiding blackouts. Ask your members of Congress to cosponsor the BIG WIRES Act. |
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Creation Justice News |
UMC Updates from COP28Pray for our United Methodists delegates to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change’s COP28 in Dubai, UAE (Nov 30–Dec 12) John Hill, Interim General Secretary of General Board of Church and Society Becca Edwards, shared staff between GBCS and Texas Impact Laura Kigweba James, Director of Grassroots Organizing for GBCS Shamiso Winnet Mupara, Environmental Buddies, Zimbabwe
UM Creation Justice Movement leader Rev Mel Caraway will be providing updates from faith leaders who are attending COP28 through the Texas Impact YouTube Channel Dec 4-8. The daily recap show will be titled "Local Action for Global Impact: Cities and Regions at COP28" and should be available around 5:30 pm CT each day. Each segment will be approximately 30 minutes and will feature video clips from COP, interviews and commentary.
Texas Impact Podcast Weekly Witness from November 24, 2023, featured conversation with Bee Morrhead and Becca Edwards about COP28.
Another place to get news from COP28 and engage in the many citizen actions surrounding it is this Online Citizen Observer portal |
| UMCJM receives generous bequest from Elizabeth Williams Many of us were blessed to work with Elizabeth Williams before her death a year ago. The family has notified us that she designated a gift of $1000 to support the work of the UM Creation Justice Movement. Elizabeth’s passion and legacy continue on the Take Action page of our website through the 12-point action matrix that she created as her EarthKeepers project. |
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 | A New Class of EarthKeepers Equipped to Care for God’s Creation
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|  | Mountain Sky Conference to Receive Grant From U.S. Department of Energy
READ MORE |
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Upcoming Events |
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| Unnatural Disasters: Creation Care in the Age of Climate ChangeJanuary 21, February 18, March 17 This series of three documentaries will take you to places around the country experiencing unnatural disasters in the age of climate change. Sponsored by the East and West Ohio conferences of The United Methodist Church REGISTER |
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| Spring 2024 Online Global Ministries EarthKeepers TrainingMarch 1–16, 2024 on Zoom Global Ministries EarthKeepers is a training program that equips U.S.-based United Methodists to launch and grow environmental projects in their communities. LEARN MORE |
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Worship Team FeedbackThe UMCJM Worship Team wants to hear about your Season of Creation! If your faith community celebrated the Season this year and especially if you used the worship materials that we designed, we'd love to know what you did and how they worked. Take our short survey and share as much or as little as works for you. |
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Featured Stories:Advent and Christmas |
The How of Christmas: Tips for Greening Your Christmas By Crys Zinkiewicz
“Love came down at Christmas, Love all lovely, Love divine.” Whether we sing that carol or not, as Christ followers we know our faith and our Christmas celebrations are about love. Where we struggle is HOW to love. READ MORE |
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Fossil Free AdventBy Rev. Richenda Fairhurst,
Fossil Free UMC
The harm of fossil fuels are part of the truth we must face in this generation. The ‘black gold’ our grandparents prized has turned our air to ash in our lungs. The plastics era began with a rush of fortune-seeking. READ MORE |
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Creation and Advent
Studies & CurriculumBy Rev. Richenda Fairhurst
The challenge, then, as always, is finding stories and studies that offer us real Christmas—of wonder and faith—and the opportunity to experience the wait and hope that becomes the promise fulfilled, the Christ child born on earth. READ MORE |
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More StoriesLight and Dark and Grunion: Abiding in Hope by Mary Lautzenhiser Bellonum, UM Insight |
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Join a Movement Work TeamThe UM Creation Justice Movement has a variety of active groups that are working to advance particular areas of work within the church.
Green Teams—will meet Monday, January 22, 1:00 pm Eastern Time to share resources and ideas for promoting local congregational green teams. Contact Grace at climate@neumc.org.
Congregational Solar—launched in the October 18 Movement Café—will work to develop networks in the denomination to support more solar on more local churches. Please contact Lou Stagnitto at 503. 997. 0970 or at strategicsolarguy@gmail for more information or to get involved. UM Wild Church Network—is looking for people who lead or are interested in leading an outdoor church or worship experience. Join us as we create the UM Wild Church Network to connect and resource wild church leaders across the connection. If you were unable to attend the Wondering About Wild Church Interest Meeting in mid-November, you can watch the recording here. You can also fill out the form to be added to the mailing list for the upcoming or future Wild Church Trainings. Contact Rev. Corey Turnpenny pastorcoreyt@gmail.com for more information.
If these or any of the other teams working on Advocacy, Worship,
Annual Conference Organizing, or Communications interest you,
reach out to umcreationjustice@gmail.com to get connected.
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Resources |
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Creation Justice Tips |
 | Christmas Is SpecialSo, here is your Special Edition
of Christmas Tips. This month you have 40 tips to choose and use.
4 Sections:
Greening Your Gift Giving
Greening Your Decorating
Greening Your Celebrations Greening Your Putting Away
Share these Tips with your family, friends, and congregation. Choose any or all. Forward them to someone you care about. Cut-and-paste to put them with your email signature, in your letters and emails, worship bulletins, newsletters, social media, or website. | |
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| Sample Tip
This Christmas season take to heart John Wesley’s Rule for Christian Living: “Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, in all the places you can, at all the times you can, to all the people you can, as long as ever you can!” “Doing good” doesn’t have to be expensive. Be thoughtful about what you give, especially in relation to caring for creation and justice |
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