Desmond Tutu and writings by Matthew Sleeth, Pope John Paul II, Ellen Davis, Barbara Brown Taylor, Wendell Berry and others, all strong voices that challenge, instruct, and inspire us to read with eyes that see the connections between scripture and today’s reality.

Reasons sometimes offered for

greenless services include lack of interest on the part of local church leadership and lack of knowledge of where to turn for resources. The first challenge might best be addressed by offering creatively-planned and publicized studies, by dramatically encouraging atten- dance at conferences and other events that address environmental concerns, and by faithfully reporting what leaders within the larger church and within other faith tradi- tions are doing and are saying on the subject.

Among books to consider for individual reading or for group study are: Love God, Heal Earth, by the Rev. Canon Sally

Bingham, Strange As This Weather Has

Been, a novel by Ann Pancake, and The Essential Agrarian Reader, edited by Norman Wirzba, with foreword by Barbara Kingsolver. To learn of events to publicize, check faithandwisdom.org, watch/listen for an- nouncements in press, on TV, radio and community bulletin boards – and keep in touch with your denomination’s offices and news services. Checking these sources will also keep you aware of positions being taken by church leaders. For example, even as this article was begun, the United Methodist Council of Bishops was wording its “God’s Renewed Creation: Call to Hope and Action” statement in which it “pledges to work in hopeful and robust ways for transforming change as God’s stewards of creation” and invites “the church and our partners around the world” to join the effort.

Keeping your congregation informed and involved will hopefully open the way for adding more shades of spring to your church’s calendar. The next official Earth Day is April 22, 2010. Consider a special celebra- tion on that Thursday, and think toward April 18 or April 25 as a Sunday on which to have a Caring for Creation or Earth Day service. But don’t stop there. Stay alert for lectionary readings or sermon topics throughout the year that invite hymns, liturgy, anthems, dance, or snippets of drama that will green

WORSHIP ARTS • JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2010

the hue of worship gatherings – and as you discover and create increasing opportunities for such, you may want to re-read the March- April, 2008, Worship Arts article by Daniel Benedict, Jr., “The Season of Creation – expanding the Christian Calendar?”

Regarding the challenge of locating resources, options are steadily expanding as work in this area is shared. Besides the Season of Creation website cited by Dan Benedict (www.seasonofcreation.com), see www.lakejunaluska.com/caring-for- creation.aspx (then click on “Worship Resources”). Here you will find orders of worship, liturgy, dances, and a skit from Caring for Creation conferences held at Lake Junaluska, NC. These were written by the conference worship team members and can be downloaded free. The site also refers you to additional sources of help.

Anything that we learn, teach, are

inspired by, or share – and any positive interaction with the natural world that we participate in or lead – will likely enhance our own worship and/or that of others. If we seek to serve the One who created our amazing, life-sustaining universe, and if we want to walk in the footprints of the Teacher who used rocks, flowers, trees, goats, sheep, splinters and logs to reveal truths of God, we will not allow the Church to slumber until science and necessity force it awake. We will, this day, join those who are urging it into leadership in the greening of awareness and responsibility. We will, in direct and indirect ways, artfully but boldly color our worship green.

JANE YOUNG is a retired teacher whose current interests include environ- mental and peace issues, writing, liturgical dance, and choral music. Her

published work includes two books: Contem-

plative by Design, co-authored with Gerrie

Grimsley, Upper Room Books, 2008, and

Settling Estates in North Carolina, A Step by

Step Guide, 1993, 2000, Down Home Press. She and her husband, Garland, live at Lake Junaluska, NC.

If we seek to serve the One who created our amazing, life-sustaining universe, and if we want to walk in the footprints of the Teacher who used

rocks, flowers, trees, goats, sheep, splinters and logs to reveal truths of God, we will not allow the Church to slumber until science and necessity force it awake.

13

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