"In the beginning when God created the heavens and the earth, the earth was a formless void and darkness covered the face of the deep, while a wind from God swept over the face of the waters." Genesis 1:1-2

"Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single cubit to your life's span? And why are you anxious about clothing? Observe how the lilies of the field grow; they do not toil nor do they spin, yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory did not clothe himself like one of these." Matthew 6:26-29

"We see the despoiling of the environment as nothing less than the degradation of God's gracious gift of creation."

ELCA Statement “Caring for Creation”

ADVOCACY

'Living Earth" Reflections from the ELCA Advocacy Office
 


View back issues of the monthly Living Earth environmental reflection series from the ELCA Advocacy Office and the 2009 Lenten e-mail series, Joining the Hymn of All Creation. You can also subscribe to receive these reflections by email.

 
Read this powerful witness on Christian mission in the face of Empire by Lutheran pastor Brian Konkol, given at a conference on missiology at Pretoria South Africa.
 
Advocacy for Animals

A webpage on faith and our treatment of animals including links to resources from the Humane Society of the United States, a collection of ELCA statements, action alerts, and more. Click here.
EPA New Source Performance Standards for Greenhouse Gases

In late March, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposed new standards that would reduce harmful carbon emissions from new power plants.
Read Testimony from the EPA public hearings on the standards in Washington, DC and Chicago.by:
  • Alycia Ashburn, Director of the Sojourners Creation Care Campaign and LRC educator/trainer (at the Washington hearing), and.
  • Mikka McCracken, ELCA World Hunger program (at the Chicago hearing).
Greetings from the People's Summit at Rio+20
 
Rev. Neddy Astudillo
June 20, 2012

 

Eco-Justice work is complicated, and in many countries today is even dangerous. It touches and challenges many aspects of social life and special interests. But it is necessary, if we want to seriously and faithfully care for God’s creation in its totality. [Read More]

Events and Workshops
 
 
Read the explanation of this process for extracting natural gas in this article by Pastor Amy Reumann, staff of Lutheran Advocacy Ministry of Pennsylvania
 
ELCA Advocacy Offices and LRC Hold Successful Reception at Churchwide. Resources were distributed, and bishops shared reports. ELCA Director of Advocacy Andrew Genzler promoted care for creation efforts across the church. See the full report.
 
If you know of any upcoming events that you would like for us to feature, please email David Rhoads at drhoads@lstc.edu.
NEW  Write your representative to say we need a better farm bill [Read More and Take Action]

NEW  Call your representative to say we need a better farm bill [Read More and Take Action] 

The House of Representatives will vote this week on a farm bill (HR 1947) that would dictate funding for food, farm and nutrition programs over the next five years.

A responsible, effective farm bill can strengthen nutrition programs, encourage economic growth in struggling rural communities, support new and socially disadvantaged farmers, enhance global food aid to the world’s most impoverished, and encourage farming and ranching practices that protect creation.

Unfortunately, the House farm bill proposes dramatic cuts in food assistance to low-income American families, eliminates a program designed to make international food assistance more cost-efficient, and cuts funding for key farm conservation programs.

 
photo by Carolyn Albert
Further Reading

Resources on Earth Community at the intersection of Earth-care and social justice:
  • “Principles of Environmental Justice” drafted by the delegates to the First National People of Color Environmental Leadership Summit held on October 24-27, 1991, in Washington DC;
  • A statement on Environmental Justice and Climate Change;
  • An informative article by Nancy Wright on “Christianity and Environmental Justice” with information on regions of the world and relevant bibliography; and
  • links to several eco-justice internet sites.
Why the Federal Budget Matters. See this important section of the ELCA advocacy pages designed to inform us about key matters related to social justice and the environment.
Air Pollution

"Push Congress to improve clean air standards" (OpEd piece from The Capital Times, Madison, Wisconsin.)
ELCA Advocacy links
 

ELCA Advocacy homepage

Highlights current topics, advocacy emphases, and ELCA e-Advocacy Network alerts

 

Environment and Energy page

Provides information about hearings, legislation, and other advocacy resources specific to the environment

 

Mountaintop Removal Coal Mining

Raises awareness and links to resources concerning this mining practice

 

Water: The Source of Life

Contains information about the importance of water and the need to protect our water supplies

 

Tools for Advocacy

Not sure how to “advocate?” Here are several specific ways you can begin advocating for the environment and other topics.

 

Advocacy Resources

Offers lots of tools and ideas for jump-starting your congregation’s advocacy efforts

 

Caring for Creation

Contains advocacy-related and other resources and ideas to help you and/or your congregation become greener

 

ELCA World Hunger links

 

ELCA World Hunger homepage

Learn more about the ELCA’s anti-hunger and anti-poverty ministry, and access a wealth of resources, ideas, and links to help start your congregation’s anti-hunger efforts or connect to environmental emphases through the lens of hunger and poverty.

 

ELCA World Hunger Toolkit on Climate Change Connections

Take yourself, your class, or your congregation on a journey that explores the intersections between climate change and hunger. These toolkits are designed to be a program-in-a-box or customizable segments of information and activities for use in many congregational or educational settings

 

ELCA World Hunger Taking Root: Hunger Causes, Hunger Hopes Curriculum

This is a complete curriculum spanning ages from Kindergarten through 12th grade that contains severalactivities related to climate change and environmental concerns. Contact the ELCA World Hunger office for assistance in finding the right part of the curriculum for your needs.

 

Hunger Sermon Starters

Get your creative sermon juices flowing with ideas and ponderings about each Sunday’s lectionary from a hunger-focused perspective. While you’re there, sign up for the Hunger Sermon Starters listserv and receive weekly e-mails with upcoming postings.

 

Stories about Creation Care

Many ELCA World Hunger Reproducible Stories feature climate- or earth-related issues and success stories. Browse current stories online or order a printed copy of the latest stories.
Public Policy Offices
 
While personal stewardship is important, substantive change on behalf of creation must also take place at the level of state and federal policy. The ELCA is committed to working with our elected leaders to enact just legislation, and Lutherans Restoring Creation seeks to support public policy actions that reduce carbon emissions, encourage responsible land use, and acts to preserve God's good creation.
 
Main ELCA Offices