| Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ,
Each year Earth Day Sunday provides an opportunity to direct
our attention to God's Creation, our relationship to it and
God's place for us in it. This Presbyterian Year of the Child
supplement to the Witnessing to the Resurrection: Caring for
God's Creation worship resource focuses on youth and children
as a valuable part of caring for God's Creation. Inside, you
will find: worship resources, a copy-ready bulletin insert/stories
for sermon illustrations, and resources, craft ideas and contact
information.
In the Presbyterian Year of the Child, how do we witness to
the resurrection with our youth and children? On Earth Day Sunday,
we can witness about the hope and power of the resurrection
through working to provide all youth and children with:
- healthy lives,
- hope for a cleaner future,
- safety from environmental dangers, and
- opportunities to flourish.
While all children need our commitment to be better stewards
of the earth so that their health, safety and success might
be insured, there are some children whose plight especially
needs our attention. Among these children are those whose homes
or schools are located near toxic waste sites, those who work
long hours in factories and fields (often in hazardous conditions),
those who look for nourishment in landfills, and those whose
homes are washed away in floods or affected by deforestation.
Let us keep them in our prayers and continue our advocacy efforts
and restoration of God's Creation so that they may feel the
real effects of the hope and redemption of the resurrection.
While we work to highlight children and youth as an important
part of Earth Day Sunday, we acknowledge their work in caring
for God's Creation. Youth and children are often leaders and
teachers when it comes to environmental concerns and have much
insight, commitment, and creativity to share with us. We can
ask children for their ideas in doing hands-on work to care
for Creation (examples, provided by children). We can learn
with youth in mission outreach, Sunday School classes, youth
group and worship what current environmental concerns are and
how we might better address them as part of our Christian witness.
On this Earth Day Sunday as we celebrate the resurrection and
care for God's Creation, we affirm that youth and children are
truly God's gifts to the world and Christ's call to the church!
Sincerely,
Rev. William Somplatsky-Jarman
Associate for Environmental Ministries
Rebecca Barnes
Environmental Ministries intern
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