To Till and Keep

Genesis Chapter Two tells us that God put man in the Garden of Eden to …“till it and keep it.” This was after He had provided all that was needed for human sustenance. He then gives us the authority to care for it by careful use, just as every good gardener will do with a garden. It is a call to good stewardship of creation.
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In response, the Presbyterian Church USA created the Earth 

George Sayler

Care program for congregations who commit to the Earth Care Pledge. This requires them to accomplish a certain number of actions toward caring for God’s earth in four areas: worship, outreach, education, and facilities. Last spring, Session approved a study committee to determine if our church should become an Earth Care congregation. The purpose of Earth Care is to promote proper stewardship of God’s creation while also seeking justice for those in need.

Over the summer, Session members completed evaluations in the above four areas. Using the evaluation form provided by the denomination, we ascertained that we qualified in three of the areas, with worship falling a bit short. Nonetheless, in September, Session approved the Earth Care pledge, which pledges our church to pursue Earth Care in all four areas throughout our ministry. It does not mean everything will be about Earth Care, it simply means we will incorporate elements of it in specific ways. It may be as simple as singing hymns that celebrate and honor God’s creation. The Green Summit which was held at our church last year is an example of outreach that earned us points toward accreditation as an Earth Care Congregation. The number of ways we can show honor to God by caring for His creation are innumerable. In general, any costs to be a part of this program would be channeled through our various ministries.

Now that the Earth Care pledge has been approved, next steps will include earning the necessary points in the area of worship, and completing an application to be certified as an Earth Care Congregation. That will be submitted at the beginning of next year. Once certified, we will need to earn the necessary points in each category to continue being certified.

The Earth Care Team has been brainstorming ways to incorporate earth care activities into some of our ministry. Current members of the team are myself, Logan and Rachel Hazard, Donna Brundage, Megan Marvil  and Warren Bakes. If you would like to be a part of the team, visit with any one of us and we would be happy to have you join the team.

There is a wonderful hymn I recently discovered which most of you know. It is titled “How Can I Keep From Singing”, and when I stop to fully consider the wonder and mystery of God’s handiwork, I want to break out in a song of praise. I bet you will feel the same way!

In His Name, George