On Pentecost, Carnival Sunday, May 19, Diane spoke about the UCC’s proud tradition of standing up for justice. Throughout its history, the UCC has taken the lead. Mission 4/1 Earth is a current example of the UCC’s leadership, inspiring congregations to nurture the earth, hour by hour, tree by tree, and letter by letter. As always, our congregation has embraced this challenge. We’ve carpooled and walked, picked up trash, planted trees and gardens, reduced our water and electricity use, stopped using lawn pesticides, educated ourselves through books, talks, and documentaries, prayed and given thanks for our beautiful surroundings.
Congratulations to all who participated in the UCC Mission 4/1 Earth initiative. We blew away our goal of 1,000 hours by racking up over 1,500 earth care hours, planting 84 trees, and writing 15 advocacy letters. Jeff Wall’s stunning visual made a hit during the service as I pulled up the brown paper lining to reveal green earth surrounded by blue sea. Jeff’s 4 hours of creative effort added to our goal and reflects one of many talents in our congregation. Marshall Baxter’s 8 hours of technical support on the Green Team website has been invaluable. I’d also like to acknowledge Diane for her commitment to the green work of our church. She practices what she preaches: Diane and Lorraine added over 300 hours to our earth care total. I’m grateful for our church family.
Jeff’s wonderful world
While the Mission 4/1 Earth project officially ended on May 19th, I hope it will continue to inspire long-term changes to benefit the earth. As Diane asked in her sermon, what will we want our grandchildren and great grandchildren to say about our legacy two hundred years from now? Thank you for doing your part to care for our planet home, this precious gift from God.
The world turned green
