New Values, New Communities (Chris Searles)

New Values, New Perspectives, New Designs, New Communities

Our theme this month is Hope for Change. This blog is a brief compendium of interesting things in religious / regenerative community thinking.

Community garden design, fruit tree miniforest with herb circle and fruit vines.

Some resources for thinking about the future --

New Values, New Designs

Make Justice And Food A Priority, EcoTheoReview
Called To Exercise Loving Care and Cultivation, Englewood Review
Farming As A Spiritual Discipline, Pathos
From Landscape Architecture To Conservation Agriculture, TED
Religion and Sustainable Agriculture, Project Muse
Towards a Contemplative Ecology, Garrison Institute
Saving Our Children from Nature Deficit Disorder, Richard Louv
Toward a Feminist Care Ethic for Climate Change, Journal of Feminist Studies in Religion
Equipping Christians to Discuss Animal Issues, CreatureKind
The Wealth Test, Jewish Eco Seminars
Cultivating Reality, How The Soil Might Save Us, Scribd

New Perspectives, New Communities

EarthWalk Alliance: "We support Earth, and Earth Stewards like you. We seek to nurture inner human ecology, and in so doing nurture Earth ecology. We do so by giving individuals and groups of Earth caring people support for their ideas and actions in the world. Reverence for the Earth is one of humanity’s most sacred gifts. Our aspiration is to serve Earth-loving people and their organizations. We are an organization of allied earth-steward organizations sharing resources and funding opportunities."
Englewood Christian Church: "Ours is a world in which transportation is becoming extremely costly (as was highlighted by the massive costs of the BP Oil Spill) and yet at the same time is a world that is becoming increasingly urban. Common sense would seem to indicate that these trends will impact in a major way our food systems and the way we eat. Given these factors, what is the church’s redemptive role in caring for the health and wholeness (shalom) of not just humanity, but all creation? Englewood Christian Church has invited several speakers with rich experiences in sustainable agriculture to lead a conversation reflecting on this question and related ones about church, place, food, community and agriculture."
Faith in Place: "Since 1999, Faith in Place has worked with over 1,000 houses of worship throughout Illinois to protect our common land, water, and air. With outreach staff working across the state and offices located in Chicago, the North & West Suburbs, Lake County, and Central Illinois, Faith in Place inspires faithful people to care for the Earth through our four program areas: Energy & Climate Change, Sustainable Food & Land Use, Water Preservation, and Advocacy."
Resurection Matters: How to build resilience in local communities and evangelize the millennial generation. Resurrection Matters is a fruitful study and action guide for any church institution that owns property and in which groups gather together to grow as disciples of Jesus Christ. It helps groups connect their faith and the assets that they steward for God's mission, recognizing these assets as gifts for ministry with their wider community. It encourages theological reflection and practical action for renewal for the church, greater biodiversity for the planet, and relief for the poor.
Embodying Care: Writings on Mercy and Care of Creation. Contains: Feed the Hungry / Nadia Stefko; Clothe the Naked / Brent Laytham; Give Drink to the Thirsty / Jeffrey Reed; Visit the Prisoner / Kyle Childress; Care for the Sick / Joel Shuman; Bury the Dead / Ragan Sutterfield; and more.

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I believe we are headed towards creating a more relational civilization, one in which we value ourselves and eachother more, whether in public, at home, or at work, and that our religious and spiritual lives will become more engaged with the other living things on Earth. I think we will share and learn from eachother and other creatures more and more as we grow into admiration of the goodness and good potential each of us carries from birth. Hope the links above connect you to some of the resources for building that future. (Chris Searles, editor)

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