Greening Our Worship

This is a piece I wrote for the June edition of the SA Uniting Church paper New Times, when the theme was on what churches are doing to combat Climate Change:

You’ve changed the light globes, added the option to receive the weekly newsletter on line rather than on recycled paper, cleaned the gutters, installed a rain water tank and switched to Fair Trade tea and coffee. You’ve written to the transport authority with a request for more frequent Sunday morning bus runs, installed bike racks and petitioned the Government to stop subsidizing our dependence on fossil fuels. Now you wonder, what is next?

Where I worship there never was any light globes to change nor gutters to clear. Here the only power is solar, and I don’t mean that which goes on the roof and fires up the data projector. The solar power we rely on for light and warmth is that which follows night and has, for a very long time, been a sure and certain thing. For two and a half years the Eco-faith community has been gathering under the trees in Botanic Park, rain, hail or shine. For obvious reasons, greening our worship has taken a different focus than reducing our carbon footprint through changing our property. We have used six common liturgical practices through which to focus our efforts at living more environmentally sustaining lives: awe, lament, embodiment, listening to our sacred story, communion and Sabbath.

Seated on lush green grass, under a turquoise blue dome and a canopy of leaves, accompanied by a choir of birds, awe towards the magnificence of creation and the amazing imagination of the Creator seems to rise as easily as breath. Meeting where we do each week we have become attuned to the Seasons and to the elements. We take notice. Awakened to wonder, awe spreads like wildflowers into our everyday lives. Worshipping the God of Life in the very tangible presence of creation increases our reverence for the whole of life. We feel in our bones that “where there is an absence of awe there is destruction.”(-Lao Tzu) is a true and accurate explanation for much of the harm that is done. Considering “the lilies of the fields and the birds of the air” becomes a lived, felt experience not an abstract axiom when in the very midst of the those lilies and those birds

Opening our hearts to wonder also opens them to grief and concern about the environment. We choose to notice the cost of not living in right relationship with God, self, neighbours (human and non-human) and the earth. We seek to be more informed (did you know that we would need 8 planet earths if the whole world were to live like the average Adelaidian?) We lament the way we live and acknowledge how hard it is for us to change.

We pay attention to using and moving our bodies in worship, especially when we pray, so as to be in touch with our own creatureliness.

In attending to our sacred text, we listen especially for the ways in which the subversive wisdom of Jesus might influence our own practices of living. Input from the worship leader is brief; a tantalising enticement to conversation, to which all are invited to have their say.

Our idea of communion is far broader than the Eucharistic meal. We delight in taking the radically inclusive nature of Christian communion to extend to more than just those who are present and more than just to the human race. The magpies who gather on the edge of our circle remind us that we are a part of life, not the centre of it. We like to acknowledge those who have gone before – creatures who once lived where we meet; the traditional custodians, the Kaurna; those who had the foresight to plant the trees whose majesty they would never see; people who have influenced us for better. In our four directions prayer we also like to pray for those who are far way and for the future, that life which is yet to come.

All Christian worship is a derivative of the Hebrew notion of the Sabbath. Within our worship we have instituted some particular Sabbath practices, like 10 minutes of time to walk, wander, or sit in quiet and stillness on our own. We also encourage each other to engage in other Sabbath practices at times when we are not meeting, like Buy Nothing Day or Earth Hour. Traditionally the Sabbath was a 24 hour period when the faithful were forbidden to engage in any activity which might be seen as an attempt to improve upon creation. Even God kept it (still keeps it?) For us it is a time to leave aside our cleverness – usually just for an hour or two. One person says that the fact that there is no PowerPoint to distract her is one of the very reasons she worships with us. It’s time out from our getting and spending, having and holding culture. A time to notice what God is doing and be thankful, to re-connect, to reflect and make decisions about how we want to live. A famous frog once said,”its not easy being green”. The way I see it, it’s soon going to be much harder to be anything other than green.

Today I am reflecting on whether the practices we use in worship on a Sunday morning carry through to the whole of life: are they practices for life as well as for worship?

Summer is on its way!

With the warm days we've been having in Adelaide recently I can really feel Summer in the air. And Summer is all about delicious salads. Here's a totally yummy recipe by the wonderful, but sadly departed, Linda McCartney from her book, "Linda's Kitchen".

Pasta and Bean Salad with Basil and Pecorino

250g pasta bows
1 red capsicum, roasted and peeled (see note)
1 yellow capsicum, roasted and peeled (see note)
175g green beans, lightly cooked (or snow peas, or asparagus)
125g canned red kidney beans
3 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
handful of fresh basil leaves
50g pecorino or parmesan cheese, shaved

Soy and lemon dressing:
juice of 1 lemon
3-4 tablespoons soy sauce
6 tablespoons sesame oil (I mix sesame and olive oil)
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
1 clove garlic, crushed
freshly ground black pepper

1. Cook pasta in boiling water until 'al dente'. Rinse under cold water and drain well.
2. Mix the capsicum, pasta, green beans, kidney beans and parsley in a salad bowl. Combine the dressing ingredients, add to salad, and toss gently until thoroughly mixed together.
3. Finally, fold in basil and cheese.

*Note: to roast capsicums, places large pieces, skin side up, under a hot grill until blackened. Place in a paper bag and when cool enough to be handled, peel the skin off (do not rinse under water).

Great picnic food, or for warm Summer nights out on the verandah :)

Water

This week (October 19 - 25) is National Water Week. A recently published book titled Water: the Essence of Life reveals that it takes 25 litres of water to grow a potato, 50 litres to grow an orange, 118 litres to make a glass of wine, 168 litres to make a pint of beer and 2400 litres to make a hamburger. Sobering statistics for the driest inhabited continent on Earth, with 70 per cent of its mass comprising desert or semi-desert. The vast majority of water on the Earth's surface (over 98 percent) is salty water in the oceans. It is the freshwater resources, such as the water in streams, rivers, lakes, and ground water that provide people (and all life) with most of the water we need to live. Concerningly the annual flow of the Murray River -- the source of 40 per cent of Adelaide's drinking water -- to the sea is about one-fifth of what it was in 1901.

To celebrate this precious resource and National Water Week there has been a SA Water Quiz Trail in the Botanic Gardens (see here) which Jane has been busy working at.

National Water Week is being sponsored by the Smart Water Mark - a voluntary, not-for-profit program that helps people to make an informed choice about saving water around your home, garden and pool. Products and services with the Smart Approved WaterMark label have been assessed by an independent technical expert panel. So look for their symbol (left) and check out their web site for lots of water saving tips

recycle? no precycle!

Its been around for ages. Our grandmothers did it. Some of us have done it for a long time. Even though we didnt know it’s name. Or that it was fashionable. “Precycling” is catching on as the latest fad, a timely manifestation of green marketing. What does this trendy new buzzword actually mean? It’s apparently another way of saying “conserve.” As in, re-using plastic water bottles rather than tossing them and buying another one. Re-using plastic and paper bags. Buying large quantities rather than single-serving packaging.
As Brandweek reports:

Precyclers remove themselves from junk mail lists, read paper-based media online
and even carry around “precycling kits” consisting of cloth napkins and silverware—anything to reduce waste and not contribute to the recycling bin.
“It’s not just about how you dispose of [products and packaging] anymore,” said Melissa Lavigne, director of marketing for The Intelligence Group [the people who came up with the word]. “It’s about being conscious about products you buy in the first place. That’s the idea behind precycling.”

Read the full post here
Then you can leave a comment to let us know some of your grooviest precycling practices?

But on the matter of recycling, I saw these very stylish pots (pictured above) when I was out today - can you guess what they are made from? Truck tyres. Look great dont they.

Saturday Poem

SONG FOR THE SALMON
poem by David Whyte

For too many days now I have not written of the sea,
nor the rivers, nor the shifting currents
we find between the islands.

For too many nights now I have not imagined the salmon
threading the dark streams of reflected stars,
nor have I dreamt of his longing,
nor the lithe swing of his tail toward dawn.

I have not given myself to the depth to which he goes,
to the cargoes of crystal water, cold with salt,
nor the enormous plains of ocean swaying beneath the moon.

I have not felt the lifted arms of the ocean
opening its white hand on the seashore,
nor the salted wind, whole and healthy,
filling the chest with living air.
I have not heard those waves,
fallen out of heaven onto earth,
nor the tumult of sound and the satisfaction
of a thousand miles of ocean,
giving up its strength on the sand.

***
But now I have spoken of that great sea,
the ocean of longing shifts through me,
the blessed inner star of navigation
moves in the dark sky above
and I am ready like the young salmon,
to leave his river, blessed with hunger,
for a great journey on the drawing tide.

DAVID WHYTE uses poetry in corporate settings to help others deal with change, and to encourage creativity in individual employees, and in organizations. Before this he worked as a naturalist guide in the Galapagos Islands, led natural history and anthropological expeditions in Chile, Bolivia, and Peru and travelled in India and Nepal. His poems speak to my heart. I enjoy his ability to pay exquisite attention to the natural world and then to make a bridge to the human soul, to an inner world of meaning, mystery, and wonder. I chose this poem this week because I am about to embark on a journey to the ocean - not via a river, though perhaps a road can be a little like a river. Inwardly though, I love the image of the salmon ready for bigger things. Today is also the eve of National Water week so it seems appropriate to have a watery poem.

It's Friday - recipe day!

Cooking for friends is something I enjoy so much. Eating with friends is even better! Tomorrow night I am cooking for my best friend Anu and our handsome companions and though I am not cooking the following recipe I should be, because it's classic, simple and delicious. Perfect for the gorgeous Spring weather we've been having in Adelaide lately.

Mushroom Risotto

6 cups vegetable stock
500g mixture of mushrooms (the more variety the better)
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 onion, chopped
1 large clove garlic, finely chopped
2 cups Arborio rice
1/2 cup dry white or red wine
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/2 cup grated parmesan
Freshly ground black pepper

Clean mushroom with a soft brush or paper towel and roughly chop. Melt 4 tablespoons of butter in a frying pan and saute mushrooms until tender, about 10 minutes. Set aside.

Place the stock in a saucepan and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to low and keep warm.

In a large frying pan or saucepan over medium heat, melt remaining butter and saute onion and garlic until softened, but not coloured. Add the rice and stir for 2 minutes, coating the grains. Stir in the wine until absorbed.

Add a half cup of stock, stirring well. When it is almost absorbed stir in another half cup and continue in this fashion for about 15 minutes until rice is half-cooked. Stir in half of the mushrooms and then continue adding stock, a half cup at a time, until it is all absorbed. Towards the end, check consistency of rice - it should be tender, but still slightly chewy; creamy, but not mushy (you may not need to use all the stock).

Stir in the remaining mushrooms, parsley, and parmesan, and season with pepper to taste. Serve piping hot, garnished with extra parmesan and parsley.

Yummmmm!

...now, where's the rest of that wine?

Life… and loss… can take us by surprise

Last week I looked after my friend Tania’s two guinea pigs, Cutie and Pinky (named by six year old Lily). Although Pinky was a little round in the middle the pet shop had assured the family that they were both girls so they figured she just loved to eat. Well, as you might be thinking, we awoke Friday morning to discover a rather thinner Pinky and an extra three little guinea pigs in the hutch! Tania got a very surprising phone call that day. The babies were so cute. How lovely it was to watch them snuggling together with their parents. But then we realised that one of the little ones was not looking too healthy. It was smaller than the others, with back legs that didn’t seem to be working well, and Pinky didn’t appear to be feeding it. In fact over the next few hours she came to actively reject it, putting it out of the ‘nest’ and stepping on its little body. When they came to pick up their pets, Lily named the little one ‘Love’ and cradled it in her hands on the way home. They did their best, but it died the next day, about 48 hours old.

Unexpected life followed by unexpected loss. The philosopher Seneca said, “Whatever can happen at any time can happen today”. The fact that we don’t know what is around the corner in life can be a source of both excitement and fear. We have a choice about how we view the unpredictability of life. Our fear can dictate how we live… if we allow it. The fear of the sorrow that often follows loss can be immobilising. It can stop us from fully participating in life, causing us to us to miss out on the many joys that may come when we are willing to take risks.

Lily had a sad afternoon on Sunday and her mother comforted her by explaining that because she is such a caring person she will experience sadness in life, but also lots of happiness. When we open our heart to one, we open it to the other. When Lily cried for ‘Love’ on Sunday she was crying for the same entity that had made her smile and enabled her to experience feelings of caring, protectiveness and hope on Saturday. The wonderful Kahlil Gibran wrote in The Prophet, “The deeper that sorrow carves into your being, the more joy you can contain… When you are sorrowful look again in your heart, and you shall see in truth you are weeping for that which has been your delight”.

Uniting Justice on Climate Change

Uniting Justice Australia is the justice unit of the National Assembly of the Uniting Church in Australia. They pursue social and ecological justice and peace through advocacy and education and seek to communicate the Church’s vision for a reconciled world. This week they have launched their new website and there are lots of things worth reading in the areas of environmental justice. On the front page you will see that the Uniting Church has continued its involvement in the climate change debate by making a submission to the Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme Green Paper Consultation Process. This submission and information about carbon emissions can be downloaded from a link on the page. Another page (here) details the Uniting Church's position in relation to caring for the environment, contains links to key documents and statements made by the national church. Elsewhere, there is an inspiring paper from the Director, Rev Elenie Poulos about the way the climate crisis and the best of christian community can help forge a model for a better, more just way to live. Here is a brief excerpt:

Climate change is teaching us that we need to start living differently and that we have to do this together. It would take seven planets to support human life if everyone lived like we do in Australia. There is no escaping the fact that we all share the same atmosphere and we can’t fix it alone. We must begin to live out the reality of interconnectedness.

The rest of the paper can be read here

River Sunday

The Peace of Wild Things

When despair for the world grows in me

and I wake in the night at the least sound

in fear of what my life and my children's lives may be,

I go and lie down where the wood drake

rests in his beauty on the water, and the great heron feeds.

I come into the peace of wild things

who do not tax their lives with forethought

of grief. I come into the presence of still water.

And I feel above me the day-blind stars

waiting with their light. For a time

I rest in the grace of the world, and am free.

— Wendell Berry

This morning, in the grace of the world, we sat near our little creek, which only has a trickle left in it and reflected on water, rivers, thirst, desire, flow, vitality and living waters. We, who are water creatures, carry rivers within us - our circulatory system, our brain ever making new tributaries, yet without other rivers to sustain us we can not survive, physically, emotionally or spiritually. To be alive the river must flow and so must we - giving and receiving, navigating obstacles to make our own path and attending to the life within as well as with out.

“Let anyone who wishes, take the water of life as a gift.” — Revelation 22:17

World Egg Day

The vegetarian recipe for today honours World Egg Day - just so long as they are free range eggs!

Individual fritattas with capsicum, sweet potato, mushrooms and fetta

1 T extra virgin olive oil

1 red capsicum, chopped

300g orange sweet potato, cut into 1cm cubes

1 clove garlic, crushed

150g mushrooms, sliced

70g (1/3 cup) semi-dried tomatoes, finely chopped

100g low fat fetta, crumbled

olive oil spray

7 eggs

125ml (1/2 cup) low fat milk or soy milk

salt and pepper

salad leaves, to serve

1. Heat the oil in a large, non-stick frying pan over medium high heat. Add the capsicum, sweet potato and garlic. Cook stirring often for 5 minutes. Add the mushrooms and cook for 3 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside to cool a little. Stir in the semi-dried tomatoes and fetta.

2. Preheat oven to 190 degrees Celsius. Spray a large 6 hole muffin pan with oil. Whisk together the eggs and milk, and season. Divide the vegetables among the muffin pan holes. Pour the egg mixture evenly over the vegetables.

3. bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the frittatas are set and lightly golden. Set aside in the pan for 10 minutes before turning out. Serve warm with dressed salad leaves

Other vegetables can be substituted for the ones listed eg. peas, corn, pumpkin, asparagus, roasted eggplant. They taste yummy cold and are perfect for a picnic lunch - just the thing for a spring weekend!

Mysteries of the Deep

"It's extraordinary to think that we've put someone on the moon and we're very familiar with lots of parts of the planet, we've got Google Earth and yet here we are, we've got parts of the planet that have never been sighted or explored before." - Peter Garrett, Federal Environment Minister

Underwater mountains up to 500 metres high and 25 km wide are among the treasures being discovered in the icy depths of the Southern Ocean. Professor Nic Bax, from CSIRO describes them as "rainforests of the deep". What is particulary amazing about this discovery is the hundreds of new marine species, all new to science - more than 270 species of fish, coral, molluscs, crustaceans and sponges so far. Also found was ancient coral up to 2000 years old and a species of ray never seen alive in Australian waters, and captured on film. These incredible finds were made in marine reserves 100 nautical miles south of Tasmania during two CSIRO voyages where new sonar technology mapped the volcanic mountains and canyons (larger than the Grand Canyon) up to 3,000 metres underwater. Only a tiny proportion of the world's oceans have been explored and scientists can only speculate about the biodiversity hidden under the water. Professsor Bax said, "we have no idea how many species there are , and most of the species we get we only catch once". CSIRO Scientist Kate Wilson has commented that more is known about the surface of Mars that about the depths of the world's oceans. Read more about the discovery here

It is so reassuring to know that we dont know everything yet: that there are whole new landscapes and strange new life forms to discover right here, on Earth. Forget Star Trek. Let's Sea Trek.

Climate Emergency - No More Business As Usual Conference

The Conference will have two parts:
PART 1: A Friday night public forum (Oct 10th) with major speakers:

• Climate change scientist Prof. Barry Brook of Adelaide University(see his blog at http://www.bravenewclimate.com/



• David Spratt, recent co-author of “Climate Code Red” (http://www.carbonequity.info/), and



• Robyn Francis - Permaculturist and recent observer/trainer in Cuba (http://permaculture.com.au/central

The Friday Oct 10th Public forum will be at the Basil Hetzel Auditorium at UniSA, Frome Road, City, 6pm to 8.15 pm. Organised by the Climate Emergency Action Network (CLEAN), with support from the AEU. Entry by donation.

PART 2: Saturday Oct 11th Sessions (admission free) held at:
Australian Education Union Building 163 Greenhill Road, Parkside. 9 am-5.30 pm.
Organised by the AEU, with support from CLEAN.

For registration go to http://www.aeusa.asn.au/formregistration/5335.html
For further information go to http://www.climateemergency.org.au/

Cosmos convinces PM Rudd

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd said the ordered nature of the cosmos convinces him of the existence of God. Mr Rudd, a regularly practicing Anglican, was asked on Fairfax Radio in Brisbane to give his single biggest argument in favour of the existence of God.

"As you know I'm a believer and I've never pretended not to be and I respect those who have no religious belief - it's a free country,'' Mr Rudd said.

"For me, it's ultimately the order of the cosmos or what I describe as the creation.

"You can't simply have, in my own judgment, creation simply being a random event because it is so inherently ordered, and the fact that the natural environment is being ordered where it can properly coexist over time.

"If you were simply reducing that to mathematically probabilities I've got to say it probably wouldn't have happened.
"So I think there is an intelligent mind at work.''

[Posted by John Mark Ministries http://jmm.aaa.net.au/articles/21628.htm

St Francis of Assisi Animal Day

Rosebud, a soul friend

Sunday was a perfect spring day - just blissful to be out of doors, surrounded by the magnificent trees, under clear blue sky. Jennifer led us in a reflection about animals and we had an engaged and thoughtful discussion. Craig pointed out that if someone from another planet was observing life on Earth they might conclude that humans were a pest - in the way that we might regard other destructive creatures. Others shared stories of their experiences of connection with their idiosyncratic non-human companions. I was reminded of Anatole France writing, "Until one has loved an animal, a part of one's soul remains unawakened". From the stories shared about animals we have known, it would seem that there is real truth in this notion. Our souls can be deeply nourished by a relationship with animals. However, as Little Terra reminds us in her comment on the last post - last week was National Vegetarian Week and so we cannot forget that animals are frequently not treated well. On a positive note, Jennifer had a great story from the paper of a six year old who, of her own volition, requested that friends invited to her birthday party make a donation to the Animal Welfare League instead of giving her a present, which we all thought was pretty impressive.

Last night the dog across the road barked for hours and hours. Her humans were away for the night. Her barking was stirring up other dogs in the neighbourhood. I couldn't sleep for the noise. No doubt, other neighbours were suffering the racket, too. Finally, at about 3am I could stand it no longer so I just got out of bed, walked across the road in my mis-matched pyjamas, hair a fright and stood in the front drive way and said in a loud, firm but I hope loving voice, "Molly! Go to sleep Molly". The dog was instantly quiet and there was not another peep out of her. I was surprised that she did respond by remaining quiet for the rest of the night. I think she just needed reassurance that she wasn't alone? Or maybe she was just shocked into being quiet. Anyway, wish I'd thought to do it earlier.

"Can we open our hearts to the animals? Can we greet them as our soul mates, beings like ourselves who possess dignity and depth? To do so, we must learn to revere and respect the creatures who, like us, are a part of God's beloved creation, and to cherish the amazing planet that sustains our mutual existence. We must join in a bio spirituality that will acknowledge and celebrate the sacred in all life." - Gary Kowalski

Saturday morning breakfast?

Fridays on this blog is Vegetarian Recipe Day and the recipe for today comes from my friend Jen who pretends to know nothing about cooking. I think that she might be a closet kitchen wizz.

Blueberry Pancakes
makes 4 small pancakes

2 eggs
1/2 cup of rolled oats
1 big huge spoonful of low fat cottage cheese
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
dash of cinnamon
1/2 cup of fresh or frozen blueberries

1. Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend on high for about 60 seconds
2. spray skillet with non-fat cooking spray. Heat pan over a medium heat
3. place 1/4 of the batter in the skillet. wait 1-2 minutes until bubles appear. Flip. Cook for another half a minute or so and then serve.

You can serve these with any of the usual pancake toppings. I like to put vanilla yogurt on mine. They even taste good spread with peanut butter. Any other berries can be substituted for blueberries.

Enjoy!

Plenty more fish in the sea?

I chanced to hear a conversation on the radio with the author of the book Seasick, Alanna Mitchell. I dont think I have ever understood before the significance of the sea to life on earth. We hear alot about Climate Change but little about Ocean Change, yet it seems to me from listening to this interview that Climate Change is a subset of Ocean Change. Every second breath we take, half of the oxygen we breathe, is produced by phytoplankton in the sea; the true lungs of the planet. About one third of the carbon dioxide that enters the atmosphere ends up in the ocean and now the huge increase in carbon emissions is making the sea more acidic. According to Mitchell, what is happening in the ocean is a largely unheeded hidden ecological crisis. Oceans cover 71 percent of the Earth's surface and contain ninety percent of the mass of life on this planet. Tim Flannery says that the ocean has the switch of life. In each of the previous 5 major mass extinctions the ocean became acidic and this phenomenon drives the extinction.

Phytoplankton cycle carbon and oxygen throught the atmosphere. When they die their shells store carbon at the bottom of the ocean, out of harms way, for thousands of years. Calcium is needed by these one celled creatures to build their shells. When the ph changes to become more acidic the plankton dont have the same access to calcium.
Oceans are also the major player in climate control; the ocean's currents, winds and water cycle activity regulate climate.

The publisher's summary says that Seasick is the first book to take the scattered pieces of this scientific puzzle and bring them into a cohesive story. It will change the way people understand the global ocean and its importance to all life on earth. Seasick, written by Alanna Mitchell, is published by Murdoch Books (2008)

The radio interview was on Radio National's The National Interest and can be heard or downloaded here http://www.abc.net.au/rn/nationalinterest/stories/2008/2375035.htm