The Peace and Justice Committee supports actions by The House of Hope Presbyterian Church and by church members to educate ourselves about climate change, and the specific strategies we as individuals, and as a congregation, can use to care for God’s creation.
God created the earth, and it is sacred. As Psalm 24:1 proclaims, “The earth is the Lord’s and all that is in it.” Therefore, we are called to stewardship of the earth. When we work to protect creation, we are answering God’s call to till and keep the garden (Genesis 2:15).
God’s work in creation is too wonderful, too ancient, too beautiful, too good to be desecrated. . . Restoring creation is God’s own work in our time, in which God comes both to judge and to restore.” [PC(USA) Environmental Policy]
Our faith urges us to strive for eco-justice: defending and healing creation while working to assure justice for all of creation and the human beings who live in it. This call is rooted in the human vocation of “tilling and keeping” the garden from Genesis 2:15, as well as Christ’s charge to work with and for the most vulnerable.
Energy choices, more than ever, are moral choices. As our planet grows warmer, our Christian witness must become bolder. As individuals, families, congregations, and church administrative bodies, we must become the change we want to see in our nation. We must put our own houses in order even as we call on our nation to accept its moral responsibility with regard to energy policy and climate change. Together we must radically reduce our carbon footprint. [The Power to Change: U.S. Energy Policy and Global Warming, Presbyterian Church (USA), 2008]
If you would like to become involved with the Peace and Justice Committee to work on environmental stewardship issues, please contact Deb James at (651) 431-1796, or dsjames96@gmail.com. We greatly appreciate your interest and involvement.
