April rains and breezes and muddies its way into our New England lives. We may not love the rain, but we know, deep in our bones, of the way it nurtures life, sustains life, connects all life. We know of the fertile fields it leaves in its wake. We know of the green glory which always follows the rain.
And of course, before and after rain, April’s sun shines on our backs as it did this past week, bringing precious, serene, and joyful moments. We proclaim to strangers: “Ahh, what wonderful weather, finally,” while in our hearts we long to say even more: “I am alive all over. I am thankful, thankful for this gift of life!”
Like ritual fire, April rain purifies with a green flame. April rain cleanses. April rain wipes our eyes clear of winter grime and grit. April rain wakes us up fresh and alert, releases us from winter’s blue tomb, releases us from old anxieties, leaves behind old selves, looks us forward to our lives in new shapes with new challenges. April rain invites us to let go, let go, let go; it is time to let of those old, painful ways, those old, unfounded fears, those tired winter bodies, those untenable childhood dreams, those unworkable situations that no longer serve us well. Let go and live again, a new self, a wiser self, a healed self, a true self. Let go of that which does not matter, and in the space you create as you let go, listen as April rain pours down on hard, dark pavement; listen to the rhythm of rain, the voice of the Creator, the sound of the Ancient Mother, who gave us birth in the wee hours of the first morning many ages ago. Listen to April rain, and know the most important things in life, the eternal things, the ancient things, the essential things. Listen to April rain, and blend your spirit with the vastness. Listen to April rain and know you belong to this earth. Listen to April rain and know your home is this earth. Listen to April rain and know how it is you relate to this earth, what it is you must do for this earth, what responsibility you must take for this earth. Listen to April rain and be at one with the Ancient Mother who gave us birth in the wee hours of the first morning many ages ago.
Amen and Blessed Be.
Unitarian Universalist Society: East
Manchester, CT
Earth Day, April 23rd, 2006
Josh:
A month ago I stood before you at the commencement of spring, speaking about ways in which theology is mis-used to support the destruction of the earth. That morning we heard witness from Michelle Green, Chamae Munroe, and Dave Sherman about some of the dire challenges confronting the earth at this moment in time. We heard their concerns and their fears. We were all challenged that morning not to shy away from environmental devastation—not to deny, not to ignore, not to hide—but to pay attention, to focus, to feel the earth’s pain and our own. “Ancient Mother I hear you calling.
Ancient Mother, I hear your song. Ancient Mother, I hear your laughter. Ancient Mother, I taste your tears.”
In the end, we can only bear witness for so long. We can only lament for so long. We can only stand by this suffering earth for so long. And then we must take action. We must re-orient our lives. We must choose the paths of sustainability, simplicity and environmental justice. We must learn to make the words, ‘renewable,’ ‘recyclable,’ and ‘reusable’ flow easily off our tongues. We must hold ourselves accountable to those generations who will come after us, those generations who will also call this earth home. Ancient Mother, I respond to your call. Ancient Mother, I sing with you a song of life. Ancient Mother I dedicate my life to your preservation. Ancient mother I act so that you may live well through the coming eons!
How does a Unitarian Universalist congregation do its part so that this earth, our ancient mother, may live well through the coming eons? Janet Heller and Ellen Castaldini, co-chairs of our Sustainable Living Committee will now answer this question.
Janet:
The seventh Unitarian Universalist principle is “respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part.” This principle is for me and for many UUs the most inspiring principle of our UU faith. It is the reason our Sustainable Living Committee chose to engage in the Green Sanctuary program and seek to make UUS:E an accredited “Green Sanctuary.” The Green Sanctuary program was created by the Unitarian Universalist Ministry for Earth (formerly known as the Seventh Principle Project). It is a way for UU congregations to live out their commitment to the earth and fulfill the promise of the Seventh Principle. The process of becoming an accredited green sanctuary has taken several years. A lot of work has gone into this process and many of you have been a part of that effort, some without even knowing it!
Ellen:
There have been five steps to the process. First, we had to form a committee to shepherd the work. We did that a few years ago by making what was then the “Sustainable Living Task Force” into a standing committee of the congregation with representation on the Program Council.
Second, we conducted an environmental audit which assessed virtually every aspect of congregational life as it relates to our environmental impact, how we create awareness of environmental issues, and how we work for environmental justice. It was a huge job. Our staff, committee chairs and other individuals were very helpful.
Third, in response to the audit, we created a year-long, 15 step action plan, which included actions in the areas of worship and celebration, environmental justice, religious education, and sustainable living.
Fourth, we completed and sent in our application for candidacy in the program, including our action plan. Our application went one year ago and UUS:E was accepted into the program. Since then we have been working hard to complete the action plan.
Our last step is to apply for Green Sanctuary accreditation. We have completed this application and are prepared to send it in today. (Hold up the application) But we need one more thing from you: a congregational vote affirming our wish to become an accredited Green Sanctuary. That vote will take place at our annual meeting on May 20th. If we are accepted, we will receive Green Sanctuary accreditation with a number of other congregations in June at a special service at the Unitarian Universalist General Assembly in St Louis. We will join 40 other UU congregations already accredited as Green Sanctuaries. Many others are in the process now. We have faith that our collective UU efforts, along with similar efforts in many other denominations, over a span of years, can have a major positive impact on environmental health world-wide.
Janet:
What progress have we made? Whether you are aware of it or not, each and every one of you has probably taken part in one or more of the actions in our plan. For example, have you come to at least one worship service in the past year that has had connection to the earth or environmental justice as a major focus? If you have, then you are part of our goal for worship and celebration, which is to have at least four services a year with earth-centered themes. Today we are celebrating Earth Day and you are part of it!
Ellen:
Our goal for religious education with our children and youth has been to plan, grow, care for, and harvest our organic vegetable garden. Perhaps you were among those who lugged in compost or rototilled the garden. Perhaps you took a turn watering and weeding. [hold up a hoe and watering can] Did you enjoy some of the veggies as they ripened over the summer? Did you taste our roasted vegetables during last fall’s religious education open house?
Janet:
Our Adult religious education goal has been to encourage learning about global warming and how it threatens our planet. Perhaps you attended our service last year on global warming or the series of workshops in the fall of 2004 held jointly with the Unitarian Society of Hartford or this winter at the Connecticut Audubon Society Center in Glastonbury.
Ellen:
Our major environmental justice goal has been to take actions to minimize the human causes of global warming. Many of these actions have sought to encourage sustainable living. Perhaps you purchased compact fluorescent light bulbs in the fall of 2004 when we had a fundraising sale at UUS:E as a project with the Interreligious Eco-Justice Network. Have you replaced your old fashioned incandescent bulbs compact fluorescents? [hold up CFL bulb] Our Building and Grounds committee has taken actions to reduce our energy footprint. You may have seen the battic doors over the entries to the attic which help to insulate the pull-down stairs. Tony Kayser and Dave Sherman installed those. Mike Simonds installed insulation above the fan vent to keep warm air from flowing out in winter? And the Policy Board recently approved the purchase of 100% clean renewable energy from CL&P. You may be among more than 50 households in our congregation who have also signed up for clean energy. If so, you are helping UUSE get a small credit for signing up.
Janet:
Our building Expansion ACE committee has begun the work of hiring a “green” architect and we are looking forward to a beautiful, earth friendly design with many energy conserving elements which we hope to be able to build in the not too distant future. [hold up architect’s drawing] Environmental Justice on global warming also involves working for legislation that will implement the 55 steps in the CT Climate Change Action Plan. You may have written a letter, sent an e-mail, or attended a hearing at the state capitol on one of these issues. While it has been next to impossible to get the federal government to do anything about global warming, much is being done and can be done at the state level, as well as in our towns.
Ellen:
One environmental justice project most of you have had a part in is Fair trade coffee, tea and chocolate. Thanks to Sharon Huber and Mike Simonds, we are providing the entire congregation with delicious, organic, shade grown products that help save rainforests and farming communities in Central America. [hold up some products].
Al Benford gives talks and promotes this Fair Trade program of Equal Exchange and the UU Service Committee all over New England and beyond.
Janet:
Remember that organic vegetable garden out back? This year we should be spreading our first load of home made compost on the beds. Where does that compost come from? We compost our daily coffee grounds and most other food scraps in the compost pail instead of sending them to the dump. [hold up compost pail] We empty the pail into the compost tumbler out by the dumpster. So far we have emptied several loads of partially composted material into back yard bins. They have been mixed with leaves and are finishing the process of turning into black gardeners’ gold – rich compost that will build healthy soil and help grow healthy vegetables – without pesticides or petrochemical fertilizers.
Ellen:
Recycling! For more than twelve years Joe and Phyllis Grdenick have faithfully taken our bottles and cans to be recycled. In addition they have collected the deposit money and put it in the offering plate. We have recently expanded what we recycle. We recycle all clean waste paper and light cardboard in the building. Annie, our office administrator, no longer throws out most of her used office paper. The Religious Education kids, teachers and staff recycle their paper. Corrugated cardboard placed on the back porch is also recycled. We have a team of people who have agreed to take one Sunday a month to get this recycling done. We need more people to work on the recycling teams – especially to help with bottles and cans. And that’s not all! Have you seen our new box in back of the lobby near the nametags for recycling empty ink cartridges and old cell phones? [hold up box] This not only prevents poisonous materials from ending up in the dumps and waterways; it is also a fundraiser for UUS:E.
Janet:
Recycling only works if people use recycled products. Annie is now buying 30% recycled paper for almost all our office needs. Sending our newsletter by e-mail, while it still has some kinks to be worked out, will also save a lot of paper – and trees - if people can read it over the computer.
Ellen:
We all know that a vast array of chemicals now pollutes our air, water and land, and that many people have become chemically sensitive to these items, especially those with synthetic fragrances. Therefore, we are working with the Accessibility and Buildings and Grounds committees to replace common cleaning and building maintenance products with safer, environmentally friendly, low or no-scent products. A list of approved products to use in the kitchen and bathrooms is being created. [hold up Seventh Generation dishwashing liquid and powder]
Janet
We are purchasing recycled napkins and are looking for recycled paper plates or washable plastic dishes that can be used for big events when our china is insufficient or can’t be used. The Religious Education committee has worked very hard to limit disposables and to use our china and wash the dishes for their breakfasts and food events. If you have washed dishes in the dishwasher rather than serve food with throw away plates or cups, then you have been part of our Green Sanctuary plan. Thanks to all the hospitality helpers for this!
Ellen:
Finally, there are two action steps that take us away from UUS:E. The first is an environmental justice project the Stars Tutoring program has been part of. The students, tutors and volunteers are planting vegetable seedlings in a greenhouse in Hartford and taking them out to the Foodshare Garden at the Auer Farm in Bloomfield. When the food is harvested it goes to the Foodshare warehouse and is distributed to needy people in Hartford and Manchester. Kim Rivest has been our most regular volunteer in the Foodshare Garden for two years.
Janet:
The second is our involvement with the Interreligious Eco-Justice Network which has taken us to other congregations in the Hartford area for the annual Sacred Trust Forums in October. For the last two years, Kenny Andersen, Ellen and I have given a workshop on the Green Sanctuary Program. We are deeply proud to share this work with other faith groups who see the earth as sacred and profess a deep commitment to caring for all of creation.
Ellen:
Reaching out beyond UUSE, working in coalition with other congregations and environmental groups, and becoming part of a movement for environmental justice is our committee’s vision for the future of our congregation. As an accredited Green Sanctuary, we will have the opportunity and the responsibility to share this commitment widely. We have faith that humanity can stem the tide of environmental destruction if we work together and hold fast to this hopeful vision of a healthy planet. As for UUS:E, we see in our future:
Janet: More carpooling
Ellen: A UUSE van or bus
Janet: a bus line running up West Vernon St.
Ellen: A small organic farm nearby that UUs are members and supporters of.
Janet: A beautiful new building which keeps us connected to our gardens and grounds and is heated with geo-thermal, solar or wind power, burning almost no fossil fuels for energy.
Ellen: All of our towns and citizens using clean energy so that more and more renewable energy is generated and fossil fuels aren’t needed any more.
Janet: Adult education series exploring our deep connections to the living planet and ways to simplify our lives, live in harmony with the earth and be happy with fewer material goods.
Ellen: More joyful celebrations of wholesome, sustainable living in relationship with the earth.
Janet: And much, much more.
Ellen: We would like to hear from you. We’ll be holding a brainstorming session after each service next Sunday. What ideas do you have for the greening of our sanctuary?
Janet:
Keeping our Green Sanctuary green is an ongoing process that will require work and commitment in all the years to come. Following today’s service we have some special events happening. Soon the kids and teachers from Religious Education will join us. They will be carrying trays of delicious homemade treats, including cookies with fair trade chocolate chips in them. To receive a cookie or treat you will need to give them a ticket. How will you get a ticket? Well, there are a number of ways. All will be available in the program room. For all who have come by walking, (ask for show of hands) by bike (ask for show of hands) or in a carpool of three or more people (ask for show of hands) – the first table is where you can pick up your ticket. For all the rest, you can enter the program room where various displays and sign-ups await your attention. There are many opportunities here for you to help out in one or more of our Green Sanctuary projects – from helping our children with the organic vegetable garden, to joining the recycling team of helpers, to writing a message to your legislator, and many others. You will find numerous ways to collect tickets for treats, and if you earn more tickets than cookies you can eat, write your name and number on the tickets and put them in the pot for a surprise drawing.
