Sowing Seeds of Hope
METAPHOR: Like seeds that grow into majestic trees by recapturing tonnes of carbon dioxide, our personal stories of caring for Creation, if planted in the minds and hearts of others can spread to the whole community, eventually becoming forests of inspiration for the future.
SEED-SOWING SUNDAY: On February 10th, the first Sunday in Lent, we will ask you to write a few words on a flower-shaped Post-It about something you did to care for Creation recently. We will stick them onto a board so we can share joy and praise for our collective actions. Giving something up for Lent? How about reducing your carbon?
An appropriate Lenten Hymn is 179. "Tree of Life..." Verse 2 begins "Seed that dies to rise in glory..." The last verse for the first Sunday of Lent begins "From the dawning of creation"
The hymn will be printed in a readable format on Seed Sowing Sunday Leaflet Insert (Side 1). On the reverse side of the Leaflet Insert (Side 2) will be a list of carbon-cutting steps, plus an illustration of what to write on the Post-It flower. The C4C Committee concluded it is best to distribute the Post-Its already attached to the Leaflet Insert so the gum retains it stickiness. A couple of C4C members have volunteered to help with handing out the Leaflets.
We will process with the insert, the Post-It and our collection offerings in our hands. We can repeat the hymn as long as the procession takes. We will position the collection stations immediately before the poster boards so people can use two hands to remove the Post-It from the Leaflet Insert and place it on the board.
Leading up to that Sunday, individuals will speak briefly before each service about an act of caring they did recently and what has grown from that seed so far.Care-for-Creation Tips for the Leaflet in the Weeks Leading to Seed-Sowing Sunday
Jan 13th
Care-for-Creation Tip for Lent: Eat Spiritually. By eating vegetables instead of animal products, you lower your risk of heart attack, stroke and cancer. Plus if you eat meat every day and switch to a vegetarian diet you cut your footprint by about 1 tonne of carbon dioxide per year (20% of the average Victorian’s footprint). Meat and dairy production causes 18% of global warming. Jan 20th Care-for-Creation Tip for Lent: Go Forth Spiritually. By walking and busing, or biking one day per week instead of driving, you save money and lower your risk of heart attack, stroke and cancer. Plus you cut your footprint by about half a tonne of carbon dioxide per year (10% of the average Victorian’s footprint). Transportation causes 52% of global warming in the CRD.
Jan 27th Care-for-Creation Tip for Lent: Shelter Spiritually. By turning your thermostat down another 5oC at night and when no one is home, you can save about $350 per year. Plus you cut your footprint by about a quarter tonne of carbon dioxide (5% of the average Victorian’s footprint). Heating buildings causes 42% of global warming in the CRD.
Feb 3rd Care-for-Creation Tip for Lent: Communicate Spiritually. ‘Be there in spirit’ by the Internet. Free video-phone calls are now easy: ask your computer-friends about ‘Skype.’ If you avoid a round-trip flight to Toronto, you can cut your footprint by 1 tonne of carbon dioxide per year[PL1] . Air travel causes about 20% of greenhouse gas impact on world climate.
Feb 10th Care-for-Creation Tip for Lent: Wash Clothes Spiritually. By washing clothes in cold water, you can save about $200 and cut your footprint by a sixth of a tonne of CO2. By hanging your clothes and not using a dryer, you can save $850 and cut your footprint by half a tonne of CO2 (10% of the average Victorian’s footprint).
Feb 17th Care for Creation Tip for Lent: Approach your organizations spiritually. Can you ask your department head where you work to use video conferencing instead of travel a few times this year? Or your grocery store to carry more local produce? Or your municipality to set up soft plastics recyling? Or your volunteer organization to encourage carpooling? If we carry our intentions into our organizations we can see the ripples in the pond beginning to spread.
Feb 24th Care-for-Creation Tip for Lent: Speak Out Spiritually. By writing to your leaders and newspapers, you can spread your hopes. For example, we can hope to save Athabaska Tar Sands for the future when its value will be much higher and when it can be mined by carbon-neutral technology. Ploughing up the Tar Sands now is doubling Canada’s yearly damage to the globe. It is why Canada has moved into first place – the worst carbon-emission per capita in the world.
[PL1]the 4.5 number is from the CRD and does not include flying. Suzuki Foundation says air travel is 4%-9% but when impacts of contrails and night flying are added the IPCC says between two and three times that impact on the world.
