As summer drew to a close, the hearts of Americans were with the millions of people in Texas and Louisiana who were pummeled by Hurricane Harvey, an unprecedented deluge that in one part of Southeast Texas dropped more than 4 feet of water, setting a rainfall record for the continental U.S. Less than two weeks later, Hurricane Irma was tearing through the Caribbean and up through Florida, displacing millions, causing …
Suppose you deeply loved this planet and were also deeply concerned for its future. And suppose you wanted to hold an event to give voice to those feelings. What would you call it? Let’s say it was a large, outdoor, interfaith festival of music and prayer to celebrate the Earth. Let’s say you had everything planned — a date: Sunday, June 11. A time: 2 p.m. A place: a big …
Faith communities have vital roles to play in tackling the climate crisis. Download a pdf of Margaret’s new article by clicking: How can faith communities address the climate crisis?
A reflection written for Wednesday in Holy Week (March 23, 2016) for the Episcopal Diocese of Western Massachusetts I find it intriguing that John’s account of the Last Supper, unlike the versions told in other Gospels (; ), does not include the institution of the Eucharist. Instead, the Fourth Gospel tells the story of Jesus washing his disciples’ feet, a story we re-enact on Maundy Thursday. Then, right before …
The intricate, beautiful natural world into which you and I were born is undergoing massive and unprecedented assault. Climate disruption, species extinction, population growth, deforestation, environmental toxins – it seems overwhelming. How should Christians respond? What can we do? Where should we begin? How shall we bear witness to the risen Christ who proclaims that life, not death, will have the last word, and who gives us power to roll …
This guide will help you set up a Green Team at your church and will equip your congregation to become more effective in caring for God’s Creation. Green Teams expand environmental activities in our churches and help congregations to connect their faith with sustainable living. This guide offers a variety of specific activities from which you can select the ones that best match your church’s level of energy and engagement. …
When we think about climate change, we often focus on the outer landscape, such as how the rising level of greenhouse gases affects the planet’s oceans and continents, its animals, plants and human societies. Gazing at the landscape outside us, we know that the news is grim. The web of life is unraveling. As Bill McKibben succinctly puts it, “Our old familiar globe is suddenly melting, drying, acidifying, flooding, and …
As a title for these remarks, I’d like to take the school motto, “Truth without fear.” When I was a student at St. Tim’s, I probably heard many chapel talks about the meaning of those words, and about who chose the motto and why, but I don’t remember. It’s been 45 years since I graduated, and a good many things have faded from memory. Still, I think those three words …
Margaret was recently interviewed by Victoria Ix, Communications Director of the Diocese of Western Massachusetts. An excerpt of the interview is included in Abundant Times (May 2014), pp. 12-13, and can be read or downloaded here.
Rev. Margaret Bullitt-Jonas and Lucy Robinson of Grace Chuch, Amherst On September 28, a day after Thomas F. Stocker, co-chair of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, called climate change “the greatest challenge of our time,” more than 220 people gathered at a United Methodist Church in Springfield for the Second Annual Climate Action Now Conference. Welcomed by reggae music and rap, an unusually diverse group of people from different …
