Stillness in the Bleak Midwinter

During Advent, our pastor adds a little tweak to the order of worship. At the end of the service, we are asked to sit back in our pews and just be still, while music is played on the piano. So, during that time of the postlude when we typically gather coats, pocketbooks, and bulletins to throw away, we put off our list of things to accomplish, probably less than one or two minutes for silence and contemplation (at least, that's the idea). I don't know how the rest of the congregation feels about this practice, but it could be my favorite part of church over the course of the entire year. It draws me right into thinking about Advent, Christ, and this season.

In a time in the year where the daylight and climate make it easier for us to be still and contemplate our faith, we have managed to come up with lists of things we "have" to do during this time of year. It stresses us all out, people complain about it regularly, and yet we are still chained to it. I'm not saying that the Christmas season is just all-out misery, but it has been drawn out and stretched into a big set of obligations that I don't think the Christians who introduced the idea intended.

In fact, the timing of Christmas isn't so tied into the actual historical date of Christ's birth, anyway. It's timed with the winter solstice. Winter Solstice has been celebrated by all types of cultures for a long, long time, but we Christians saw a great deal of symbolism that could be had from this time of year. The Winter Solstice is the shortest day of the year, daylight-wise. This time of year seems to be dimly lit, because it's dark outside an hour before you get off work. So, the day after the Winter Solstice is a great moral victory for us, because it's the day that the light begins to return. You see where early Christians saw a metaphor there?

You're probably thinking by now, "why is Troy giving us a Christmas history lesson? Isn't this supposed to be a Creation Care blog? When are we going to get the guilt trip about using less wrapping paper or taking an energy efficient vehicle to visit Grandma?" Well, my creation care angle in this post is one about being better connected to the Earth. During the Christmas season, so many of us are just connected to the inside of buildings and cars. This Christmas we will be inside decorated rooms at parties, stores trying desperately to sell us stuff, watching hear-warming television specials, and crammed inside our cars driving hours to get to Christmas celebrations. The idea of light in our lives, in a literal sense, will be lost, because most of our will be coming from bulbs.

It's hard to stop, this time of year. We have a checklist of things that we must do, so that no one gets left out or offended. We want to take part in those traditions we have cherished since our childhood--and, I'm not saying there's anything wrong with that. But, for at least a moment or two each day, sit down, go outside even. Look at how the world is changing. Feel it in the air. See the lights at the end of a cold, winter day. Imagine that first Christmas, and how it must have felt to bring Christ into the world in a stable with animals and straw as your company. Hear the sacred songs of the season in your mind. And know, just as the earliest Christians realized through this brilliant metaphor for the season, that light will soon return. Light enough to light up this entire world where there was darkness. And, if you can manage to be still long enough, out in this world, the world that God made, I bet you will feel even more.

December Tips

We all think of "green" for the holidays. We want to hang the greens, but we also worry about spending so much "green." Unfortunately, so much about the holidays involves waste - so we challenge you to be as green as possible in all your celebrations. Here are some specific tips on limited waste from www.blessedearth.org

• Skip paper cards. If everyone sent just one less card per year, we could save 50,000 cubic yards of paper.

• Reduce the trimmings. If every family reused just 2 feet of holiday ribbon, the 38,000 miles of ribbon saved could tie a bow around the entire planet!

• Wrap in reusable material such as cloth bags or reusable gift bags. If every household in America wrapped just 3 presents in reused materials, it would save enough paper to cover 45,000 football fields.

• If you must use wrapping paper - buy the kind made from recycled paper and make sure you recycle it when finished. So often we rip it off and throw it away and it takes up room in a landfill.

• Switch to LED holiday lights. They cost about $8 more per strand than standard bulbs, but use up to 100 times less energy and will last about ten years when used indoors.
  

August: Reusable Tips

Reusing as much as possible is crucial to eliminating waste. Here are some tips to help you live a reusable life.

~ Get a good reusable water bottle to take with you as much as possible. Avoid plastic water bottles at all costs - even if they get recycled, they require energy for manufacturing and disposal.

~ Reuse any water that you don't drink to water plants. Don't dump it down the drain.

~ Reuse paper that is only printed on one side. Print on the other side or use it as scrap paper to make notes or grocery lists. Then, when you have used it fully, recycle it.

~ Use rechargeable batteries whenever possible. Ask in your community about battery recycling programs.

~ When you eat, use washable dishes, utensils, cups, and napkins. They eliminate waste and make for a nicer dining experience.

Creature Care Practices

This month our focus is on caring for something living be it a plant, pet, or person - as we are all creatures together. And in caring for one creature, we care for many creatures as God made us all a part of creation. Here are five simple practices to connect with creation as we care for fellow creatures.

~ Put out a bird feeder, birdbath, or birdhouse.

~ Plant something in your yard or get a houseplant.

~ If you are considering a pet, adopt one from a shelter or rescue agency. If you don't need a pet currently, volunteer to help at a local shelter.

~ Take a dish made of fresh fruits or vegetables to a friend or neighbor. Encourage them to do the same if possible and share a gift of healthy food.

~ Once a week for the next month, walk or bike somewhere instead of driving. If you must drive or ride in a car, share the trip with someone else.

Water Practice 3: Connect water with your senses

Take time to connect to water with your senses.

We all know how much a part of our life and faith water is if we really take time to think about it. The trouble is that we rarely spend time thinking about it. Most of us take water for granted more in a day than we really appreciate water in a year.

During a time in your day when you are using water—bathing, washing hands, washing dishes, washing your face, when you’re out in the rain—pay attention to the feel of water on your body. As you do that, consider a verse from scripture that refers to water, for instance:

- In the beginning when God created the heavens and the earth, the earth was a formless void and darkness covered the face of the deep, while a wind from God swept over the face of the waters. (Genesis 1:1-2)

-As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul longs for you, my God. (Psalm 42)

-The woman said to Jesus, "Sir, give me this water, so that I may never be thirsty or have to keep coming here to draw water." (John 4:15)

-For truly I tell you, whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because you bear the name of Christ will by no means lose the reward. (Mark 9:41)

Water Practice 2: Use only what you need

It is so easy to leave a faucet running. When we are rinsing dishes or getting ready for a shower, we let it go and lose track of time. It is time consuming to keep turning the faucet on and off, and there is plenty of water, so why does it matter?

I refer back to times when I have had a finite amount of water, and I had to really take seriously how much I used. I realized I didn’t need as much water for cleaning as I thought. I thought of all the times I left a faucet running, while I did other things, and it seemed so wasteful and arrogant to let it go that way just because I could.

I think of the people all over the world who must walk miles to get all the water they will use in a given day and carry it back on their heads. I think of how they would look at me running my water for no good reason.

Then, if we feel this way, how must God look at us wasting these gifts? Is water any less important to me than it is to the one who must walk miles to get it? Not really. If this were true to me every day, how would I act about that? Would I let it run down the drain while I walked off to get more plates, or would I ration out only what I needed like I did when I was in the woods with limited water?

What actions would best tell God, “I am so thankful for this life-giving water. I realize how important this blessing you give me is.” This is a way of giving thanks—to treat these gifts with the importance they deserve.

Water Practice 1: Collect Water for Use

We let so much water that could be used around the house wash away.

Take some time to consider all the water that is lost down the drain or into the ground in your house. For instance, water runs down the drain when you are waiting for the hot water heater to kick in. You could let that water run into a bowl, pitcher, or watering can to use later. This can be used to water plants or rinse dishes waiting to be washed. You can also set up a rain barrel or bucket to catch some of the water that falls from the sky. You, of course, would not drink this water, but you can use it to flush your toilets. This cuts down on the amount pumped from your well or city water. This could save you money, but that’s not all.

I’ve found that these practices slow me down and focus me on these simple tasks. When I do that, it clears my mind and helps me appreciate simple things. This calls me to prayer. These acts certainly take more time, but I feel a closeness to God while I do them, and I am more thankful for this basic necessity of life.

So, collect some of this water, and when you do that extra work it will inevitably create, make it into a prayer of thanks.