What is the church’s role and responsibility for caring for Earth? What does Christian faith offer for a challenge such as climate change? Is there a place for grief and lament in Christian worship over the climate crisis?
Those are some of the questions that will be raised at Consider the Lilies, a weekend conference organized by Christian conservation organization A Rocha Manitoba.
A Rocha’s mission is to live out God’s calling to care for creation and equipping others to do likewise.
The three-day event at Westwood Community Church begins Friday morning and will address issues such as biodiversity loss, climate change and poverty and inequality.
“If we believe that God cares about the Earth, then what are we as Christians to do?” Zoe Matties, program director for A Rocha Manitoba, said.
Through the event, participants will be able to meet with others across the denominational spectrum and learn how churches and individuals in Manitoba and beyond are tackling challenging climate and conservation challenges.
It’s also a way for Christians involved in conservation or climate change activism to learn they are not alone.
“It can be lonely and isolating,” Matties said, adding the conference is “a way to be inspired and encouraged, get resources and find new ideas to take back to their own congregations.”
At the same time, participants will be able to express their sadness about the state of the planet today.
“Many people today are feeling grief and anxiety over climate change and biodiversity loss,” Matties said, noting there is “a strong biblical tradition of lament, a way to work through grief, process it in a healthy way then move to action.”
Scott Gerbrandt, who directs A Rocha Manitoba, also said it’s important to have a serious view of the situation, but said that’s not where it ends.
“We also need to have a clear eye on actions, not just sticking our heads in the sand,” he said, adding people can become more hopeful by getting involved in conservation and climate issues.
Topics to be addressed at the conference include: Lament and Liturgy: Shaping Worship to Hold our Grief; Becoming Good Neighbours: Earthkeeping Churches Where All God’s Creatures Flourish; Building Hope at Home: How to choose and implement impactful actions; Reflections on Christianity and Animals; and Who Owns the Earth?
Participants will also be able to visit local farms, a boreal ecology centre, birdwatch and plant trees.
Cost to attend the event is on a sliding scale from $25 to $100 to make it accessible to everyone regardless of level of income. For more information, or to register, go to http://wfp.to/yhU.
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John Longhurst
Faith reporter
John Longhurst has been writing for Winnipeg’s faith pages since 2003. He also writes for Religion News Service in the U.S., and blogs about the media, marketing and communications at Making the News.
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