ELCA participating in NY Climate Events in September

Mary Minette, Director of Environmental Advocacy & Christine Mangale, Assistant to the Director Lutheran Office for World Community in New York

UN Climate Summit

Lutheran Office for World Community (LOWC) will host a delegation of Lutheran World Federation Youth that will come to attend the United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s Climate Summit in September 23, 2014, New York. The delegation will also attend an Interfaith Summit that is being organized by the World Council of Churches and Religions for Peace September 21-22, 2014. The main goal is to mobilize action and ambition on climate change and garner support for climate change agreement by 2015. Lutheran World Federation Youth will host a one-hour fasting vigil parallel to the Ban Ki-moon Summit September 23, 2014 at 1-2pm EST. Please join in reflection and prayer wherever you are. Join thewww.fastfortheclimate.org.

In addition to this, the UN will also hold the World Conference on Indigenous Peoples on 22-23 September 2014.

The ELCA Washington Office is also working with the ACT Alliance to help plan a day of side events on climate change issues on September 24th, and LOWC and ELCA Washington staff will attend the Religions for the Earth conference at Union Theological Seminary the weekend before the summit along with other global interfaith leaders.

People’s Climate March in New York

Plans are underway for what is expected to be the largest march in history on climate change in New York City on the weekend preceding the UN Climate Summit. The ELCA Washington Office is working with the Metro New York Synod to support Lutherans attending the march. If you have plans to go, please let our office know and we will keep you informed of meeting places on the day of the march and other events. Fill out our google form for Lutheran march participants!

ELCA participating in NY Climate Events in September

Mary Minette, Director of Environmental Advocacy & Christine Mangale, Assistant to the Director Lutheran Office for World Community in New York

UN Climate Summit

In addition to this, the UN will also hold the World Conference on Indigenous Peoples on 22-23 September 2014.

People’s Climate March in New York

Climate Justice for all God’s Creation: How you can speak out now!

Mary Minette, Director of Environmental Advocacy

Last week, Lutheran leaders across the US testified before the EPA to publicly proclaim that Climate Change is a moral dilemma, and to announce their support for the proposed Clean Power Plan. “For us as Lutheran Christians, addressing environmental concerns is part of what it means to live as responsible caretakers of the earth,” said Rev. Robert Moss in Denver, Colorado. “… I believe that support for the Clean Power Plan Proposed Rule to regulate and reduce carbon emissions is part of our responsibility.” Excerpts of some of their testimonies can be found on our Advocacy Blog!

We write today to ask you to join these fellow Lutherans in taking action! Here are three steps you can take to help address climate change caused in part by pollution from our nation’s power plants:

Submit a comment to the EPA through our Action Center, telling them why you support addressing Climate Change and protecting God’s Creation by reducing carbon emissions at our nation’s power plants.
Sign the Faith Climate Petition urging US Leaders to become more engaged in negotiations for a new global climate change agreement.
Join the People’s Climate March on Sept. 21, 2014 in New York City as world leaders meet to discuss a framework for international action on climate change. Be sure to check out group transportation options, and RSVP on our Google Form as well. If you can’t make it to New York, find or help plan an event that weekend in your own community!

As people of faith, we are equipped to name and to confront this moral crisis. As the impacts of Climate Change are becoming more severe on our most vulnerable neighbors, the time for action is now! Share how you are addressing climate change in your congregation or community, and be sure to pass along any stories you may have to our office (Washington.Office@elca.org)!

Lutheran participation in the 20th International AIDS Conference

Ulysses III

Ulysses III from ELCA Young Adult Cohort AIDS 2014 reflects on their recent group trip to the 20th International AIDS Conference in Melbourne, Australia! You can check out the full blog article on their website.

“As with most things in life, the 20th International AIDS Conference (IAC) and its associated events, were full of “highs,” but neither void of the “lows,” nor the “really lows” for that matter. Here I’ll recap the good, the bad, and the ugly of the 2014 Ecumenical Advocacy Alliance (EAA) Interfaith Preconference and International AIDS Conference based solely on my opinion as a three time participant of both events.

The Good

The Interfaith Preconference brought together the world’s foremost faith leaders in HIV and AIDS to address what most faith groups are reluctant to discuss: faith, stigma, sex, and HIV…To conclude the Interfaith Preconference, the EAA highlighted the voices of young adults for the first time in my history of attending, which is a move in the right direction for faith communities and the HIV and AIDS discussion in general.

Clinton!

Bill Clinton speaking at the 20th International AIDS Conference

With headliners in the field of HIV medical research abound, the latest advances in the fight to end AIDS were brought to the stage; information presented publicly for the first time in some cases. Government dignitaries were present, most notably Bill Clinton who has been a regular at IAC and a faithful partner in the AIDS epidemic vis-à-vis The Clinton Foundation… By my assessment, there was far less science and far more social justice focus during AIDS 2014, which I see as a benefit to the majority of stakeholders in the AIDS epidemic: people living with HIV, and advocates – mostly people who are not medical science professionals… As a faith representative I was equally pleased to see 8 faith related workshops during the main conference, the most since my participation in 2010 and 2012, and if I had to guess, probably the most ever.

The Bad

Although the world’s foremost faith leaders in HIV response were present at the Interfaith Preconference, they were the same leaders who’ve been out front since my introduction to the faith and HIV arena. If this was your first experience at such a forum you left encouraged and excited about what you were hearing from the faith community, but if you’ve been doing the work for a while, you realize there have been few new voices added to the conversation over the years….This is no fault of the EAA or those who continue to be present, but a testament to how far we’ve come by faith, and how much farther we still have journey to fully integrate our churches, synagogues, temples, and mosques in the conversation on HIV, faith, sex, and stigma…The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) has consistently been well represented during the preconference by its young adult delegation, often supplying the full complement of registrants under the age of 30… this is not an issue for the EAA to solve, rather a deeper issue of the faith community’s need to engage youth and young adults more intentionally.

The Ugly

…By far, the lowest moment of the IAC happened before the conference even began in the skies over the Ukraine/Russia conflict zone when flight MH17 was downed by a missile fired as a result of what’s believed to be mistaken identity. We quickly learned that many of the passengers on the plane were delegates headed to Melbourne for the IAC, including world renowned HIV expert and former IAS president, Joep Lange. Needless to say this sad and unfortunate event completely changed the tone of a conference that otherwise gathers every two years to celebrate life. The impact was felt right away during the opening ceremony that usually has the feel of an international party, but felt more like a memorial service as moments of silence, tributes, and solemn song were abundant. Many of the persons lost were not only colleagues of those present, but close friends of a lot of the keynote speakers… IAS did its best to honor the lives of those lost in a way they would be proud of; by carrying on with AIDS 2014 in spite of the tragedy, because the best way to honor them, is to continue the work they began.
Conference

Participants join in an interfaith worship service

El Fin

The 20th International AIDS Conference and its associated events were not short of ups and downs, but life was present all around us, even in the wake of death; people LIVING with HIV, not dying. HIV and AIDS is no longer a death sentence, and even as many died trying to advance the work being done in the field, millions more will live as result of their sacrifice. AIDS 2014 was much more than a medical science conference; it was a gathering to celebrate humanity; a time to not just focus on HIV treatment, but people treatment; an opportunity to not just share the statistics, but to share the stories. AIDS 2014 was about “Stepping up in Faith” and “Stepping up the Pace,” leaving no one behind in the fight against AIDS. I look forward to continuing the good fight at AIDS 2016 in Durban, South Africa.”

EPA Clean Power Plan Hearings: Days 2-3

Mary Minette, Director of Environmental Advocacy

Yesterday, Lutherans continued their testimonies at the Environmental Protection Agency. Our speakers were notably engaging, energized and forthright in their discussion on how climate change is an important matter in their community. Their testimonies gave an excellent impression, demonstrating how Lutherans are active and concerned about protecting God’s creation. Here are some excerpts of their testimonies:

7/30 Washington D.C. Hearing

Mary Minette, Director of Environmental Policy

…We know that climate change has many other public health impacts, and that those impacts fall hardest on those who are most vulnerable, including children and the elderly, and particularly hard on vulnerable people who live in poverty. And we are already seeing the impact that a changing climate can have on food production and food security, with the drought in California as only the most recent example.

…The arguments of economic impact and job loss also ignore the costs of doing nothing, of allowing global temperatures to continue their upward trend and earth’s climate to become less and less predictable. Losses in productivity, increases in food prices, dwindling supplies of water, will all have steep costs and huge economic impacts, together with the continued cost of responding to ever more frequent weather disasters.

We are faced with an important choice—we can act now, and help to protect future generations and God’s creation from the worst impacts of climate change, or we can fail to act and let our children and the earth suffer the consequences. This rule is a critical step in the right direction.”

epa3

Mary Minette testifies before the EPA pannel

7/31 Pittsburg, PA Hearing

The Rev. Paul Lubold

I share their concern about the impacts of global climate change, especially as it takes its largest toll on “the health of young children and their families, disproportionately affecting the poorest among us,”

The Bishops [Elizabeth Eaton] wrote: “Multi-year droughts, sea level rise, extreme weather events and increased flooding dramatically affect communities internationally, from the… north slope of Alaska to Midwestern farming families to our brothers and sisters in the Philippines… We recognize with concern that climate change particularly harms low-income communities.”

I also want to speak personally in support of the Clean Air plan… As a Christian, I believe that God created the earth, sky and seas. And that as creation was happening God declared that it was “good.”

God then entrusted humans with “caretaking” responsibilities… But unfortunately, we’ve not been all that ‘responsible.’ Rather than use natural resources, like fossil fuels, in a sustainable way, we have often squandered them for selfish, profit-driven reasons… If we who were entrusted to be “care-takers” of creation have an opportunity to make changes that would insure an environment that is ‘more healthy’ for our children and grandchildren, then we have a moral imperative to do just that.

Lutheran Advocactes show support in Pittsburg

8/1 Pittsburg, PA Hearing

The Rev. Dr. Leah D. Schade, PhD

“…Yes, the new EPA rules will force Pennsylvania to reduce its air pollution and burn less coal. But how we adjust to less coal will make all the difference. If we build more renewable energy infrastructure and increase energy efficiency, our airwill be cleaner and greenhouse gases will be reduced. But if we replace coal with fracked gas, we will only be making our air and atmosphere worse. These rules, as written, only codify the transition from coal to gas that is already underway. As well, the rule gives implicit consent to burn more trash, tires, coal sludge, and other forms of toxic waste for electricity. So while I believe the proposal is a good first step, it is not only inadequate, it will have the unintended consequence of replacing one source of dirty fuel with many others.

I am committed to helping people of faith learn how to do their part to care for God’s Creation and support eco-justice issues. I call for the EPA to not only stand its ground with this rule, but to actually strengthen and expand it in order to put in place the strongest protections possible to defend public health, the fragile atmosphere of our planet, and the communities that will bear the costs and suffering from our addiction to fossil fuels and greenhouse gases.”

Rev. Schade speaks on the Clean Power Plan

Pittsburg, PA Hearing

Cricket Eccleston Hunter, Executive Director, PA IPL

“Climate change magnifies ills that faith communities have long responded to: food insecurity, water insecurity, disease, conflict, and many natural disasters, and we are stepping up again. We know that the EPA’s charge is to protect the health and welfare of Americans. We also know that the health and welfare of other beings and other peoples is at risk. We act for them as well.

…Coal representatives will tell you that acting responsibly on carbon pollution will steal jobs from communities on the economic edge. They won’t say that those jobs have never driven executive decision-making. They won’t mention that those jobs are already in a decades-long decline, or that the decline is about bottom lines, not about federal policy nor even booming gas. Combined coal output from West Virginia and Kentucky has held nearly steady since 1983, but mining jobs have dropped by half. We do need to help generate new paths for employees and communities that currently depend on fossil fuels. Holding tight to the diminishing fuels of the 18^th and 19^th centuries instead of reaching forward to the power of the 21^st is not the way to do it.

Like our faith communities, the United States is explicitly founded on values. As such, we have a unique opportunity to lead according to those values. When we don’t, as we have not on climate change, our silence is deafening. When these proposed standards were announced in June, the world took note. China immediately began hinting at an absolute cap on its own carbon emissions, and has since created 8 pilot carbon trading markets. Christians talk about acting as a “city on a hill” — when we act as we should, using the gifts we’ve been given, the example shines, and draws others in.”

You can add your voice to the conversation too! Send your comments to the EPA through our Action Center, and tell them that you support the new Carbon Rule on Existing Power Plants to protect our children’s future!

EPA Clean Power Plan Hearings: Day 1

Mary Minette, Director of Environmental Advocacy

This week, several ELCA Lutherans have testified before the Environmental Protection Agency about the proposed rule to cut carbon emissions from power plants. Together, they affirmed why they believe protecting the earth and fighting climate change is a spiritual and moral issue. From concerned pastors to professors and engaged congregants across the U.S., their testimonies demonstrate why we all should be concerned about climate change.

Rev. Robert Moss, ELCA Lutheran

7/29 Denver, CO Hearing

“For us as Lutheran Christians, addressing environmental concerns is part of what it means to live as responsible caretakers of the earth. We are pleased to join the conversation from an economic, scientific, political, and spiritual perspective, as these are all aspects of joining God in God’s mission of caring for and renewing the earth. I believe that support for the Clean Power Plan Proposed Rule to regulate and reduce carbon emissions is part of our responsibility.

In addition to so many other reasons why this matters, I want to remind you that climate change is already affecting global agriculture, and therefore food supplies and prices. Through no fault of their own, impoverished people, who are the most vulnerable because they rely solely on growing and selling a small crop for daily life, are losing their ability to do so. Alleviating hunger and global poverty are major concerns for me as a person of faith. Carbon emissions directly and adversely affect the hungry and poor we are so deeply concerned about. Continued climate change makes hunger and poverty issues an even larger challenge to deal with.”

Rev. Moss testifies before the EPA pannel

Dr. James W. C. White, University of Colorado-Boulder

7/29 Denver, CO Hearing

“…at its core, climate change is a moral issue, and it is to this that I wish to speak. The first moral issue is how we treat our children. We live on a water planet, and again simple physics tells us that it will take decades for the ocean to warm and fully express the climate that goes with our current, high levels of greenhouse gases. This creates an intergenerational inequity. What we do, our children will have to deal with, and what they do, their children will have to deal with, and so forth. We all say that we love our kids. But how do we truly show it? Until one generation can set aside the lure of short-term gains for the long-term profit of our children, the cycle will never be broken. We need to express our love for our children in the very tangible way that this regulation provides. A second moral issue to consider is the disproportional impact that climate change has on the poor, both internationally and here in the US. Poorer nations and poorer people have less capability to adapt to issues such as sea level rise, access to clean water, and access to secure food supplies, as well as dealing with obvious problems such as heat waves and droughts. How do we, the rich, square this with our ethical obligation to those in need? Christ was clear: “…whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.”

The proposed regulations will not fully address the problems that create the moral struggles we now face. But they are a start, a start that is achievable and promises to break the current stranglehold that keeps us from facing our obligations, both to our fellow humans, and to our God. And let us briefly ponder the moral costs. By taking action we show our love for children and grandchildren, we care for those in need, and we care for God’s creation that He has lovingly provided for us. Not bad outcomes for doing the right thing. So let’s do it.”

Rev. Edward Wolff, ELCA Lutheran (TN)

7/29 Atlanta, GA Hearing

“What is happening to the earth, and therefore to us, cannot be explained in a brief period of time. Suffice it to say, briefly:

Last April, the average CO2 concentrations in the earth’s atmosphere exceeded 400 parts per million on a sustained basis for the first time in 800,000 years.
Thirteen of the fourteen hottest years ever measured with instruments have occurred in this century.
A trigger of the civil war in Syria has been identified as the drought from 2006 to 2010, where sixty percent of the farms and eighty percent of the livestock were destroyed.
A Pentagon advisory committee has described the climate crisis as a “catalyst for conflict” that may cause governmental and societal collapse.

Honestly and personally, I’m scared, but the fear is not about me. I will not be here to see the results of a scarred earth if we continue down the same path. I am concerned for my grandchildren, all seven, and the great grandchildren that will come after. I am also concerned for this great nation. Catastrophic events, caused by climate change, can weaken and/or destroy any democracy, for all democracies are fragile, at best.”

EPA2

Veterans: Breaking the Gridlock

Rev. Stacy Martin, Director of Advocacy

Isaiah 41:18
I will open rivers on the bare heights,
and fountains in the midst of the valleys;
I will make the wilderness a pool of water,
and the dry land springs of water.

I believe it’s safe to say that hope does not abound in Washington, DC. Partisan gridlock has produced a desert of sorts, for Members of Congress and advocates alike, in which no change can be accomplished and no hope resides. But, as the book of Isaiah reminds us, God’s promises extend far beyond our inability to imagine springs of water bursting forth in the desert.

At a time when many of us considered Congressional compromise a veritable relic, this week a spring of water burst forth from the desert of vitriol and gridlock that has, regrettably, come to define Congress.

On Monday afternoon, Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and Representative Jeff Miller (R-FL), the chairpersons of their chambers’ respective veterans’ committees, announced a $17 billion compromise bill to address many of the problems that appear to affect the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).

This bill, a compromise between opposing philosophies about the role of government as well as government spending, would allow veterans, who either live far away from VA facilities or who are unable to secure an appointment with the VA within a certain number of days, to access medical services beyond the VA system. The bill attempts to further address the VA’s issues by:

Including funding for additional doctors and facilities
Extending a treatment program for veterans with traumatic brain injuries.
Extending the GI Bill, which would help veterans more easily access and afford college tuition.

The bill appears to be a good first step in ensuring that veterans receive the kind of care that individuals who sacrifice so much should receive. And for that, Sen. Sanders and Rep. Miller should be commended.

However, that the bill was introduced – even after much wrangling – as a bi-partisan compromise is worth more than mere commendation; it is worth celebrating. Rep. Miller commented Tuesday that he expects the House to support it with “a wide bipartisan vote,” and the Senate is expected to quickly sign off on the House’s vote if scheduled quickly enough.

In the desert of impasse and contempt that for too long has defined this town, there is hope that this beacon of cooperation and compromise can extend beyond the VA. Senator Sanders and Representative Miller have given us a long-awaited sip of the waters of cooperation and compromise we have so long thirsted for. They have given us reason to hope. We may still be in the desert, but springs of water are beginning to burst forth.

Living Earth Reflections: Called to Action

Mary Minette, Director of Environmental Advocacy

July 2014

”We are called to act with justice,

We are called to love tenderly,

We are called to serve one another,

To walk humbly with God.”

David Haas, “We Are Called”, Evangelical Lutheran Worship, p. 720

As Christians, we think and talk about what we may be “called” to do out of faith for our families, ourselves, our neighbors and our communities. You may be called to work against poverty and hunger, and out of that call you might work in a food pantry or send a letter to your member of Congress about cuts to federal nutrition programs. You likely signed up for these emails in part because you feel a call to care for God’s creation.

If you are concerned about the future of God’s creation, and in particular about the threat of climate change to our planet and to future generations, and if you feel called to act out of that concern, this summer offers a number of opportunities to act and to advocate.

Here are just a few:

Send your comments on the EPA’s proposed carbon rule today! The EPA’s proposed rule will limit emissions of carbon dioxide and other pollutants from power plants, improving public health in our communities and protecting future generations and God’s earth from the threat of climate change. If you’d like to comment, our action center has tools to help you. If you’d like more information about the rule, here’s a link to fact sheets that may help.

Write a letter to the editor of your local paper in support of the EPA’s proposed rule (or if you’re feeling really ambitious, write an op ed for the opinion page). For help in writing a letter to the editor, click here and for fact sheets on the proposed rule click here. If your letter gets published, let us know! Send a note to washingtonoffice@elca.org and include a link to your letter if you can.

Sign a global climate change petition. This September, world leaders will gather in New York City for a Climate Summit in preparation for a year of international negotiations on a new global climate change treaty. Sign an interfaith petition on climate change asking our leaders to take strong action to combat climate change before it’s too late. Add your voice to a growing chorus of people of faith who are holding our leaders accountable on this critical issue.

Join the People’s Climate March Sept. 21, 2014 in New York City. Join thousands of other concerned citizens marching to ask world leaders to act on climate change. If you can’t make it to New York, find (or plan) an event that weekend in your own community (here are some tools to help you plan a prayer vigil or other event in solidarity).

Want to learn more about ELCA’s commitment to advocating for public policy that supports the care for creation?

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Living Earth Reflections: Do We Really Need to Choose?

Mary Minette, Director of Environmental Advocacy

June 2014

“Neither economic growth that ignores environmental cost nor conservation of nature that ignores human cost is sustainable. Both will result in injustice and, eventually environmental degradation. We know that a healthy economy can exist only within a healthy environment, but that it is difficult to promote both in our decisions.”

Caring for Creation: Vision, Hope and Justice (1993)

In early June, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency proposed a rule that will require states to work with power companies to reduce the emissions of carbon dioxide from power plants. Power plants are a major source of carbon pollution, which scientists say is causing the earth’s climate to change, posing a danger to the future of God’s people and to all of God’s creation.

ELCA Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton joined with Presiding Bishop Katherine Jefferts-Schiori of the Episcopal Church in issuing a statement praising the new rule, noting that it will help to protect many of our neighbors and ensure a safe and healthy world for future generations. The ELCA Advocacy office is also working to engage our network over the course of this summer to speak out in support of these rules by sending comments to the EPA, speaking at a hearing, sending a letter to the editor of a local paper, or teaching others about the importance of this rule.

But we’re getting some questions about the potential impact of this rule on the economy and on jobs. Some groups, including the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, argue that this rule will eliminate jobs in the power sector and in fossil fuel industries, particularly coal mining. They say that electricity prices will increase dramatically, harming low income people and businesses.

Their argument is not a new one: frequently when new environmental rules are announced business and industry representatives claim that the harm to the economy will be enormous and that the cost is not worth the impact. The power industry made that claim in the 1990s, when the EPA moved to regulate power plant emissions to reduce acid rain. They made that claim two years ago when the EPA finalized a rule to reduce mercury emissions. These arguments are based in a belief that we need to choose between a healthy future for our children and economic growth.

But this is not only a tired argument, it also poses a false choice. For example, between 1970 and 2011, emissions of common air pollutants dropped 68 percent, primarily due to the federal Clean Air Act. At the same time, U.S. gross domestic product grew 212 percent and total private sector jobs increased by 88 percent. Because of the Clean Air Act, our air is cleaner, our economy has grown, jobs have been created in new and innovative industries, and dire predictions about the high cost and economic impact of environmental regulation have proven to be false time and time again. In fact, according to a report from the Economic Policy Institute, historically the cost of complying with environmental regulations is nearly always less than estimated at the time the regulation is proposed.

Under this proposed rule, states will have flexibility in meeting the emissions standards for carbon dioxide—they will have the option of investing in renewable energy sources, promoting energy efficiency measures, and switching from coal to less polluting fossil fuels (such as natural gas) to generate electricity. They will be able to work regionally to reduce emissions, which will help states with a heavy reliance on coal to reduce their emissions over time. And many states are already taking these steps to reduce their emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases, such as California and many of the northeastern states. Many of the states that are already reducing their emissions have actually seen their economies grow since taking those steps, even in the midst of a global recession.

Arguments that energy costs for low income Americans will increase dramatically are equally questionable—one way that power companies will be able to comply with the carbon rules is by increasing the energy efficiency of homes and businesses. This means that they will need to provide incentives for landlords to make rental properties, including those in low income neighborhoods, use less electricity. Businesses, including manufacturers, will also have incentive to reduce energy use, which will keep costs to consumers from rising significantly as well. Under the rules it’s certainly possible that electricity could cost somewhat more, but we will be using less, and our air will be cleaner.

Assertions that these regulations will be too costly today also ignore the future economic costs of climate change. A recent, bipartisan report outlines the significant future economic risks associated with climate change and extreme weather. Sea level rise, changes in temperature and rainfall, and increases in hurricanes and other extreme events will wreak havoc on the economies of coastal states and farm states alike; increased heat across the U.S. will reduce worker productivity and require significant investments in increased energy production. Failure to act now is a recipe for billions in economic impacts in the future.

Finally, the E.P.A. estimates that the carbon rule will have significant public health benefits, worth an estimated $55 billion to $93 billion per year in 2030. This includes avoiding 2,700 to 6,600 premature deaths and 140,000 to 150,000 asthma attacks in children. These climate and health benefits far outweigh the estimated annual costs of the plan, which are $7.3 billion to $8.8 billion in 2030.

Climate change poses a threat to our most vulnerable neighbors, as well as to the future of God’s children and all of Creation. Unless emissions of carbon dioxide are reduced dramatically and soon, the threat of climate change will only grow worse; power plants account for nearly 40 percent of U.S. carbon dioxide emissions, and the U.S. is the second largest emitter of carbon dioxide in the world. Unless our country acts, along with other major emitters, the rest of the world will suffer the consequences, and so will our children. This rule is a key way to show leadership on a critical problem and deserves our strong support.

Tell the EPA what you think! Register your comments in our Action Center!

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My 7- and 9-Year-Old Gurus

Rev. Stacy Martin, Director of Advocacy

June 23, 2014

“Mom, are you mad at me?” my 7-year old asked, a little cautiously. The way I’d been communicating – terse sentences in a not-so-warm tone – her question was a legitimate one. And she was a brave little soul to even ask the question.

Except I wasn’t angry. And certainly not with her.

Stacy

In answering, I apologized for making her feel that way and told her that I wasn’t angry, just annoyed. “At me?” she asked with worry. “No, no, love bug.” “At what, then?” she asked in an exasperated tone that reminded me a bit too much of myself.

This second question gave me more pause than the first. For the life of me, I couldn’t put my finger on the source of my general state of annoyance. And, well, that just annoyed me all the more.

Why was I so annoyed? After all, it was the weekend. The weather was perfect and the forecast promised pleasant weather for the remainder of the weekend. I’d gotten most of the tasks I’d set out to do accomplished.

And then it occurred to me. I’d gotten my list accomplished at an expense. Both of my girls had asked me at some point over the weekend to play with them. There had been a time when I took playing with them for granted, but as they have gotten older, I’d thought I knew better than to squander those precious opportunities, as they get fewer and fewer.

I was annoyed that I had chosen to use my time in the opposite manner I had hoped I would.

When my daughter pressed me, I realized I had yet to heed the advice of the wise grandparents in our lives — who constantly remind us to slow down – to take those opportunities as they come. Even if it means a few more dust bunnies in the corners of the living room and a few more chores left undone on Sunday evening.

It occurred to me that I let the momentum of the too-busy work week get the best of the days set aside to rest, rejuvenate, reconnect. I try to make up for lost time, just not with the most important people in my life. It’s cliché, I know. But I suppose it’s cliché for a reason.

So, I went from feeling annoyed to feeling guilty. And guilt does very little in the way of making one more amicable.

I happen to be a member of a Lutheran church and it was at this point in our weekend that I reminded myself how grateful I am for my faith heritage and life. Lutherans have a thing or two to say about guilt. Mainly that guilt makes for bad company, so get over yourself and move on so that you can love and serve. Lutherans also have something to say about the fullness of the human experience. In short, Lutherans say you’re more than your profession and certainly more than a perfectly-kept house, so, again, get over yourself so that you can love and serve.

At my most frail and selfish moments, I find that my children lead me with the kind of perceptive and valuable questions I’d expect from a guru. I just hope I don’t let the frenzy of the work week and all those bothersome dust bunnies keep me from hearing and learning from them over and over again.

This blog was originally posted by the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism.

ELCA Advocacy

ELCA participating in NY Climate Events in September

ELCA participating in NY Climate Events in September

Climate Justice for all God’s Creation: How you can speak out now!

Lutheran participation in the 20th International AIDS Conference

EPA Clean Power Plan Hearings: Days 2-3

EPA Clean Power Plan Hearings: Day 1

Veterans: Breaking the Gridlock

Living Earth Reflections: Called to Action

July 2014

Living Earth Reflections: Do We Really Need to Choose?

June 2014​

My 7- and 9-Year-Old Gurus

June 23, 2014

June 2014