I have a new environmental pet peeve. My disappointment has caught me off-guard, seeing as how two weeks ago I hadn’t even thought of it. It wasn’t on my radar. But here it is now, in full force: Easter grass. Plastic Easter grass.

My daughter has received a couple of small Easter baskets from friends and family. The baskets are charming and pretty, and my first reaction was “ooh how cute!” And of course my daughter was delighted, and when she’s delighted, it tends to rub off on me.

Then she starting digging through the plastic grass to find the chocolate eggs contained within – a perfectly reasonable thing to do. And being a small child, strands of it scattered on the carpet. Before long it had followed her around the house. My first bit of annoyance crept in. The housekeeping variety. But it’s a holiday, and she was so pleased…

It took another half beat before I considered that though attractive in its basket, the Easter grass is really strands of plastic. And then I thought, What an unfortunate, disappointing waste. Think of the resources and expense to manufacture it, the amount of it that must get thrown away each year, and the fact that it will probably never decay. It is entirely unnecessary in life. And really, how much plastic Easter grass can one household keep and reuse from year to year? I have a bag full from last year. I don’t need more. Can it go in the recyling bin?

I admit this train of thought has taken a little of the shine off my enjoyment of Easter baskets. But there seems to be a simple solution: the home or business shredder. An easy opportunity for me to do better in caring for the Earth. Instead of giving Easter baskets with plastic grass, I’ll be filling any I give with tiny bits of my bank statements – something I already have and that’s headed for the garbage. What a great way to reuse some shredded paper!

Now it’s just a matter of getting the Easter Bunny to take a closer look at his suppliers…

Hello, all.
I’m writing an ELCA News blog about World Water Day, March 22. Does anyone know of a congregation or two that’s planning to acknowledge the day? … a congregational/youth group activity designed to bring attention to people in our world who lack clean, safe drinking water, etc? Is the activity taking place before, during or after worship? … perhaps the topic of a sermon? Please let me know as soon as possible. Thanks!
Melissa Ramirez Cooper
Associate Director, ELCA News Service



Hi, Melissa!
The new edition of ELCA World Hunger “Congregation Connections” and the new World Hunger “Reproducible Stories,” both at the printer as I type, feature water and justice themes. If any of you would like me to e-mail a story or bulletin-ready piece, just contact me.
This is also a good occasion to remind you to sign up to be a World Hunger contact at www.elca.org/hunger/contact and receive the Summer 2008 World Hunger Resource Packet which includes Congregation Connections, Water & Justice reproducible stories, and much more!
Blessings on your head! Sue

Hi, Melissa!
I imagine that a number of ELCA congregations will be conducting baptisms on March 22, since it is the Vigil of Easter this year. The Easter Vigil service is focused on baptism and the believer’s baptismal journey with Christ in his death and resurrection, following the tradition of the early church in baptizing converts at the Easter Vigil after catechesis during the season of Lent. The story of the Israelites crossing the Red Sea is read. When the Easter Vigil service is observed with gusto, a lot of water gets thrown about, and a thanksgiving prayer full of water references is prayed.
So, plenty of water connection in the worship on March 22 this year.
Marcus Kunz +

The headlines about rising food prices around the globe are sobering. The World Bank reports that wheat prices are up 200% since 2000 and overall food prices are up 75%. The increases are causing difficulty as people spend an ever-larger portion of their income on food. As usual, the poorest are hit the hardest. Meager incomes never went far, and when the cost of bread doubles, they can buy even less. In some places, people are protesting in the streets, as demonstrated by recent riots in Indonesia and Burkina Faso.

There are several converging reasons behind the increase of world food prices, including greater global demand, adverse weather affecting crop production, and the diversion of grain from food to biofuel. I recently ran across a nice explanation of these factors and their consequences. Check out the BBC Food Series. There are four video clips covering food supply stories in different parts of the world, and the top right of the page has links to several other related articles. (The link to the Chicago video clip is misdirected but you can get to it here.) If you’re wanting an quick education or need to explain the situation to others, this is a great place to start!

Looking for something you can do to help the planet and make a statement about resource consumption? Turn off all of your lights on March 29 from 8:00 to 9:00 p.m. It’s Earth Hour!

Earth Hour started in 2007 in Sydney, Australia, where residents and businesses (including the iconic Opera House) turned off their lights for one hour. According to the Earth Hour web site, the result was the equivalent of taking 48,000 cars off the road for a year!

This year the effort is going global. There are thousands of people from all over the world who have signed up to turn off their lights. Won’t you join me?

Several conversations in the past few days have left me thinking about this word: accompaniment. I use that word a lot, because it is the term we use to describe the model through which the ELCA partners with our neighbors around the world who are engaged in efforts to fight hunger and end extreme poverty. To me, it means acknowledging that no one knows better about the root causes of poverty than the person experiencing it him- or herself. It means letting go of a “take it or leave it” attitude, and embracing an attitude of service in a very real way. It means that I’m not “the decider” when it comes to how my gifts for God’s work will be used, but that those whose lives will be changed through the work ought to be leading and shaping it. It means that those gifts were not really mine to begin with…but they rightfully belong to God. Isn’t there a saying along those lines? Letting go and letting God…

P.S. The next time you have 38 minutes free, check out the Rev. Rafael Malpica Padilla’s comments on accompaniment – there’s a video available here (you need to have RealPlayer installed)…it’s kinda long, but good info.

The following statistics caught my attention this weekend:

• The World Health Organization says a person needs 50 liters of water each day to meet basic human needs.
• The average person in the U.S. uses 300 to 378 liters per day.

If I had a little pie chart of my own use, I’m guessing the shower would account for the biggest slice. I do love a steamy shower in the winter! The kitchen sink and the toilet are probably next, except on laundry days. I wonder how many other uses would be in that chart. And I wonder just how much bigger the shower slice would be. I wonder how egregiously clean I am.

I’m working on the Pentecost 2008 edition of Congregation Connections, the 12-page biannual resource that links ELCA World Hunger, worship and congregational life. A two-page spread in this edition looks at ways to help congregations, families, and individuals make plans in the summer in order to enjoy a simpler and more meaningful Advent and Christmas. This will morph into a summer article for Seeds for the Parish.

A big part of that planning centers on Christmas giving viz-a-viz Christmas presents. Please share your alternative-giving ideas, suggestions, and experience with me by commenting here or e-mailing hunger@elca.org

Here are snippets from the Congregation Connections for a start. The sentences in bold signal where I’m especially looking for comments. Rest assured that ELCA Good Gifts (World Hunger and beyond) and LWR Fair Trade Projects are lifted up as key alternative-giving strategies.
God bless us, everyone! Sue

UNWRAP YOUR PRESENT THINKING
Help participants initiate conversations about Christmas giving and share their plans with family and friends.

• Think about Christmas-present giving. What do participants feel is “expected” of them? What was their all-time favorite gift? What gifting strategies have they employed in their family (e.g., drawing names)?
• Brainstorm alternatives to store-bought presents. Strategize antidotes to “too much.”
• Make a pact to give up mall and mega-mart shopping during Advent.
• Encourage participants to let family and friends know what they are giving this Christmas (e.g., prayer, gift-donations, gifts of time or food). It is also respectful to share ideas about what you’d like to receive. “Don’t give me anything,” for example, is not as helpful as “Please don’t give me a thing…I’d much rather receive a gift-donation, the gift of your time, or a hand-written letter.” Consider sending an ELCA Good Gifts catalog to folks who want to remember you at Christmas.

“I WANT SOMETHING TO WRAP*” GIFT IDEAS (Please share your alternative gift ideas…whether they can be wrapped or not.)
Light a candle and say a prayer for your gift recipient(s), then wrap up the candle and a copy of the prayer.
For ELCA Good Gifts, wrap up a representative stuffed animal for the youngest member of the family to receive your gift donation to God’s Global Barnyard. Likewise, wrap small-and-useful representations of other gift donations (e.g., a dust pan for a gift donation to ELCA Disaster Response).
Box and wrap a card or hand-written letter to announce your gift donation.
Wrap up consumables, something that can be readily eaten or used (e.g., Fair Trade chocolate and coffee, homemade treats, postage stamps).
Give pre-owned or no-buy gifts: share a gift from your home (e.g., dish, photo, ornament); personalize free calendars with important dates; wrap up garage-sale finds.

Thanks! Sue-s

Passing on this important information from our friends at Lutheran Volunteer Corps. Sue

Lutheran Volunteer Corps Now Seeking Applications for 2008-2009!

Application deadlines for the 2008-2009 program year are right around the corner! Applications are received on a rolling basis with the following deadlines: March 14 and May 1. Download an application today from www.LutheranVolunteerCorps.org/Volunteers.htm. Please contact Kelly Shinn, Recruitment Coordinator, at 202-387-3222 or Recruitment@LutheranVolunteerCorps.org with questions or for more information.

Lutheran Volunteer Corps is a full-time program that offers people a one-year opportunity for spiritual and personal exploration while working for social justice, living in intentional community and simplifying their lifestyles.
Volunteers are matched with non-profit organizations in Baltimore, MD; Wilmington, DE; Washington, DC; Chicago, IL; Milwaukee, WI; Minneapolis and St. Paul, MN; Seattle and Tacoma, WA; and the SF Bay Area, CA.
Volunteers receive health insurance, time off for retreats and vacation, and a stipend to cover basic living and personal expenses. Most positions also qualify for student loan deferment and a $4,725 AmeriCorps Education Grant.
Members of Lutheran Volunteer Corps unite their time and talents with the time and talents of society’s marginalized people. LVC volunteers work in such areas as AIDS/HIV, addiction and recovery, anti-racism, children and youth, community development, education, employment, the environment, food and hunger, GLBT rights, health care, housing and homelessness, immigration and refugees, international solidarity, legal assistance, and peace.
Most positions are entry level, requiring little or no previous experience except flexibility, a passion for social justice, and a sense of humor!
Finally, LVC is on a Journey to an Inclusive Community, forming and strengthening alliances among people of many cultures and communities, and intentionally dismantling racism within LVC, the church, and society. As a Reconciling in Christ organization, LVC welcomes and encourages the participation of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered people in all aspects of LVC. LVC volunteers come from a wide variety of faith backgrounds, and do not need to be Lutheran to serve. Married and committed partners are welcome to apply. While there is no upper age limit, volunteers should be at least 21 to participate.