Connections are important: with friends, with family, with coworkers, within the church. Our connection is perhaps the most quintessentially United Methodist characteristic. We do not have to look far to see what happens when connections are not maintained – it typically does not end well. Connections are important in creation, too.
Creation is a complex system with many interdependencies and connections. We are dependent on farmers to provide food; farmers are dependent on topsoil, water, sunlight and weather to grow that food; the weather, water and sunlight are dependent on climate; and the climate is dependent how much greenhouse gas we each introduce into the atmosphere. There is resiliency built into the system, but if connections are not well maintained, the system can fail with catastrophic consequences that could take generations to mend, just as what we witnessed with disaffiliation. God placed us in creation and charged us with caring for it. We are the only part of creation that has the power and ability to do that. Let us engage in the work that God has assigned to us.
Connections are being built at every level within the United Methodist Church to enable us to care for creation. There is the United Methodist Creation Justice Movement (https://creationjustice.org/), our own Conference Creation Care Committee (https://nccumc.org/creation/), the Corridor Creation Care Committee, and a host of efforts at individual churches within our district. Throughout 2022, the Corridor District Creation Committee has reported on local opportunities and initiatives (https://corridordistrictnc.org/).
I encourage each of our Corridor District churches to explore the connections that are being created within the United Methodist Church to learn how to nurture our connections with creation. In 2023, the District Creation Care Team will be providing tools and opportunities to equip all churches in the district to fulfill our calling to care for God’s Creation. Our goal is simple: 100% participation of churches in the district engaged in caring for creation. Join us the third Thursdays at 7:00 pm. Email Jane Almon at jalmon@nccumc.org for the Zoom link and more information.