October Tips
Life has always been filled with scary things.
From ancient times festivals have helped humanity manage what is frightening, including death.
Creation Justice ident
With Christianity came All Hallows Day, also known as All Saints Day (November 1) and All Souls Day (November 2) venerating the martyrs and all who have died. Preceding those was All Hallows Day Evening or Halloween, as it came to be called. The festivities provide a time to laugh in the face of fear and to take away its power.
Climate change and the degradation of our world are super scary. Yet as Christ followers, we trust God that death does not have the last word. We can live with hope and act with the assurance that the scary “evening” we endure now will turn into days of praise.
“Our Father…Hallowed be Thy name.”
October 2024 Tips
A scary sight is plastic bags caught in trees and waving in the wind or polluting the ocean. The good news is cities and states that ban the use of the bags are seeing reduced litter and less risk to marine animals. Carry your own reusable bags, and tell your lawmakers that bans are better than bags.
As winter comes, your plants look dead; but don’t deadhead them or cut them down. Instead allow the seed heads to remain so that birds will have a source of food for the cold months. With spring the perennials will come back, providing a festival of beauty and sustenance for you and for pollinators. October is planting season for many perennials.
Plug up those sneaky leaky places to stay warm, save money, and cut down emissions. Put your hand near exterior wall outlets, around window frames and doors, next to your chimney. If you feel cold air, repair, caulk, or weatherstrip. Your response can fix the troubles.
Zippered plastic bags are so handy for many things—and so detrimental to the planet. For their various functions, more sustainable options exist: silicone bags, hard containers (especially glass ones with airtight seals), paper bags, waxed paper (which is biodegradable), beeswaxed fabric for covering dishes, or simply washing and reusing the bags again and again.
Although celebrated this year on Monday, October 14, October 12 is traditionally recognized as Columbus Day and recently as Indigenous Peoples Day. Scary things have been done from a colonizer-mindset. Our United Methodist Church calls us to a “kin-dom” mindset, seeing native persons as beloved siblings in God’s eye and as peoples whose traditional wisdom leads in caring for creation. Take action in support of those who have been harmed.
According to Science Guy, Bill Nye, “The best way to save the planet isn’t necessarily recycling—it’s stepping into a voting booth.” Recycling is important to do, but greater impact comes from changing laws and policies. Vote for the planet. Vote for people who care about God’s Creation.
Good news! Curbing deforestation works for the planet. Reforestation takes the next step. Large scale, these actions pull carbon from the air, clean our water, and reduce dangerously high temperatures. You can contribute to those efforts worldwide or plant trees in your spaces, including the church’s property. Some organizations offer free trees.
Halloween looks scary stuff in the eye and laughs at it, taking away its power. As a fun family project take away some of the scariness by creating costumes out of clothing and accessories you already own or that you can purchase inexpensively from a thrift shop or swap with friends. Trash the scary one-and-done syndrome, keep cheap costumes out of the landfill, and have a good laugh!
Don’t throw away that pumpkin! Cut it into smaller pieces for deer, rabbits, mice, squirrels, and chipmunks to munch on—non-painted pumpkins only. Or harvest the seeds, dry them, and put them in a bird feeder. Or feed the microbes in your soil because you composted instead of trashing it.
“Weeping may linger for the night, but joy comes with the morning…You have turned my mourning into dancing…O Lord my God, I will give thanks to you forever” (Psalm 30:5b, 11a, 12b). Trust God, dance! Give thanks with your actions that show your love of God’s Creation.
VIDEOS: "A MINUTE FOR MOTHER EARTH"!
A series very short videos to help your congregation recognize God's call in the midst of climate-related issues. Each "Minute" is based on the curriculum, Wake Up World, A Curriculum on the Climate Crisis for Faith and Community Groups (available free on the website and in print form from Cokesbury). Access the complete series of "Minutes" free at www.wakeupworld.earth.
The United Methodist Creation Justice Movement is providing these Tips
as a tool to equip church members, families, and individuals to respond to God's call to care for creation and do justice with our neighbors.
For more about the UM Creation Justice Movement, go to umcreationjustice.org.