Earlsdon Methodist Church
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INTRODUCTION

The people of Earlsdon Methodist Church recognise that as followers of Jesus we have a responsibility to care about our World and environment. We realise that there are many ways that we could improve our own lifestyles so that we live more gently in the world our Father has created. As a small step towards this, we have decided to set aside time this Lent to reflect on what Jesus may be calling on us to change in the way we live.

For each week of Lent, from Ash Wednesday until Easter Sunday there are selected readings, specific eco-challenges and a prayer. During the first week, you are encouraged to look ahead at the weekly challenges and start making necessary preparations, including seeking information at the Eco Fair in Earlsdon Methodist Church Hall on Saturday 24th February. Although a number of challenges are suggested each week, remember we are all starting from different points so try to select challenges that are realistic for you and your family/household.

These challenges are set for Lent in the hope that we will become more conscious of the effect we are having on God’s world and how we could be better citizens of his Kingdom. In the final week, you will be invited to consider which of the challenges/lifestyle changes you intend to carry forward into the coming weeks, months and years.

Acknowledgements

Many of the ideas behind this Lent Challenge were inspired by the teaching and notes of Noel Moules, provided as part of the Workshop Course in Applied Christian Living www.workshop.org.uk

Thank you also for the helpful resources provided on the following websites:

• http://news.bbc.co.uk
• http://www.chiltern.gov.uk/claire/site/index.php
• www.christian-aid.org.uk
• www.christian-ecology.org.uk
• www.climatechallenge.gov.uk
• www.climatestewards.co.uk
• www.ecocongregation.org
• www.est.org.uk
• www.recyclezone.org.uk
• www.wateraid.org.uk
• www.wastewatch.org.uk
• www.webofcreation.org

2007 Lent Preparation

CHALLENGE PREPARATION

Read the challenges for each week of Lent and discuss them with your family/other members of your household. Decide which one(s) you are going to take up and tick the boxes beside them.

Think about what sort of preparations you may need to make in advance to carry out your challenge: What information do you need, e.g. public transport timetables, vegetarian recipes, outlets of locally grown produce, local recycling points? If you are aiming to reduce your gas/electricity/petrol or diesel consumption by a particular percentage over Lent (see week 2 and week 5 challenges) you may want to start to check your current usage to provide a benchmark.

PRAYER

Our Father, who art in heaven ... You are also at home in the air, soil, forests and oceans,
Hallowed be Your name ... by the care we take of your creation,
Your Kingdom come ... all that you see is good,
Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven ... Your will to till and care.
Give us this day our daily bread ... that all may have sufficient to live life in fullness
Forgive us our trespasses ... our greed, our exploitation, our lack of concern for other species and for future generations,
As we forgive those who trespass against us... by reconciliation with justice and peace.
Lead us not into temptation ... the temptation to equate dominion with exploitation,
And deliver us from evil ... the evil of destroying your gift of creation
For Yours is the Kingdom ... Yours Lord, not ours,
The Power and the Glory ... in the cross and the resurrection,
For ever and ever ... You were the beginning and you are the end.

Taken from Eco-congregation Resources -
www.ecocongregation.org/englandwales/downloads/m2.doc

2007 Lent week 1

READINGS FOR REFLECTION

And God said, “ Let the water under the sky be gathered to one place and let dry ground appear.” And it was so. God called the dry ground “land” and the gathered waters he called “seas”. And God saw that it was good.
Genesis 1 v9 – 10

Psalm 65

John 7 v37 - 39

POINTS TO PONDER

• In the developing world, the average daily water consumption for one person is 10 litres, compared to the UK average of 135 litres.
• Leaving a tap running eg while waiting for hot or cold water or while brushing your teeth wastes up to five litres of water per minute.
• If you water your garden with a hose or sprinkler, you can use up to 540 litres/hour. If you use a watering can filled from a rainwater butt, no tap water is used at all.
• In Asia at least one in three people are without safe drinking water. Of all the people living without access to safe water 48% live in Africa.
• Around the world, diseases related to the lack of clean water and inadequate sanitation cause a child to die every 15 seconds.

WEEKLY CHALLENGES

Respecting water and not wasting or polluting it

• For one day put a piece of paper and pen beside each of your taps, toilet, washing machine and dishwasher – tick each time you use them and become more conscious of how and why you are using water. Make a donation to WaterAid http://www.wateraid.org.uk/ of 5p, 10p or 50p for every time you use your taps for one day. Donations can be placed in a plate in Wellspring after Sunday worship.
• Turn the tap off between uses when you are brushing your teeth.
• Keep a jug of water in the fridge, rather than running the tap to get colder water.When running taps to get hot water, use a large bottle to save and reuse the initial cold water.
• If your toilet does not have a half flush, put a water-saver in the cistern to reduce the amount of water used.
• If your shower has an adjustable head, try adjusting so it uses less water.
• Only boil as much water as you need each time you use the kettle (eg measure out cups for tea).
• Set up a water butt in your garden to catch rainwater.
• Try out an environmentally-friendly washing powder, conditioner or other cleaning product that you haven’t used before.

PRAYER

O God, pour out on us the water of life that we may quench our thirst and draw our strength from you.Help us to stand alongside those who struggle daily for clean water so that all may be refreshed and renewed by your love.
Amen.

Taken from Christian Aid prayer resources
http://www.christian-aid.org.uk/worship/prayer/index.htm

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2007 Lent week 2

READINGS FOR REFLECTION

‘The Lord God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.’
Genesis 2 v7
Psalm 147
Acts 17 v 24-28 ..

POINTS TO PONDER

http://www.chiltern.gov.uk/
• We are currently living in a way that requires three worlds to absorb all the carbon dioxide we are dumping into the atmosphere. If everyone lived as we do, we would need 3.5 worlds!
• In one year, a car can produce 4 times its own weight in carbon monoxide
• Children are particularly vulnerable to air pollution - they breathe faster than adults and inhale more air per pound of body weight
• During term time, 20% of traffic in rush hour is related to children being driven to school
• Added weight makes your car's engine run less efficiently, increasing air pollution

WEEKLY CHALLENGES

• If you usually use a car or motorbike to go to church, school, work, shopping, challenge yourself to walk, cycle or use public transport instead for one or more days this week or throughout Lent. Use the time on your journey to reflect on God’s world – look around, breathe the air, engage with people you see.
• Have one or more days where you choose entertainments and relaxation activities which do not create any CO2 emissions – ie don’t require electricity, gas, petrol or diesel!
• Check your current petrol/diesel consumption. Aim to cut it by 5% over the following weeks of Lent http://portal.est.org.uk/myhome/efficientdriving/ecodrivingQuiz/
• If you haven’t yet planned your holiday for this year consider avoiding flying or if you have to fly, consider making an offsetting donation http://www.climatestewards.co.uk/

PRAYER

John Wesley said: Sin is the refusal to acknowledge our dependence on God for life and breath and all things.
God of life, we confess that we often forget that we are utterly dependent upon you and interdependent with the rest of your creation. Forgive us, O God, and inspire us to change.

Taken from A Litany of Confession and Grace,
http://www.webofcreation.org/ncc/earthday/2002/worship.html

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2007 Lent week 3

READINGS FOR REFLECTION

The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it;
Psalm 24 v1
Matthew 6 v25-33
Revelation 21 v1-5

POINTS TO PONDER

http://www.wastewatch.org.uk/
• The UK produces more than 454 million tonnes of waste every year. In one year, there would be enough household waste to fill dustbins stretching all the way from the Earth to the Moon and back.
• Every year we produce 3% more waste than the year before. If we carry on at this rate, it means that we will have doubled the amount of waste we produce today by the year 2020.
• It takes approximately 17 trees to make one tonne of paper. Paper and card are the main ingredients of household rubbish, making up approximately one third of the waste produced by Britain's homes.
• Every year, food shops in the British Isles give away roughly 8 billion plastic carrier bags. This represents over 65,000 tonnes of plastic - enough to cover the whole of London with a layer of bags.
• If all the aluminium cans in the UK were recycled there would be 12 million fewer full dustbins every year.
• One million tonnes of nappies are thrown away every year, that's 8 million nappies every day. Each child uses a total of 5850 nappies in their lifetime, which have the same weight as an average family car!

WEEKLY CHALLENGES

Respecting the earth and finding ways to reduce our waste

• Take reusable bags with you every time you go shopping so you don’t need plastic carrier bags.
• Choose food with minimum packaging when you go shopping.
• Commit to taking drinks and snacks in your own reuseable containers from larger packs at home rather than buying individually wrapped sweets, biscuits, cakes etc and small plastic bottles/cans
• Set up a compost bin/heap or worm farm for all your green waste.
• Reuse waste paper from your printer for notepads, shopping lists etc
• If you are currently using disposable nappies for your baby/toddler, get a trial pack of reuseable nappies and give them a go.
• Think about what you currently recycle. Choose at least one new substance to start recycling this week (you may need to do some research to find an appropriate recycling point)

PRAYER

The prophets Isaiah and Hosea said: The land lies polluted under its inhabitants. The beasts of the field, the birds of the air, even the fish of the sea are dying.
God of mercy, we confess that we are damaging the earth, the home that you have given us. We buy and use products that pollute our air, land, and water, harming wildlife and endangering human health. Forgive us, O God, and inspire us to change.

Taken from A Litany of Confession and Grace
http://www.webofcreation.org/ncc/earthday/2002/worship.html

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2007 Lent week 4

READINGS FOR REFLECTION

Then God said, “I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food. And to all the beasts of the earth and all the birds of the air and all the creatures that move on the ground – everything that has the breath of life in it – I give every green plant for food” and it was so.
Genesis 1 v29 – 30

Psalm 148
Romans 14 v14 - 18

POINTS TO PONDER

http://www.christian-ecology.org.uk/loaf.htm http://www.primusweb.com/fitnesspartner/library/nutrition/vegetarian.htm#environment
• Even shipping a kilo of apples from the other side of the world emits one kilo of CO2 emissions. Fruit from your own fruit trees emits none!
• Organically grown food, avoids the use of synthetic fertilisers, herbicides and pesticides. Organic cultivation leads to a healthier soil with more organic material (from well-rotted manure and kitchen and garden compost), microorganisms and other wildlife, and no genetically engineered organisms released into the countryside.
• One acre of pasture produces an average of 165 pounds of beef; the same acre can produce 20,000 pounds of potatoes. If Americans reduced their meat consumption by only 10 percent, it would free 12 million tons of grain annually for human consumption

WEEKLY CHALLENGES

(Respecting all living creatures and considering how what we eat impacts on the environment)

• Try eating a vegetarian diet for a week
• Commit to only buying eggs, dairy products and meat which are clearly marked as free-range, outdoor-reared/bred or organically reared.
• Try buying only locally/UK grown fresh foods in your shopping this week.
• Try buying organic fruit and vegetables this week.
• Start to grow some of your own herbs, fruit and/or vegetables.
• Spend a few moments before each meal this week in prayerful thanks for the life forms which are nourishing you.

PRAYER

Chief Seattle said: Whatever we do to the web of life we do to ourselves.
God of justice, we confess that we have not done enough to protect the web of life. We have consumed your resources thoughtlessly and have abused our fellow living creatures. Forgive us, O God, and inspire us to change. God of compassion, today we acknowledge our dependence upon you and our interconnectedness with the whole web of life. We open our eyes, ears, and hearts to the pain of the earth, that we may be open to your truth, see your way of hope, and walk with courage in your way.

Taken from A Litany of Confession and Grace
http://www.webofcreation.org/ncc/earthday/2002/worship.html

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2007 Lent week 5

READINGS FOR REFLECTION

And God said, “Let there be lights in the expanse of the sky to separate the day from the night, and let them serve as signs to mark seasons and days and years, and let them be lights in the expanse of the sky to give light on the earth” and it was so.
Genesis 1 v14-15

John 1 v1-13
Ephesians 4 v17-24

POINTS TO PONDER

http://www.climatechallenge.gov.uk/understand/key_facts.html
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/4667354.stm
• In just 200 years, the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere – the major gas that causes climate change – has increased by 30 per cent.
• Households produce 25% of our national carbon dioxide emissions.
• It has been estimated that if every household in the US replaced just three of its incandescent light bulbs with energy-saving designs and used them for five hours per day, it would reduce emissions of carbon dioxide by 23 million tonnes, reduce electricity demand by the equivalent of 11 coal-fired power stations and save $1.8bn.

WEEKLY CHALLENGES

(Reducing energy used for lighting and heating)

• Review all the light bulbs in your house and replace as many as possible with energy saving bulbs.
• Check your heating settings and try turning them down by 1 or more degrees – your cylinder thermostat shouldn’t need to be set at more than 60ºC/140ºF.
• Try going to bed when it gets dark and getting up with the sun one or more days this week. Use any extra quiet time after you go to bed or when you get up to spend some quality time with Jesus, listening to what he may have to say to you.
• Carry out an audit on your home to set a target of reducing your energy consumption by 20% (see http://www.est.org.uk for useful questionnaires and tips)

PRAYER

Creating God, you are the source of light and life, so we praise you.
You became flesh to bring light and life, so we praise you.
You sustain the world with your light and life, so we praise you.
Creating God, you give light and life, and express delight in your creation, but we have desecrated your creation and darkened your light. We confess our profligate lifestyle and human greed. We confess the plundering of finite resources. We confess to stealing our descendants’ birthright to life. We confess the excesses within our own lifestyle. God of life and God of light, as we seek a new relationship with your created order, may we sense the grace and peace of a new relationship with You.
Amen.

Adapted from Eco-congregation Resources
http://www.ecocongregation.org/englandwales/downloads/m2.doc

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Holy Week and Easter

READINGS FOR REFLECTION

MONDAY

• ‘God saw all that he had made, and it was very good.’
  • Genesis 1 v1 – Genesis 2 v15

TUESDAY

• ‘The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands’
  • Psalm 19 v1-11

WEDNESDAY

• ‘I looked, and the fruitful land was a desert, all its towns lay in ruins before the Lord, before his fierce anger.’
  • Jeremiah 4 v22-28

MAUNDY THURSDAY

• ‘They will neither harm nor destroy on all my holy mountain, for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.’
  • Isaiah 11 v1 - 9

GOOD FRIDAY

• ‘For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.’
  • John 1 v1 – John 3 v21

EASTER SATURDAY

• ‘We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time.’
  • Romans 8 v22 Romans 8 v18-39

EASTER SUNDAY

• ‘Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth…….He who was seated on the throne said “I am making everything new!’
  • Revelation 21 v1 – Revelation 22 v17

REVIEW OF LENT ECO-CHALLENGE

As a reminder of things you have learnt through this Challenge why not write down those life changes you intend to continue after Lent.

PRAYER

Creating God, you have given us a vision of a new heaven and a new earth
Resources conserved
Earth tended
Atmosphere cleansed
Trees planted
Injustice ended
Oceans teeming
Nations at peace

Creator, Redeemer, Sustainer
Alert nations, enthuse churches
Receive our commitment and so entwine our lives with Your purpose.
Earth and heaven will then sing of your glory.
Amen.

Taken from Eco-congregation Resources
http://www.ecocongregation.org/englandwales/downloads/m2.doc

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