Climate Awareness: From the Pulpit to the Community
The pulpit is the source of information and guidance for millions of people throughout the United States. In fact, about 189 million inhabitants faithfully follow a religion. With more than half of the population looking to their religious leader for help sorting out the trials of life, why shouldn’t they also be informed about the impacts of climate change and their commission as God’s people, to care for the Earth?
The truth is that there should be nothing in the way of faith leaders admitting the climate change is real, and that it has real consequences. More importantly, this information can be spread most effectively, from the epicenter of American support and leadership – the pulpit.
Know the Creation Care Scriptures
In all religious texts, God provides specific instructions on how to care for the Earth. The leaders of the world often have their environmental strategies – but many do not align with God’s law. Here are a few multi-faith scriptures that you should study.
Ecclesiastes 7:13
“Look at My works. See how beautiful they are, how excellent! For your sake, I created them all. See to it that you do not spoil or destroy My world–for if you do, there will be no one to repair it after you.”
Psalms 24:1
“The Earth is the Lord’s, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they the dwell therein.”
Holy Qu’ran 31:20
“He it is who has created for you everything on earth and has made subservient to you whatever is in the heavens and the earth and granted you His bounties, manifest and hidden.”
There is much more in the word God that instructs believers to be stewards of the Earth and its inhabitants. These instructions can be used to write a compelling creation care sermon that will both inform and convict the members of your congregation to take better care of the Earth.
Deliver a Creation Care Sermon
What you say from the pulpit is more likely to resonate with your followers than anything else you tell them. Pulpit speaking resonates because, for believers, the pulpit is the place from which the law is proclaimed, (Nehemiah 8:1-8).
Your pulpit proclamation should be informative and be moving. Here are a few tips for writing a powerful creation care sermon;
- Help your congregation to understand climate change.
- Link your sermon to creation care scripture.
- Connect your sermon to the values of your members.
- Leave your congregation with hope.
Keep the Creation Care Attitude
Caring for God’s creation is an ongoing job. It requires faith leaders to keep an open mind and also help to open the minds of others.
Your work as a leader doesn’t end with one sermon. Speaking from the pulpit about caring for the environment, as God instructs, should be a continuous practice. Blessed Tomorrow has teamed with Interfaith Power and Light to provide resources just for this purpose. Learn more.