As a seminary committed to care for creation, we affirm the creation in all its glory and beauty. We acknowledge God as the source of all things. We acknowledge Christ as the redeemer of all things. We acknowledge the Spirit as the sustainer of all things. The whole earth is full of God’s glory. As a result, we strive to respect all of life as sacramental. We accept our vocation as earth-keepers who care for creation. We see ourselves as part of the covenant of Noah that God made with humans and with all the animals of the land, sea, and air. We accept our responsibility to live justly in relation to our fellow human beings in ways that all creatures may mutually thrive together.
Worship: We seek to worship throughout the year so that we express our gratitude and praise to God the creator and so that we glorify God intentionally together with all creation. In worship, we will celebrate creation, confess our sins against creation, grieve the losses of creation, and commit ourselves to care for the earth.
Education: We seek to learn about the biblical, theological, and ecclesial traditions concerning creation, including the mandate from God for us to care for the earth. We will seek also to learn about the present degradations of creation due to human activity, how we as religious people are implicated in this degradation, and what we as Christians can do to heal and restore creation for future generations. We will seek to train people to be leaders for the church and the community in their efforts to care for creation.
Building and Grounds: We agree to assess the destructive impact that our activities and the use and maintenance of our property may have upon creation—in such matters as energy use, toxic products, paper use, water use, waste, transportation, among others. We will strive to make choices that lessen our negative impact on the earth and that serve to renew and restore earth community.
Discipleship: We encourage ourselves as individual members of this seminary—students, staff and faculty—to care for creation in our offices and in our homes, knowing that our habits and practices are connected to key environmental issues. We seek to foster a closer relationship with nature so that we can live simply and walk lightly upon the earth.
Public Ministry: We seek to change the systems that foster the degradation of creation and to rectify the injustices that result from it. And we seek to alert our members to environmental legislation that protects creation and to encourage their active participation in the development of public policy. We encourage members to participate in civic activities that foster environmental health. We seek to let our care for creation be known to others.
We pledge to be visionary in our approach to caring for God’s creation and prophetic in our actions on behalf of earth community.
(Adapt as needed. You may also want to list after each category some commitments you have made to green your seminary.)
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