What Does the ELCA Say About Earthkeeping? (Practically Green with Love)

What Does the ELCA Say
About Earthkeeping?

The ELCA has issued an official social statement about the church and the environment, called
Caring for Creation: Vision, Hope, and Justice.

What Does Caring for Creation Say?

The statement...

...acknowledges that there is an environmental crisis,
...describes how human sinfulness has caused it,
...presents the church’s vision of what our relationship to the environment should be,
...expresses our hope for God’s renewal of creation, and
...calls us to be committed to working toward a more just relationship with other people and the environment.

The following pages outline the major points of the statement, which is divided into five sections: the Vision, the Urgency of the Crisis, the Hope, Doing Justice, and the Commitments of the Church.

Quotes from Caring for Creation

I. The Vision

"All creation, not just humankind, is viewed as ‘very good’ in God’s eyes (Genesis 1:31)." I.A.
"Humans, in service to God, have special roles on behalf of the whole of creation." I.B.
"[W]e are called to care for the earth as God cares for the earth." I.B.

II. The Urgency of the Crisis

"In our captivity [to sin] we treat the earth as a boundless warehouse and allow the powerful to exploit its bounties to their own ends. (Amos 5:6-15)." II.A.
"Our current practices may so alter the living world that it will be unable to sustain life in the manner we know." II.B.

III. The Hope

"By the cross and resurrection of Jesus Christ, God frees us from our sin and captivity, and empowers us to be loving servants to creation." III.A.

IV. Doing Justice

"When we act interdependently and in solidarity with creation, we do justice." IV
"[All living things] are entitled to be heard and to have their interests considered when decisions are made." IV.A.
"We are called to acknowledge [our] interdependence with other creatures and to act locally and globally on behalf of all creation."

IV.B.

"[The principle of justice through sufficiency] charges us to work with each other and the environment to meet needs without causing undue burdens elsewhere." IV.C.
"The principle of sustainability means providing an acceptable quality of life for present generations without compromising that of future generations." IV.D.

Commitments of the Church

What Does the Social Statement Commit the Church to Do?

The ELCA envisions itself and its member churches working toward a more just relationship with the environment. The details of this vision are described in the final section of the statement, "The Commitments of the Church." The quotations below represent all the actions which this section of the statement recommends.

As Individual Christians		"...[W]e commit ourselves to personal lifestyles that contribute to the health of the environment." V.A. "We challenge ourselves, particularly the economically secure, to tithe environmentally. VA

As a Worshiping and Learning Community		"Each congregation should see itself as a center for exploring scriptural and theological foundations for caring for creation." V.B.1. "Congregations have various opportunities during the year to focus on creation. Among these are Thanksgiving, harvest festivals, and blessings of fields, waters, plants and animals. Many congregations observe Earth Day or Soil and Water Stewardship Week." V.B.2. "...[W]e designate the Second Sunday after Pentecost as Stewardship of Creation Sunday, with appropriate readings..." V.B.2. "This church will encourage those who develop liturgical, preaching, and educational materials that celebrate God’s creation." V.B.3. "We will promote reporting on the environment by church publications..." V.B.3. "...[We will] encourage coverage of this church's environmental concerns in public media." V.B.3. "We especially commend this church’s Department for Environmental Stewardship in the Division for Church and Society..." V.B.4.

As a Committed Community		"We will seek to incorporate the principles of sufficiency and sustainability in our life." V.C. "We will advocate the environmental tithe..." V.C. "...[W]e will take other measures that work to limit consumption and reduce wastes." V.C. "We will, in our budgeting and investment of church funds, demonstrate our care for creation." V.C. "We will undertake environmental audits and follow through with checkups to ensure our continued commitment." V.C.

As a Community of Moral Deliberation		"We will model the principle of participation." V.D. "We will welcome the interaction of differing views and experiences in our discussion of environmental issues such as: nuclear and toxic waste dumps; logging in ancient growth forests; personal habits in food consumption; farming practices; treatment of animals in livestock production, laboratory research, and hunting;land-use planning; and global food, development, and population questions." VD "We will examine how environmental damage is influenced by racism, sexism, and classism, and how the environmental crisis in turn exacerbates racial, gender, and class discrimination." VD "We will include in our deliberation people who feel and suffer with issues, whose economic security is at stake, or who have expertise in the natural and social sciences." VD "We will play a role in bringing together parties in conflict, not only members of this church but also members of society at large." VD

As an Advocate		"The principles of participation, solidarity, sufficiency, and sustainability will shape our advocacy--in neighborhoods and regions, nationally, and internationally." V.E. "Our advocacy will continue in partnership, ecumenically and with others who share our concern for the environment." V.E. "We will encourage [communication of informed individuals or local groups] with governments and private entities, attendance at public hearings, selective buying and investing, and voting." V.E. "We will support those designated by this church to advocate at state, national, and international levels." V.E. "We will stand with those among us whose personal struggles for justice put them in lonely and vulnerable positions." V.E.

Engage the Private Sector		"This church will engage in dialogue with corporations on how to promote justice for creation." V.E.1. "We will converse with business leadership regarding the health of workers, consumers, and the environment." V.E.1. "We will invite the insights and concerns of business leadership regarding responsible environmental actions." V.E.1. "We will urge businesses to implement comprehensive environmental principles." V.E.1. "We will foster genuine cooperation between the private and public sector in developing [regulations and market incentives to seek sustainability]" V.E.1.

Engage the Public Sector

"This church will favor proposals and actions that address environmental issues in a manner consistent with the principles of participation, solidarity, sufficiency, and sustainability. These proposals will address:

excessive consumption and human population pressures;

international development, trade, and debt;

ozone depletion; and

climate change.

They will seek:

to protect species and their habitats;

to protect and assure proper use of marine species; and to protect portions of the planet that are held in common, including the oceans and the atmosphere." V.E.2.

"This church will support proposals and actions to protect and restore...the quality of:

natural and human habitats, including seas, wetlands, forests, wilderness, and urban areas;

air, with special concern for inhabitants of urban areas;

water, especially drinking water, groundwater, polluted runoff, and industrial and municipal waste; and

soil, with special attention to land use, toxic waste disposal, wind and water erosion, and preservation of farmland amid urban development." V.E.2.

"This church will seek public policies that allow people to participate fully in decisions affecting their own health and livelihood." V.E.2.

"We will be in solidarity with people who directly face environmental hazards from toxic materials, whether in industry, agriculture, or the home." V.E.2.

"We will insist on equitable sharing of the costs of maintaining a healthy environment." V.E.2.

"This church will advance international acceptance of the principles of participation, solidarity, sufficiency, and sustainability, and encourage the United Nations in its caregiving role." V.E.2.

"We will collaborate with partners in the global church community, and learn from them in our commitment to care for God’s creation." V.E.2.

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