Earth Day Sunday 2000
Good Stewards of God's Gift of Energy

Sermon Notes
Scripture: John 20:19-29

As we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus, we must consider our response to the good news. Just as the risen Christ appeared to his disciples, Christ brings us peace, empowers us with the Holy Spirit, and sends us out in his name for the sake of the whole creation.

We are in the midst of a global experiment on Earth's climate. What's at stake are the systems that support life. Talking about the weather is no longer "small talk," but takes on an apocalyptic tone. The problem of climate change seems overwhelming, so we push global climate change to the back of our minds. Feeling powerless, we deny the problem. But the problem is still there and scientists warn that if we do not take action to avert climate change there could be grave consequences. We need to become informed to understand the true risks and take responsible actions before it is too late to change.

We read and hear a lot about climate change and about global warming. What is global warming? Light from the sun enters the atmosphere and warms the surface of the Earth. The atmosphere works like a greenhouse. It contains just enough water vapor, carbon dioxide, and other gases to trap the right amount of heat and solar energy, while allowing the rest to escape back into outer space. Today, however, the balance is being disrupted by human-caused air pollution. Large amounts of CO2 from burning fossil fuels and other so-called "greenhouse gases" are being emitted into the atmosphere, trapping more heat, causing the Earth's temperature to rise.

And indeed, the climate is changing. Over 2,500 scientists on the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change found that human activities are altering the Earth's atmosphere, and that global warming is already underway. There is mounting evidence worldwide of the impacts of global warming. Scientists warn that with no action to curb emissions, over the next century the Earth's temperature may become the warmest in human history.

For many years we were told that global warming was a non-issue and that climate change was not scientifically proven. It's true that scientific assessments of the consequences of global warming vary, but most climate scientists are convinced that changes will be significant and could be catastrophic. Among the predictions are: increasingly severe and frequent heat waves, more violent hurricanes, melting ice caps, global sea level rise, extreme droughts, increased ranges of disease-carrying insects and rodents, crop failures, heavy rains and flooding, ocean temperature increases, forest fires, migration of bacteria and change in disease patterns, destruction of coral reefs, drying up of wetlands, acceleration of species loss, change in the patterns of seasons, serious social and economic disruption throughout the world, and environmental refugees.

If we do not act responsibly, our children or grandchildren will suffer the consequences of our inaction. We know our society's addiction to fossil fuels is unsustainable, but we feel powerless to stop, hopeless to change the course of events. We try to lock out the reality that threatens the quality of the future of life on Earth. But Jesus empowers us with the Holy Spirit and sends us out to live resurrected lives, and to carry a message of forgiveness, hope, and transformation. We carry this message not just in words, but in the way we live.

As Christians, we believe that Jesus of Nazareth was raised from the dead. Can we believe God will bring us through these challenges? God is raising up people even now to carry on Christ's work. Christ is risen! We are not alone. The resurrection of Jesus Christ is a sign, not just of the promise of life after death, but of the power of God to transform the world and us. We are invited to accept and offer the peace, courage, forgiveness, and transforming power of the Holy Spirit that we have received. We are sent out as Christ's followers, not motivated by fear, but by faith in God's amazing power and by hope for positive change.

Jim Wallace of Sojourners Community says, "Faith is believing in spite of the evidence and watching the evidence change." Faith in the power of God to bring about change does not mean passive waiting. Rather, says Wallace, "faith leads to hope, hope leads to action, and action leads to change."

Each time we install an energy-efficient light bulb, it can be an act of faithfulness. Each time we ride our bike or take a bus, or walk, instead of driving it is a spiritual victory. Each time we plant a tree, it is a sign of hope. Each time we struggle to bring the necessary changes to our church, our community, our nation, or our world, we engage in action that can lead to change. Each time we make decisions that will lead to a better world for a grandchild or niece or nephew, or a child in Bangladesh, we share our faith in God who raised Jesus from the dead and who, through the power of the Holy Spirit, can work through us even today to bring about God's future. In these ways we do our small part in helping to preserve God's creation, for the sake of the people we love, for the sake of the whole, for the sake of future generations.

Sermon Notes prepared by the Rev. Sharon Delgado, a United Methodist Church pastor and Executive Director of Earth Justice Ministries.