Don't forget - this Sunday is Earth Day Sunday, or, in the UMC, Festival of God's Creation Sunday. You can find worship resources and other materials here, from the Eco-Justice Working Group of the National Council of Churches.
Sermon for Second Sunday in Advent, "Peace: All Is Calm, All Is Bright," Isaiah 11:1-10, Mark 13:24-37
Sermon 12/3/17 Mark 13:24-37, Isaiah 11:1-10 Peace: All Is Calm, All Is Bright “Silent night, holy night. All is calm, all is bright. Round yon’ virgin mother and child. Holy infant, so tender and mild. Sleep in heavenly peace. Sleep in heavenly peace.” This week, I read news stories about North Korea testing a missile that perhaps could reach across the whole of the United States. This week, I spoke with a colleague in ministry who had, like all churches in our conference, received from our church insurance company information about how to respond in an active shooter situation. She was trying to figure out how to respond to anxious parishioners and yet not get caught up in spending all of their ministry time on creating safety plans. This week, we’ve continued to hear stories from people who have experienced sexual assault and harassment, as the actions, sometimes over decades, of men in positions of power have been
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John Wesley himself could be looked upon as an environmentalist. In his sermon on "The Use of Money," Wesley said: "We ought not to gain money at the expense of life nor (which is the same thing) at the expense of our health. …
"Some employments are absolutely and totally unhealthy," he wrote. He cited jobs that involve "dealing much with arsenic or other equally hurtful minerals, or the breathing of an air tainted with steams of melting lead, which must at length destroy the firmest constitution."