December musings

We're coming into winter soon now... cold mornings, early dark evenings, but the unreal politics goes on and on. I will be preaching on hope this month. And bringing back one of my old favorites for the holiday of Hanukkah. And in case you're wondering, on Christmas Eve we'll have three services—one Sunday morning service at 10, and two evening services at 6:30 and 8:30.

I seemed to be devouring books this past month as I wrestled personally with the potentially devastating consequences of climate change—you can see which books if you look at the sermon transcripts for the month on our website at a2u2.org. (And by the way, say thanks to Diane Oberbeck for our beautiful new website design! I understand that updating it is much easier—and Diane is looking for volunteers who would like to be a part of the website team—let her know if you can help.)

But back to books, after plunging into the depths of the climate change crisis, I found myself coming back to an earlier favorite book, The More Beautiful World Our Hearts Know Is Possible, by Charles Eisenstein. I like it so much, in fact, that I would love to have a book discussion to talk about it. If you are interested let me know at revmyke@a2u2.org. If we have a critical mass, we can find a date after all the holidays. And by the way, you can get a digital copy for free online at https://charleseisenstein.net/books/the-more-beautiful-world-our-hearts-know-is-possible/. He reminds us that the paradigm shift we need—from a world of separation to a world of interbeing—means that the ways we have thought about social change might no longer apply. Maybe we need new methods to get to a new paradigm.

And speaking of books, if you are thinking about gifts for family and friends, consider whether they might like the book I published last year, Finding Our Way Home: A Spiritual Journey into Earth Community. You can order it at your local bookstore, find it on Amazon.com, buy it through my site at http://www.lulu.com/shop/myke-johnson/finding-our-way-home/paperback/product-22972214.html, or talk to me at church—I have copies in my office for $15. (If you like the book, please consider reviewing it on one of those sites too—it is only by word of mouth that people will hear about it.) I appreciate your sharing it with friends who care about the earth. I also want to say that I had such a wonderful time with the group who shared conversations and rituals based on the book in the course I led this fall, called “A Spiritual Journey into Earth Community.” Thank you to all of you for sharing your magical moments and deep feeling for our planet.

I look forward to seeing folks at the holiday fair on December 2nd, and bring a friend to church & RE on December 3rd. May we enter into the season of darkness and light with hearts turned toward celebration—community, family, friends, values, life.

Affectionately,

Rev. Myke

Commit2Respond

Commit2Respond is a coalition of Unitarian Universalists and other people of faith and conscience working for climate justice. Launched at the People's Climate March in New York City on September 21, 2014, (where A2U2 was represented by 8 of our members) Commit2Respond seeks to unite our many diverse efforts for climate justice so that we can expand our partnerships and deepen our impact.

Climate justice means we recognize the central role inequality plays in the current crisis. Marginalized communities—low-income, people of color, Native, and/or non-industrialized—are often the first to experience the effects of climate change and environmental degradation. Commit2Respond envisions a future where the most vulnerable are protected from these dire consequences.

From World Water Day on March 22 through Earth Day on April 22, Commit2Respond is sponsoring a Climate Justice Month. Individuals, families, households, groups, congregations, and organizations are invited to participate in a monthlong period of reflection, education, and commitment. You can sign up online as an individual or family to get mailings and information.  I hope we can feel connected to these larger efforts that resonate with the important work happening in our own church, and continue with our efforts.

Climate justice in our state makes me think about the lawsuit currently pending between the Penobscot Nation and the State of Maine concerning whether or not the Penobscot Nation has jurisdiction over their part of the Penobscot River. The state is trying to say that their reservation of many islands on the Penobscot River only includes the land, not the river in that area. This despite the fact that the Land Claims Settlement of 1980 specifically includes their right to fish. As one Penobscot remarked, you can't get many fish on dry land. They are a river people, and along with fish find many herbs and medicinal plants in the river.

It is heartbreaking to me that white society continues to steal from Indigenous peoples day after day, year after year. Towns and corporations upriver from Indian Island have joined the state in the legal action, for fear that they might have to stop discharging pollutants into the river. As we seek to foster a beneficial relationship with the earth, one of the best ways to go forward is to partner with Indigenous peoples and be allies to them in their efforts to protect their land and water.

The good news of this week—President Obama vetoed the Keystone XL pipeline bill. More bad local news—the city of South Portland is being sued by Portland Pipeline Corporation because of the Clean Skies ordinance they passed. The issue of climate change and our relationship to the environment is perhaps the most critical issue we face today. It is big, and can seem overwhelming. So we need to stay connected to others who care and who act, to keep our spirits energized.

Climate change issues are also one of the three focus areas of the Maine UU State Advocacy Network, which will be our share the plate recipient starting March 8 for four weeks. Another way to stay connected and act on our values.

Our Relationship to the Earth

Today is daffodil blooming day at our house! Those bright yellow spring flowers are finally peeking out of their green casings. I am always interested in how micro-climates change in significant ways even by ten miles. The daffodils at church bloomed over a week ago. And this year our flowers are a couple weeks later than they were a few years ago—as evidenced by dated photo records on my laptop.

Thinking about the climate makes me think about climate change, and the activists who are working to change our relationship to the earth from that of “maximum extraction and destruction,” to that of “mutually beneficial partnership.”

This week in Washington DC, a group of ranchers and indigenous people from western states, called the “Cowboy Indian Alliance,” are bringing a message against the Keystone XL pipeline which would transport Tar Sands Oil from Canada down to Texas for processing. When I was a kid, we played battles as cowboys and Indians—though in our family we thought it was funny because my dad was sometimes a cowboy and my mom was part Indian—but now they are working together to protect the earth. Aside from the environmental hazards of a pipeline, the message is that we can't take that oil out of the sands if we want to preserve a climate that can support human life. You can find out more, and see photos of the teepees on the mall at http://rejectandprotect.org/

It was recently announced that President Obama is delaying his decision about KeystoneXL, probably until the fall, so that gives us more time to keep working against it. Some of us at A2U2 have signed on (with 100,000 others) to the Credo Pledge of Resistance. It says, "I pledge, if necessary, to join others in my community, and engage in acts of dignified, peaceful civil disobedience that could result in my arrest in order to send the message to President Obama and his administration that they must reject the Keystone XL pipeline."

I have participated in civil disobedience before in my life, though it was a long time ago. I was inspired by the groundswell of resistance to KeystoneXL, and the terrible importance of this work on behalf of the future of our planet and all its creatures. I am attending a training on the morning of May 3^rd (before coming down to Ferry Beach for our retreat days) to participate in the civil disobedience, should it be necessary. If you are interested, email me at revmyke at a2u2.org if you'd like more information.

In the meantime, work is continuing at A2U2 on our own relationship to our land and its structures. Tonight is the final meeting of the group of 20 or so members of A2U2 who have been part of the Permaculture Design Short Course with Lisa Fernandes. Mini-groups have been doing research about various areas that were identified as priorities in the congregational survey a few months ago. Issues like how to fix the parking lot, improve our air quality, and improve the bathrooms, along with hopes about how to use more renewable energy, increase energy efficiency, and how to create earth friendly habitat in our landscaping. I am sure that work will continue, and you'll hear more about it as we come up with some viable ideas. But you don't have to wait—if you want to get more involved, you are always welcome. Contact me, or even better, contact Harold McWilliams, at haroldmcwilliams at gmail.com, who has been doing a great job of coordinating our efforts. A great big thank you to Harold!

Happy Spring,

Rev. Myke