DioBeth newSpin

Volunteer opportunities and prayer for the Gulf Coast

[Fom Cindy McCrory, Director of Communications, Diocese of the Central Gulf Coast]

Volunteers are being mobilized now and already pre-cleaning the beaches. More info here.

Our Episcopal Camp is located on Weeks Bay (Beckwith Camp and Conference Center) and efforts are being made to stop the oil from
entering the estuary: more info here.

In both of these articles there are links to volunteer organizations needing people.

There are several coastal organizations/foundations that have joined together for volunteer efforts and to report news: more info here.

I am also waiting information on an offer from British Petroleum for people to be paid to do pre and post beach cleanup.  As far as supplies, we are also waiting for specifics and I will post the info as we receive it.

Meanwhile, you might wish to share with your parishes the following prayer written by the Rev. Canon Beverly Gibson,  Sub-Dean of Christ
Church Cathedral, Mobile. The last part is from the Prayer for the Conservation of Natural Resources, BCP, p. 827. The Cathedral will be
using this prayer weekly throughout the oil spill crisis.

Prayer for the Gulf of Mexico
We pray today for the preservation of our natural environment, especially the Gulf of Mexico and the lands and waters it touches: Guide those who labor to contain the oil that endangers the creatures of sea and land; Strengthen those who work to protect them; Have mercy on those whose livelihoods will suffer; Forgive us for our carelessness in using the resources of nature, and give us wisdom and reverence so to manage them in the future, that no one may suffer from our abuse of them, and that generations yet to come may continue to praise you for your bounty; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Thank you so much.

Cindy McCrory
Director of Communications
Diocese of the Central Gulf Coast

Tutu urges leaders to agree on climate deal

via www.cnn.com (Click for video)

"If we don't get it right we are all done for," Archbishop Desmond Tutu says of efforts to combat climate change.

"This is not crying wolf. This is the only world we have. If this world disappears, whether you are rich are poor, whether you are free or oppressed the fate is the same for all of us."

The 78-year-old cleric was speaking to CNN's Becky Anderson from the U.N. climate summit in Copenhagen.

GREEN Sundays

Posted by Kat Lehman

[Editor's note: This came from Jo Trepagnier, Church of the Mediator, Allentown and we think it's a great idea!] This summer we have been experimenting with environmentally friendly Sundays we call GREEN SUNDAY. No bulletins are printed and the congregation is directed to the Book of Common Prayer, Hymnal and Bible by voice commands. Our coffee hour hosts find local produce and products to offer and we encourage bikers and walkers. Many parishioners brought in their own coffee cup which we labeled and keep in our kitchen. We have not been brave enough to turn off the air conditioning.

At the beginning of the summer we picked up more free recycle containers from the city of Allentown and have placed them around the building

St. Paul's Montrose and Recycling

[FROM St. Paul's, Montrose Weekly Update] (editor's note: We think this is a great idea!)  St. Paul’s first can and bottle drive for the year resulted in a collection of nearly 4000 aluminum cans worth nearly $150 that were redeemed in NY or recycled as scrap aluminum. The next collection is on May 30 between 10AM and noon outside the Chestnut Street entrance of St. Paul’s.  Please save your uncrushed NY 5 cent plastic or aluminum returnables and other clean empty aluminum beverage containers for drop off at St. Paul’s. The collection schedule for the rest of the year will be the Saturday after each major holiday through the summer as follows: July 11 and September 12. For additional information contact either Jerry Sock at 833-4586 or Dick Schwab at 967-2962.

Climate Change in Pennsylvania: Impacts and Solutions

[From the PA Council of Churches] The Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS)* has issued an invitation to participate in a webinar briefing on the key findings of a new report, Climate Change in Pennsylvania: Impacts and Solutions for the Keystone State, which provides the most in-depth look at the potential consequences of climate change in the state to date. The webinar will be held on Monday, December 8, from 11:00 to 12:00.