Innovate~Educate~Collaborate

Tag: congregations

  • Feast Day of the original “Ecotheologian”

    Today is the feast of St Francis, celebrated by Anglicans, Lutherans, and Catholics, and believers of all who see the protection of our environment important. Francis, whom I consider to be the original “Ecotheologian“. A person who understood that creation was the first bible. St. Francis, during his life, lived in a pivotal period when Western…

  • CARE FOR CREATION BY JULIE PELLER PH.D

    Care for Creation is an important facet of Christian beliefs and a moral obligation for those with a true concern about future generations. An ancient Indian proverb expresses “We do not inherit the Earth from our ancestors; we borrow it from our children.”  Generational justice is the expectation when societies possess compassion. However, the current…

  • GREEN JUNCTION 26 AUGUST 2019 BY JULIE PELLER PH.D​.

    Young people and future generations are set to suffer most from the changing climate and immense environmental degradation (species loss, polluted air, and water, etc.), largely generated over the past several decades.  It makes sense to educate children on these critical matters and discuss them.  I suggest that young people challenge adults by asking them…

  • The River under our feet

    Meister Eckhart once said, “God is like an underground river.” It suggests God is universal and not confined to one location, is all moving. As the old saying goes, “you can’t step into the same river twice.” The statement tells us that we all can access the Source (God) if we dig (our wells) long…

  • Is Religion divorced from the work-a-day world?

    As a “Hoosier” I was exploring the on-line libraries in the state. I Came across this site about Merton and Music. https://indianapublicmedia.org/nightlights/soul-swing-jazz-religion/?fbclid=IwAR2jBfurRAbOa5k2DKislZc3_zmwu27xZogh4mrrEw5U0FFMbsLsXXv335A I think we see how Jazz was the Christ speaking to Merton.  Jazz a language with much religious tones and meaning.  Jazz is not divorced from religion or the work-a-day world, especially in…

  • GREEN JUNCTION 13 JULY 2019 BY JULIE PELLER PHD.

    I had the wonderful opportunity to take a nature walk at a local park, which included hiking through grassy fields and along beautiful areas of wildflowers. These fields are allowed to grow naturally; they are not manipulated by the input of chemicals to eliminate plants that are not grass, the more common scenario when it…

  • Ecotheology: It’s time for a hermeneutic

    What is Ecotheology? I found this to be spot on…as the saying goes, and it is from Portland Seminary: “Ecotheology is a form of study and thinking that combines the disciplines of ecology (the study of organisms and their environments) and theology (the study of God and religious beliefs). Ecotheology examines creation through the lenses…

  • Heretics, likable Blokes?

    her·e·tic /ˈherəˌtik/ “A person believing in or practicing religious heresy. synonyms: dissident, dissenter, nonconformist, unorthodox thinker, heterodox thinker, apostate, freethinker, iconoclast, schismatic, renegade; More a person holding an opinion at odds with what is generally accepted.” now let’s think about the last part of the definition: “a person holding an opinion at odds with what…

  • Reflections 6.19.19

    Lord, as we start out each day, nudge us to be kind, to say only that which builds up one another. To reach out to those in need and be a source of comfort. Each day I reflect on the writings of my favorite Patristic teacher, Ephrem. “Scripture brought me to the Gate of Paradise,…

  • Green Junction: by Julie Peller PhD.

    Julie Peller PhD, is an environmental chemist (Professor of Chemistry at Valparaiso University ) and she leads the Environmental Ministry at Nativity of Our Savior in Portage IN. Julie has been writing a weekly column for church bulletins for the past ~5 years called the Green Junction and is helping to move the call of Laudato Si…