Network of Earthkeeping Christian Communities in South Africa

 

NECCSA Update: May 2004

 

A monthly newsletter on Church and Environment in South Africa

 

1. Two reminders

a) Environmental Sunday 30 May or 6 June

Many Christian communities in South Africa are celebrating Environmental Sunday on an annual basis. This is usually scheduled for the Sunday before or after 5 June – World Environment Day. This year Environmental Sunday may therefore be celebrated on either 30 May (Pentecost) or 6 June (Trinity Sunday). It would be appropriate to focus on environmental issues on both these occasions. The Holy Spirit is traditionally regarded as the Creator Spirit, the Giver of Life (Nicea).

An exegetical study based on Genesis 11 (the tower of Babel) in Afrikaans and a liturgy for Environmental Sunday 2004 in English has been posted on the NECCSA website. Please make good use of such resources and distribute them to your colleagues.

One of the core objectives of NECCSA, since its inception, has been to promote Environmental Sunday. If most congregations in South Africa would address issues of environmental justice and/or nature conservation at least once a year this may have a huge cumulative impact in year to come. Some work takes decades and even centuries to take root!

b) South African Council of Churches conference on Genetic Engineering

The South African Council of Churches is hosting a conference on biotechnology, with specific reference to issues of food production and food security in Midrand from 26-28 May. If your are around and interested in attending this meeting you may contact Ms Theresa Ramphomane at the South African Council of Churches offices at 011 - 241 7813.

2. Possibilities for a SA-Australia Christian Earthkeeping Partnership

We included the following notice in the March NECCSA Update. There was no response, which is a shame, because the partnership may become financially beneficial for the South African partner.

The Sea Lake congregation of the Uniting Church of Australia is interested in establishing a partnership with a local Christian environmental project in South Africa. This congregation is based in a farming community in Victoria and has focused on issues of sustainable agriculture in recent years. The local pastor, Rev Brad Harris, writes, “At present our people are waiting for rain, and some of them are preparing for their new tree planting season. There will be plantings of native trees for windbreaks for stock and to minimise erosion, and plantings designed to reduce levels of salting in the water table. Shade trees and shelter or habitat for bird and animal life is also important. About 20,000 trees will be planted in projects near here.”

This congregation wishes to support environ­mental initiatives elsewhere and hopes to establish a partnership in this regard. The nature of such a partnership will have to emerge from the sharing of information between the partner institutions. Any organisation that may be interested in such a possibility may contact Rev Brad Harris, through the Executive Secretary of NECCSA at emcemp@iafrica.com

3. Resources

10 Themes for Sermons on Environmental Justice by Steve de Gruchy

This document has been posted on the NECCSA Website. Steve de Gruchy is the Director of the Programme in Theology and Development in the School of Theology at the University of Natal. It includes notes on the following topics:

1. The Goodness of Creation:  Genesis 1:28-31.

2.  Jesus and Life: John 10:1-15, and Colossians 1:15-17

3.  The Noahic Covenant: Genesis 9:8-17

4.  All creation praising God  (Psalm 148)

5.  Creation as a parable of God’s Grace (Matthew 6:25-34)

6.  Balaam’s donkey  (Numbers 22:22-35; 2 Peter 2:15-16)

7.  Injustice and the environment  (Exodus 9:22-33; Psalm 24:1)

8.  The suffering of Creation (Romans 8:18-27)

9.  To sit under one’s own vines and fig trees (Micah 4:1 - 4)

10.  Water of Life, Tree of Life  (Revelation 22: 1-5)

NECCSA website address:  HYPERLINK "http:www.neccsa.org.za where membership details could also be found. You are invited to accept ownership of this website in order to use it to share information on Christianity and earthkeeping practices. Please send any information to the email address below.

You are welcome to distribute this NECCSA Update electronically to any other interested person. You are also welcome to send news to be included in the next NECCSA update to HYPERLINK "mailto:%20andrew.war emcemp@iafrica.com by 18 June. You may send such contributions in the language of your choice.

 

Distributed by EM Conradie 24/05/2004