Earth Sunday at the Cathedral

Submitted by Sondra Marshall

On Sunday, April 23, to celebrate this year’s Earth Day, Christ Church Cathedral’s CATS ministry (Climate Action Through Stewarding) helped to amplify attention on the state of our planet.  An all-ages service with a children’s story, hymns and sermon highlighted how we and all living things are inter-connected, joined by the abundance of God’s love.

Early in the service, the congregation was given stickers which asked parishioners to consider how they showed their love of creation.  It got people thinking about their part before they headed to the Parish Hall to enjoy a fair-trade, organic coffee and participate in an eco-fair.  

CATS members set up display tables, each focused on an aspect of environmental protection: sustainable mobility; greening our homes; heat pump installation; zero-waste; sustainable fashion; the city’s tree canopy; as well as a selection of books on climate change and action.  

An important additional component was a series of three questions that parishioners were asked to consider:

• What can I do?      
• What can CCC do?      
• What can we as citizens do?  

Those responses have been tabulated and will be shared with clergy, staff as well as parishioners.

The event generated a vibrancy and sense of purpose toward the complex, gnarly question, how can we -  as - one individual, one household, one parish make a difference?

Working together in a spirit of gratitude for this earth is a good place to start.

Photos by Lauren Odile Pinkney and Sondra Marshall.