Organise a day of fasting, prayer and campaign against Climate Change in your community

PDF logo Download printable PDF (for colour printers)

How does fasting affect climate change?

"Fasting seems both a spiritual exercise and a digestive one; it makes you see things differently, appreciate small mercies; and, despite its name, it slows you down.......it strikes me that it is potentially one of the most profound and promising of the responses to ecological crisis. Here you become aware of over-consumption in the most intimate and convincing way; you realise you have been eating too much, too fast for most of your life (and that is just the tip of the iceberg). You actually feel better and become happier by consuming less, and more slowly."

Harry Eyres, Financial Times, 19th October, 2007.

Contents:

1. Christians and Climate Change
2. Operation Noah
3. Purpose of the day
4. What's the basic idea?
5. Where?
6. When?
7. How long will it take to organise the Day?
a) If you are short of time:
b) If you have more time:

1. Christians and Climate Change

As Al Gore noted recently, global warming and climate change is not just a political or environmental crisis; it is a moral and spiritual crisis. It is driven in the first place by the global economy's reliance on fossil fuels. But the global economy's reliance on fossil fuels is driven by our greed and materialism. By our constant and unrelenting consumption of the earth's limited and precious gifts - forests, fuels, fisheries and fresh water, for example. It is this greed, materialism and indifference that insulates us, and others, from our spiritual needs. The need to love and be loved; to be connected to each other, not just to things and possessions. The need to be connected to the earth and all its creatures. And the need to be connected to God.
In the next few years the Church has a unique opportunity to help humanity prepare for, adapt to and avert dangerous climate change. No other civil institution has the spiritual and moral authority to lead individuals and society into a new way of living in community - with each other, with the earth and with God. No other institution can help bring about the transformation of habits, ideas, attitudes and lifestyles needed to sustain both humanity and the planet. The Church and all within it, exercising their responsibility to care for all of God's creation, can play a unique role and lead local communities into new ways of living.
The World Council of Churches in September 2007 said that "more radical reductions [of greenhouse gas emissions] are urgently needed" and called for churches to dedicate a special time each year to creation, its care and stewardship" (References and links to the above stories - and many more - can be found and printed from our news section).

(back to top)

2. Operation Noah

"The Noah story tells how God loses patience with human irresponsibility. Humans defile creation with their violence; innocent animals are caught up in the punishment which is inflicted on guilty humans. But there is a second chance, for the humans and for the animals. This second chance is reinforced by a covenant, a commitment. The humans are committed to new responsibility: God is committed to maintaining the reliability of the creation's processes of fertility. The animals are saved for their own sake. They are God's creation, and exist in their own right. They are not preserved merely so that they can be exploited by humans. Noah, the representative human being, is mandated to ensure their survival.The covenant between God and humans is certified by the rainbow. The rainbow is God's signature on the covenant, renewed whenever it appears in the sky." Bishop John Davies (from the inspiration section).

Humanity today faces a similar challenge to that faced by Noah, this time from global warming. Join us in answering the call, and help us honour the covenant, the new responsibility to care for God's creation.
The Operation Noah campaign is unlike any other environmental campaign. It enables people of faith to build God's kingdom in a world threatened by human greed and over-consumption and by the grave threat of climate change.

(back to top)

3. Purpose of the day

The purpose of the day is to help you, and your Church play a leading role in the community on climate change. The resources provided below are designed to assist you in alerting many people to the event you will be planning and organising. Operation Noah has prepared a range of ideas for thoughtful and meditative activities, that can be adapted for use by young and old, by people from different ethnic backgrounds, and even by those of little or no faith. There are background briefings, prayers and hymns. Ideas for games and role-playing, and videos to watch.
Using these materials, to put together a day of fasting, contemplation and prayer, you can help empower your community to tackle climate change. In a world in which so many feel isolated and alone in facing up to the crisis of climate change - you can bring people together, and together make a difference. It won't be easy of course. It's likely to be a long haul. But we guarantee that working in community, you and all those that participate will be inspired, enriched and strengthened by the day. Together you will discover that, by recognising our limits, by deepening our connectedness to others, to the earth and to God - we regain a sense of community and well-being, and so much more.

(back to top)

4. What's the basic idea?

The idea is to hold a Church Open day -- probably on a Saturday -- and invite parishioners and members of the community to come and spend time connecting with others. It will be a day for quietly praying, meditating and fasting. A day for learning about, and understanding climate change. A day for sharing ideas on how as a community, you can cope with climate change; how to live more simply within the limits of the ecosystem. A day for discussing how together you can campaign on the issue; connect with other campaigners; bring about changes locally, but also at governmental level.
Operation Noah will provide fact sheets on Climate Change, prayer ideas, and other resources for participants (please see material listed below). All of this material is also available digitally, and this should enable you to print out copies and post them up on the community notice board, in the local Post Office or Town Hall. Or circulate them widely - to people in supermarkets; to parents and children in local schools; to local charities as well as to parishioners and others active on climate change issues. Local environmental campaigners would no doubt be glad of your lead, and be pleased to participate.
Some suggestions on how the day could be shaped are outlined below.

(back to top)

5. Where?

It can be the Church itself, your meeting room or (weather permitting) the Church yard or garden, wherever you find will be most welcoming or adequate for the day. We suggest you organise a display with the material enclosed for people to read immediately, before their prayers, or take home; there should also be places for people to pray, for children to role-play, paint or make things - either in isolation or in small groups if they so wish.

(back to top)

6. When?

Whenever suits your church best. We suggest Lent as a good time. 2008 may be a good time. (Wednesday February 6 to March 23).

(back to top)

7. How long will it take to organise the Day?

Basically, you can put as little or as much effort in as you like yourself and each church leader will choose how s/he wants to organise the day. You may also find that others may want to help as well. There are many concerned about Climate Change and many people eager to do something about it.

(back to top)

a) If you are short of time:

If you are short of time, there will be very little preparation involved.

Advance preparation: You may want to advertise the event in advance by adapting the attached poster (black and white or colour) and placing it on the church notice board. You could also adapt and print our briefings and factsheets and distribute them widely.
Just make sure you give everyone time to adjust their diaries, and activities for that day

On the day: It would be best if you, or your fellow parishioners could be present all day to welcome those who simply want to pray and fast; guide those looking for more; and connect those who may want to link up with others.
You may want to keep it simple, and just arrange a display with the material enclosed.

(back to top)

b) If you have more time:

If you have more time and the willingness to organise something yourself, here are some ideas (these are obviously only ideas - feel free to pick and choose and add your own ideas too):

(please note that this section will be expanded as we add new material to the website, so watch this space and come back again):

You may arrange a simple service or give a short sermon at a given time during the day focussing on Climate Change and Care for Creation (some ideas will be added to this page very soon).
You might arrange for people to light a candle before they pray or meditate. You could arrange a pile of stones/or a bunch of twigs at the door, and invite each participant to pick up one up, and hold it while thinking about and connecting to the earth, God's creation. They could then be invited to lay the stone in such a way as to form a growing, concentric circle, symbolising the way in which we connect while widening our circle of connectedness. You may invite participants to sign the visitors' book and leave some reflections / comments about the day.
You may want to be more active. Perhaps organise letter-writing sessions, where participants are invited to write to their MP / the Prime Minister to voice their concern about Climate Change. Operation Noah provides a template of a letter to MPs, and give advice on how to lobby your local MP. (We would welcome copies of any letters to upload on our website and share with others.) While the letter can draw on Operation Noah's template, it should ideally be made a personal one, written from the heart. (see our page "Lobby your MP about the Climate Change Bill").
You may find that someone in your community is willing to give a presentation about Climate Change or facilitate discussion about Climate Change. Operation Noah will be able to provide a PowerPoint presentation and accompanying notes, to assist any keen speakers. Operation Noah might also be able to provide a speaker on the day. (Contact us for more information)
If you prefer something less formal, you could organise a one-off study group especially to study the Christian response to climate change (see some bible studies resources from the Methodist Relief and Development Fund here).
You may want to ask those who participate to write a prayer about the Earth, Climate Change and then read these aloud at the end of the day (or read the prayers provided). (coming soon)
You could organise activities for children, drawing on the ideas in our Children section.
You could stage a 5 minute drama-sketch for children (you would need a cast of 5 children and a little bit of rehearsing in advance) (see Noah Drama sketch for children).
You could organise a screening of the Operation Noah DVD or Video (there are a limited numbers of DVDs available; however, the DVD is available online (www.operationnoah.org/resources/videos) and could be shown on a laptop connected to the internet);
You could also organise a screening of the Oscar winning Documentary An Inconvenient Truth, featuring the former US Vice-President Al Gore. You would need a copy of the DVD, a DVD player and a projector. The DVD costs approximately 4 pounds on Amazon.co.uk. We could advise you on buying a one off video licence if you need to (it typically costs 25 pounds for a one-off licence for a congregation of less than 50 people, or 50p per person above 50 persons). (see www.ccli.co.uk for more information or contact Operation Noah). See also our briefing "Is Al Gore's movie "An Inconvenient Truth" really full of errors?" on our website
You could invite people to form an Operation Noah group in your village/ suburb/town, and then arrange to meet more regularly, using Operation Noah's campaigning materials (see our factsheet forming Operation Noah groups).
You could meet together to plan an Operation Noah pre-Christmas Arts and Crafts event - where people would use their skills, and learn from the skills of others - to make gifts for loved ones: scented soaps; delicious dark chocolates; pretty jewellery and beautiful Christmas cards. Making and creating rather than buying and spending will bring out everyone's creativity, and give them a chance to take pride in gifts that will be far more meaningful. Making and creating in community in the church will be much more satisfying, and far less stressful, than wandering around the shops alone before Christmas, buying gifts you probably can't afford.
You could organise a workshop to look at ways of reducing your Church's electricity bills; but also think of ways in which all the members of your church, and even all of your community, could work together - over time - to cut electricity bills, fuel consumption and waste.
Look at ways of starting an Eco-team or an Eco-Congregation in your Church (more information from our community action section).