A journalist friend writes to bleg about a story she's working on:
It's about how--and why--faith communities are connecting with the local food movement, sustainable agriculture, CSAs, etc. My perfect source would be a church that maintains a communal garden plot on its property, gives the produce they grow to local soup kitchens, gives congregants a chance to make working the land and contemplating the source of their food into a spiritual practice, and has consulted dietitians to make the case to congregants that eating local, organically grown produce is better.Do you know of any good congregations that I should talk to? Is anyone preaching the 100-mile diet from the pulpit?
I don't know of any, but I sure would like to. Can any readers help the journalist?
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Richard -
They're lucky. It's a three hour drive (one way) for me to get to the nearest temple (in Chicago). I'm lucky if I get there more than twice a year. I really wish I could attend, but we have exactly the opposite problem to the one you described. The majority of Buddhist temples are located in big cities, because that tends to be where more of the Buddhist population can be served. Whenever I bring up the subject of possibly trying to set up a (small) temple, I get the temple staff (not clergy, but the lay staff) telling me, roughly, that the temple is inside of me. They can't extend the kind of resources needed for any sort of a temple until there is enough of a Buddhist population in my area to warrant their presence. Of course, if I win the lottery, I might be able to make the case otherwise, but I tend not to think that the powerball is in my future. The question, then, is what do I do when I, as an individual, need the spiritual support and consolation of the Sangha (community), and they are three hours away? Do I move there, or hope that they can come here? If I move, why?
I am part of the 100 mile church movement. LOL Just kidding, the closest church that fits our convictions is about 45 miles from our home. I figured if a church is less then a 100 miles, then we are doing pretty good.
As for a church garden. I think it would be more logical for the members to grow their own food and tithe it to the church. I think that was part of the tithe deal in scripture.
Our community is definitely doing all of the above. We are in Lexington, KY. Feel free to email me: will at willsamson dot com.
Nothing disturbs me more than churches playing environmentalist. The problem, is that what you hear from the pulpit should be "absolute truth" and almost NOTHING the environmentalist movement says is.
Thus, we see churches promoting political goals and political positions, often not factually supported. Does it make any sense at all to substitute a flourescent made in a poorly regulated country, in a polluting factory, using huge amounts of power generated likely by coal, then shipped across the ocean, to be sold at great cost by an importer, which then fails way too soon, or gets broken, polluting your house or landfill, or maybe even your yard with finely dispersed mercury?
This is what happens when JUDGEMENT IS ABANDONED and narrowly considered fad positions gain respectability. Did ANYONE, ANYWHERE actually work out the benefits of using CFL's? I've never seen any factual and comprehensive analysis of the downsides vs the claimed upsides. I have made my own. They will NEVER be used in my home again. There's zilch for risk using the old faithful filament. And BIG risk using those crappy CFL's.
More of this ill considered stuff is promoted by churches from the pulpit, and it should NEVER be. Our responsibility to be good stewards of the earth the Lord gave us to use and bless us is very much on topic and valid, but when the line is crossed and politics drives the message, the Gospel is diluted and discredited.
My parish, Holy Theophany Orthodox Church in Colorado Springs, has just started a community garden. I mean JUST started. The beds are mostly in place and planting will commence as soon as the weather permits. People living near the church as well as church members are participating. Some produce will go to a soup kitchen.
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