Faith and climate film series can help usher in the Season of Creation

LOUISVILLE — EcoAmerica and its faith-based program Blessed Tomorrow are continuing to spread the word about a series of short films that can serve as an educational resource and a fount of inspiration for congregations as the Season of Creation approaches.

The seven-part film series, “Caring for the Earth: Stories from Faith Communities,” shows examples of climate work by people of faith and how faith serves as a calling to make a difference as the climate crisis continues to wreak havoc. 

Image

Accessible online, the free series, connecting faith to climate solutions, is paired with a study and discussion guide to help groups and individuals reflect on the films and take action, even as environmental setbacks are occurring at various levels.

"As people of faith, we have a call to seek justice as we care for God's Creation,” said the Rev. Dr. Neddy Astudillo, a Presbyterian pastor and eco-theologian. “Ideally, policies ought to help us do it. When not, there is always something we can do to stay faithful to God's call to love Creation and protect the vulnerable."

Astudillo is one of two Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) members featured in the film. The other is Jane Laping, who encourages others to watch the series.

“I wanted to be part of (the) “Caring for the Earth” series because I was asked and because I know the director of Blessed Tomorrow, (the Rev.) Carol Devine, and I also know the filmmaker, Dayna Reggero,” Laping said. “I wanted to help them out with the film, and because I am proud of what my church, First Presbyterian Asheville, has accomplished with caring for Creation.”

Over the years, the church’s Creation Care Team, the session, church members, and staff have made many improvements in energy efficiency, recycling, resource stewardship and environmental education, according to the church’s website. It’s also an Earth Care Congregation that pledged to integrate environmental practices and thinking into worship, education, facilities and outreach.

If you’re interested in doing similar things, “Jane says don't do this by yourself,” Devine said. Instead, “get together and then we can inspire each other and encourage each other and that's what scripture tells us to do, right? Encourage each other.”

The series includes clergy, youth leaders and interfaith organizers, not only from Christian but also Muslim, Jewish, Indigenous and Baha’i faith traditions.

“No matter what faith we are, we literally stand on the same holy ground, breathe the same holy air, and drink the same holy water,” Devine said, "and in order for us to really address the climate crisis, this existential problem that we are all facing, we need to see each other in it, and we need to help move it forward together … We all need to come together on this.”

On a personal level, she said, it is a faith-deepening experience to hear people from diverse faith backgrounds “talk about why this is important to them through their traditions, through their sacred writings,” she said.

Image

The series, which debuted earlier this year, can be requested anytime to stimulate conversation around the environment and Creation care. 

“The film series itself is so encouraging in the way that it highlights how churches and people of faith are actively responding to the climate crisis with compassion, intelligence, love, and conviction,” said Jessica Maudlin, associate for sustainable living and Earth care concerns for the Presbyterian Hunger Program. “The toolkit makes it easy to host showings of the film series to jump start conversations in your own community!” 

Around the time of the Season of Creation, there will be special viewing sessions from Sept. 2 through Oct. 7, Devine said.

“Blessed Tomorrow is hosting a lunchtime viewing during the Season of Creation,” she said. “We'll watch the film, which is less than 20 minutes, and then we have various speakers who are in the film series who will then talk to us a little bit.”

The idea for the film series traces back to Devine’s own time as a pastor who sometimes found herself needing to teach Sunday school. She was a congregational pastor for 14 years in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ).

“I just really wanted to have quality tools that I could use for folks of different ages to be able to talk about and learn about — together — Creation care and climate information,” she said. “I created a guide to go with this that has suggested prayer, that has scriptures from various traditions, that then has discussion questions for the group to watch it together. Imagine a Sunday school class, or a youth group, or even an evening educational series.”

It's for those “local faith communities to do this together, but I also know there are some who are doing it together across the U.S.,” she said, adding that 5,000 people have viewed at least one of the films. 

Individuals lending their voices to the film include Astudillo, who coordinates a climate justice and faith program in Spanish, online, for the Center for Climate Justice and Faith, an initiative of the Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary. She also is a member of the Red Presbiteriana para el Cuidado de la Creació, a group of Latinx Presbyterian clergy and lay leaders and allies concerned about the effects of climate change and harms to the environment.

The film touches on a neighborhood tree planting effort that Astudillo took part in, in Tampa Bay, Florida.

“After two hurricanes, one after another (two weeks apart), our community came together to support each other,” she noted in a recent email. “On our own block, five of our neighbor families had their homes flooded and had to move away. We also lost many old oak trees. To heal from the loss and put our energy into caring, we decided to form a neighborhood group and ask the city to donate trees to be planted at a neighborhood park. It was our commitment to plant" and care for the trees.

That’s one of multiple examples of how everyone can do a “little part” to tackle the climate crisis, Devine said.

Learn more about the film series here.