Wild Lectionary is for those who want to preach on climate justice themes. In scripture, landforms, skies, waterways, and creatures are transformed. In the world around us they are transformed as well by the advancing global climate crisis. Repeatedly we are called to attend to the wisdom of the more-than-human world. Each week a different contributor offers commentary on the lectionary readings, suggestions for preaching, and links to additional material. We hope you will use and share these resources.
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We are hoping to keep this resource going year-round. If you are interested in collaborating, e-mail Laurel.
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For preachers who want to engage with scripture and with climate crisis here are some tools for approaching biblical texts.
Know and be rooted in your watershed. It has long been understood as good homiletic and exegetical practice to name your social location -the webs of relationship, power and identity which influence your approach to and understanding of scripture. It is perhaps equally important to be aware of your ecosystem location, how your experience of and connection to drought, harvest, storm, herding, and fishing are at play as you encounter these themes in scripture. What are the creature kin, the predators, the waterways, landforms and plants of your place and your heritage that help you to understand (or cause you to misunderstand) the Galilean fishing economy, the Cedars of Lebanon, the lion of Judah, the true vine, the Good Shepherd and the lamb of God?
Focus on Climate Justice. Credited to various activists from the global south, climate justice is a term that asserts that the impacts of global climate change and the work of responding to it are not borne equally. Racialized, impoverished, Indigenous, coastal and island peoples experience the greatest impacts while bearing the least responsibility and are at the forefront of movements for land defense, mutual aid, and corporate and governmental accountability (Gabbatis and Tandon, 2022). Bringing a climate justice approach to scripture means focusing not simply on “creation” or “the environment” but addressing the interrelationships between human and ecological exploitation, extraction, displacement, and inequity.
Apply Eco-Justice Principles. Norman Habel and the Earth Bible Project have identified six principles in scripture.
The Principle of Intrinsic Worth: The universe, Earth, and all its components have intrinsic worth/value
The Principle of Interconnectedness: Earth is a community of inter-connected living things that are mutually dependent on each other for life and survival.
The Principle of Voice: Earth is a living entity capable of raising its voice in celebration and against injustice.
The Principle of Purpose: The universe, Earth and all its components are a part of a dynamic cosmic design within which each piece has a place in the overall of that design.
The Principle of Mutual Custodianship: Earth is a balanced and diverse domain where responsible custodians can function as partners with, rather than rulers over, Earth to sustain its balance and a diverse Earth community.
The Principle of Resistance: Earth and its components not only suffer from human injustices but actively resist them in the struggle for justice.
Use an Eco-Feminist Lens. The Rev. Dr. Leah D. Schade “the eco-preacher” has developed four additional principles.
Focus on Earth-orientation rather than focusing strictly on humans, and particularly male humans. Read Scripture through a “green lens” to ascertain how texts may be oppressive or liberating to women, children, those most vulnerable, and the Earth community.
Proclaim the good news for both the human and other-than-human community of Earth. Analyze the impact and power that certain texts will have when preached in a community of faith within its ecological context.
Practice a hermeneutic of remembrance. Recover biblical traditions so that we can view the biblical story from an ecofeminist perspective, moving away from the inherent human-centeredness and male-centeredness of texts that assume subordination of Earth and women.
Engage creative actualization. Tell stories from Earth’s and women’s perspectives. Reformulate narratives lifting up the discipleship of equals among human communities and with our Earth kin.
Consider the Ecological Triangle of God, Non-Human Creation, and Humanity. Hilary Marlow proposes this alternative method of ecological engagement which allows the texts to speak for themselves. She asks:
What understanding does the text present of non-human creation (local or cosmic)?
What are the assumptions of the author about God’s relationship to the created world?
What effects do human actions have upon non-human creation and vice versa?
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It costs approximately $275 CAD for the work of research, writing, editing, coordinating and hosting one week of resources on Wild Lectionary. If you have appreciated this faithful climate justice resource please consider sponsoring a page or asking your congregation to do so. It is a gift that benefits so many.
Advent 3, Year C: Vipers, and Water and Fire, Oh My
While most preachers and teachers are unlikely to go hard on climate justice on Advent 3, and John’s identity as wilderness prophet somewhat muted in this week’s gospel, the readings this week nevertheless convey: the sanctity and precariousness of water, interconnections between social, economic, and ecological justice as well as the way that relationships with the more than human world, particularly cultivated plants -fruits and grains- pervade the gospeller’s moral imagination.
Advent 2, Year C: Into the Wilderness
Gather up the locusts. Break out the honey. This week’s lectionary readings are a feast from the wilderness.
Malachi sets the table for our feast. This community memory from a post-exilic time in the life of the Israelites foreshadows John’s role as prophet and messenger. For our appetizer the Psalm reading is the song of praise offered by Zechariah, father of our host, who reminds us that the promises and mercy of God are being fulfilled through the coming one. John serves up the main course, inviting us out of our comfortable homes and churches and into the wilderness, not only to celebrate, but also to prepare, to prepare the way for long awaited Holy One. And Paul brings out the dessert, served with a sprinkle of joy and a dash of love.
This week’s feast is a clarion call to action as all four texts this week speak to what it means to prepare the way, encouraging us to seek forgiveness, to repent and live in righteousness, and to love in community. All action verbs. All ask us to take a deeper look, something that can be hard to do in the midst of the hustle and bustle of this holiday season.
Advent 1, Year C: Humility to Listen
In this season of Advent, we are once again surrounded by the noise of consumerism. Once again, we purchase things we do not need, create massive pile of garbage we should not have created, all for the sake of keeping up with the so-called spirit of the season.
What if, for this Advent season, we keep up a different kind of spirit, one that is ecologically attuned to the needs of our time? What if we listen instead to the humming and cracklings of the leaves and the trees, to the chirping and flutters of the birds, and to the barking of our canine friends who invite us to welcome the divine in more-than-human ways?
Reign of Christ, Year B: Cosmic Sovereignty
Who needs kings??? Really, in this day and age (and especially at this particularly critical time and place of danger on Turtle Island, under threat by a King in Orange) another power-hungry dictator twisting the world into their own cruel and greedy image is about the last thing we need. It is certainly the last thing that our more-than-human neighbours need, as the Earth groans under the satanic endgame of late industrial capitalism. And yet, and yet … as Luffy D. Monkey (perhaps under the influence of ontological anarchist philosopher hakim bey before him) reminds us … at some deep level, we all have a secret dream of sovereignty, even if this is paradoxically expressed as “King of the Pirates”. Kings, Queens, what does it all mean? And why does the monarch haunt us so?
Pentecost 26, Year B: Creation and the End of Time
On this Sunday, we have an opportunity again to think about Christ’s power and role in the cosmos as it is in relationship with all of creation. The focus in the gospel from Mark is on the end of times, which is a challenging topic for ecological preachers, but one that needs to be embraced. The texts give us an opportunity to reflect on what it means to love deeply, those things that are fleeting, dying, changing, as well as to ground ourselves and creation in the work that Jesus is doing to redeem and uplift all beings.
We are grateful to the sponsors who make Wild Lectionary possible:
This program is made possible through a Vital Worship Grant from the Calvin Institute of Christian Worship, Grand Rapids, Michigan, with funds provided by Lilly Endowment Inc.