Last weekend, faith congregations from all over the country participated in Interfaith Power & Light’s Annual Preach-In. Designed to raise awareness and encourage our national leaders to love God’s creation, this program included fact sheets on global warming; Valentine’s Day postcards for policy makers; the Preaching for the Planet DVD; and a Clean Air Promise sign-up sheet.
This year saw more than 1,000 congregations sign up for the program – a two-fold increase from 2011, with the greatest number of sign-ups from California. The program was well-received by congregation members. The Cool Planet group of First Presbyterian Church in Palo Alto took the Preach-In Weekend as an opportunity to integrate moments for mission and Earthcare. The pastor’s sermon was on the miracle of water, with many references to the book “The Big Thirst” by Charles Fishman and postcards to legislators were signed and sent.
Delhaven Christian Church, Disciples of Christ in La Puente signed postcards to legislators and signed the Clean Air Promise. Pastor Maria Tofoya, in her sermon “You can if you want to” encourages her hearers to heal Earth as Jesus healed the faithful leper. Jesuit John Coleman, Associate Pastor at St. Ignatius Catholic Church in San Francisco, took the Preach-In Weekend to further his ecological preaching in his sermon.
We would love to hear from your congregation as well. Please let us know what your house of worship did and we’ll spread the good word.