Topic: recycling

Tending the Earth is also a matter of faith

By Rev. Charles Moreland | May 18, 2008 |

The Christian calendar distinguishes itself with its seasons of the year. The most publicized one is Advent; the second is Lent. Lent is a custom/ritual observed by the faithful that is a temporary surrendering of a pleasure for 40 days preceding the Easter celebration. It enhances our spiritual lives.

While in Roosevelt High School in St. Louis, I worked at lee’s Drug Store, where prescriptions were filled , medical advice given to customers who couldn’t afford a doctor, and sundry items such as toothpaste and tobacco were sold. Lee’s had an ice cream bar where we served dipped cones to our customers. It was my job to staff this bar. I still remember the sad evening when Pat, a girl friend who ordered ice cream days before Lent, announced she was giving up ice cream for Lent. That’s a long time for the teen-aged boy who had a crush on her. That was my introduction to Lent and heartbreak.

Now Lent is taking on a more significant meaning; it is recognized as a ritual accommodating spiritual growth and activating our spiritual resources. It is a spiritual enabler for recognizing, surfacing, and activating our inner spiritual resources. It is an ally in releasing our God-like inner nature. «Read the rest of this article»

Sections: Issues, Opinion, Spirituality | No Comments

Environmentally friendly bills stalled in Tennessee senate committees

By Beth Robinson | April 8, 2008 |

Have you attended a Tennessee senate committee hearing in Nashville? On April 2 Clarksvillian’s Faith Robinson, Nicole Donnelly, Debbie Boen and I went to several of these meetings. This was a Conservation Lobby Day and dozens of environmental supporters from around the state attended. Our main focus was to support ending mountain top removal coal mining and reenacting bottle deposits which encourage recycling.

We felt pretty helpless and uncounted in our seats watching the hearings since neither bill we supported was even voted on in committee. However, we could tell that phone calls and emails to Senators and Representatives really have an impact on what happens in session. «Read the rest of this article»

Sections: Issues, Politics | 5 Comments