Throughout the Bible, we see evidence of the human inclination to predict but not prepare.  Think of the story of Noah’s ark. Noah knew a flood was coming. God gave instructions about what to do and Noah got to work.  When people asked why he was building a giant boat in the middle of an arid plain, he told them.  They laughed. What flood? They looked up at the sky, saw no clouds, and moved on with their day.

In the Gospel, Jesus repeatedly says, keep watch, stay awake, you don’t know the day or the hour. The thief will come, the son of man will come, the greatest crisis of your life will come. Jesus wants us to prepare in advance so we are ready. If you are in a posture of stability before the strong wind hits you, you don’t fall. The most complete preparation for crisis is deep faith. Daily trusting, listening and practicing a loving life inside God. That stabilizing stance is foundational all the time. But other practicalities need to be considered.

Climate change warnings have been coming for a long time.  Now the evidence is stark and steady. As Alex Steffan says, we are unprepared for what has already happened.  So, my friend, at this late hour, are you prepared?

Here are some questions for you:

What is the greatest climate risk in my area? If you don’t know, look here. 
What resources do I rely on right now to mitigate that risk for myself and others?
If that resource becomes unavailable to me, what can I do next?
How can I care for myself and others at that point?

The time to think about these questions is now.
 
As Christians, we have an advantage. We know how to share.  We offer shelter from cold and heat. We love and support each other.  In the face of extreme weather, we prepare so we can do more effectively.  One example: we could adapt our church’s solar array to charge a battery. Then we could air condition or heat our building if the grid breaks down.

There are reliable voices to help us with this conversation. Alex Steffan is a national leader thinking about the Climate Crisis and preparing for coming disasters.  He has been featured on NPR, New York Times, Mother Jones, 60 Minutes. He brings a common-sense perspective about what the future will look like. He even offers an online course called “Ruggedization” which helps people prepare within their context.  Here is a link to his most recent (free) substack article: LINK

Since at least the days of Noah, disasters have loomed on the horizon and humans have looked away.  It may be that we as a species are on the edge of extinction but its just as possible that we are at the start of a change that will bring humans and earth to a place of greater wholeness.  This crisis could go many ways. It’s up to us to hold onto Jesus’ vision of Beloved Community and prepare for the future in such a way that our faith and actions speak to that hope.

--Pastor Rebecca

This Monday, after a foot of snow fell, I clomped over to the church to shovel the walks.  Before starting, I took a picture of our beautiful building (shown above). New slate roof, new flat roof, renovated bathrooms and common room (a much more attractive and multi-use space these days!).  What God has done in our midst is nothing short of miraculous and we must not, cannot forget that!

This week, there was an article in the NYT called The Church Fixer.  It featured a Brooklyn minister named Rev. Dr. Katrina Foster and the work she has done in revitalizing congregations.  Katrina’s secret sauce for success might sound familiar to you: engage the surrounding community by holding more community wide events in the building, advocate for improvements in the community, ask for money, and get the building up to date.  The byproduct of this effort has consistently been congregational growth. 

When I began at St. Paul’s there were huge problems with the building.  The bathrooms were notorious for exuding sewer fumes, the common room had 1970s school cafeteria vibes, and the closets were filled with detritus.
With some trepidation, I began emptying the closets.  Soon, the whole congregation, moving in the Holy Spirit, began renovating and restoring the building and our relationship to Carondelet.

God (by way of the Diocese and Church Insurance) provided the funds to make the repairs. Lay leaders made significant sacrifices of time and skill, and the Diocese walked with us through the whole process. As I took the picture shown above and looked at our building so beautiful in the snow, I gave thanks. Then I began to shovel.
I kid you not, in five minutes, one of our neighbors who eats at our free meals and has spent at least a night or two sleeping in our yard, came up and insisted on shoveling. “I can’t pay you,” I said. He didn’t care.  He shoveled the sidewalk up to the Heigham House.  Before he was done, our new tenant, Mr. Amidou arrived home from the store. Immediately, he and his wife insisted on taking over.  They shoveled the sidewalk from the church awning door to the street. If you know our space, you know how far that is!

Walking home, people greeted me and asked about the church.  The love for this place is huge.  People I don’t’ even know are asking about my departure. Will there still be meals? What’s going to happen? The answers to those questions now rest in your hands.   

God has called us to this place and set before us a feast of love and opportunity. The Bible admonishes us to remember God’s faithfulness. The word, remember, is used over 8,000 times in the Bible. Remember, remember, remember! Why? Because we forget so easily!

Remember the Lord.  Remember the work God has done!  We are here for a reason. We are here to be Jesus’ love incarnated in our time and place.  Remember to stand on the promise that the God who began a good work in this community will continue it (I Thessalonians 5:24).  You are a part of this miraculous work!
I’m excited for what God has in store!  Even on these days of snow and short daylight, God has brought us through, and will be with us, strengthening us for what lies ahead. Remember!

-- Pastor Rebecca