Eco-Exegesis<\\/strong><\\/h2>\\n Eco-exegesis is a method of interpreting the biblical text through a green lens using the principles of ecological theology. Learn more here<\\/a>.<\\/em><\\/p>\\n Deut. 5:14: But the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God; you shall not do any work\\u2014you, or your son or your daughter, or your male or female slave, or your ox or your donkey, or any of your livestock, or the resident alien in your towns, so that your male and female slave may rest as well as you.<\\/em><\\/p>\\n What is Sabbath?<\\/h3>\\n***** *\* *****Sabbath is a day of religious observation and abstinence from work kept by Jews from Friday evening to Saturday evening and by Christians on Sunday.\\u00a0 The commandment to rest and worship finds its roots in Genesis 2:2 where God rested from the act of creating the universe.\\u00a0 God blessed every seventh day and made it sacred.\\u00a0 In Exodus 20:8 and Deut. 5:14, the Sabbath is commanded by God to be kept as a holy day of rest.<\\/p>\\n Walter Brueggemann points out that Deuteronomy\\u2019s invocation of the community\\u2019s memory of slavery in Egypt \\u201cintroduces a new motivation for Sabbath keeping, namely, exodus emancipation.\\u201d\[i\]<\\/a> He explains, \\u201cIn Sabbath rest, the community publicly asserts that its life is not defined by production, consumption, and possession, but by the economic emancipation made possible by the lord of the exodus.\\u201d\[ii\]<\\/a><\\/p>\\n Sabbath for the land and animals<\\/h3>\\n In Eco Bible <\\/em><\\/a>we learn that an ecotheological reading of expand the commandment\\u2019s relationship between humans and God to include humans, God, and the land<\\/em>. As Rabbi Dr. David Seidenberg explains, \\u201cFor the Torah, our relationship to the land is the primary medium through which we enact our relationship to God.\\u201d\[iii\]<\\/a>\\u00a0 Thus, with the Sabbath commandment, the land is given rest when humans refrain from work.<\\/p>\\n Further, the commandments extend to other creatures as well.\\u00a0 One\\u2019s ox, donkey, and livestock are also released from work on the Sabbath.\\u00a0 This shows that not only does God respect the needs of animals, but humans must do so as well.\\u00a0 \\u201cHow we relate to animals is part and parcel of how we relate to God.\\u00a0 Animals are God\\u2019s creation, too, so we need to treat them respectfully.\\u201d\[iv\]<\\/a><\\/p>\\n Jesus and the Sabbath<\\/h3>\\n******* *\* Mark 3:4:\\u00a0 Then Jesus said to them, \\u2018Is it lawful to do good or to do harm on the sabbath, to save life or to kill?\\u2019 But they were silent.\\u00a0\\u00a0\\u00a0\\u00a0\\u00a0\\u00a0\\u00a0 <\\/em><\\/p>\\n *\* The Sabbath is about freeing people from the relentless demand for work imposed on them by an extractive and exploitative empire.\\u00a0 But when the commandment is used by those in power as a means of control it can result in hunger or physical suffering.<\\/p>\\n *\* *******The religious leaders in Jesus\\u2019s time were weaponizing the Sabbath commandment so that it became the exact opposite of what God intended it to be.\\u00a0 Jesus\\u2019s confrontation of the leaders revealed that while the wealthy have no need to secure food for themselves on the Sabbath, those who live hand-to-mouth have no such luxury.<\\/p>\\n When practices of unfairness are codified, a system of inequity becomes entrenched.<\\/h3>\\n********* *\* This was what Jesus was challenging \\u2013 not the idea of the Sabbath, but the way the wealthy leaders had warped its interpretation in order to oppress the poor and sick.<\\/p>\\n *\* The description of the religious leaders as having \\u201chardness of heart\\u201d is a deliberate reference to another passage in Deuteronomy.\\u00a0 In 15:7, God tells the Israelites, \\u201cDo not be hard-hearted or tight-fisted toward your needy neighbor.\\u201d\\u00a0 Instead, they are to \\u201cgive liberally and be ungrudging when you do so\\u201d (v. 10).<\\/p>\\n *\* *********By allowing his disciples to glean on the Sabbath, and by healing the disfigured hand of the man in the synagogue, Jesus demonstrates the true fulfillment of the Sabbath. This is about relief from suffering and hunger, as well as restoration of community to those who have been ostracized.<\\/p>\\n Doing nothing is a spiritual practice of resistance.<\\/h3>\\n Today, the challenge is not so much the correct interpretation of the commandment but an economy whose relentless demands make collective rest nearly impossible.\\u00a0 Author Jenny Odell makes the case for \\u201cdoing nothing\\u201d in radical resistance to our economy\\u2019s \\u201carms race of urgency.\\u201d\[v\]<\\/a> Convenanting together as a congregation to create space for Sabbath is key to cultivating rest, restoration, and resistance to an oppressive economy.<\\/p>\\n 1 Eco-Idea<\\/strong><\\/h2>\\n*********** *\* The Eco-Idea is one succinct statement that tells us who God is and\\/or what God does in relation to Creation and how we should respond as people of faith.<\\/em><\\/p>\\n *\* ***********Honoring the Sabbath for both people and Creation is an act of faith. It shows that we trust God by releasing our need for productivity and delighting in God\\u2019s world.<\\/p>\\n \\u00a0<\\/strong>2 Eco-Questions<\\/strong><\\/h2>\\n*********** *\* ***********Eco-Questions are what we can ask to help a congregation draw out the implications of the Eco-Exegesis and Eco-Idea.\\u00a0<\\/em><\\/p>\\n \\nWhat person do you know who best embodies a Sabbath-honoring life? How do they make you feel when you\\u2019re around them? What places in nature allow you to breathe and experience Sabbath moments?\\u00a0 What can you learn from those places about healthy rhythms of activity and rest?<\\/li>\\nIn what ways does the church contribute to the busy-ness of our society? What could we shift so that it becomes a haven of rest for people?<\\/li>\\n<\\/ol>\\n3 Eco-Actions<\\/strong><\\/h2>\\n************* *\* Eco-Actions are ways that a congregation might respond to the Eco-Idea and Eco-Questions.\\u00a0 One of these possibilities may have salience for your ministry context.<\\/em><\\/p>\\n *\* *************\"Tricia<\\/p>\\n**** \\nSet aside times of dormancy, like the farmer allowing an overworked field to lie fallow for a season. Make space and time for sleep, daydreaming, doodling, walking, or listening to music.\\u00a0 Think of this like an agricultural practice that allows nutrients to return to the soil, permits new growth to spring up, and shows respect for the land.<\\/li>\\nStart a summer book study about the Sabbath. Some suggestions: How to Do Nothing: Resisting the Attention Economy <\\/em><\\/a>by Jenny Odell (Melville House, 2019). Sabbath as Resistance: Saying No to the Culture of Now <\\/em><\\/a>by Walter Brueggemann (Westminster John Knox, 2014). Rest is Resistance: A Manifesto <\\/em><\\/a>by Tricia Hersey (Little, Brown Spark, 2022).<\\/li>\\nPractice a \\u201cscreen-free sabbath\\u201d for an hour or more a week (or day!) to give your brain a break from social media and the \\u201carms race of urgency.\\u201d<\\/li>\\n<\\/ol>\\nRead also:<\\/h4>\\n When Earth Demands Sabbath: Learning from the Coronavirus Pandemic<\\/a><\\/p>\\n The Heart of the Earth: Jesus, Land, and Hope<\\/a><\\/p>\\n \\n Looking for ongoing support, resources, and colleagues as you preach about environmental issues?<\\/h4>\\n The new EcoPreacher Cohort begins in September 2024!\\u00a0 This is a monthly online gathering of preachers for learning and companionship to preach effectively in a climate-changed world.\\u00a0 This is a Lilly Foundation-funded joint project of The BTS Center, Creation Justice Ministries, and Lexington Theological Seminary.\\u00a0 To learn more click\\u00a0here<\\/a>.<\\/p>\\n \"Compelling<\\/p>\\n \\n EcoPreacher 1-2-3 is a partnership between the Rev. Dr. Leah Schade and the\\u00a0Interfaith Center for Sustainable Development,<\\/a>\\u00a0publishers of<\\/em>\\u00a0<\\/em>Eco Bible<\\/a>, a Jewish ecological commentary on the Hebrew Scriptures.\\u00a0 EcoPreacher 1-2-3 provides Creation-centered sermon preparation that is short, accessible, and based on a solid biblical foundation. To see other EcoPreacher ideas and to sign up to receive future EcoPreacher 1-2-3 installments, click\\u00a0here<\\/a>.<\\/em><\\/p>\\n \\n*************** *\* ***************\"Rev.<\\/p>\\n The Rev. Dr. Leah D. Schade<\\/strong>\\u00a0is the Associate Professor of Preaching and Worship at\\u00a0<\\/em>Lexington Theological Seminary<\\/i><\\/a>\\u00a0in Kentucky and ordained in the ELCA. Dr. Schade does not speak for LTS or the ELCA; her opinions are her own.\\u00a0 She is the author of\\u00a0<\\/em>Preaching in the Purple Zone: Ministry in the Red-Blue Divide<\\/a>\\u00a0(Rowman & Littlefield, 2019)<\\/em>\\u00a0and\\u00a0<\\/em>Creation-Crisis Preaching: Ecology, Theology, and the Pulpit<\\/a>\\u00a0(Chalice Press, 2015). She is the co-editor of\\u00a0<\\/em>Rooted and Rising: Voices of Courage in a Time of Climate Crisis<\\/a>\\u00a0(Rowman & Littlefield, 2019). Her newest book is\\u00a0<\\/em>Introduction to Preaching: Scripture, Theology, and Sermon Preparation<\\/a>, co-authored with Jerry L. Sumney and Emily Askew (Rowman & Littlefield, 2023).<\\/em><\\/p>\\n \[i\]<\\/a> Walter Brueggeman, Money and Possessions<\\/em>, Interpretation <\\/em>series (Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 2016), 51.<\\/p>\\n \[ii\]<\\/a> Brueggeman, 51-52.<\\/p>\\n \[iii\]<\\/a> David Seidenberg, Kabbala and Ecology <\\/em>(Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2015), 166, citing Aldo Leopold, \\u201cThe Land Ethic,\\u201d A Sand Country Almanac, <\\/em>ed. Aldo Leopold (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1968), 237-261.<\\/p>\\n \[iv\]<\\/a> Rabbi Yonatan Neril and Rabbi Leo Dee, Eco Bible, Vol. 2: An Ecological Commentary on Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy<\\/em>, (The Interfaith Center for Sustainable Development, 2021), 137.<\\/p>\\n \[v\]<\\/a> Jenny Odell, How to Do Nothing: Resisting the Attention Economy <\\/em>(Melville House, 2019), 54.<\\/p>\\n<\\/body><\\/html>\\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Honoring sabbath for both people & Creation is an act of faith. 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An ordained Lutheran minister (ELCA) for twenty-five years, Leah earned both her MDiv and PhD degrees from the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia (now United Lutheran Seminary). She has pastored congregations in suburban, urban, and rural contexts. She has authored or co-edited seven books: Preaching and Social Issues: Tools and Tactics for Empowering Your Prophetic Voice (Alban Books, Rowman & Littlefield, 2024); Introduction to Preaching: Scripture, Theology, and Sermon Preparation (Rowman & Littlefield, 2023); Apocalypse When?: A Guide to Interpreting and Preaching Apocalyptic Texts (Wipf & Stock, 2020); Preaching in the Purple Zone: Ministry in the Red-Blue Divide (Alban Books\\/Rowman & Littlefield, 2019); Rooted and Rising: Voices of Courage in a Time of Climate Crisis (Rowman & Littlefield, 2019); For the Beauty of the Earth: A Lenten Devotional (Chalice Press, 2019); Creation-Crisis Preaching: Ecology, Theology, and the Pulpit (Chalice Press, 2015). She is also the EcoPreacher blogger for Patheos. Rev. Dr. Leah D. Schade, author of Preaching and Social Issues Leah has served as an anti-fracking and climate activist, community organizer, and advocate for environmental justice issues. She is currently the grant director for the $1.25 million project \\u201cCompelling Preaching for a Climate-Changed World\\u201d at LTS in partnership with The BTS Center and Creation Justice Ministries. She also partners with ecoAmerica\\u2019s Blessed Tomorrow, and the Interfaith Center for Sustainable Development, with whom she writes EcoPreacher 1-2-3 for busy pastors wanting to address environmental issues in their sermons. She also served as President of the Academy of Homiletics in 2024. She has been a featured speaker for the Festival of Homiletics, leads workshops and retreats, and keynotes events throughout the country. 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Schade","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\\/\\/www.patheos.com\\/blogs\\/ecopreacher\\/#\\/schema\\/person\\/image\\/","url":"https:\\/\\/secure.gravatar.com\\/avatar\\/cb072b6df1f7d0968779a7d9d33d2056?s=96&d=identicon&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\\/\\/secure.gravatar.com\\/avatar\\/cb072b6df1f7d0968779a7d9d33d2056?s=96&d=identicon&r=g","caption":"Leah D. Schade"},"description":"The Rev. Dr. Leah D. Schade is the Associate Professor of Preaching and Worship at Lexington Theological Seminary in Kentucky and is ordained in the ELCA. Dr. Schade does not speak for LTS or the ELCA; her opinions are her own. The Rev. Dr. Leah D. Schade is the Associate Professor of Preaching and Worship at Lexington Theological Seminary in Kentucky. An ordained Lutheran minister (ELCA) for twenty-five years, Leah earned both her MDiv and PhD degrees from the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia (now United Lutheran Seminary). She has pastored congregations in suburban, urban, and rural contexts. She has authored or co-edited seven books: Preaching and Social Issues: Tools and Tactics for Empowering Your Prophetic Voice (Alban Books, Rowman & Littlefield, 2024); Introduction to Preaching: Scripture, Theology, and Sermon Preparation (Rowman & Littlefield, 2023); Apocalypse When?: A Guide to Interpreting and Preaching Apocalyptic Texts (Wipf & Stock, 2020); Preaching in the Purple Zone: Ministry in the Red-Blue Divide (Alban Books\\/Rowman & Littlefield, 2019); Rooted and Rising: Voices of Courage in a Time of Climate Crisis (Rowman & Littlefield, 2019); For the Beauty of the Earth: A Lenten Devotional (Chalice Press, 2019); Creation-Crisis Preaching: Ecology, Theology, and the Pulpit (Chalice Press, 2015). She is also the EcoPreacher blogger for Patheos. Rev. Dr. Leah D. Schade, author of Preaching and Social Issues Leah has served as an anti-fracking and climate activist, community organizer, and advocate for environmental justice issues. She is currently the grant director for the $1.25 million project \\u201cCompelling Preaching for a Climate-Changed World\\u201d at LTS in partnership with The BTS Center and Creation Justice Ministries. She also partners with ecoAmerica\\u2019s Blessed Tomorrow, and the Interfaith Center for Sustainable Development, with whom she writes EcoPreacher 1-2-3 for busy pastors wanting to address environmental issues in their sermons. She also served as President of the Academy of Homiletics in 2024. She has been a featured speaker for the Festival of Homiletics, leads workshops and retreats, and keynotes events throughout the country. She was the director of a Wabash grant exploring the use of deliberative dialogue in congregations and theological education is also conducting a longitudinal research study about ministry, preaching, and social issues that has surveyed more than 4,000 clergy and 1,000 laity since 2017. Leah received the Kentucky Council of Churches award in 2019. She is also co-founder of the Clergy Emergency League, a network of 3,300 pastors throughout the U.S. who provide support, accountability, resources, and networking for clergy to prophetically minister in their congregations and the public square in this time of political upheaval, social unrest, and partisan division.","sameAs":\["https:\\/\\/lextheo.edu\\/about-the-seminary\\/faculty-staff\\/leah-d-schade\\/","https:\\/\\/www.facebook.com\\/LeahDSchade\\/"\],"url":"https:\\/\\/www.patheos.com\\/blogs\\/ecopreacher\\/author\\/lschade\\/"}\]}},"\_links":{"self":\[{"href":"https:\\/\\/www.patheos.com\\/blogs\\/ecopreacher\\/wp-json\\/wp\\/v2\\/posts\\/11745","targetHints":{"allow":\["GET"\]}}\],"collection":\[{"href":"https:\\/\\/www.patheos.com\\/blogs\\/ecopreacher\\/wp-json\\/wp\\/v2\\/posts"}\],"about":\[{"href":"https:\\/\\/www.patheos.com\\/blogs\\/ecopreacher\\/wp-json\\/wp\\/v2\\/types\\/post"}\],"author":\[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\\/\\/www.patheos.com\\/blogs\\/ecopreacher\\/wp-json\\/wp\\/v2\\/users\\/2929"}\],"replies":\[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\\/\\/www.patheos.com\\/blogs\\/ecopreacher\\/wp-json\\/wp\\/v2\\/comments?post=11745"}\],"version-history":\[{"count":0,"href":"https:\\/\\/www.patheos.com\\/blogs\\/ecopreacher\\/wp-json\\/wp\\/v2\\/posts\\/11745\\/revisions"}\],"wp:featuredmedia":\[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\\/\\/www.patheos.com\\/blogs\\/ecopreacher\\/wp-json\\/wp\\/v2\\/media\\/11748"}\],"wp:attachment":\[{"href":"https:\\/\\/www.patheos.com\\/blogs\\/ecopreacher\\/wp-json\\/wp\\/v2\\/media?parent=11745"}\],"wp:term":\[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\\/\\/www.patheos.com\\/blogs\\/ecopreacher\\/wp-json\\/wp\\/v2\\/categories?post=11745"},{"taxonomy":"post\_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\\/\\/www.patheos.com\\/blogs\\/ecopreacher\\/wp-json\\/wp\\/v2\\/tags?post=11745"}\],"curies":\[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\\/\\/api.w.org\\/{rel}","templated":true}\]}}

{"id":11745,"date":"2024-05-24T12:14:56","date_gmt":"2024-05-24T16:14:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/ecopreacher\/?p=11745"},"modified":"2024-05-24T12:14:56","modified_gmt":"2024-05-24T16:14:56","slug":"honoring-sabbath-rest-for-gods-creation-our-health","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/ecopreacher\/2024\/05\/honoring-sabbath-rest-for-gods-creation-our-health\/","title":{"rendered":"Honoring Sabbath Rest for God\u2019s Creation and Our Health"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

Honoring the Sabbath for both people and Creation is an act of faith. It shows that we trust God by releasing our need for productivity and delighting in God\u2019s world.<\/p>\n

"People

Here are ideas for teaching and preaching <\/em>Deuteronomy 5:12-15<\/a> and <\/em>Mark 2:23-3:6<\/a>. These are readings assigned for the Second Sunday after Pentecost, Year B, in the Revised Common Lectionary, June 2, 2024. This is part of the <\/em>EcoPreacher 1-2-3<\/a> series to equip preachers and congregations for engaging the Bible through an ecological lens. <\/em><\/p>\n

Eco-Exegesis<\/strong><\/h2>\n Eco-exegesis is a method of interpreting the biblical text through a green lens using the principles of ecological theology. Learn more here<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n Deut. 5:14: But the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God; you shall not do any work\u2014you, or your son or your daughter, or your male or female slave, or your ox or your donkey, or any of your livestock, or the resident alien in your towns, so that your male and female slave may rest as well as you.<\/em><\/p>\n What is Sabbath?<\/h3>\n* Sabbath is a day of religious observation and abstinence from work kept by Jews from Friday evening to Saturday evening and by Christians on Sunday.\u00a0 The commandment to rest and worship finds its roots in Genesis 2:2 where God rested from the act of creating the universe.\u00a0 God blessed every seventh day and made it sacred.\u00a0 In Exodus 20:8 and Deut. 5:14, the Sabbath is commanded by God to be kept as a holy day of rest.<\/p>\n Walter Brueggemann points out that Deuteronomy\u2019s invocation of the community\u2019s memory of slavery in Egypt \u201cintroduces a new motivation for Sabbath keeping, namely, exodus emancipation.\u201d[i]<\/a> He explains, \u201cIn Sabbath rest, the community publicly asserts that its life is not defined by production, consumption, and possession, but by the economic emancipation made possible by the lord of the exodus.\u201d[ii]<\/a><\/p>\n Sabbath for the land and animals<\/h3>\n In Eco Bible <\/em><\/a>we learn that an ecotheological reading of expand the commandment\u2019s relationship between humans and God to include humans, God, and the land<\/em>. As Rabbi Dr. David Seidenberg explains, \u201cFor the Torah, our relationship to the land is the primary medium through which we enact our relationship to God.\u201d[iii]<\/a>\u00a0 Thus, with the Sabbath commandment, the land is given rest when humans refrain from work.<\/p>\n Further, the commandments extend to other creatures as well.\u00a0 One\u2019s ox, donkey, and livestock are also released from work on the Sabbath.\u00a0 This shows that not only does God respect the needs of animals, but humans must do so as well.\u00a0 \u201cHow we relate to animals is part and parcel of how we relate to God.\u00a0 Animals are God\u2019s creation, too, so we need to treat them respectfully.\u201d[iv]<\/a><\/p>\n Jesus and the Sabbath<\/h3>\n Mark 3:4:\u00a0 Then Jesus said to them, \u2018Is it lawful to do good or to do harm on the sabbath, to save life or to kill?\u2019 But they were silent.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/em><\/p>\n The Sabbath is about freeing people from the relentless demand for work imposed on them by an extractive and exploitative empire.\u00a0 But when the commandment is used by those in power as a means of control it can result in hunger or physical suffering.<\/p>\n The religious leaders in Jesus\u2019s time were weaponizing the Sabbath commandment so that it became the exact opposite of what God intended it to be.\u00a0 Jesus\u2019s confrontation of the leaders revealed that while the wealthy have no need to secure food for themselves on the Sabbath, those who live hand-to-mouth have no such luxury.<\/p>\n When practices of unfairness are codified, a system of inequity becomes entrenched.<\/h3>\n This was what Jesus was challenging \u2013 not the idea of the Sabbath, but the way the wealthy leaders had warped its interpretation in order to oppress the poor and sick.<\/p>\n The description of the religious leaders as having \u201chardness of heart\u201d is a deliberate reference to another passage in Deuteronomy.\u00a0 In 15:7, God tells the Israelites, \u201cDo not be hard-hearted or tight-fisted toward your needy neighbor.\u201d\u00a0 Instead, they are to \u201cgive liberally and be ungrudging when you do so\u201d (v. 10).<\/p>\n By allowing his disciples to glean on the Sabbath, and by healing the disfigured hand of the man in the synagogue, Jesus demonstrates the true fulfillment of the Sabbath. This is about relief from suffering and hunger, as well as restoration of community to those who have been ostracized.<\/p>\n Doing nothing is a spiritual practice of resistance.<\/h3>\n Today, the challenge is not so much the correct interpretation of the commandment but an economy whose relentless demands make collective rest nearly impossible.\u00a0 Author Jenny Odell makes the case for \u201cdoing nothing\u201d in radical resistance to our economy\u2019s \u201carms race of urgency.\u201d[v]<\/a> Convenanting together as a congregation to create space for Sabbath is key to cultivating rest, restoration, and resistance to an oppressive economy.<\/p>\n 1 Eco-Idea<\/strong><\/h2>\n The Eco-Idea is one succinct statement that tells us who God is and\/or what God does in relation to Creation and how we should respond as people of faith.<\/em><\/p>\n Honoring the Sabbath for both people and Creation is an act of faith. It shows that we trust God by releasing our need for productivity and delighting in God\u2019s world.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/strong>2 Eco-Questions<\/strong><\/h2>\n ***Eco-Questions are what we can ask to help a congregation draw out the implications of the Eco-Exegesis and Eco-Idea.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n \nWhat person do you know who best embodies a Sabbath-honoring life? How do they make you feel when you\u2019re around them? What places in nature allow you to breathe and experience Sabbath moments?\u00a0 What can you learn from those places about healthy rhythms of activity and rest?<\/li>\nIn what ways does the church contribute to the busy-ness of our society? What could we shift so that it becomes a haven of rest for people?<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n3 Eco-Actions<\/strong><\/h2>\n* Eco-Actions are ways that a congregation might respond to the Eco-Idea and Eco-Questions.\u00a0 One of these possibilities may have salience for your ministry context.<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n \nSet aside times of dormancy, like the farmer allowing an overworked field to lie fallow for a season. Make space and time for sleep, daydreaming, doodling, walking, or listening to music.\u00a0 Think of this like an agricultural practice that allows nutrients to return to the soil, permits new growth to spring up, and shows respect for the land.<\/li>\nStart a summer book study about the Sabbath. Some suggestions: How to Do Nothing: Resisting the Attention Economy <\/em><\/a>by Jenny Odell (Melville House, 2019). Sabbath as Resistance: Saying No to the Culture of Now <\/em><\/a>by Walter Brueggemann (Westminster John Knox, 2014). Rest is Resistance: A Manifesto <\/em><\/a>by Tricia Hersey (Little, Brown Spark, 2022).<\/li>\nPractice a \u201cscreen-free sabbath\u201d for an hour or more a week (or day!) to give your brain a break from social media and the \u201carms race of urgency.\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ol>\nRead also:<\/h4>\n When Earth Demands Sabbath: Learning from the Coronavirus Pandemic<\/a><\/p>\n The Heart of the Earth: Jesus, Land, and Hope<\/a><\/p>\n \n Looking for ongoing support, resources, and colleagues as you preach about environmental issues?<\/h4>\n The new EcoPreacher Cohort begins in September 2024!\u00a0 This is a monthly online gathering of preachers for learning and companionship to preach effectively in a climate-changed world.\u00a0 This is a Lilly Foundation-funded joint project of The BTS Center, Creation Justice Ministries, and Lexington Theological Seminary.\u00a0 To learn more click\u00a0here<\/a>.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \n EcoPreacher 1-2-3 is a partnership between the Rev. Dr. Leah Schade and the\u00a0Interfaith Center for Sustainable Development,<\/a>\u00a0publishers of<\/em>\u00a0<\/em>Eco Bible<\/a>, a Jewish ecological commentary on the Hebrew Scriptures.\u00a0 EcoPreacher 1-2-3 provides Creation-centered sermon preparation that is short, accessible, and based on a solid biblical foundation. To see other EcoPreacher ideas and to sign up to receive future EcoPreacher 1-2-3 installments, click\u00a0here<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n \n *****<\/p>\n The Rev. Dr. Leah D. Schade<\/strong>\u00a0is the Associate Professor of Preaching and Worship at\u00a0<\/em>Lexington Theological Seminary<\/i><\/a>\u00a0in Kentucky and ordained in the ELCA. Dr. Schade does not speak for LTS or the ELCA; her opinions are her own.\u00a0 She is the author of\u00a0<\/em>Preaching in the Purple Zone: Ministry in the Red-Blue Divide<\/a>\u00a0(Rowman & Littlefield, 2019)<\/em>\u00a0and\u00a0<\/em>Creation-Crisis Preaching: Ecology, Theology, and the Pulpit<\/a>\u00a0(Chalice Press, 2015). She is the co-editor of\u00a0<\/em>Rooted and Rising: Voices of Courage in a Time of Climate Crisis<\/a>\u00a0(Rowman & Littlefield, 2019). Her newest book is\u00a0<\/em>Introduction to Preaching: Scripture, Theology, and Sermon Preparation<\/a>, co-authored with Jerry L. Sumney and Emily Askew (Rowman & Littlefield, 2023).<\/em><\/p>\n [i]<\/a> Walter Brueggeman, Money and Possessions<\/em>, Interpretation <\/em>series (Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 2016), 51.<\/p>\n [ii]<\/a> Brueggeman, 51-52.<\/p>\n [iii]<\/a> David Seidenberg, Kabbala and Ecology <\/em>(Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2015), 166, citing Aldo Leopold, \u201cThe Land Ethic,\u201d A Sand Country Almanac, <\/em>ed. Aldo Leopold (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1968), 237-261.<\/p>\n [iv]<\/a> Rabbi Yonatan Neril and Rabbi Leo Dee, Eco Bible, Vol. 2: An Ecological Commentary on Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy<\/em>, (The Interfaith Center for Sustainable Development, 2021), 137.<\/p>\n [v]<\/a> Jenny Odell, How to Do Nothing: Resisting the Attention Economy <\/em>(Melville House, 2019), 54.<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Honoring sabbath for both people & Creation is an act of faith. 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She has pastored congregations in suburban, urban, and rural contexts. She has authored or co-edited seven books: Preaching and Social Issues: Tools and Tactics for Empowering Your Prophetic Voice (Alban Books, Rowman & Littlefield, 2024); Introduction to Preaching: Scripture, Theology, and Sermon Preparation (Rowman & Littlefield, 2023); Apocalypse When?: A Guide to Interpreting and Preaching Apocalyptic Texts (Wipf & Stock, 2020); Preaching in the Purple Zone: Ministry in the Red-Blue Divide (Alban Books\/Rowman & Littlefield, 2019); Rooted and Rising: Voices of Courage in a Time of Climate Crisis (Rowman & Littlefield, 2019); For the Beauty of the Earth: A Lenten Devotional (Chalice Press, 2019); Creation-Crisis Preaching: Ecology, Theology, and the Pulpit (Chalice Press, 2015). She is also the EcoPreacher blogger for Patheos. Rev. Dr. Leah D. Schade, author of Preaching and Social Issues Leah has served as an anti-fracking and climate activist, community organizer, and advocate for environmental justice issues. She is currently the grant director for the $1.25 million project \u201cCompelling Preaching for a Climate-Changed World\u201d at LTS in partnership with The BTS Center and Creation Justice Ministries. She also partners with ecoAmerica\u2019s Blessed Tomorrow, and the Interfaith Center for Sustainable Development, with whom she writes EcoPreacher 1-2-3 for busy pastors wanting to address environmental issues in their sermons. She also served as President of the Academy of Homiletics in 2024. She has been a featured speaker for the Festival of Homiletics, leads workshops and retreats, and keynotes events throughout the country. 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We trust God by releasing our need for productivity & delighting in God\u2019s world.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/ecopreacher\/2024\/05\/honoring-sabbath-rest-for-gods-creation-our-health\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/ecopreacher\/2024\/05\/honoring-sabbath-rest-for-gods-creation-our-health\/"]}]},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/ecopreacher\/2024\/05\/honoring-sabbath-rest-for-gods-creation-our-health\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/ecopreacher\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Honoring Sabbath Rest for God\u2019s Creation and Our Health"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/ecopreacher\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/ecopreacher\/","name":"EcoPreacher","description":"Exploring environmental issues, the church, and politics from a faith perspective.","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/ecopreacher\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":"required name=search_term_string"}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/ecopreacher\/#\/schema\/person\/bcb20fda56b53805c78fef984dde1821","name":"Leah D. Schade","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/ecopreacher\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/cb072b6df1f7d0968779a7d9d33d2056?s=96&d=identicon&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/cb072b6df1f7d0968779a7d9d33d2056?s=96&d=identicon&r=g","caption":"Leah D. Schade"},"description":"The Rev. Dr. Leah D. Schade is the Associate Professor of Preaching and Worship at Lexington Theological Seminary in Kentucky and is ordained in the ELCA. Dr. Schade does not speak for LTS or the ELCA; her opinions are her own. The Rev. Dr. Leah D. Schade is the Associate Professor of Preaching and Worship at Lexington Theological Seminary in Kentucky. An ordained Lutheran minister (ELCA) for twenty-five years, Leah earned both her MDiv and PhD degrees from the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia (now United Lutheran Seminary). She has pastored congregations in suburban, urban, and rural contexts. She has authored or co-edited seven books: Preaching and Social Issues: Tools and Tactics for Empowering Your Prophetic Voice (Alban Books, Rowman & Littlefield, 2024); Introduction to Preaching: Scripture, Theology, and Sermon Preparation (Rowman & Littlefield, 2023); Apocalypse When?: A Guide to Interpreting and Preaching Apocalyptic Texts (Wipf & Stock, 2020); Preaching in the Purple Zone: Ministry in the Red-Blue Divide (Alban Books\/Rowman & Littlefield, 2019); Rooted and Rising: Voices of Courage in a Time of Climate Crisis (Rowman & Littlefield, 2019); For the Beauty of the Earth: A Lenten Devotional (Chalice Press, 2019); Creation-Crisis Preaching: Ecology, Theology, and the Pulpit (Chalice Press, 2015). She is also the EcoPreacher blogger for Patheos. Rev. Dr. Leah D. Schade, author of Preaching and Social Issues Leah has served as an anti-fracking and climate activist, community organizer, and advocate for environmental justice issues. She is currently the grant director for the $1.25 million project \u201cCompelling Preaching for a Climate-Changed World\u201d at LTS in partnership with The BTS Center and Creation Justice Ministries. She also partners with ecoAmerica\u2019s Blessed Tomorrow, and the Interfaith Center for Sustainable Development, with whom she writes EcoPreacher 1-2-3 for busy pastors wanting to address environmental issues in their sermons. She also served as President of the Academy of Homiletics in 2024. She has been a featured speaker for the Festival of Homiletics, leads workshops and retreats, and keynotes events throughout the country. She was the director of a Wabash grant exploring the use of deliberative dialogue in congregations and theological education is also conducting a longitudinal research study about ministry, preaching, and social issues that has surveyed more than 4,000 clergy and 1,000 laity since 2017. Leah received the Kentucky Council of Churches award in 2019. She is also co-founder of the Clergy Emergency League, a network of 3,300 pastors throughout the U.S. who provide support, accountability, resources, and networking for clergy to prophetically minister in their congregations and the public square in this time of political upheaval, social unrest, and partisan division.","sameAs":["https:\/\/lextheo.edu\/about-the-seminary\/faculty-staff\/leah-d-schade\/","https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/LeahDSchade\/"],"url":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/ecopreacher\/author\/lschade\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/ecopreacher\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11745","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/ecopreacher\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/ecopreacher\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/ecopreacher\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2929"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/ecopreacher\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=11745"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/ecopreacher\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11745\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/ecopreacher\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/11748"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/ecopreacher\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=11745"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/ecopreacher\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=11745"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/ecopreacher\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=11745"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}