{"id":11988,"date":"2024-07-10T17:05:17","date_gmt":"2024-07-10T21:05:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/ecopreacher\/?p=11988"},"modified":"2024-07-10T17:05:17","modified_gmt":"2024-07-10T21:05:17","slug":"electing-good-shepherds-during-the-eco-crisis","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/ecopreacher\/2024\/07\/electing-good-shepherds-during-the-eco-crisis\/","title":{"rendered":"Electing Good Shepherds During the Eco-Crisis"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

God is raising up good shepherds, leaders who Christians can support as they work to protect and preserve people and the planet.<\/p>\n

Third Act Faith members in Grass Valley, CA, take part in the National Day of Action on 3.21.23. Third Act Faith website.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Here are ideas for preaching and teaching <\/em>Jeremiah 23:1-6<\/a> and <\/em>Psalm 23<\/a>. 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. These texts are assigned as part of the Revised Common Lectionary for July 21, 2024, the Ninth Sunday after Pentecost, Year B.<\/em><\/p>\n

Eco-Exegesis<\/strong><\/h2>\n Eco-exegesis is a method of <\/em>interpreting the biblical text through a green lens<\/em><\/a> using the principles of ecological theology.\u00a0 <\/em><\/p>\n Jeremiah 23:1-2<\/em><\/h3>\n***** ** Woe to the shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture! says the\u00a0Lord. . . So I will attend to you for your evil doings, says the\u00a0Lord.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n ** The Hebrew prophet Jeremiah watched his nation succumb to military invasion, desecration of their holy places, idol worship, and sacrificing children. His prophetic oracle laid the blame for this devastation squarely at the feet of the temple leaders and royal court whose members were unfaithful to God\u2019s covenant. Jeremiah called out these corrupt leaders as \u201cshepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep\u201d (23:1).<\/p>\n ** *****As the U.S. faces an election in 2024, it\u2019s important to look at the platforms of candidates to see which ones would \u201cdestroy and scatter the sheep.\u201d Are their stances and policies aimed to protect and preserve people and the planet, or to exploit and pollute them?<\/p>\n Project 2025 plans to decimate climate and environment regulations<\/h3>\n For instance, the architects of Project 2025<\/a>, the right-wing conservative action plan for implementing policy for a second Trump term, would decimate American climate and environmental policy<\/a>. The Project 2025 plan is to rollback regulations on the oil and gas industry and strip away climate and environmental protections<\/a>. Shockingly, this includes eliminating the Office of Children\u2019s Health Protection at the EPA. Woe to these shepherds who would open the door for more children to suffer from things like asthma and lead poisoning.<\/p>\n Jeremiah says that God will \u201cattend\u201d to these corrupt leaders.\u00a0 What\u2019s interesting is the intentional play on the Hebrew word, paqad.<\/em> God is basically saying, \u201cYou have not paid attention to my people, so now I\u2019m going to pay attention to you for what you\u2019ve done (or failed to do).\u201d\u00a0 It emphasizes the evilness of neglect and negligence of duty.<\/p>\n Which shepherds do we want?<\/h3>\n In contrast, the text says God will \u201craise up shepherds over them who will shepherd them, and they shall not fear any longer, or be dismayed, nor shall any be missing\u201d (Jer. 23:4). In light of the U.S. 2024 election, this contrast should inform how Christians vote. There is only one presidential candidate, Joe Biden, who has enacted policies that provide strong protections against carbon pollution and who spurred a clean energy renaissance<\/a>. The choice for future leadership is clear.<\/p>\n Psalm 23:1-3<\/em><\/h3>\n*********** ** The\u00a0Lord\u00a0is my shepherd, I shall not want.<\/em> \nHe makes me lie down in green pastures; he leads me beside still waters;<\/em> \nhe restores my soul. He leads me in right paths for his name\u2019s sake.<\/em><\/p>\n ** ***********In the Bible, the image of the good shepherd is a metaphor for the tender benevolence and fierce protectiveness of God.\u00a0 We can\u2019t miss the fact that in Psalm 23, God\u2019s restoration, instruction, and generosity are situated within a healthy, clean, and flourishing environment. By extension, then, those who serve as \u201cshepherds\u201d (leaders) in our own time must also ensure that the natural world can foster a healthy, clean, and flourishing community.<\/p>\n Third Act \u2013 seniors acting up for climate and democracy!<\/h3>\n Third Act action against banks that finance fossil fuels. Photo by Brooke Anderson.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n One example of leaders who exemplify \u201cgood shepherds\u201d is Third Act<\/a>, a national organization of elders in the U.S. who work to stabilize the climate and protect democracy. This intrepid group of Americans aged 60+ has organized the \u201cSummer of Heat<\/a>\u201d campaign to shut down fossil-fuel-funding banks and stop their climate-destroying activities. Over 12 weeks, local groups working with other climate organizations are engaging in creative, nonviolent civil disobedience.<\/p>\n Third Act Faith<\/h3>\n Third Act Faith<\/a> can provide resources and support for older members in congregations who want to use their life experiences, skills, and resources to ensure a safe and stable planet for future generations.\u00a0 They work with young people, local communities, and other national climate movements to elect leaders \u201cwho prioritize climate action and uphold democratic values at the federal, state, and local levels\u201d (Third Act website). These are \u201cgood shepherds\u201d who are using their wisdom, energy, and chutzpah to make positive change.<\/p>\n Churches can encourage their own elders to embrace the role of wise, experienced shepherds who share their expertise, guidance, and bold ideas for pushing back against climate chaos. Rather than seeing their age as a liability or hindrance, our age 60-and-up folks can draw on their skills, experience, and community connections to protect our climate and ensure a livable future.<\/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 ** *************God is raising up good shepherds, leaders who Christians can support as they work to protect and preserve people and the planet.<\/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 \nWho are your local and state candidates for office, and what is their stance and record on keeping communities healthy and protecting against climate and environmental pollution? Who exemplifies being \u201cgood shepherds\u201d that are worthy of our votes as Christians concerned about God\u2019s Creation?<\/li>\nWho are the vibrant, active elders in your church and community that can provide leadership in the climate movement? What are ways that your congregation can equip, connect, and empower them to be \u201cgood shepherds\u201d for the current and future generations of climate activists?<\/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 \nEducate your congregation by hosting a forum on climate, faith, and elections in your church. Invite local candidates to explain their stances and policies on climate and environmental issues.\u00a0 (This is allowed for churches as long as all candidates are invited to speak, even if they do not all accept the invitation.)<\/li>\nEncourage people to volunteer with organizations such as Environmental Voter Project<\/a> and to learn about the environmental records of candidates through Interfaith Power & Light\u2019s project, Faith Votes<\/a>.<\/li>\nHost a gathering of elders in your congregation and community who are interested in finding out more about Third Act<\/a> and and Third Act Faith<\/a>. Show them how they can put their expertise and skills to work to protect democracy and preserve our precious planet.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\nRead also:<\/h4>\n**** Preaching about Climate Change? Scientists Can Help!<\/a><\/p>\n Preaching 2024 Election \u2013 How will Clergy Navigate Issues?<\/a><\/p>\n ONE HOME ONE FUTURE Campaign Launching for Congregations, Creation & Climate<\/a><\/p>\n \n Looking for ongoing support, resources, and colleagues as you preach about environmental issues?<\/h4>\n***************** ** *****************<\/p>\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 apply click here<\/a>.<\/p>\n \n***************** ** *****************<\/p>\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 The Rev. Dr. Leah D. Schade<\/figcaption><\/figure>\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<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" God is raising up good shepherds, leaders who Christians can support as they work to protect and preserve people and the planet.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2929,"featured_media":11994,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[40,1784,1552,24,2457,1399],"tags":[2472,1781,2511,47,2505,2508],"class_list":["post-11988","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-climate-change","category-ecopreacher-1-2-3","category-election","category-environmentecology","category-religion-and-environment","category-religion-and-politics","tag-2024-election","tag-ecopreacher-1-2-3","tag-jeremiah-231-6","tag-psalm-23","tag-third-act","tag-third-act-faith"],"yoast_head":"\nElecting Good Shepherds During the Eco-Crisis<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"God is raising up good shepherds, leaders who Christians can support as they work to protect and preserve people and the planet.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/ecopreacher\/2024\/07\/electing-good-shepherds-during-the-eco-crisis\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Electing Good Shepherds During the Eco-Crisis\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"God is raising up good shepherds, leaders who Christians can support as they work to protect and preserve people and the planet.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/ecopreacher\/2024\/07\/electing-good-shepherds-during-the-eco-crisis\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"EcoPreacher\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:author\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/LeahDSchade\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2024-07-10T21:05:17+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/wp-media.patheos.com\/blogs\/sites\/764\/2024\/07\/Third_Act_Faith_Grass-Valley-CA-TAF1-1100x560-1-scaled.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"768\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"391\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Leah D. 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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. 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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\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Electing Good Shepherds During the Eco-Crisis","description":"God is raising up good shepherds, leaders who Christians can support as they work to protect and preserve people and the planet.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/ecopreacher\/2024\/07\/electing-good-shepherds-during-the-eco-crisis\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Electing Good Shepherds During the Eco-Crisis","og_description":"God is raising up good shepherds, leaders who Christians can support as they work to protect and preserve people and the planet.","og_url":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/ecopreacher\/2024\/07\/electing-good-shepherds-during-the-eco-crisis\/","og_site_name":"EcoPreacher","article_author":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/LeahDSchade\/","article_published_time":"2024-07-10T21:05:17+00:00","og_image":[{"width":768,"height":391,"url":"https:\/\/wp-media.patheos.com\/blogs\/sites\/764\/2024\/07\/Third_Act_Faith_Grass-Valley-CA-TAF1-1100x560-1-scaled.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Leah D. 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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\/11988","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=11988"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/ecopreacher\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11988\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/ecopreacher\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/11994"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/ecopreacher\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=11988"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/ecopreacher\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=11988"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/ecopreacher\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=11988"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}