Made in God’s Green Image

The Book of Genesis affirms that humans are made in God’s image – a God who creates, tends, and takes joy in the natural world. How do we fulfill that image? We’ll look at relevant Bible passages, celebrate nature, and explore the science of how to slow down climate change.

Workshop Description

Are you interested in what the Judeo-Christian and Quakers traditions have to say about humans’ participation in the natural world? Do you want to do your part to care well for the environment and mitigate climate change? This workshop is appropriate for folks who take spiritual guidance from the Bible, as well as those who want to better understand and communicate with people who do (Jews, Christians, etc).

Expectations

Participants should come ready to learn and engage in questions on the theme of what the Bible says
about caring for the natural world and how we can be a part of that, individually and collectively. We
hope you will be open to sharing your thoughts and experiences in large and small group discussion and
worship sharing. Participants will learn about what contributes to global climate disruption and look at
your own impact through the use of interactive online tools. You will hear how Friends in different parts
of the world have experienced and responded to environmental problems and climate change.
Together, we will explore ways to lower our ecological impact and limit climate change on individual,
community, national, and global levels.

Topics included

• The creation stories of the Bible and parables of Jesus, looking especially at the meanings of
• some of the original Hebrew and Greek words that pertain to the topic
• The Holy Spirit as described in the Bible (spirit, breath, and wind) and as experienced by Friends
• How Friends experience and respond to the effects of climate chaos in specific locations around
• the United States and the world
• Ways participants might engage more closely with the natural world
• Resources for understanding the basic science to make our activism more effective
• How to slow the rising of global temperatures
• Carbon and ecological footprints (of households and of meetings/churches)
• Resources for developing more climate resilient lifestyles and communities
• Ways to respond to the global situation that fit one’s gifts and leadings
• Resources for engaging in local, national, and international climate action

Approximate daily schedule

This timeline is flexible based on the group’s interests and the Spirit’s leading. The Gathering allows for 45 more minutes than is shown here.

9am Gather, worship
9:10 Read scripture passage aloud together
9:15 Important points from the passage shared by Sister Confianza
9:25 Small group sharing with queries
9:45 Perspective of a global Quaker
9:55 Break
10am Online tool intro from Frank
10:15 Participants try out tool
10:30 Sharing about the tool and its implications
10:45 Wrap-up and closing worship
11am Dismissal

Going forward

By the end of the workshop, participants should feel prepared to take a step toward one or more of the
following in their lives as they feel led:

• connect spiritually with nature
• reduce their ecological footprint and work with others to shape climate policy
• positively impact their meeting, local community, or wider sphere in relation to caring for the
• earth and creating resilience around the impacts of climate change

No advanced reading or preparation is necessary, and there is no extra cost for materials. Participants
are highly encouraged to bring a laptop or other WiFi-capable device to try out the online tools Frank will
be sharing.

Leader Experience

Sister Confianza is a Methodist-Quaker nun in Honduras who leads an online weekly Bible study with Quakers and Methodists from around the world. Frank is a college professor in Portland, OR teaching climate science courses for non-scientists, and has been an observer at several COP UN climate conferences. They have each written articles for Western Friend magazine, and in 2022 co-led an online version of this workshop through Ben Lomond Quaker Center in California.