2008 Celebration of St. Francis Sermon Contest

On October 4, 2008, Earth Ministry hosted its first Creation-Care Sermon Contest as part of the Celebration of St. Francis.  Over 150 people came to hear the six sermons and choral performances by the Trinity United Methodist and Plymouth United Church of Christ choirs, as well as to see four congregations honored as Greening Congregations – Grace Episcopal, Bainbridge Island, WA; Woodland Park Presbyterian, Seattle, WA; First Presbyterian, Port Townsend, WA; and Wesley United Methodist, Yakima, WA.

Lay Category Finalists:

Renewing the Earth Community by Annette Andrews-Lux
Calling us back to a sense of inter-dependence, we must open our hearts to a deep transformation of our sense of community so that we can no longer see Earth as resource but rather as part of our sacred community.

Renew a Right Spirit by Tom Walker
Text: Psalm 51:10-12
Draws a comparison between the Spirit, the breath of God, and the climate changes we are currently experiencing.

Keeping the Sabbath to Keep the Earth by Sherry Golden (Winner of the Lay Category)
Text: Psalm 145:9; Genesis 2:15; Numbers 6:24
Calls us into a return to the practice of sabbath as a means to reduce environmental destruction.

Clergy Category Finalists:

For the purposes of this contest, clergy included ordained ministers and vowed religious orders.

Staying Awake by Rev. Mary Brown
Prompted by worldwide concerns of climate change and environmental destruction we are called to awake and remember our interconnectedness with all of creation.

Abundance: Answering God's Call by Rev. Gerald Porter
Text: Matthew 14:13-21
Drawing on the Feeding of the Five Thousand and the Millenium Development Goals, this sermon calls us to live in abundance and trust God to help us restore creation. 

The Care of Creation as a Moral and Ethical Imperative by Sr. Mimi Maloney (Winner of the Clergy Category)
Reconnects us with the rich Mystical, Creation-Centered Spiritual Tradition where everything is sacred and revelatory deserving our utmost respect, reverence, protection and care.