WCC NEWS: Care for Creation: Decades of ecumenical advocacy

September 1 marks the beginning of the Season of Creation, five weeks in the liturgical calendar recognized by the fellowship of the World Council of Churches (WCC) and, since 2015, by the Catholic Church. It is an especially religious demonstration of concern for the planet and for threats to the survival of Earth as we know it. Women carry water to their homes at sunrise in Dong Boma, a Dinka village in South Sudan's Jonglei State. The women obtained water from a well drilled by the Lutheran World Federation, a member of the ACT Alliance, which is helping villagers restart their lives with support for housing, livelihood, and food security. Photo: Jeffrey/Life on Earth Pictures 01 September 2022 The agenda of WCC assembly events on September 1 also highlights the WCC’s emphasis on Climate Justice. In an interview prior to the Assembly, Rev. Prof Dr Ioan Sauca, WCC acting general secretary, explained that the climate “is a theological issue. God’s plan in Christ was also the reconciliation and healing of the whole creation.” Throughout the 1960s and 1970s, scientific research, nonfiction publications and public hearings brought an unprecedented focus on the range of ecological questions confronting the natural environment. For the global ecumenical movement, two transformational events brought matters of “stewardship” and care for God’s creation to centre-stage. In 1974, the World Council of Churches organized a conference on Science and Technology for Human Development where it was recognized that the common approach to “development” around the world was dangerous without an accompanying concern for sustainability and justice. A second conference was held in 1979 at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology dealing with Science, Faith and the Future. The materials produced and press coverage received from these events raised the consciousness of people in WCC member churches. Lukas Vischer, who was stepping down as director of Faith and Order in 1979, was particularly active in ecumenical circles, promoting a theological and ethical commitment to God’s creation. In a tribute published at the time of Vischer’s death, WCC general secretary Samuel Kobia wrote that the WCC was “grateful for his strong commitment to God's suffering creation during the time of the Conciliar Process for Justice, Peace and the Integrity of Creation that followed the 1983 Vancouver Assembly and culminated in a World Convocation in 1990 in Seoul.” In 1989, the late Ecumenical Patriarch Dimitros I proclaimed the first of September as the Orthodox Day of Prayer for Creation. Subsequently, the WCC extended the period of prayer and action until the feast day of Saint Francis of Assisi, 4 October. In 2015, Pope Francis (who had adopted his papal name in honour of Francis of Assisi) endorsed the Season of Creation as a practice of the Catholic Church. In his interview, Sauca observed that the WCC is the only faith-based organization with a permanent presence in the United Nation’s Framework Convention on Climate Change. The Council has been represented at all UN climate conferences since the Earth Summit of 1992 in Rio de Janeiro. The promotion of climate justice and the celebration of a season for creation are still ecumenical works in progress. But the history behind them is evident in the assembly hymn for the morning prayer, adapted from a canticle attributed to St. Francis: “All creatures of our God and king, lift up your voice and let us sing. O praise ye! Alleluia!” Care for creation and climate justice Livestream of the WCC 11th Assembly in Karlsruhe, Germany Photos of the WCC 11th Assembly in Karlsruhe, Germany WCC 11th Assembly in Karlsruhe, Germany See more

The World Council of Churches promotes Christian unity in faith, witness and service for a just and peaceful world. An ecumenical fellowship of churches founded in 1948, today the WCC brings together 352 Protestant, Orthodox, Anglican and other churches representing more than 580 million Christians in over 120 countries, and works cooperatively with the Roman Catholic Church. The WCC acting general secretary is Rev. Prof. Dr Ioan Sauca, from the Orthodox Church in Romania.  Media contact: +41 79 507 6363; www.oikoumene.org/press Our visiting address is: World Council of Churches 150 route de Ferney Geneve 2 1211 Switzerland

Change.org Petition: Petition for Bravo to launch investigation on targeted bot attack towards Garcelle’s son

Jax Nilon is the 14-year-old son of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star, Garcelle Beauvais. Following Garcelle’s onscreen feud with her co-stars, Jax became a target for fans of the shows. He has received hundreds of racist, hateful, and threatening messages from Real Housewives fans. The petition starter and thousands of signers believe that a cast member might be spearheading the harassment from anonymous accounts. Add your name to urge Bravo to launch an investigation and ensure Jax’s safety. Petition for Bravo to launch investigation on targeted bot attack towards Garcelle’s son 6,892 have signed Justice 4 Jax’s petition. Let’s get to 7,500!

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No child should ever have to deal with this level of harassment or racism and the fact that this was an intentional, targeted bot attack that someone paid for makes it all the more despicable.    Certain details surrounding the situation have raised suspicions about who may have been behind this, and we demand that Bravo look into this so as to ensure the safety of Jax by ensuring that no housewife was behind this.  Bravo needs to investigate this further. Bravo needs to walk the talk. If you agree, PLEASE sign this petition.

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At Change.org, we believe in the voice of everyday people. Is there something that you want to change? Start a petition today

Presbyterian Peace Fellowship - 📣 Announcing the new Peace Church study guide!

Announcing the new Peace Church Study Guide! One year ago today, the United States withdrew from 20 years of war in Afghanistan. And according to the Costs of War project, Afghanistan is far worse off than when the war started. Additionally, the amount of money that has been spent to aid Afghanistan pales in comparison to the amount we have spent on military contractors, over $33 billion of which went to undisclosed contractors.1 Not only that, but the US continues to freeze Afghan money which could address the humanitarian crisis that has evolved since the withdrawal. On this one year anniversary it is clear that, as US residents, we must reckon with this legacy of war and the cost of war, economically, environmentally and to humanity. We must work diligently to dismantle systems of violence and oppose militarism, the global expansion of the U.S. military and the war economy. GET THE STUDY GUIDE The PC(USA) invites all congregations to deepen their peacemaking witness to reject violence and war and embrace Jesus’ way of nonviolence by becoming a Peace Church. This new study guide is a first step to your congregation's discernment. The curriculum was developed in a collaborative effort by the Presbyterian Peacemaking Program and the Presbyterian Peace Fellowship and will support congregations, study groups, youth groups, and individuals in thinking about the challenges of responding to violence, militarism, and war. The materials include lessons on Christian nonviolence; video and print resources; and the interactive Inventory of Conscience Survey.  Take a look at the new study guide We look forward to accompanying you in your discernment process -- stay tuned for upcoming opportunities to engage with this study guide in community. Committed with you, Geoff Browning and the Peace Church Working Group For more information see: The Costs of War Project Presbyterian Peace Fellowship 845-786-6743 | presbypeacefellowship.org Instagram | Facebook | Twitter DONATE

WCC NEWS: #ThursdaysinBlack: Stories flow from the Waterfall Tapestry

The Waterfall Tapestry of Solidarity and Resistance has now been assembled and is on display at the WCC’s 11th Assembly, in Karlsruhe, Germany. 31 August 2022, Karlsruhe, Germany: Vlado Bulic photographs a tapestry supporting the “Thursdays in Black” campaign against gender-based violence that hangs at the World Council of Churches' 11th Assembly in Karlsruhe, Germany. The tapestry is designed as a waterfall with messages and images from around the world. The assembly takes place August 31 to September 8 under the theme "Christ's Love Moves the World to Reconciliation and Unity." Photo: Mike DuBose/WCC 01 September 2022 Do not break a woman's wings of flight… I sewed wounds lived by my sister who was massacred by her partner… Violence against women, rape and injustice, is nothing else but evil and darkness, and we ask Christ to bring light to those that suffer and to drive out the darkness. Stop the violence because you are not only scarring us physically but emotionally also. We will listen to you. We will respect you and we will believe you. Not for one, but for all, we hope for justice! The Waterfall Tapestry of Solidarity and Resistance has now been assembled and is on display at the WCC’s 11th Assembly, in Karlsruhe, Germany. Each of the panels woven into the tapestry represents a lived experience and a message of commitment to speak and act for a world without rape and violence. The Waterfall is a tangible symbol of the Thursdays in Black campaign, in which individuals, churches, groups, and organizations show that they are a part of a global movement to eliminate gender-based violence. The campaign is simple yet profound. Wear black on Thursdays.  Wear a pin to declare you are part of the global movement working towards a world without rape and violence. Show respect for resilient women in the face of injustice and violence. As one woman shared when she sent in her panel, “Thursdays in Black is a campaign that unites solidarity in this field of vulnerability. It gives not only victims like me but all people a platform of solidarity in the fight against rape and gender-based violence - not only for exchanging experiences, which is the focus in many other places, but in a multi-layered, intelligent and cautious activist way. At the same time, one feels - especially as a victim - a hopeful orientation, which goes hand in hand with joint, solidarity-based actions and statements." The Tapestry will continue to grow. More panels, more stories are coming to this Assembly. If you have a panel to add, please contact Sara Speicher, ssp@wcc-coe.org. The Waterfall Tapestry is displayed in the main plenary hall of the Assembly (Gartenhalle). The power of the Waterfall Tapestry is not only in each panel, but in the story of it creation. #ThursdaysinBlack Waterfall of Solidarity and Resistance Vidoe Carrying women‘s stories of survival and hope, Waterfall of Solidarity and Resistance makes its way to WCC 11th Assembly Tapestry artist Janine Marja Schneider sews regret, hope, and love into “Waterfall of Solidarity and Resistance” Thursdays in Black WCC 11th Assembly in Karlsruhe, Germany See more

The World Council of Churches promotes Christian unity in faith, witness and service for a just and peaceful world. An ecumenical fellowship of churches founded in 1948, today the WCC brings together 352 Protestant, Orthodox, Anglican and other churches representing more than 580 million Christians in over 120 countries, and works cooperatively with the Roman Catholic Church. The WCC acting general secretary is Rev. Prof. Dr Ioan Sauca, from the Orthodox Church in Romania.  Media contact: +41 79 507 6363; www.oikoumene.org/press Our visiting address is: World Council of Churches 150 route de Ferney Geneve 2 1211 Switzerland