The Interdependent Web: Green Sanctuary

Ponderings of the Spiritual Life Director

The UUA’s Green Sanctuary Vision: A world that is viable and just for humanity and for the whole of the web of life, including present and future generations.

Have you heard about the UUA’s Green Sanctuary program? “Created in 1989, the Green Sanctuary program is a path for congregational study, reflection, and action in response to environmental challenges. It provides a structure for congregations to examine their current environmental impacts and move towards more sustainable practices grounded in Unitarian Universalism.” https://www.uua.org/environment/sanctuary/introduction

Quite a few years ago, some enthusiastic members of UUCL got together and began the process to becoming a Green Sanctuary. Truth be told, it’s a huge, all-church- encompassing task and we lost steam. Of course, I haven’t given up the hope that someday we’ll return to the task and become a Green Sanctuary certified church.

The topic of incorporating more environmentally friendly practices into what we do at church has come up frequently in the past year as we brainstorm solutions for removing the weeds on our grounds, cleaning, and providing hospitality. Many of us want to stay away from using harsh chemicals and using disposable products, especially styrofoam. At our last board meeting we discussed how we might approach this topic with all members and friends. It got me thinking about the UUA’s Green Sanctuary program again and wondering if we couldn’t just make a plan to tackle it in bite-sized pieces. After all, the small measures we take will eventually add up. I think it’s important that we just get started, or at least take advantage of the structure the program offers and just use those components that can easily fit into our current church culture.

As I was reading the Green Sanctuary webpage, I noticed they mentioned the need to be intersectional– “as described by the worldwide Sustainable Development Goals that start with the elimination of poverty”. I find work at the crossroads to be especially compelling. I wonder if we can work environmental justice into the other ministries we’ve begun- homelessness, LGBTQ support, racial justice- expanding the positive impact that we have. I encourage you to explore the Green Sanctuary website yourself and look over the program (use the link above). Do you feel called to do any of this work? What do you think we are uniquely situated to do here in our Lakeland community? Let’s talk about it soon!