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Earth Day at St. Paul’s

Celebrating God’s Creation on Earth Day 

Earth Day began in 1970 in response to growing concern about the effect of industrial pollution on human health, as well as on plant and animal life. As more faith communities got involved, Earth Sunday became an opportunity to give the observance a spiritual lens, recognizing the Earth as God’s Creation. Earth Day is observed on April 22. This year St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Bedford MA will observe Earth Sunday on the following Sunday, April 24. Our Earth-centered activities will begin Friday, April 22, and continue through Thursday, April 28. All these events are free and open to all.  For more information, please contact us at: green@stpaulsbedford.org

Also: check out this [Men’s Group Energy Flyer] developed by the Men’s Group, with several options for individuals and families to reduce their carbon footprint. 

Friday, April 22 – Noonday Prayer for the Earth, 12-12:30pm (on Zoom)
Coordinated by Interfaith Power & Light (IPL), this is a nation-wide observance to start their Faith Climate Action Week. We will use the Noonday Prayer service in the Episcopal Book of Common Prayer and include the IPL National Climate Prayer for Earth Day.  Email green@stpaulsbedford.org for the Zoom link.

Saturday, April 23 – Composting Fair, 11am-2pm (Bedford Public Library)
St. Paul’s is co-sponsoring this educational event, along with town agencies and other civic groups.  Come for live demonstrations of composting techniques, tips on reducing trash, ways to work together to address climate change, and more. Activities for kids, including building a composter, seeing worms up close, and photo-ops with a giant worm!

Sunday, April 24 – St. Paul’s Earth Sunday worship service, 10-11am (in-person and livestreamed on YouTube).
Our regular worship will be enhanced by creation-focused vestments, music, prayers, sermon, and a “Living Epistle” from a member of the parish Green Team.  The service will enhance our awareness of and appreciation for God’s Creation and our place within it.  There will also be a “Blessing of the Bikes and Helmets” in support of commuting options that are healthy for people and planet alike.

Thursday, April 28 6-8:30pm – Film viewing & discussion (in-person only)
Our faiths call us to safeguard the Earth for future generations. Youth v Gov, an award-winning film, shows the power of young people to lead. This inspiring story of youth activism documents 21 activists from across the nation as they file a groundbreaking lawsuit against the United States. They argue that the government has endangered their constitutional rights to life, liberty, and property by helping to create the climate crisis and then failing to adequately address its impact. Thanks to Interfaith Power & Light, we are able to show the film for free. To help us plan, please RSVP to green@stpaulsbedford.org if you are interested, even if you can’t commit.

Outreach

The Outreach Committee coordinates congregational activities such as regular mission trips and Bread for the World’s annual Offering of Letters. In addition, we participate locally in the Bedford Community Table and Food Pantry, the Diocese’s B-SAFE summer youth program, several knitting ministries (including Project Linus), and other local activities.

Worship & Music

Worship is the centerpiece of our life together in Christ. Our adult choir sings at every Sunday service. We rehearse at 7:00pm on Thursday evenings and 9:00am on Sunday mornings, before church. The children’s choir sings approximately once a month, on Family Sundays, and rehearses Sundays after church.

Education

At St. Paul’s we believe that we are all continually striving to understand our relationship with God more fully. Children’s education on Sundays uses the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd for preschoolers and a Kairos model for elementary ages. High school and middle school youth groups meet monthly. Adult education takes place through study groups and learning forums.

Fellowship

St. Paul’s is a family of God, and as a family, we enjoy being together, sharing our time, our interests, and our faith. We share food and fellowship at weekly and annual events throughout the year. We also provide meals, rides, prayers, and other support for our members in times of need through our Inreach Committee.

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