The Rev. Lise Hildebrandt, a priest of the diocese and a convener of the Creation Care Justice Network, is inviting the diocesan community to join her this Lent in practicing both love and lament for God’s creation.
Courtesy photo
The Rev. Lise Hildebrandt
“I think part of the reason we are in such a crisis point in terms of climate change and the environment is because we see ourselves as humans as somehow above or not part of creation, which of course is not at all true. If we don’t love something, we don’t cherish it, and we get into a place where we just exploit it,” Hildebrandt said in an interview.
“So I got this idea to do this series ‘Love and Lamentation for Creation’ in order to give us a way of claiming the incredible, amazing fact of created things and also experiencing the grief of hurting what God created and has called good.
“Certainly Lent is a really great time to do that because it is a time when we do repentance, and I think this a huge area where we need, as a church, to be doing repentance,” she said.
Her series offers two ways to love and lament creation together with others: At six weekly outdoor gatherings (with COVID-19 precautions) in the Arlington area, on Sundays at 3 p.m., beginning on Feb. 21; or by using materials that she’s created for households or small groups to use outdoors on their own. The materials are available upon request, and can be adapted for use by people of different ages.
Each week of the series focuses on a particular element of creation (air, water, earth, animals, trees), and, along with Scripture reflection, litanies and prayers, includes time to move around and practice paying attention.
“I hope it kind of helps us leave with hope but a sense also that we need to be engaged in this work,” Hildebrandt said.
She noted that the series is an experiment and that she will welcome feedback from those who give it a try.
Find more details on this flier. For specific location information, to sign up for in-person gatherings or to request the resource materials, click here. Questions may be directed to the Rev. Lise Hildebrandt at lisehild@gmail.com.
--Tracy J. Sukraw