BIND ALL CREATION TOGETHER

World Environment Day takes place on June 5. The NCC Life and Ethics Committee along

with Christian Environmental Solidarity (activists of various denominations), jointly develop

a service for the Sunday of that week which they invite NCC member churches to use. A

Joint celebration of this service, entitled, “Water of Grace, binding all creation together”,

was held in the Bethlehem Chapel at Yeondong Church (Jongno-5-Ga) on May 21 at 2PM

with about 80 participants.

In the Confession of Sin the congregation brought their divided and wounded souls to the

Lord, praying: “Lord, we cannot hold our heads up in front of your destroyed nature; it is

caused by our human intemperance… In a world ruled by dishonesty and tyranny we are

impotent and too weary to fulfill God’s law of justice and peace. Lord, acknowledge our

weakness and put away our obstinate mind. Please have compassion on us.”

In the intercessory prayers the injustice of polluted and deserted rivers, all who are suffering

the impact of water pollution, and the inequitable distribution of water between rich and

poor were lifted up.

In the sending forth the congregation was sent out to the world to serve the people of our

God who is present in all people, as Jesus has given the spring of life for everybody and

renewed us by the water of baptism. We are asked to go out to the world to listen

attentively to the dust-dry voices, to find dry places and seared souls and to become the

spring of life-giving water that wells up leading to eternal life.

Pastor Lee Sang-Jin, chair of the NCCK Life and Ethics Committee, gave a message with

the title, “River of life flowing out from the sanctuary”. Drawing on an experience from the

past, when the Taebaek area, suffering from a serious water shortage, was helped with

shipments of fresh water from the rest of the country, he requested the Korean Churches

take the lead in pursuing the integrity of creation and in particular through saving water.

In his congratulatory message NCCK General Secretary Kim Young-Ju commended the

“Green-Church”-award winners and once again stressed that in the same way air is not

owned by a single person, it is not legitimate for anyone to have a monopoly on water. In

the same way that water overcomes any barrier built by humans, the flow of God’s love

overcomes all barriers in life. Therefore the Korean churches must do their utmost to

preserve this water of grace God gave to us as a source of life.

At the May 21 joint service, 6 churches were recognized for their efforts as ‘Green

Churches’. The top two awards went to Gibbeun Methodist Church and Seongbuk PROK

Church.

Green activities of Gibbeun Church included enjoying the Table of Life in their congregation

with organic food, having direct contact with farmers from whom they buy food, and

operating a green shop of organic products. They promote modest eating among their

members, with the principle of the Empty Bowl, in which they remember not to waste and

eat all on their plates, while also being conscious of those with real empty bowls, those

who are hungry,. They also operate an environmental education centre, at which they run

programs for youth in the area, learn to produce things from waste materials, make soap,

and run a tree-planting project.

The activities of Seongbuk Church include a ban on disposable cups, volunteers who have

been installing insulation to increase the Church heat efficiency, and maintaining a

controlled temperature in the Church for both winter and summer. They grow a vegetable

garden, they make direct connections with farmers, and are part of the community

environmental movement.

Also receiving awards were, #3- Jageun PCK Church, #4- Jeonju-Yebeot PROK Church, #5- Jeongeub Central PCK Church, and #6- Hyehyeon PCK Church. All of these congregations are commended for their efforts to connect spiritual life to environmental issues.