The year was 1665 when the Great Plague of London occurred. Isaac Newton (He wasn’t a “sir” yet.) was a student at Trinity College, Cambridge University. Like so many others at schools and businesses during this pandemic, Newton was sent home as a version of “social distancing” to the family residence, Woolshorpe Manor, sixty miles northwest of Cambridge. It was there during that isolation that Newton had time to think. The legend is that he noticed an apple falling from a tree, and the result of his pondering was his proposal of the theory of gravity.
While we haven’t had a discovery as consequential as Sir Isaac’s, we have been ruminating on a subject that we think is a spiritual matter for the church – the stewardship of our planet and its resources. We are proposing to offer opportunities for our congregation to consider what is taking place with our environment. Beginning at the first of the year we are initiating “Oikonomos,” an eco-justice ministry for our church and community. The first part of the year will be invested in education – reading books and hearing from folks who have been engaged in this endeavor for some time. During the spring an Eco-Justice task force will be formed to design a ministry tailored to Woodland’s gifts and interests. We encourage you to think and pray about being a part of this ministry. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with Mike (please click the button below).
“For the beauty of the earth,”
Garrett and Mike