Caring for Creation

Love God. Love Your Neighbor. Change the World.

There are two stories of creation in the book of Genesis. In the first, God creates the earth and all the creatures who inhabit the earth, THEN God creates a human, translated from the Hebrew as “earth creature.” In the second account, after God has created the light, water, and earth, God creates the “earth creature,” THEN creates the animals as companions for this creature. Both accounts are clear: humankind and the earth are meant to be in harmony with one another and in harmony with the Creator.

At Church of the Nativity we believe that our faith in Jesus, our reverence for the earth, and our service to others are deeply woven together in our life of faith. We seek a connection to God through our connections with one another, through caring for the natural world, and through an examination of our interior life. All these things are a form of prayer. We hope that the reflections of this blog reveal and inspire this belief.

To join Nativity’s Environmental Stewardship team or for more information, please Email Carl Sigel.

For more information about the many environmental stewardship projects and other outreach projects that members of Nativity are involved in, please visit our Outreach page.

Most Recent Blog Posts in the Caring for Creation Category

  • Spring 2024 CSA
    by Carl Sigel Since Nativity’s earliest days, one of the cornerstones of our mission has been to explore how we grow, eat, and share food. In 2021, Nativity partnered with nine other Raleigh congregations in a program to support our local Black farmers. The program, called Farm to Church Community Supported Agriculture or CSA, was… Read more: Spring 2024 CSA
  • Update on Environmental Stewardship at Nativity
    by The Rev. Stephanie Allen We gathered after church on Sunday, September 24 to reflect on what has been done, to hear what is going on in the wider diocese, and to brainstorm what Nativity might do in regards to environmental stewardship going forward. After the discussion, two potential projects emerged that we could begin… Read more: Update on Environmental Stewardship at Nativity
  • New Season of Farm to Church CSA
    by Carl Sigel Win, win, win: Support local black farmers, obtain nutritious produce, help build the Beloved Community, and save the planet by joining the Farm to Church CSA. Since Nativity’s earliest days, one of the cornerstones of our mission has been to explore how we grow, eat, and share food. In 2021, Nativity partnered… Read more: New Season of Farm to Church CSA
  • Join the Farm to Church CSA
    Becoming the Beloved Community: Join the Farm to Church CSAby Carl Sigel Since Nativity’s earliest days, one of the cornerstones of our mission has been to explore how we grow, eat, and share food. In 2021, Nativity partnered with nine other Raleigh congregations in a program to support our local Black farmers. The program, called… Read more: Join the Farm to Church CSA
  • The Pentagon, Climate Change and War
    Creation Care webinar: The Pentagon, Climate Change and WarA Zoom Forum on January 17 at 12 noonCarl Sigel As people of faith, we glimpse the peace of heaven and seek a new world of peace here on earth.  Please join Interfaith Creation Care of the Triangle and other sponsors for this Zoom forum with Neta… Read more: The Pentagon, Climate Change and War
  • Nativity is Carbon Offsetting Its 2021 Energy Usage!
    Becky Showalter Thanks to much work and gnashing of teeth by Nancy Reed and Rene Garces, Nativity has calculated its energy usage for 2021 and thereby our own carbon footprint!  Even with our solar panels, we used half again more electricity than we produced – over 13,000 kWh.  Based on that value, our carbon footprint… Read more: Nativity is Carbon Offsetting Its 2021 Energy Usage!
  • Reduce your Carbon Footprint
    So now that you know your carbon footprint (see previous blog post), what now? Before we think about how to offset our effect on the environment, we should brainstorm on ways to reduce it!There are so many things that can be done:1. On an individual level, there are big ideas like adding solar to your home, purchasing… Read more: Reduce your Carbon Footprint
  • What you need to calculate your footprint
    Becky Showalter Last week, we talked about what environmental footprints* and carbon footprints are. This week we are going to concentrate on how you calculate your carbon footprint? Here’s what you’ll need for a basic estimate – annual electricity and gas bills (average monthly usage) and vehicle(s) annual mileage and average mpg for your vehicle(s). Not so hard! Got to www.haitireforest.org/calculator and calculate… Read more: What you need to calculate your footprint