Earth Day Sunday
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Earth Day Sunday

Since the first Earth Day 50 years ago, Christian communities have honored Earth Day Sunday: a chance for churches to celebrate Earth Day together in their houses of worship. This tradition has ecumenical, bipartisan roots.
Creation Justice Ministries, an ecumenical organization with a mission to educate, equip, and mobilize faith communities to protect, restore, and more rightly share God’s creation, equips faith communities with Earth Day Sunday materials on a different theme each year. Creation Justice Ministries’ board decides what the theme of the materials should be based on what they hear is most relevant in their communities.
2020 marks the beginning of a crucial decade of urgent climate action. According to the 2018 report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, we must act now to ensure God’s creation can continue to sustain life.
For this reason, the 2020 Earth Day Sunday theme is: The Fierce Urgency of Now. The theme is based on the Martin Luther King quote:..

Is Tech the New Way Forward for the Church? The Pros and Cons
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Is Tech the New Way Forward for the Church? The Pros and Cons

During this moment when COVID-19 has sent some of us to our homes surrounding us with the need to Zoom our days away and sit in front of eye-damaging screens, I ponder the pros and cons of a technological age that could possibly become the new normal for many folks. My wonder goes to our churches that find themselves gathering around Facebook live instead of in their pews. Pastors and church staff learning how to edit videos and splice together meaningful services all at the same time trying to make it feel like “church”. Though technology is what we are forced to use in the current moment, is this new way forward? Will this stick and become a part of how we do church?
I along with many millennials think of my cell phone as essential. I also think that without the Internet I may go into complete shock and never recover. But as we’ve seen in the media and public discourse, millennials are 1.) often confused with Generation Z and 2.) are falsely accused of always being reliant on techno..

National Poetry Month: Lynn Ungar
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National Poetry Month: Lynn Ungar

In light of April being National Poetry Month, every Monday in April, Unbound will publish a poem. I will select the poems, by nationally recognized poets, because they speak in one way or another to what we are all facing in light of pandemic.
In the first column, I shared my background and experience with poetry. I don’t need to do that again. As I share these poems, I remember what I learned many years ago as an undergraduate in my first poetry class: a good poem should, usually, be able to speak for itself and does not elaborate introduction before being read. In light of that wisdom, I will keep my introductions brief.
The second selection in this series is by Lynn Unger. It is a new poem written in March. Its timeliness is apparent. Lynn Unger is a Unitarian Universalist minister who lives in the San Francisco Bay area. I’m particularly fond of two other poems by Ms. Unger, “Camas Lilies” and “The Way It Is”. I appreciate Ms. Unger giving permission for me to reproduce her poe..

The Arts and Justice Project Finalist
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The Arts and Justice Project Finalist

The Arts and Justice Project has chosen out of the amazing submissions these artists and writers as the top submissions this year. To view submissions, click on the picture of the artist or writer. Thanks to all who participated in the first year of the project. We look forward to next year!
Michael CuppettStations of the Cross
Sarah RutherfordTwo Faces in the System
Amy CernigliaThe song, Zephaniah, based on my favorite verse, Zephaniah 3:19
Noah WestfallThe poem, Vesuvius
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