Eco-Justice Notes
The E-mail Newsletter of Eco-Justice Ministries

Eco-Justice Notes is a free, weekly newsletter distributed by e-mail. We keep these newsletter messages short (about two pages, printed out), and try to avoid gloom and guilt. Each issue has commentary on a relevant theme or event from a distinctly "churchy" perspective.

The newsletter is intended to keep our friends informed, involved and inspired.

All of the back issues of Notes are available by following the links in the left column below. The right column has sections with comments from some of our readers, and suggestions for ways to use Notes personally, in a congregation, and in other settings. At the bottom of this page is a form where you can subscribe to Notes.

Individuals or congregations are invited to underwrite Eco-Justice Notes. Information on underwriting is posted on this website.

Index to Past Issues

November, 2008
11/14/08 - All About Relationships
11/7/08 - Yes We Can

October, 2008
10/31/08 - For All the Saints
10/24/08 - The Election Question
10/17/08 - Commitment or Convenience?
10/10/08 - The Courage to Grieve
10/2/08 - The Great Economic Crisis

September, 2008
9/26/08 - Neither Cold nor Hot
9/19/08 - Affirming Stewardship
9/12/08 - Homeland Security
9/5/08 - Just Trust Us

August, 2008
8/29/08 - The Dems in Denver
8/22/08 - Questioning The System
8/15/08 - Necessary and Sufficient
8/8/08 - Unconscionable Compliance
8/1/08 - Time for That Stuff

July, 2008
7/25/08 - A Glaring Silence
7/18/08 - A Variety of Voices at the DNC
7/11/08 - Fair Is Hard to Find
7/4/08 - The Role of Government

June, 2008
6/27/08 - Good People, Bad Choices
6/20/08 - Remarkable Shifts on Energy
6/13/08 - Oil Ethics
6/6/08 - The Climate Bill, 2009

May, 2008
5/30/08 - Rate of Change
5/23/08 - Critiquing the Conservatives
5/16/08 - Change Lanes or Chage Direction?
5/9/08 - The Sorcerer's Apprentice
5/2/08 - Gas Tax Holiday

April, 2008
4/25/08 - Make It Real
4/18/08 - Thou Shalt Not Exploit
4/11/08 - Dumpster Diving at Church
4/4/08 - No Services

March, 2008
3/28/08 - Acknowledging Dominion
3/21/08 - The Mind of Christ
3/14/08 - After the Palms
3/7/08 - Affirming Leadership

February, 2008
2/29/08 - Circles and Lines
2/22/08 - Only a Symptom
2/15/08 - Shake the Bottle
2/8/08 - Work, Work, Work
2/1/08 - Will They Hate You?

January, 2008
1/25/08 - Bright Ideas
1/18/08 - Beloved Community
1/11/08 - Worthwhile Travel
1/4/08 - Wild Life

December, 2007
12/28/07 - Sins of Omission
12/21/07 - Peace on Earth
12/14/07 - A Symbol of Your Love
12/7/07 - Crazy Truth

November, 2007
11/30/07 - O Come, Emmanuel
11/16/07 - Giving Thanks in an Affluent Land
11/9/07 - Forced Choices
11/2/07 - Love Your Neighbor

October, 2007
10/26/07 - Secondhand Smoke
10/19/07 - The Peace Prize and Conflict
10/12/07 - False Religion and Conversion
10/5/07 - Back to the Future

September, 2007
9/28/07 - An Energy-Efficient Pop Machine
9/21/07 - Value and Values
9/14/07 - Life-Changing Experiences
9/7/07 - Oh, Poop

August, 2007
8/31/07 - A Common Cause
8/24/07 - Naming the Trees
8/17/07 - What Can Churches Do?
8/10/07 - Y'all Do Something
8/3/07 - Absolute Zero

July, 2007
7/27/07 - Blessing All the Animals
7/20/07 - Expanding the Toolbox
7/13/07 - Red Fish, Green Fish
7/6/07 - Obedience and Authority

June, 2007
6/29/07 - Greener than Green
6/22/07 - Who'd Have Thought It?
6/15/07 - Crying at Camp
6/8/07 - Boundary Lines for Freedom
6/1/07 - Do You Want Fries With That?

May, 2007
5/25/07 - Proverbial Wisdom
5/18/07 - Remember the Sabbath
5/11/07 - Star Struck
5/4/07 - Not a Simple Choice

April, 2007
4/27/07 - Race, Toxic Waste, and Church
4/20/07 - Do-Be-Do-Be-Do
4/13/07 - Not Alone
4/6/07 - A Restorative Theology of Easter

March, 2007
3/30/07 - Silence and Shouting
3/23/07 - John 3:16
3/16/07 - Voice for the Voiceless
3/9/07 - Enough, Already!
3/2/07 - Nothing Left for the Kids

February, 2007
2/23/07 - All In It Together
2/16/07 - All Things Are Connected
2/9/07 - Flying to Warmth
2/2/07 - Asking the Right Question

January, 2007
1/26/07 - What Do We Fight About?
1/19/07 - Stem Cell Anxiety
1/12/07 - Rational and Reasonable
1/5/07 - A Koran in the Capitol

December, 2006
12/22/06 - White Christmas
12/15/06 - Christmas, Extinction, and Life
12/8/06 - Joy!
12/1/06 - Creation at Peace

November, 2006
11/17/06 - Grateful for Gas
11/10/06 - Singin' the Blues
11/3/06 - Stimulating Imagination

October, 2006
10/27/06 - Beyond Denial and Despair
10/20/06 - Draining the Champagne Glass
10/13/06 - Consumer Options
10/6/06 - Slurp

September, 2006
9/29/06 - Thou Shalt Not Kill
9/22/06 - Babel Fish and Global Warming
9/15/06 - Offset Your Impacts
9/11/06 - Anniversary Reflections
9/8/06 - I See the Light!
9/1/06 - What Does It Mean?

August, 2006
8/26/06 - Pastoral Perspectives on Transportation
8/18/06 - The Clean Plate Club
8/11/06 - The View from 9A
8/4/06 - Fishy Findings

July, 2006
7/28/06 - Progress-ive Values
7/21/06 - Transformation and Activism
7/14/06 - A 30-Second Revelation
7/6/06 - Conserver Societies

June, 2006
6/30/06 - An Inconvenient Truth
6/23/06 - Dirty Words
6/16/06 - Relative Deprivation
6/9/06 - Cool Expectations
6/2/06 - Out of the Pool

May, 2006
5/26/06 - Beyond Recycling
5/19/06 - Attitude of Gratitude
5/5/06 - Saying Goodbye

April, 2006
4/27/06 - Faith Like a Mountain
4/21/06 - Earth Day XXXVII
4/14/06 - Stinky Feet and Justice
4/7/06 - After the Palms
4/1/06 - No Joke

March, 2006
3/24/06 - Framing, part I: War
3/17/06 - Locating the Problem
3/10/06 - Truth or Falsehood
3/4/06 - A Provocative Message

February, 2006
2/24/06 - Climate Questions
2/17/06 - A Matter of Hope
2/10/06 - Be Still
2/3/06 - Addicted to Oil

January, 2006
1/27/06 - When Values Collide
1/20/06 - Love Is Not Arrogant
1/13/06 - Different from Dr. King
1/6/06 - Redefining Activism

December, 2005
12/30/05 - Conflicts About Calendars
12/16/05 - Slaughter of the Innocents
12/9/05 - Dueling Prophets
12/2/05 - A Light in the Darkness

November, 2005
11/18/05 - Lead Us Not
11/11/05 - No Bag, Please
11/04/05 - Avoiding Cultural Suicide

October, 2005
10/28/05 - Poverty and Wealth
10/21/05 - Investing in Community
10/14/05 - A Modest Proposal
10/7/05 - Fragile or Robust?

September, 2005
9/30/05 - Affirming Stewardship
9/23/05 - Political Shenanigans
9/16/05 - On a Thriving Earth
9/9/05 - Katrina's Continuing Costs
9/2/05 - Katrina

August, 2005
8/26/05 - This Land Is Your Land
8/19/05 - Surviving or Flourishing
8/12/05 - Sticks in the Mud
8/5/05 - Never Good Enough

July, 2005
7/29/05 - Five Remarkable Years
7/22/05 - Everyday Reality
7/15/05 - Kindred Spirits
7/8/05 - Peril at the Peak
7/1/05 - A Roll of the Dice

June, 2005
6/24/05 - Surface and Systems
6/17/05 - The Dieting Sumo Wrestler
6/10/05 - Balaam's Ass
6/3/05 - Average Awareness

May, 2005
5/27/05 - The Population Problem
5/20/05 - We Can't Do This
5/13/05 - The Fact of Intact Habitat
5/6/05 - It's Not Rocket Science

April, 2005
4/29/05 - Coalitions and Constituencies
4/22/05 - Earth Day Musings
4/15/05 - The Chicken and the Egg
4/8/05 - Go, Cardinals!
4/1/05 - If I Can't Dance

March, 2005
3/25/05 - All of the Above
3/18/05 - ANWR Lament
3/11/05 - Bottled Up Anger
3/4/05 - Martyrs in the Amazon

February, 2005
2/25/05 - All About Relationships
2/18/05 - Prophetic Imagination
2/11/05 - Rate of Change
2/4/05 - Going Postal

January, 2005
1/28/05 - The Problem Child
1/21/05 - Hybrid, Hybrid, Who Gets the Hybrid?
1/14/05 - Celebrating Movements, Taking Action
1/7/05 - All Nature Sings

December, 2004
12/31/04 - Earthquake, Tsunami and God
12/17/04 - Do Not Be Afraid
12/10/04 - The Very Long Christmas Dinner
12/3/04 - Something Wrong with the Picture

November, 2004
11/26/04 - Giving Thanks in an Affluent Land
11/19/04 - Messed Up Maps
11/12/04 - Empire and Endurance

October, 2004
10/29/04 - The Lesser of Two Evils
10/22/04 - Energizing Choices
10/15/04 - Trees and Peace
10/8/04 - Fast Action on Elections
10/1/04 - A Heated Debate

September, 2004
9/24/04 - Call to Conversion
9/17/04 - Ivan the Terrible
9/10/04 - Deadly Invaders
9/3/04 - Forest Feelings

August, 2004
8/27/04 - Draining the Champagne Glass
8/20/04 - Work, Work, Work
8/13/04 - Gentleness or Domination
8/6/04 - Time for That Stuff

July, 2004
7/30/04 - Expanding Our Theology
7/23/04 - Hot News About Beetles
7/16/04 - Multi-Issue Politics
7/9/04 - Recycle Your Lawn
7/2/04 - On the Verge of Revolution

June, 2004
6/25/04 - Concerns About Kerry
6/18/04 - Subvert the Dominant Paradigm
6/11/04 - Divorce, Ecocide and Economics
6/4/04 - An Act of God?

May, 2004
5/28/04 - Babel, Pentecost, and Us
5/21/04 - Too Many Choices
5/14/04 - Bad Tree - Good Fruit
5/7/04 - Torture and Accountability

April, 2004
4/29/04 - An Energy-Efficient Pop Machine
4/24/04 - The Sorcerer's Apprentice
4/16/04 - Danger Zones
4/9/04 - A Spirituality of Resistance
4/3/04 - After the Palms

March, 2004
3/26/04 - Gas Pains
3/19/04 - Changing People & Changing Systems
3/12/04 - Accentuate the Positive
3/5/04 - Reasonably Questioned

February, 2004
2/27/04 - Climate Collapse
2/20/04 - Closing the Borders
2/13/04 - The Sunday Morning Soccer Wars
2/6/04 - Preserving the Principal

January, 2004
1/30/04 - Not Idiots
1/23/04 - Strategic Silence
1/16/04 - Looking for Labels
1/9/04 - Thou Shalt Not Exploit

December, 2003
12/30/03 - A Single Year
12/19/03 - A Christmas Conversation
12/12/03 - The Magnificat
12/5/03 - Noisy and Noxious

November, 2003
11/21/03 - What Do We Fight About?
11/14/03 - A Violation of Trust
11/7/03 - A Preferential Option

October, 2003
10/31/03 - Shifting the Costs
10/24/03 - Fulfilling Options
10/16/03 - Find a Better Way
10/10/03 - Power and Privilege
10/3/03 - Making Promises

September, 2003
9/26/03 - Mountain Roads
9/19/03 - Defining Personhood
9/12/03 - Law and Order
9/5/03 - Two Years Later

August, 2003
8/29/03 - Options to Excess
8/22/03 - Special Interest Politics
8/14/03 - French Toasted
8/8/03 - Magnificent Monarchs
8/1/03 - Relative Deprivation

July, 2003
7/25/03 - Itemized Bills
7/18/03 - The Recycling Bug
7/9/03 - A Pattern of Lies
7/3/03 - The Role of Government

June, 2003
6/27/03 - Expert Witnesses
6/19/03 - Far from Sustainable
6/12/03 - Faithful, Relevant and Effective
6/6/03 - Pentecostal Pourings

May, 2003
5/30/03 - Concentrated Power
5/23/03 - Obedience and Authority
5/16/03 - Not Church-Goers
5/9/03 - The Iraqi Information Minister
5/2/03 - Where Is Nature?

April, 2003
4/25/03 - More Than Decimated
4/18/03 - Doubting Thomas
4/11/03 - Palm Sunday Power
4/4/03 - Valuing Life

March, 2003
3/28/03 - Good News!
3/21/03 - Peaceful Hope
3/14/03 - Progress Toward Shalom
3/6/03 - Basic Black for War

February, 2003
2/28/03 - A Confessional Perspective
2/21/03 - Is Earth Day Worth It?
2/14/03 - A Political Travesty
2/7/03 - War and the Environment

January, 2003
1/31/03 - Trust, Forests and War
1/22/03 - Who Am I?
1/17/03 - Budget Battles
1/10/03 - Barriers to Behavior
1/3/03 - The Need for Conversion

December, 2002
12/27/02 - Discerning by Decades
12/20/02 - Christmas Critters
12/13/02 - Commitment or Convenience?
12/6/02 - Advent Struggles

November, 2002
11/22/02 - New Political Strategies
11/15/02 - What Would Jesus Drive?
11/8/02 - A Failure of Leadership
11/1/02 - Star Struck

October, 2002
10/25/02 - Air of Injustice
10/18/02 - Who'd Have Thought It?
10/12/02 - Saying Goodbye
10/4/02 - It's Obscene!

September, 2002
9/27/02 - Who Do We Think We Are?
9/20/02 - Like Cutting Off an Arm
9/13/02 - Why Should I Care?
9/6/02 - The Irrelevant Church

August, 2002
8/30/02 - Extortion as Good Business
8/28/02 - Media alert: 3 good resources on UN summit (special issue)
8/23/02 - The Big Burn
8/16/02 - Crying at Camp
8/9/02 - Housing for All
8/2/02 - Justice in the Tollbooth

July, 2002
7/26/02 - Waiting for Jesus
7/19/02 - Will God Save Us?
7/12/02 - Do You Want Fries With That?

June, 2002
6/28/02 - Threats to Democracy
6/21/02 - Overcommitment Is a Sin
6/12/02 - Surf's Up!
6/7/02 - The STUPID Test

May, 2002
5/31/02 - Save the Whales!
5/24/02 - Enriched by Gould
5/17/02 - The Dieting Sumo Wrestler
5/10/02 - Infected from Outside
5/3/02 - Mindful of Fear

April, 2002
4/24/02 - A Cloud of Witnesses
4/19/02 - Packing Light
4/12/02 - Away
4/5/02 - Life in the Kitchen

March, 2002
3/29/02 - A Restorative Theology of Easter
3/22/02 - Serenity Prayer
3/15/02 - Heresy!
3/8/02 - Kindred Spirits
3/1/02 - Creative Energy

February, 2002
2/22/02 - Paying for Junk
2/15/02 - Love and Loathing
2/8/02 - Beyond Feelings
2/1/02 - Worthy Services

January, 2002
1/25/02 - Forgotten Foundations
1/17/02 - Diversify!
1/11/02 - A Space for Grace
1/4/02 - Surrounded by Symbols

December, 2001
12/28/01 - New Year's Resolutions
12/20/01 - Christmas Is Subversive
12/13/01 - Insights from Outsiders
12/7/01 - O Tannenbaum

November, 2001
11/30/01 - Money, Morals and Trade
11/17/01 - Guilt!
11/8/01 - Firm Foundations
11/2/01 - Teaching and Selling

October, 2001
10/26/01 - Proverbial Wisdom
10/19/01 - Affirming Stewardship
10/12/01 - Deeper than the Headlines
10/5/01 - Fear of Flying

September, 2001
9/28/01 - A Whole New World
9/21/01 - Grief and Anger
9/13/01 - It Is Too Soon
9/7/01 - Being There

August, 2001
8/31/01 - Pastoral Perspectives on Transportation
8/23/01 - Green Building -- Missing the Point
8/17/01 - Boundary Lines for Freedom
8/10/01 - The Well-Grounded Chaplain
8/3/01 - Time for Intervention

July, 2001
7/27/01 - Expanding Our Theology
7/20/01 - Word from a Church Convention
7/6/01 - Beasts in the Bible

June, 2001
6/29/01 - Community Assets
6/22/01 - Love, Understanding and Respect
6/14/01 - Conversation and Conflict
6/7/01 - Efficient and Effective
6/1/01 - Coral and Prayer

May, 2001
5/25/01 - Washington Voices
5/18/01 - Dealing with the Bush Energy Policy
5/11/01 - How Do You Spell Success?
5/4/01 - How Much Is That Puppy In the Window?

April, 2001
4/27/01 - The Forest and the Trees
4/20/01 - Celebrating a Diverse Movement
4/13/01 - Eastertime Reflections
4/5/01 - Facing Limits

March, 2001
3/30/01 - Who Am I?
3/23/01 - How Then Shall We Pray?
3/16/01 - Reflections on Recycling
3/9/01 - Choose Life!
3/2/01 - Where Your Treasure Is

February, 2001
2/23/01 - Bad News, Good News, and a Joke
2/16/01 - Missing Pieces of the Puzzle
2/8/01 - NEW - Quotes on-line
2/2/01 - Necessary work in the church

Early issues in 2000
12/21/00 - Christmas Greetings
11/15/00 - Musings on fairness
10/19/00 - What's important

What Our Readers Are Saying

Thanks for bringing the heart of a pastoral exegete to the prophetic work of eco-justice.
      Greg - Pennsylvania

I so appreciate this view of "the news" and do not feel quite so alone in the world knowing that others feel the importance of it also.... Thank you.
      Constance - California

Really appreciate the newsletters. Good, creative thinking. Challenging and exciting. Lots of ahas! Thank you very much!
      Bill - Texas

Thank you so much for your great messages of hope and inspiration. I count on them. I also forwarded some of your stuff to my state reps and senators because I think they reflect exactly what I have been trying to say.
      Ginny - Maine

As usual, your insights amaze me! You just said what I have been trying to verbalize for some time. Thank you for putting it so eloquently with such a meaningful example.
      Helen - Missouri

Suggestions on Using Notes

For your personal use:

  • Realize each week that you are not alone in your concerns and commitments!

  • Forward issues of Notes to friends and colleagues

  • Reply to an issue with your thoughts, comments, or questions. Your input is valued! Peter tries to reply personally to all such responses.

  • Use Notes as part of a regular discipline of study, reflection and prayer.

  • Be inspired to take action on a political issue, or in your personal lifestyle.

  • Over a period of weeks, soak up a sense of how current events, personal concerns, faithful ministry and Christian faith all hang together
In your congregation:
  • Copy issues into your church newsletter or bulletin (non-commercial copying is OK, but please give credit and a reference back to our website!)

  • Use as a discussion starter for a fellowship group or class

  • Share an issue with an appropriate committee or officer

  • Pass along an issue to your pastor to help start a conversation about bringing eco-justice into the life of your congregation

  • Steal an idea or an illustration from Notes for a sermon

  • Lift up a topic from Notes in prayer concerns

  • Copy an issue on your church website, and/or provide a link to the article posted on our site (again, please give appropriate credit)
In other settings:
  • Share selected Notes with activists working on specific issues.

  • Include a copy of Notes in letters that you write to politicians on specific issues.

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