Ncumisa

I am who I am, because I believe in the protection of Godly created things

Ash Wednesday

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ASH WEDNESDAY Prayer for the Week: Gracious Lord, as we fast from carbon, we mourn the destruction of so much of your creation. May we take up the challenge to walk the path less travelled, to restore more of your creation than we destroy. Help us to act with love and care for all that you have created.   Today as you receive the ashes, the priest will say these words:  “Remember that you are dust and to dust you shall return” With these words we are reminded that we are part of the web of life. In the beginning God “breathed into clay” which then became a living being (Gen 2:7). This living being was called Adam which means “of the earth’ We are of the earth and whatever befalls the earth befalls the sons and daughters of the earth. So that is why Ash Wednesday is a day to reflect on what we have done wrong “Turn away from sin and believe the good news”   Ash Wednesday is a day of reflection and I would like to invite you to reflect on your impact on the Earth. Start  by calculating your carbon footprint, at the following website: http://footprint.wwf.org.uk/?_ga=1.208072722.185003333.1452763899   And then sit somewhere quiet and write yourself a letter. This is a letter from the seventh generation. This would be about 200 years from now. Close your eyes and imagine your great, great , great grandchild. What does she or he look like, where and how do they live? Imagine what they would want to say to you. Write a letter from them to  yourself, explain what has happened to the Earth and how you feel…”Dear Great, Great ,Great Grandmother/Father Then close with this prayer: Prayer of Confession: Holy God, Creator and Lover that is, We confess to you that we have sinned. We have failed in our care for the land and its creatures, We have been greedy, destructive, and wasteful Of the resources you have entrusted to us.   Polluted air and water, Eroded soil and salty earth, Birds and animals deprived of habitat, And neighbours left hungry and thirsty by our selfishness: All these cry out against us. We do not know how to restore what we have damaged, And we repent in sorrow and distress.   Forgive us, we pray, and have mercy. Give us grace to change our ways, To make amends, And to work together for the healing of our world, Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.   Resource: “And it was good, Responding to God’s Gift of Creation” Anglican Communion, page 22   If you are on facebook, perhaps you would like to change your profile pic to encourage others to join the carbon fast as well. Go to the Green Anglicans Facebook page, download the “I am fasting for a change” image and upload it as your new profile picture.  

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Tuesday 24 February

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Wonderbags, Rocket stoves and other creative ideas Exodus 12:8  “They shall eat the flesh that night, roasted on the fire; with unleavened bread and bitter herbs they shall eat it.” There are lots of creative ways to save on electricity in our cooking processes. During the second world war when fuel was scarce my granny used a “hay box”. you basically fill a cardboard box with hay. Fill your pot to boiling point and simmer for ten minutes. Then put your pot into the filled cardboard box. Leave it overnight and voila! Your food is cooked. There are many creative ideas available of ways to reduce your cooking fuel and costs. One of these is the wonderbag, an innovative insulated slow-cooking bag  designed to save you time, effort and energy.. The Wonderbag is a simple but revolutionary concept: simply bring your food to the boil on an ordinary stove, then switch off and tuck your hot cooking pot up in the cosy, electricity-free Wonderbag for a delicious slow-cooked meal, with all the nutrients locked in. Use the Wonderbag to cook stews, curries, soups and casseroles, while you spend less time in the kitchen and more relaxing with your loved ones No plugs, no fuss! Read More about Wonderbags HERE or what about the rocket stove? A wood burning fire wastes most of its heat as well as producing smoke pollution. A rocket stove is an efficient cooking stove using small pieces of  wood fuel which is burned in a simple high-temperature combustion chamber containing a vertical chimney and a secondary air supply, which ensures almost complete combustion prior to the flames reaching the cooking surface. Read more about rocket stoves HERE   Other simple ways to save electricity Turn off your oven ten minutes before the food is ready, the oven will retain its heat for that long. Use a kettle to boil water for cooking as it is quicker and uses less energy than a pot on the hob. Always match the size of the pan with the size of the stove plate. Use a microwave to cook as it is quicker and cheaper, 1 oven uses the same power as 18 microwaves. Only fill kettle with the amount of water that you need. Cut food into smaller sections before cooking to help it cook quicker. Make your toast in a toaster, not under the grill. Don’t keep opening the oven door while you are cooking.

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Sunday 22 February

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Eating The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. Genesis 2:15 Before God gave the human race the ten commandments, before God told us to go and make disciples, he gave us a simple commandment “Take care of my Earth” We have not done a good job of caring for God’s Earth. According the Living Planet Index, Biodiversity has declined by more than a quarter in the last 35 years. That’s not good news. Globally, we now require the equivalent of 1.4 planets to support our lifestyles. This is humanity’s current Ecological Footprint – the demand people place upon the natural world. We are polluting our rivers and seas, creating piles of waste and toxic chemicals. It is time for us to change. Today the challenge is this – how can I help my Church to be an Earthkeeping community? This week we are looking at food. How does my church cater? Where do we buy our food, is it local or shipped in from far away. Do we use free range chicken or factory farmed? What happens to left over food? Do we use Styrofoam or do we wash up? Styrofoam (polystyrene) Non-Biodegradable Styrofoam appears to last forever, as it is resistant to photolysis, or the breaking down of materials by photons originating from a light source. This, combined with the fact that Styrofoam is lightweight and therefore floats, means that over time a great deal of polystyrene has accumulated along coasts and waterways around the world. It is now considered the main component of marine debris. Food Contamination When Styrofoam containers are used for food, chemicals can leach into the food, affecting human health and the reproductive systems. This is accentuated if people reheat the food while still in the container. Let us be Earthkeepers, starting  in our Church Kitchen!   Ref :WWF SA

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Monday 23 February

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Meat Free Monday:  Boycott unsustainable products, do not buy products from endangered animals. Know the best and worst products  In his hand is the life of every living thing and the breath of every human being.” [Job 12:10]  All living beings are all precious to God – not just humans.  “ . . . even the hairs of your head are all counted.”  And, likewise, not even a single sparrow “is forgotten in God’s sight.” [Luke 9:6-7]   “Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains, your judgments are like the great deep; you save humans and animals alike, O Lord.” [Psalm 36:6] Given God’s great love for all creatures, we need to reflect on our practice of eating meat farmed in factory farms. Conditions in these operations unlike organic farms are unhealthy and cruel. Animals who are intended by nature to forage for food are fed corn and soybeans instead of grass. To prevent the inevitable spread of disease from stress, overcrowding and lack of vitamin D, animals are fed a steady diet of antibiotics.  Animals often develop antibiotic-resistant bacteria in their guts, which contaminates the food chain and poses a threat to human health. Pigs: Sows spend each pregnancy confined to a sow stall only slightly larger than her body, making it impossible for her to lie down comfortably. The slatted flooring of a sow stall causes foot injuries. Sow stalls have been banned in Europe. Shortly before piglets are born, sows are moved to ‘farrowing crates’ where the piglets will be nursed. The crates are so small that the mother pig cannot turn around to see her piglets. At three weeks, the piglets are taken from their mothers and undergo castration and tail docking without any sort of pain relief. They spend the next 6 months of their lives confined to pens until they reach ‘market weight’; when they are trucked to slaughter. Chickens: in factory farms most of the egg-laying hens  spend their lives in an area less than the size of an A4 piece of paper; routinely de-beaked and de-clawed, without anaesthetic.  In nature, a hen can live for up to 8 years, but egg-laying hens are considered ‘spent’ at less than 2 years of age.  They are then sent to slaughter, or sold to informal traders. Male chicks, considered wasteful by-products by the poultry industry, are normally ground up alive -. Chicken raised for meat (broilers) are crammed into indoor sheds – over-crowding results in filth and disease, and causes aggressive behaviour, weakened immune systems, and ammonia burn.  Genetically bred to reach slaughter weight in 6 weeks; unnaturally large, they often cannot support their own weight – many crippled chickens on factory farms die when they can no longer reach the water nozzles. Cows: On factory farms cows are regularly impregnated in order to produce milk, but are prevented from expressing their mothering instincts: calves are removed before they are weaned – often within 24 hours – causing  psychological distress..  Once a cow’s milking days are over – normally when she is about 4 years of age – she is sent to slaughter.  Can we eat meat from animals who have treated like this? Switch to free range. It is more expensive but rather buy less…

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Young Green Anglicans hike Table Mountain

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Hikes are often described as steep fun adventures that allow time to connect with God through creation, nature and that is exactly how I would describe the experience Young Green Anglicans had on Saturday the 24th of January 2015.  Over forty young people gathered at Table Mountain lower cable car station where the hike was set to begin, a striking image of young people ready to take on a  journey through nature.  The hike started from the end of parking zone on Tafelberg road right through the rocks and contour paths of Devils Peak to the midst of the trees deep in the Newlands forest. Contrary to normal hikes this trail was gentle going down which made it easy for the participants to focus on the plants and bizarre crawling animals rather than being tired. The hike was led by Neil Adams and Tony Van Niekerk, who made it very exciting for the participants often sharing their knowledge about the trail as well as different plantations that could be found around the mountains. Upon arrival at Newlands forest, Rev Rachel Mash shared a word on the importance of mountains as well as preservation of forests. We reflected on our spiritual life, that we need to put our roots deep down into God in order to grow tall in our faith. Newlands Forest is a particularly well maintained area with its wooden boardwalks and elevated picnic area amongst the trees where all the young people sat and regained their strength. We finally shared a bring and share braai  prepared by the Zonnebloem Cottage family, all embracing the day. It was incredible filled with laughter, joy and lots of energy and we could have not been so impressed if it was not for the dazzling creation our living God took time to bring into being and make it so beautiful. Come and join us on the Green Anglicans  hikes for the year: 18th April – Lions head  (medium) 27th June – Table Mountain Platteklip  Gorge – (tough hike!) 3rd Oct –  Constantia Nek with  DYC  (medium tough) See you there! Ncumisa Magadla – Green Anglicans

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ASF Lesotho takes it to the streets of Maseru

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Anglican Students Federation Lesotho cleans the streets of Maseru   A cloudy yet warm Saturday morning of the 15th of November 2014, Anglican Students Federation (ASF), Lesotho region got their hands dirty in the streets taking part in protection of God’s creation. Despite the sluggish weather nothing weighed down the students in their clean-up campaign in the streets of Fokothi, Maseru. Star ‘Star’ Mohaleroe, an ASF Lesotho member reflects on the day’s experience: The Maseru City Council identified an area for us to clean however considering our small numbers in membership we thought we would be given a small space to work on, but little we knew what was waiting for us. The clean-up was scheduled to begin at 8am and finish at 12 midday, however we finished  just after 2pm. We picked up so much litter, filling approximately 75 refuse bags, from the streets to a close by river. The reason we felt the need to go as far as the river transpired when we saw animals grazing there and it wasn’t far to what seemed like a dumping site. Animals can eat anything with the thought that it’s food while in actual fact it might be harmful to them. We cleared the rubbish that was clogging the river and left the animals in a peaceful clean surrounding.  All the members had fun and took joy  in being part of such an amazing movement, because it carries a loud voice for protection and love of creation.  Truth is, if we don’t who will? The purpose of this clean-up was to encourage the community especially young people to keep their environment clean and  to show them that it is our responsibility to have our communities clean for future generations and for the existence of animals. Stop littering! -Star Mohaleroe

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