Tlou Mpai

March 16 – Say NO to single use plastic bottles

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“Please get me a little water in a jar, that I may drink.” ~ 1 Kings 17 :10   “PLASTIC CHOKES WATER RESOURCES” / “SAY NO TO BOTTLED WATER” Every year, billions of kilograms of waste ends up in the oceans, forming city sized islands made entirely of trash. A vast majority of this trash is plastic, which will take thousands of years to decompose. Plastic bottles make up a large proportion of plastic waste, and only about one in five bottles are properly recycled. The advantages of using refillable water bottle: Reduce plastic waste: single use plastic water bottles take up a vital amount of space in landfills and causes litter. Using reusable bottles will reduce plastic waste Prevent using non-renewable resources: Every year, 17 million barrels of oil are used to create 50 billion disposable water bottles in the United States alone! Switching to a reusable water bottle would surely decrease the oil used, greenhouse gasses emitted, and bottles thrown away, reducing pollution threefold and therefore slow down global warming Prevent harmful toxins leaching into your drinks: Single-use plastic water bottles can have health implications. Plastic water bottles leach harmful chemical toxins in. The toxins have been linked to reproductive issues, asthma, and even cancer Save Money: Using a reusable water bottle is cheaper than buying single-use plastic water bottles in the long run. Prevent Microplastics Ruining our Environment: The plastic water bottles slowly break down into small microplastics. These microplastics eventually make their way into the ocean suffocating and entangling animals. Both terrestrial and aquatic animals often mistake the small pieces of plastic for food. Using reusable water bottles will decrease plastic pollution and harms Reusable water bottles are a cheaper, safer and more sustainable alternative to disposable ones.

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March 15 – Water of Life Sunday

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John 4:5-15  Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water.”  ~ John 4:10 Give Me This Water Introduction There is a substance which is so vital to life, so foundational to all living things, so basic to existence as we know it: water. Water is life. Plants need ample water to grow into the fullness of life, to flower and bear fruit. All living beings, including humans, need water to survive and thrive. Desert plants can go without rain for months. But all living things eventually need access to water, to some form of moisture.  To know water is to know life. Where there is no water, there is no life.  The people of the ancient world knew this well. Civilizations were born and flourished where there were strong rivers and reliable wells in the desert.  Rivers provided water for consumption, for transport and for agriculture. The life of the river was the life of the society. The fullness of a river, quite literally the flooding of a river, created and sustained agricultural life. Water drove economies. Trade routes opened where wells could be dug in the deserts.  The notion that from dust humanity came and to dust we shall return was always important for a  people dwelling in a desert. Dust without life-giving water, remains dust.  God – The Wellspring of Life Water  is a deep theme that runs throughout the bible. God is the well-spring of life. The Lord provided wells in the desert for Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. An incident at a well in the lands of Midian set Moses on a different course that would end with the burning-bush encounter. Fresh from slavery in Egypt, God turns bitter water into living water at Marah and provides water from a rock in Horeb for the wandering Israelites. The prophets of old speak of rivers.  Isaiah boldly proclaims a word from the Lord in Isaiah 12:3 “Therefore you will joyously draw water from the springs of salvation” and in Isaiah 44:3 “For I will pour out water on the thirsty land and streams on the dry ground; I will pour out my Spirit on your offspring and my blessing on your descendants.” Ezekiel (Ezekiel 47) sees a river flowing from the temple in Jerusalem, providing life and healing for the nations. Jeremiah (Jeremiah 17: 7-8) says that “blessed is the person who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in God, for they will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out roots by the stream”. The liturgy or worship of the temple even picks up on this theme in Psalm 1. But the most poignant interaction around water happens between Jesus and a Samaritan woman at a well. Jesus – The Living Water:  John 4:1-15 Jesus engages in a wordplay debate around living water in John 4. In the ancient world, living water was any water in motion, like a river or a spring or a well (where the water is flowing beneath the surface). Standing water is water that no longer flows and is held in some way, like in a pond or a dam or a cistern.  The Samaritan woman in the story knows this distinction.  Her confusion at Jesus’ interaction is utterly understandable.  Jesus asks her to give him a drink of (living) water from the well. She is perplexed at first by his request because of the well-established social division between Jew and Samaritans and says as much. Jesus replies that if she knew who he was, she would ask him for living water. Why is Jesus asking her for living water if he has his own supply of living water to offer?  In a very clever and wonderfully life-affirming way, Jesus brings the conversation around to himself (God incarnate) being the well-spring of life.  The water that Jesus says he provides, will become in people a spring of life-giving, living water, leading to eternal life.  The woman states “Give me this water so I won’t get thirsty again.” The woman longs for such water as do all who are spirituality thirsty for more of God. All those who cry out with the Psalmist (42) to say “As a deer longs for streams of living water, so I long for you, my God.” A few chapters later in John there is a climactic moment regarding water. On the last day of the Feast of Tabernacles, against the backdrop of the ritual of water being poured out in the Jerusalem temple, Jesus stood in the temple precincts and said in a loud voice, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them” (John 7:37-38).  You and Me – Leaking Vessels So what? What does this have to do with you and me? There is a story about a water-bearer in India who had two large pots.  They hung on each end of a pole which she carried across her neck. One pot was perfect and always delivered a full portion of water at the end of the long walk from the stream to the master’s house. The other pot had a crack in it and only ever arrived half full. For two years this went on daily, with the bearer delivering only one and a half pots of water to her master’s house. The perfect pot was proud of its accomplishments.  The broken pot was ashamed of its imperfection and miserable that it leaked so badly.  So it spoke to the water-bearer one day by the stream and said, “I am ashamed of myself, and I want to apologize to you.”  “Why?” asked the bearer. “What are you ashamed of?” The broken pot replied, “For the past two years I have only been able to deliver half

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March 14 – Does your Church Recycle/Compost?

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But the pot he was shaping from the clay was marred in his hands; so the potter formed it into another pot, shaping it as seemed best to him. Jeremiah 18 V 4 Have you ever heard of composting or recycling in your church? Is it currently being practiced in the church? Church members can become stewards of resources and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by decreasing the amount of waste that goes into the trash and eventually into landfills. The church needs to take notice of the impacts associated with its actions and make a conscious decision to care for God’s creation. This can be done through recycling and composting in the church. Importance and benefits of recycling and composting: It conserves raw materials – making new products out of recycled materials reduces the need to consume raw resources.   It saves energy – using recycled materials in the manufacturing process uses considerably less energy than that required for producing new products from raw materials. It helps protect the environment – recycling reduces the need for extracting (mining, quarrying and logging), refining and processing raw materials all of which create substantial air and water pollution. Composting will help reduce the amount of methane released when biodegradable waste (such as food) decomposes in landfills.  It saves you money – A massive reduction in the amount of waste we send to landfill will result in reduced operational costs of landfills Enriches soil, composting helps retain moisture and suppress plant diseases and pests. Compost reduces the need for chemical fertilizers. Compost encourages the production of beneficial bacteria and fungi that break down organic matter to create humus, a rich nutrient-filled material. Composting improves the health of the church yard and garden  Over 50% of what we throw in the garbage can be recycled. An additional 25% of our trash is comprised of food wastes and other materials that could be composted.  Make a difference in sustainability of the world by recycling and composting at church. Why it’s important to recycle and compost  

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March 13 – Reduce Paper Usage

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“You shall not destroy its trees by wielding an axe against them. You may eat from them, but you shall not cut them down.” ~ Deuteronomy 20:19 Look at use of paper at home, office and church. What can you change? Today, millions of people worldwide are still overwhelmed by floods if paper sticking out if their desks and drawers. The right technology to prevent this has been invented years ago yet people are still dependent on paper. From our newspapers to our paper wrappings, paper is still everywhere and most of it ends up in landfills creating a huge amount of paper waste. Why should you reduce paper usage: Saves you money in the long run. Paper costs tend to add up over time. The process of recycling paper requires energy and usually bleaching agents. Both bleach and energy production generally harm the environment. About 90% of paper comes from trees, the majority of which are not sustainably harvested. By reducing your paper use you can reduce the demand for this generally non-renewable industry. What you can do: Always ask for digital versions of documents Always ask for digital versions for example: Use a notes app instead of your paper notebook; Use your built-in smartphone calendar instead of a paper planner/calendar; Use reminders or task managers on your smart phone instead of sticky notes; Use a cloud storage like Dropbox instead of your paper filing cabinet Sign up for electronic bills Use online signup forms instead of paper forms Switch from paper books to soft copy books Do not print out pew leaflets at church, use a projector instead Use the Bible App instead of using a hard copy bible Do not use disposable material such as cups, plates, cutlery etc Switch to email instead of posted mail Use electronic devices for meetings. Encourage the use laptops, tablets, and mobile phones for meetings and other situations where they need to take notes. Switch to digital receipts Switch to e-signatures Use cloth napkins Use rags instead of paper towels. Use a handkerchief instead of tissue. Use a white board for lists/notes/announcements. Buy bulk foods using your own reusable containers rather than buying supermarket boxed goods. Recycle paper https://www.jotform.com/how-to-go-paperless/ https://www.visionofearth.org/live-green/31-ways-to-reduce-paper-usage/ Photo by Brandi Redd on Unsplash

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March 12 – Audit your Waste

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“Jesus said to his disciples, ‘Gather the pieces that are left over. Let nothing be wasted.’” ~ John 6:12 Check out how much waste you have at home. How can you reduce it? The waste we generate and throw out is only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to waste generation. For every kilogram of waste your family creates, more than 71 kilograms was created in manufacturing that waste. Every year the worlds’ nations generate 1.3 billion tons of solid waste. That amounts to 1.2 kilograms per person per day and this number is expected to rise to 2.2 billion tons by 2025. Be part of the solution by ensuring that we do not reach this massive amount by 2025.The idea of reducing one’s waste can be overwhelming, a great place to start is within the comfort of your own home. The problem with waste production is that; waste is sent to landfills and incinerators which emit hazardous toxins and greenhouse gases into the environment, destroy wildlife habitats, and pose a major threat to humans What can you do? Purchase products with less packaging- Buy in bulk, switch to concentrated products, or choose brands that reduce packaging and avoid Individually Wrapped Items. Use reusable shopping bags and containers. Reduce unwanted mail- Contact local and regional companies sending you unwanted mail and ask to be taken off their list. Just Mow the grass. Leave grass clippings on your lawn. The clippings will decompose, adding much needed nutrients to your grass and lightening the waste you produce. Drink from a reusable mug or water bottle. Compost food scraps and yard trimmings. Repair furniture or list on the internet for sale. Limit household hazardous waste. Measure before you purchase paint, pesticides, and fertilizers so you don’t overbuy. Plan out your meals. Creating a list of items you need to buy will help reduce food waste at home and give you a better idea of when you need to go to the store. http://www.hamiltoncountyrecycles.org/residents/reducing_waste_at_home https://www.huffpost.com/entry/reduce-home-waste_n_57912d0be4b0fc06ec5c4b56 Photo by Justus Menke on Unsplash

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March 11 – Bring Your Own Bag

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“You clothe yourselves, but no one is warm. And he who earns wages does so to put them into a bag with holes.”  ~ Haggai 1 : 6 Buy reusable shopping for yourself and for a buddy When one goes to the grocery store and gets ready to leave, a commonly asked question is; plastic or paper bag? Whatever your response may be, there is a batter way to carry your groceries.  The movement of using reusable shopping bags is becoming more popular and everyone needs to part take in it. The world seems to be suffocating under endless piles of plastic bags and we need to act as soon as possible to prevent further damage to the environment and ourselves. While reusable shopping bags cost a little more up front, there are many benefits of reusable bags, particularly when it comes to easing plastic bag pollution and the effects of plastic on the environment. Benefits if using reusable shopping bags: Using reusable bags over plastic bags can save money. Many stores impose an extra charge for plastic bags. By bringing your own reusable bag, you will be saving money each time you go to the grocery store, buy a new outfit, or run errands. Save Resources. Plastic bags are non-biodegradable, use crude oil and natural gas to manufacture, and require even more fossil fuels to ship. Protect wildlife. More than 100,000 marine animal deaths are caused each year when marine animals mistake plastic shopping bags in the ocean for food, according to SPREP.org. Plastic bags also get snagged in trees, and small animals can become trapped in them, leaving to even more wildlife deaths in the environment. By using a reusable bag, you are not only reducing the amount of non-renewable resources necessary to produce plastic bags, but you will also be reducing the amount of money your community spends on waste clean up costs each year. Decrease pollution. The effects of plastic on the environment can be devastating. Plastic products such as plastic bags can take between 15 to 1,000 years to break down, and that’s assuming they make it into a landfill instead of winding up in water such as streams, rivers or the ocean or floating around the neighbourhood. Of the 100 billion plastic shopping bags Americans use each year, only about 1 percent are recycled, and therefore a lot of plastic bag pollution is generated annually. Reusable bags are durable and reliable. Unlike plastic bags, reusable bags can carry more items at a time, it will not break and will result in less amount of shopping bags to carry. Their durability prevents them from tearing and because they are reliable, you can use them for multiple purposes and multiple times. Make a positive environment impact by buying a reusable bags or better yet buy a bag for you and a loved one. The next time you are asked; plastic or paper bag? Ask to purchase a reusable bag, or better yet take out your own reusable bag https://plastic.education/benefits-of-using-reusable-shopping-bags/ https://totebagfactory.com/blogs/news/8-reasons-you-should-use-reusable-grocery-bags Photo by bach hanzo from Pexels

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