What if the Pacific Northwest Conference of the UCC all read a book together--
and then discussed it with the author?
You are invited to read Cathedral on Fire: A Church Handbook for the Climate Crisis by the Rev. Dr. Brooks Berndt, the UCC minister for environmental justice. At under 60 pages, this is a quick read, but it is packed with information, ideas, and suggestions for churches that want to become (more) active on the issue of climate change. You can read this book by yourself or gather a group at your church, read it, and discuss it beforehand. Then, all join the discussion with Rev. Dr. Berndt.
The discussion will take place on Zoom:
Tuesday, March 11th, 2025
5:30-6:30 pm
Register for the Zoom discussion HERE.
You can order the book here or download it as a PDF. Five-pack bundles offer price breaks.
The urgency of the climate crisis requires that we act as if our cathedrals and churches are on fire. Indeed, God’s creation can be seen as one grand cathedral on fire with burning forests and rising temperatures. Amid this dire situation, Brooks Berndt focuses our attention on the unique and vitally needed gifts that churches can offer. He writes with poetic passion and an eye toward the practical, as every chapter ends with suggested, field-tested actions.
Chapters in the book explore the following areas in which churches possess immense potential:
a commitment to care for God’s creation as our first calling
a scriptural basis in pursuing justice for a planet and its people
a moral foundation for understanding the climate crisis as an inequality crisis
a powerful, sacred language for articulating what fundamentally motivates people to act
a hope-giving history found in the faith leaders who launched the environmental justice movement
a rich tradition of theology in times of crisis
a countercultural ethic of generational justice found in the Bible
a recognition of youth as the climate prophets of today
How can we move forward as a community to protect and care for God’s creation and all its inhabitants?
Register for the Zoom discussion HERE