Pray, Picket, Act
In our timidity, we need to cross a certain threshold before we can truly fight for the
causes to which we seem to be called. Many of us believe that it is God who calls us
and we believe that call creates a "holy fire in the belly” that frees us to accept the risks
of acting. Sharing frequent, quality time with like-minded, like-spirited activists
builds confidence and community. Sharing protest feeds our fire.
Sharing prayer and song lifts, emboldens, and consecrates our love for God
and creates holy spaces for our actions on behalf of the planet.
Walking through the spirit-lifting splendor of God’s mountains and forests is always a Wow! experience. It was and is always amazing! Acknowledging and admiring God’s spectacular handiwork is prayer, a touching of the ineffable that moves spirits deep within. Anytime we marvel at God’s creation, whether it’s a spectacular waterfall, an animal video on Facebook, the adorable antics of a 2-year-old, or a warm and loving conversation with a fellow human, it is an acknowledgment of that creation and is a form of prayer. Seeing the gifts of God’s love as central to all that is good in our lives is at the heart of prayer.
Holy Space. It is also prayer when we protest in love to make life better for the planet and the human family because we are obeying God’s command to love our brothers and sisters and care for the garden home that gives life to all of us. Adding words of prayer and sacred music to our protests creates holy space for our actions on the streets. It raises our cries for justice and love for Mother Earth to God’s ears. Cornel West reminds us,
Never forget that justice is what love looks like in public.
Weekly Lunch Meet & Prayer. Open to all.
Followers met weekly - on Fridays - to focus on our community and our missions. It is a time of prayer, fellowship, mission building, and picketing.
60 minutes: lunch. We meet new friends, build community, learn about and discuss our key issues, then plan and strategize on how we are to follow our spiritual mentors and traditions in addressing the climate emergency. (Tell us a little about yourself in a short paragraph in an email to paul@followers.community to be put on a meeting and events mailing list.)
20 minutes: we finish with oral and silent prayer.
60 minutes: picket. We walk to the closest Chase Bank to picket … and act.
Climate Action with Prayer and Song at noon on Mondays, 1:45 on Fridays
We take our prayer to the street. Nonviolent protest in public places with picketing, occupying, signs, and leaflets is itself, a form of prayer. Including moments of prayer and song for the rescue of our Sister, Mother Earth, acknowledges our intention to bring our protest to a holy and sacred level. We pray that the total community listens to messages from its faith traditions and to the world’s spiritual and prophetic mentors regarding stewardship of the magnificent garden home God has given us, that it listens to the crying and beseeching of our wounded, suffering Sister, Mother Earth.
St. Augustine describes two of the spiritual tools we need to employ when we go to the street to be bringers of hope in a time of global crisis: “Hope has two beautiful daughters; their names are Anger and Courage.”
Anger - not hate - and courage are essential to feed and deploy
our passion, our holy fire, and create hope in these dark days.
Rev Billy’s Stop Shopping Choir 1:45 min / Earth Riot inside NY Chase Bank
Join us for an hour on Mondays and Fridays (TBA)
No reservations needed. Come in peace and bring a sign.
Elders Choir 🎵 and Media Team 🌎
Who will organize our choir? We have a message and the courage to sing it in the street to accompany our actions. We need singers, a director, a climate repertoire, and professional sound equipment.
Youth Sing For The Climate Belgium 1:45 min / Youth innocence and passion
Raging Grannies 2:50 min / Inspiring with a moving appeal at the end!
One question - Where are the Angry Gramps? Furious Forefathers?
Media Team
Who will organize our media team to help spread the good news, including a press person, social media guru, and videographer?
Study
Who is called to organize our Climate School, one that would help us understand the climate emergency and would help make clear the deep connection between our faith and our struggle to rescue the climate?