Marking the new Creation in Christ Sunday celebration, a father’s letter to his child names environmental harm and calls the church to faithful, healing action.
ROBERT PRUD’HOMME
Creation Care Ministries Coordinator, Greater Detroit District
My dearest child:
I’m writing this as I reflect on the efforts my colleagues and I have been making on several projects to help Christ’s church live into the mission we have been charged with. It is only through God’s grace that I have been able to carry on this work of healing the beautiful creation that we have inherited.
Recently, The United Methodist Church declared September 6 to be Creation in Christ Sunday, following the announcement of a new, ecumenical feast day in the worldwide Christian calendar. It has been decades since the church declared a new holiday. I think that this speaks to the magnitude of our current situation.
Learn more and download resources for Creation in Christ Sunday.
Many of us have become alarmingly concerned about the changes our activities as human beings have brought about. Scientists tell us that we are living through the sixth great extinction on our planet. Before humanity, ecosystems evolved at a “normal” pace of change and growth. Science tells us that human activity has caused the current extinction event, and as far as we know, Earth is the only planet that can sustain our lives. This existential crisis alarms many of us as we recognize how difficult it is to begin correcting the many changes to our environment.
My generation is largely responsible for changes in climate, biodiversity, the oceans and rivers, and atmospheric events, including weather and wildfires, to name a few. I think you get the picture.
Acknowledging our responsibility to care for creation and to be true stewards of the earth is only the beginning. I hope you recognize that we accept responsibility for our failures — first out of ignorance and then out of the arrogance of our hubris, believing that we could not possibly be responsible for all the changes occurring on and in the earth. Having accepted that human endeavors are the cause, the question becomes, “What are we going to do about it?”
In the Michigan Conference of The United Methodist Church, we are developing several exciting programs, a few of which I highlight here.
Our Green Church Initiative enables each congregation to form a Green Team and implement changes that improve daily operations and reduce long-term environmental impact. I understand some may wonder whether these efforts make a real difference, but as more congregations adopt these principles, we see collective progress. Recognizing opportunities we hadn’t before can inspire hope and demonstrate that our faith-driven actions can truly heal creation, step by step.
I have recently begun a project to conduct a comprehensive audit of each of our church facilities in the Greater Detroit District (and beyond). Through energy and environmental audits, I invite each church to consider simple, low-cost actions, such as turning off unused lights or reducing water use. These small steps empower you to actively participate in healing creation and to reflect our faith by caring for God’s gifts.
I believe everything is connected. When one system is touched, it ripples throughout multiple ecosystems. For example, when I adjust my thermostat to a cooler temperature in winter or a warmer temperature in the summer, the power plants that deliver electricity to our home can operate more efficiently. While this might seem like it won’t make any difference, consider that power plants are frequently built near communities where people on the margins, such as Indigenous or brown-skinned people, live. They often cannot move to escape the smoke and pollutants that color the air around them.
Remember, honey, when the air was clear? I certainly do. Folks living in the shadow of coal or other fossil-fuel-burning power plants often have no choice but to stay where they are. I know of one woman in just such a predicament. She is the third generation in her family to have had to live with cancer caused by pollutants. How can this be just?
Jesus asked us — and continues to ask us — to care for the most vulnerable. It is easy to think this means caring only for creation within my immediate circle. I believe, however, that God asks us to care for everyone and everything that is part of this beautiful creation. This includes all species of animals, flora, and fauna. God created an amazing web of life! I am continually filled with awe and wonder when I contemplate it.
How can we do all of this? In all honesty, none of us alone can right all the wrongs around us. That is why I have written this letter, to ask that you forgive my generation’s arrogance and hubris. More importantly, I ask that you join us with all of your friends and colleagues, continue to marvel and marshal all the effort you can to help heal creation, and celebrate the wonder-filled world that we call home.
My hope and prayer for you and your children now is that Creation in Christ Sunday elevates the issue of environmental justice so that everyone recognizes that the church truly acknowledges the existential crisis we are living in, and encourages more and more of the faithful to find ways to be part of the healing that must take place if we plan to live sustainably on earth, God’s beautiful and abundant creation.
With hope,
Your loving father
The publication of this article was made possible thanks to generous financial gifts from local United Methodist churches in Michigan through Ministry Shares. Thank you! Learn about the impact of Ministry Shares on mission and ministry in Michigan and around the world.
Last Updated on August 31, 2026