Resurrection
Matters
Church Renewalfor Creation’s Sake
Nurya Love Parish
Copyright © 2018 by Nurya Love Parish
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the written permission of the publisher.
Unless otherwise noted, the Scripture quotations contained herein are from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the U.S.A. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Church Publishing
19 East 34th Street
New York, NY 10016
The image “The Organizational Ecocycle” found on page 26 is reprinted with permission from Crisis & Renewal: Meeting the Challenge of Organizational Change by David K. Hurst (Brighton, MA: Harvard Business Press Books, 2002). Copyright 2002 by David K. Hurst; all rights reserved.
Cover design by Jennifer Kopec, 2Pug Design
Typeset by Rose Design
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: Parish, Nurya Love, author.
Title: Resurrection matters : church renewal for creation’s sake / Nurya Love Parish.
Description: New York : Church Publishing, 2018. | Includes bibliographical references.
Identifiers: LCCN 2017057962 (print) | LCCN 2018014343 (ebook) | ISBN 9781640650152 (ebook) | ISBN 9781640650145 (pbk.)
Subjects: LCSH: Church renewal. | Jesus Christ—Resurrection. | Ecotheology. | Church renewal—Episcopal Church.
Classification: LCC BV600.3 (ebook) | LCC BV600.3 .P36 2018 (print) | DDC 253—dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2017057962
Printed in the United States of America
With thanks to God for inspiring Scnobia Taylor
to give her family’s land for reconciliation
For Scnobia’s “yes” to God’s call
and for the ripple effect of that gift,
which reached and changed my life
For my family—past, present, and future
especially Sherry, David, Claire, and Nathan
For Michael and Bethany Edwardson
And for all who practice resurrection
“The whole material universe is an expression and incarnation of the creative energy of God.… For that reason, all good and creative handling of the material universe is holy and beautiful, and all abuse of the material universe is a crucifixion of the body of Christ.”
—DOROTHY SAYERS, CREED OR CHAOS?
“Resurrected life, life that participates in the holiness and peace of God, restores creation to its fulness and joy.… Resurrection, in other words, becomes the basis for a transformation of culture that will usher in a new song because it teaches us a new way to be alive.”
—NORMAN WIRZBA, THE PARADISE OF GOD:RENEWING RELIGION IN AN ECOLOGICAL AGE
Contents
1. Taking Resurrection Seriously
Interlude A Memorial to the Church
Interlude Learning to Listen
3. Things Fall Apart
Interlude From Denial to Doughnuts
4. Taking Stewardship Seriously
Interlude Meeting Millennials in Gardens and Fields
5. Neighbors Together
Interlude Finding the Christian Food Movement
6. Pray, Then Plan
Postlude Founding Plainsong Farm
Study Guide
Appendix
A. Planning Process for Households
B. Planning Process for Congregational Leaders and Church Task Groups
C. Planning Process for Dioceses
D. Memorandum of Understanding
E. Community Supported Agriculture Information
F. Suggested Resources
Notes
Acknowledgments
About the Dedication
What the Church needs, what this world needs, are some Christians who are as crazy as the Lord. Crazy enough to love like Jesus, to give like Jesus, to forgive like Jesus, to do justice, love mercy, walk humbly with God—like Jesus. Crazy enough to dare to change the world from the nightmare it often is into something closer to the dream that God dreams for it. And for those of us who would follow him, those of us who would be his disciples, those of us who would live as the people of the Way? It might come as a shock, but those of us called to that life are called to craziness, too.
—PRESIDING BISHOP MICHAEL CURRY1
I was pretty sure I was crazy the day I handed over $15,000, ten acres, and the keys to my house to fulfill God’s dream.
Cofounding Plainsong Farm wasn’t what I had planned for my life. But God started murmuring to me about this ministry in the early years of the twenty-first century. God whispered about the renewal of discipleship integrated with the care of Creation. God called me toward creating a farm where people could reflect on scripture, be encouraged in spiritual growth, and engage in the practices of sustainable agriculture.
It was a lovely fantasy, but hardly practical. And I could ignore a whisper.
By 2008 God had turned up the volume. Now the call was coming clearly. As I began to hear it more fully, I started speaking to others about this vision for ministry. Back then, I cried every time I talked about it. I thought this meant it might be important. I remembered