On April 22, 1970, Senator Gaylord Nelson from Wisconsin and youth activist Dennis Hayes held the first ‘Earth Day,’ inspiring over 20 million Americans to educate themselves on the harms of pollution and the need to protect the environment. From these grassroots(!) efforts, Earth Day has spread globally, as we continue to learn the best ways to protect the planet entrusted to our care. We might also think of the Earth as a living being, one in constant conversation with its inhabitants; we might even call her Mother Earth, or “Gaia.”
In the 1980s, the Dean of The Episcopal Cathedral of St. John the Divine, NYC, held a series of talks on ecology, faith, and the environment – often with a call to action or finding collective efforts to ease the crisis of climate change. Through a series of “Artists-in-Residence” programs, Paul Winter, a saxophonist, and his band were given a platform for creating sacred and secular events in the Cathedral. Partnering with the Organist of the Cathedral, Paul Halley, a fruitful friendship and future collaboration was born, and, at the request of the Dean, the work “Missa Gaia” came into being. For the Church (with a capital C), Masses have formed part of the worship of Christianity for centuries, and throughout that time, the musical material on which a Mass is based has changed; from plainchant to popular songs of the time, to… whale and wolf noises (in this case!). “Missa Gaia” is an incredible work; it pays homage to Mother Earth and all creatures who inhabit it through the blurring of sacred and secular lines.
I invite you to attend various events this Sunday, April 19, as we honor and celebrate the Earth:
8:00 a.m. and 10:00 a.m. Worship Services will focus on Earth Day.
11:15 a.m. Adult Ed Class in Fullerton Room (led by me) will explore the spiritual and thematic threads found in this seminal musical work.
3:00 p.m. Meet and Greet in the Court with creatures and animals from our watershed, in partnership with Riverbend.
4:00 p.m. Concert in the Sanctuary featuring this work, and others with jazz orchestra and video projections.
5:30 p.m. Reception in the Court, where you can enjoy the current incredible Gallery Exhibit, “Gaia: In Reverence to Earth,” including inspiring works of five local artists.
I hope you’ll consider joining us this weekend and leave inspired to further our shared work of caring for this planet, so generations upon generations can enjoy the riches contained within.