Toward a Culture of Collective Responsibility

Warbler’s Wisdom is a weekly column by Jocelyn Hartley, our Creation and Justice Fellow from Disciples Home Mission and Green Chalice.

In past newsletters, I’ve included tips for simple actions we can take to reduce our daily environmental impact. Incorporating even just one of these actions into daily life is a rewarding spiritual practice. Taking the action each day reminds us that we are a part of the sacred balance of God’s creation. If you haven’t yet incorporated one of these actions into your life and are reading this, I encourage you to commit to one action right now, plan how you are going to make it happen, and keep a tally of your daily “streak” doing this action. (Some past suggestions: use reusable grocery bags, switch to the free web browser Ecosia, have a daily vegetarian/vegan meal)

That said, with the rollbacks on clean energy in the new federal budget, I am particularly weighed down by the impossibility of living sustainably in modern society. I think to myself:

Saguaro Christian ChurchJuly 11, 2025Warbler's Wisdom

Taking the Win: Embracing the Passive Ways We Can Combat the Climate Crisis

Warbler’s Wisdom, a weekly column by Jocelyn Hartley, our Creation and Justice Fellow from Disciples Home Mission and Green Chalice

Sometimes a sustainable lifestyle can sound like an endless list of don’ts: don’t drive your gas car, don’t eat meat, don’t get your coffee in a plastic cup, don’t have a backyard pool in the desert. When sustainability is framed this way, it’s no wonder people are resistant to facing the climate crisis head on. After all, who wants to overhaul their lifestyle, knowing full well their actions won’t mean much unless a significant portion of the world population joins them?

But what if I told you there are ways to combat the climate crisis just by living your life exactly the way you do? I wouldn’t be lying entirely. Today I want to highlight two passive ways (one of which you are almost certainly already doing!) you can combat the climate crisis.

Saguaro Christian ChurchJune 13, 2025Warbler's Wisdom, sustainability, climate crisis

Plastic Pollution: On and Beyond Recycling

Warbler’s Wisdom, a weekly column by Jocelyn Hartley, our Creation and Justice Fellow from Disciples Home Mission and Green Chalice

Call to mind your morning routine. Maybe you get up, get dressed, brush your teeth, have breakfast, take the dog for a walk, take a shower, and stop by a coffee shop before finally ending up at work. Now call to mind all the items involved in your morning routine–the clothes you get into, your toothbrush and toothpaste, dog leash and dog bag, milk jug, shampoo and conditioner bottles, etc. If you’re like me, you can think of at least one plastic item associated with every step of your routine. That’s a lot of plastic!

So, what’s the big deal with all this plastic?