We celebrate that St. Paul’s United Methodist Church has been recognized as a Community Leader for leading by example in sustainability. 

The City of Cedar Rapids’ Community Climate Action Plan, which is the fulfillment of the City Council’s Climate Resolution, includes a Sustainable Business Program to be developed over the next few years. Our church has been placed on a list of businesses and organizations created to highlight existing efforts in Cedar Rapids. We have been recognized on the basis of energy saving measures that were taken in our renovation; for having a dedicated “green team”--the Be Healthy. Be Green. Committee (BHBG); for the educational workshops, films, and displays facilitated by BHBG; and for our recycling and composting collection.

As it has become more and more urgent to respond to the climate crisis, it is right for faithful people to be at the forefront of the action. Matters of creation care, sustainability, and environmental justice are very Methodist: 

• Our scriptures and hymns are rich in language of the glory of creation.

• Our movement’s founder, John Wesley, preached, “that we should use and look upon nothing as separate from God.” (Sermon 23, “Upon Our Lord’s Sermon on the Mount, III” I.11, 1748)

• The United Methodist Social Principles states: “All creation is the Lord’s, and we are responsible for the ways in which we use and abuse it. [...] let us recognize the responsibility of the church and its members to place a high priority on changes in economic, political, social, and technological lifestyles to support a more ecologically equitable and sustainable world leading to a higher quality of life for all of God’s creation.” (Social Principles “The Natural World”, The Book of Discipline of The United Methodist Church, 2016)

• The United Methodist Women, ever conscious of justice issues, have kept environmental justice at the forefront of their programing. 

As we think of the future of St. Paul’s, we must consider that studies show that young people are concerned about climate change. We worry about our membership, they worry about their future on Earth. We should make the priorities of the young our priorities as well, in order to minister to their needs and concerns, and to show that we really care by our actions.

It’s good news that we have already started! We must continue to strengthen our work in recycling and composting to make sure we are compliant with city collection practices. What else can we do? I urge all members, staff, committees, and trustees to take this on in their actions and decision making on all levels. Make it part of your mindset to ask the question: How can we make ____ more sustainable? Actions might range from serving foods with smaller carbon footprints at meals, to planning low-waste upcycled crafts for children’s activities. Or, choosing not to buy something new and, instead, thinking radically about using what we already have at the church or in our own homes. If you don’t know where to begin, BHBG Committee would love to help you brainstorm or point you toward some resources. Please feel free to use BHBG as a resource, and we’d love to hear about and celebrate your great ideas and actions, too.

Stephanie Heifner is a lay member serving as co-chair on Be Healthy. Be Green. Committee and as Spiritual Growth Coordinator for the St. Paul’s Unit of United Methodist Women. She also created the Facebook group Zero Waste Cedar Rapids. She can be reached by email at stephanie.heifner@gmail.com. 

I recently had eye surgery which was scheduled for 2:00 pm.  I was told “no eating after midnight and nothing to drink after 8:00 am.” Accustomed to the more traditional timing of surgery in the morning, thinking about nothing to eat or drink until 3:00 pm seemed like cruel and inhumane punishment. About 8:30 am that morning I poured myself a glass of iced tea, then realized that I was already into my NPO (nothing per mouth) time, so I drank it fast telling myself that half an hour shouldn’t make any difference. Around my usual lunch time I had a little hunger nausea or perhaps it was my anxiety starting to creep up. Surprisingly, when the surgery was over and I was offered Nutri-grain bars and soda, I actually nibbled at them rather than stuffing them into my mouth as fast as I could. That prompted me to consider that maybe the new diet concept of intermittent fasting might not be as hard as I had envisioned.

Studies are showing that intermittent fasting has benefits for weight loss, but also for health and longevity. When you are temporarily without food, the body starts burning fat. It takes at least 8 hours without food for this process to kick into gear. Intermittent fasting has been linked to improvements in cognitive functioning, increased endurance, and accelerated healing.

A good way for beginners to start is to limit your eating hours to an eight hour window of time, for example 10:00 am to 6:00 pm.  However, for those of us that were taught that breakfast “is the most important meal of the day,” that would take an attitude adjustment. But I could make a habit of not eating after supper (ie. no ice cream at bedtime, no crackers while I check my email). That would at least give me a 10 or 11 hour fasting window-a good place to start.  Another way is to have low-calorie fasting days.  That means that you eat normally on 4 or 5 days of week  (still within the 8 hour window) but limit your calories to 500 for women and 700 for men on a couple of days.  If you do fast, be sure to drink plenty of water and keep up your exercise.

Intermittent fasting is generally safe for most people. But if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, prone to low blood sugar, have Type I Diabetes, or are already underweight fasting is not appropriate for you. But if you do try it,  share your experiences with me. We all need encouragement and ideas.