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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Called to care for creation


At the Episcopal Diocese of Spokane, Gloria Waggoner, the bishop's wife, has spearheaded the
Virginia De Leon Staff writer

Outside in the garden, with her hands deep in the dirt, Gloria Waggoner experiences God.

“It is a spiritual act,” she said, describing the care she has given the hardy rose bushes, fragrant herbs and other perennials on the grounds surrounding Paulsen House – her home and the center of the Episcopal Diocese of Spokane.

When she and her husband, Bishop Jim Waggoner, moved to Paulsen House nearly six years ago, Gloria Waggoner immediately put an end to the $6,000 worth of chemicals and pesticides used on the lawn and garden annually. She wanted this patch of land to be free of toxins – maintained in an organic manner that not only honors nature, she said, but also ensures the health of people and wildlife that use the garden.

“It’s about cherishing the earth, the gift God has given us,” she said. “It’s about cherishing ourselves and future generations.”

Waggoner’s efforts at Paulsen House paved the way for the “Greening of the Churches,” an initiative in the Episcopal Diocese of Spokane to promote environmental stewardship. In the coming year, several congregations in the diocese hope to adopt a number of earth-friendly practices, including banning Styrofoam, encouraging carpooling, walking or taking the bus to church, offering classes on composting and organic gardening and supporting Fair Trade, a growing movement that seeks to reduce poverty of workers and producers.

Stewardship of the Earth is a moral obligation, according to religious teachings. In recent years, the connection between faith and ecology has become even more apparent to area congregations as people such as Waggoner have made it a ministry to educate others about caring for the Earth.

Three years ago, members of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Spokane – a community that has been involved in environmental issues for decades – collaborated with the Interfaith Council of the Inland Northwest to hold lectures on religion and the environment.

Those conversations led to formation of the Faith and Environmental Network, which will hold a discussion this week on environmental stewardship. Those involved in this newly formed group hope to educate people about ecology and the effects of their own lifestyle choices, as well as enlist volunteers to work with environmental groups.

“I look forward to seeing more people who love the Creator begin to take care of creation,” said Jason Duba of Spokane, an AmeriCorps volunteer who helped put the network together.

Locally, people of faith – Jews, Muslims, Buddhists, Hindus, Christians of all denominations – have discussed their responsibility to the environment. Some congregations have issued official statements. Several have put their words into action.

About five years ago, Bishop William Skylstad of Spokane and other Roman Catholic leaders throughout the Northwest and British Columbia called on residents to recognize the Columbia River as a sacred source of life.

“The Columbia River Watershed: Caring for Creation and the Common Good” was the first pastoral letter ever issued by the Catholic Church about a river. After four years of discussions that included listening to the opinions of more than 2,000 people, the Northwest bishops – under the leadership of Skylstad – issued the teaching document as an international call to environmental justice.

“God entrusts the Earth to human care,” the bishops wrote. “People are the stewards of God’s world.”

The environment long has been a priority to members of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Spokane, according to Stan Grant, who has been active in the church’s environmental stewardship committee. Spokane’s Unitarian church was one of the first congregations in the country to create a program that not only built awareness of environmental issues but also promoted environmental justice and motivated people to change their lifestyles, he said.

To obtain its “Green Sanctuary” status, the congregation had to undergo a number of environmental audits that assessed its use of energy, water, paper and waste.

Today, some of the Unitarian Universalist Church’s community projects include “adoption” of a park and a portion of highway, sustainability workshops, composting on the church grounds, recycling of old batteries and other items that the city and county don’t pick up and an alternative gift fair, which encourages people to contribute in a loved one’s name to social and environmental organizations instead of buying things.

“There’s a strong spiritualism when you think of the age of the Earth and the ancientness of the mountains,” said Grant, a retired geologist who lives on 10 acres 20 miles north of Spokane. During the day, he walks the nearby trails and listens to the birds. In the evening, he sits on his porch and enjoys the sunsets. “Our personal beliefs can help make a better world.”

In Judaism, the principle of “Tikkun Olam” – “to heal the world” – often is interpreted as “to heal the Earth,” said Art Zack, a member of Beth Haverim, a local Reform congregation. “People and God are partners in creation,” he said, emphasizing how stewardship of the environment is an essential component of his faith. “It’s pretty basic. God created the world, and people don’t have a right to destroy and waste God’s creation.”

Waggoner, who offers seminars on organic and environmental stewardship, often begins by paraphrasing Genesis, reminding people how God created the Earth as a gift – “a thoughtfully designed complete system of checks and balances that work together in beautiful synchronicity for the natural order.”

She emphasizes how each choice we make affects the well-being of other humans, the lives of animals, the longevity of species in the wild and the health of the entire planet.

In her lectures, she tells people: “Stewardship of the environment begins with a willingness – to learn and practice non-invasive methods of housecleaning (and) pest control; to consider the inhumane treatment, fate and pollution of animals that end up on our dinner plates; to question, demand and receive information crucial to our individual well-being; to choose products that impact softly upon the Earth and help sustain communities and individuals in every land.”

Waggoner has been living an organic lifestyle for more than 30 years. In addition to keeping the gardens of Paulsen House free of toxins, she also restricts the use of chemicals inside the historic mansion. Waggoner uses only vinegar and water, orange oil and other natural cleaning products.

Next month, she will open Rosa Gallica in the basement of Paulsen House, a “lifestyle boutique” that will sell soy candles, organic plant food, Fair Trade goods and other environmentally friendly items.

“This is my calling, my ministry, my passion,” she said. “Everything we do has an effect on others. How can we lessen our impact on the Earth? How do we live simply? How do we honor what God has given us?”