Georgia Interfaith Power and Light Blog

Film Screening: Journey of the Universe

Wed, 16 May 2012 00:00:00 GMT

GIPL is partnering with Columbia Theological Seminary to host a showing of The Journey of the Universe on Thursday, May 24, at 7 p.m. in the Harrington Center Auditorium at CTS. No RSVP necessary. Click here for more details.

This film was shown as part of CTS's Earth Day activites to great reviews, so we wanted to give people another opportunity to see it. Check out the film synopsis below, and we'll see you there:

Film Synopsis

One day on a Greek island, and your view of the universe will change forever...

Ask acclaimed author and evolutionary philosopher Brian Thomas Swimme about our role as humans in this awe-inspiring universe, and his insights will light up the night skies. As our host, co-writer, and fellow traveler, he shares his infectious curiosity about life�s biggest questions in the epic Journey of the Universe.

Using his skills as a masterful storyteller, Swimme connects such big picture issues as the birth of the cosmos 14 billion years ago � to the invisible frontiers of the human genome � as well as to our current impact on Earth�s evolutionary dynamics. Through his engaging and thoughtful observations audiences everywhere will discover the profound role we play in this intricate web of life.

From the Big Bang to the epic impact humans have on the planet today, this film is designed to inspire a new and closer relationship with Earth in a period of growing environmental and social crisis.

Beautifully filmed in HD, our story begins on the historically rich Greek island of Samos, birthplace of mathematician Pythagoras. Disembarking on the island at dawn, Swimme expertly guides us on an exhilarating trek through time and space, sharing a wondrous view of cosmic evolution as a process based on immense creativity, connection, and interdependence. After the toll of midnight, he sets sail into the star-lit waters of the Aegean Sea, leaving audiences with a sense of wonder at the mystery, complexity and connectivity that permeates the Earth and universe from the very beginning.

Big science, big history, big story, this one-of-a-kind film was written by Swimme and Yale University historian of religions Mary Evelyn Tucker. They weave a tapestry that draws together scientific discoveries in astronomy, geology, biology, ecology, and biodiversity with humanistic insights concerning the nature of the universe. Created by a renowned team of scientists, scholars, and award-winning filmmakers, JOURNEY OF THE UNIVERSE was produced and directed by Patsy Northcutt and David Kennard. The story is also told with breathtaking clarity in the accompanying book written by Swimme and Tucker and published by Yale University Press.

St. James Episcopal Church Receives Matching Grant

Tue, 15 May 2012 00:00:00 GMT

St. James Episcopal Church in Macon received a Power Wise Energy Audit in May 2011 of their 7,929 ft² facility.

square foot facility. The Energy Audit identified several Environmental Conservation Measures (ECMs), including: HVAC upgrade, installing direct digital control energy management system, providing batt insulation for the sanctuary, and providing blown in insulation for the second building.

St. James Episcopal Church applied for and received an Energy Improvement Matching Grant of $1,975 in November 2011 to install batt insulation in the sanctuary. The total project costs $3,950 and has an estimated annual savings of $1,147.

The congregation at St. James Episcopal Church is just beginning their creation care efforts. Their Energy Audit inspired conversation about energy and environmental issues and has resulted in some initial steps, such as using glass coffee mugs and recycling church bulletins. In addition, they are planning some adult education classes in 2012 about creation care.

The congregation was one of fourteen faith communities that were awarded a total of $81,816 in Energy Improvement Matching Grants in November 2011. The next round of Matching Grants applications are due on May 15, 2012.

Matching Grant applications are on our website. Up to $10,000 is available to congregations interested in implementing suggestions from their Power Wise Energy Audits to reduce energy consumption and costs. Applicants must be up to date in the Monthly Bills Tracking System, which is a new requirement for this cycle.

Bob Donaghue
Power Wise Program Director

Alison's First Bike Ride

Fri, 11 May 2012 00:00:00 GMT

Alison on Kate's bike. Note her
Atlanta Streets Alive shirt, coming up on May 20!

I have a long, tumultuous history with bikes. I grew up tearing through the woods around our house with my sisters, up hills, down hills, all over. We loved it.

I didn't have the motivation to bike in college until I lived in England without a car. For nine months, I rode or walked every day, rain or rain. It was a magical year with my red bike Lucy.

But Oxford was flatter than Atlanta, and people actually knew how to share the road with bikes (even the buses). And there were bike lanes and restrictions on cars in the city centre. And excuses, excuses, I haven't ridden regularly since.

When I returned to Macon, I picked up a thrift store bike named Sadie, barely rode her, and donated her to the Mercer Bear Bikes program when I moved to Atlanta. I spotted her again, now painted orange, in the back room of Centenary UMC's Community Bike Program when Alexis and I visited last month!

I bought a bike off Craigslist when I moved to Atlanta. Note that all my bikes are secondhand. But lest you think I'm super Buy Wise, I don't think it's good practice to discard them so quickly or let them fall into disrepair, as I have with my latest bike. Poor doesn't even have a name has two flat tires, weird sticky handlebars, and more rust than I'd care to admit.

In lieu of me actually fixing up my bike, Kate has let me borrow one for our Bike Month Challenge. And today was the first day I rode to work. My commute is less than two miles, so I figured I could handle it.

I'm going to be honest, I have issues with bikes (clearly). Biking in Atlanta terrifies me and I'm afraid I'm going to die from heat exhaustion. Not to mention the hair. But I'm secretly glad my coworkers are publicly ~~shaming~~ challenging me to bike to work. And I'm proud I actually did it this morning. And I was slow and tired but I made it.

And now that we have a tally sheet and Alexis is already two ahead of me, I might just do it again.

Alison Amyx
Communications Director

Bike Challenge Rules: We'll have two winners: # of commutes on bikes in May, and # miles ridden in May. Same person can't win both. So start counting and let us know in the comments how you're doing!

Andrew Lane Honored for Being Awesome

Thu, 10 May 2012 00:00:00 GMT

Lane with the solar over he brought
home from Afghanistan.

Andrew Lane, Creation Keeper at St. Gregory the Great Episcopal Church in Athens, is recognized for his awesomeness in the "People Are Awesome" column of GOOD Magazine:

"You might think 20 years of military service, two war deployments, and recycling enough trash to raise thousands of dollars for his church might be enough to wear one man out. But Andrew Lane, who is a soldier in the Georgia Army National Guard, is focused on an everlasting life mission: a zero waste lifestyle.

Lane is the driving force behind the "Tithing for Trash" program at St. Gregory, which won our 2011 Trailblazer Award at our GIPPY Award in February.

Lane's is well on his way to achieving his goal of a zero waste lifestyle, and he's setting an example for his church, his community, and now many others with this latest article.

We're proud to call Lane a partner in this work, and we can't wait to see what he does next!

Catch the GIPPY's on AIB

Wed, 9 May 2012 00:00:00 GMT

Tune in to see the Sixth Annual GIPPY Awards on AIB Metro this week. They'll cover our awards and feature the outstanding work of our winning congregations!

You can catch the segment tomorrow (Thursday, May 10) at 6:30p., Friday at 12p, Saturday at 7:30p, and Tuesday at 10a.

AIB Metro provides an in-depth look at hot topics, trend setters and current concerns that touch and inspire the diverse voices reflecting metro Atlanta's faith community.

Catch AIB-TV 24/7 on Channel 5 on Comcast; Channel 6 on AT&T U-verse & Channel 22 on Charter Cable. Or watch on the web at www.aibnet.tv