SEPTEMBER 2026

Room in the Inn demonstration during the Trash Talk 101 class: youth CC workers help young “RITI guests” serve themselves “dinner” then sort their waste.

On Aug 30, the “Trash Talk 101” class attempted to demystify waste management here at St. B’s (see the recording here). In the photo above, contestants in the “Show and Smell” gameshow received a flower for each correctly assorted sorted item. With a bit of chaotic shenanigans, the live demos and gameshow brought kids, youth, and adults into the complexities of what to do with our refuse. Thank you to all of our helpers (including Teresa Whitesell and Barbara Dale Tomlinson for donating prizes like homemade soap and a backyard compost bin)! And congratulations to the Schneck family for winning the compost bin! All the questions from the Q&A time are gathered in this live Q&A doc. Keep adding your questions!  

September 1 - October 4

Right now we’re in the Season of Creation! Listen on Sundays for ways that St. B’s is paying more attention to God’s role as our Creator and our role as creatures on this wonderful planet: some changes to liturgy, music, and sermons; and maybe even the inclusion of house plants during the animal blessing on Oct 4! 

Weed Wrangle plot: light work to tend the plot cleared of invasive species. Contact Jim Pichert.

Waste management: contact Gretchen

Bussing station at upcoming events 

Help prepare materials for congregational education.

Take hard-to-recycle materials to collection centers around town.

CC research and/or admin tasks: Doable from home (computer/phone) on your flexible schedule, approx. 1-2 hours/week, or as you can. Contact Gretchen.

The Season of Creation is an ecumenical movement (ecumenical = different branches of the Christian faith working together). The worldwide Anglican Communion is an official partner, and The Episcopal Church is part of the Anglican Communion. Also participating are the Roman Catholic Church, plus several branches of the Orthodox, Lutheran, and Methodist Churches; as well as networks that pull together Protestant congregations and organizations, like the World Council of Churches, A Rocha, and Lausanne. St. B’s gets to be a tiny part of this happy collaboration for the good of our common home!

A tree’s root flare is the widened area at the base of a tree trunk where it transitions into the root system. It’s a beauty of nature. DON’T COVER IT! Keeping it visible is vital for tree health, permitting air exchange, preventing bark rot, inhibiting development of “sucker” limbs at the base, and stopping dangerous girdling roots. The photo above shows how “volcano mulching” killed a memorial tree along the St. B’s walking path.

Rules of thumb: no mulch volcanoes, and angle grass cuttings away from the tree. Recently the Can-Do Crew uncovered more than a dozen root flares of visibly distressed trees on St. B’s property. Let us know if you find a St. B’s tree root flare in need of rescue! (Thanks to parishioner Gail Swiggart for helping us address covered root flares on our property!)

First substitution of the game! Jim Pichert is rolling off after 3 fruitful years on the Creation Care Committee (CCC) and Logan Pollock is taking the field. Logan is a Natural Burial Guide and chaplain at Larkspur Conservation, serves as an LEM, and is in process of ordination. The CCC is a 5-person group serving the Creation Care ministry, in synergy with M&O and Justice as part of the Love in Action umbrella, ably led by Fr. Ed. 

The Episcopal Church’s Prophetic Voices: Preaching and Teaching Beloved Community podcast explores the lectionary through the lens of social justice, including creation care. It offers fodder for preaching and teaching and makes present-day connections to the lectionary readings throughout the liturgical year. This episode is about the Feast of St. Francis readings, when we do our animal (and plant?) blessing at St. B’s.

“And Jehovah God taketh the man, and causeth him to rest in the garden of Eden, to serve it, and to keep it.” (Gen 2:15, Young’s Literal Trans)

Author of Creation: In wisdom you brought forth all that is, to participate in your divine being, and to change, adapt, and grow in freedom. You make holy the matter and energy of the universe that it may delight you and give you praise. We thank you for gathering all creation into your heart by the energy of your Spirit and bringing it through death to resurrection glory; through the One in whom all things have their being, Jesus Christ, your Wisdom and your Word. Amen.

(from Season of Creation A Celebration Guide for Episcopal Parishes)

Have questions or suggestions?: We'd love to hear from you! Creation Care Committee Chair Gretchen Abernathy (creationcare@stbs.net); and Fr. Ed Smith, Associate Rector (esmith@stbs.net).

ST. BARTHOLOMEW'S EPISCOPAL CHURCH

4800 Belmont Park Terrace, Nashville TN 37215

stbs.net  •   615.377.4750