WaterLines is a research and reflection project on the Lane Cove River catchment area in Sydney, providing an opportunity to bring together worship, prayer, theology, practice, geography and a local sense of connectedness with nature. “Research themes may include such diverse approaches as Aboriginal history and presence, fauna and flora, water and health, cycles of nature and faith, and art and the environment.” As the first such religious project in Australia, it is hoped it will serve as a type for wider application in our dry continent.
Water is the line that gives life to the landscape and connects our lives as inhabitants of the land. This connection reminds us that we are sustained by the natural environment and are in turn required to care for the earth. This line also washes away distinctions and notions of separateness, reminding us that we are all citizens of the earth and need to find common ways of exercising our responsibility towards the environment.
Sixteen Uniting Church Congregations have been identified in the Lane Cove Catchment:
Church Creek
Artarmon-Chatswood Stringybark Ck
Beecroft Devlins Ck
Denistone East Shrimptons Ck
Eastwood Terrys Ck
Epping Terrys Ck
Epping Terrys Ck
Hunters Hill-Boronia Pk Brickmakers Ck
Lane Cove Stringybark Ck
Linfield Little Blue Gum Ck
Longueville Tambourine Ck
McQuarie University Mars Ck
Marsden Rd Terrys Ck
Nth Ryde Community Kittys Ck & Martin's Ck
Pymble Blackbutt Ck
South Turramurra Upper Lane Cove R
West Epping Terrys Ck
The intention is to engage with each church, initially through a worship service, and encourage the congregation to 'adopt' their local creek.
Waterlines Service
A ~WaterLines~ church service involves:
- Readings, hymns, images, etc.
- Kids’ segment:
- water samples
- Address/sermon:
- Brief ecotheological introduction
- Suggestions for practical action
- Introduction to the WaterLines project
- Introduction to the congregation's local waterway
- Appeal to ‘adopt a creek’
Practical Things We Can Do to Help Our Catchment
When we have discovered where our local creek is, what are some of things we can do in its catchment?
- We can support WaterLines. We can reflect, worship and pray with our local environment, our catchment, constantly in view. Barry Leale’s two recent books on the environment contain a wealth of insights at the congregational level expressed in plain language (1).
- We can join a local Bush Care group for an activity which will get our hands dirty.
- We can support our local Council when it proposes to use our rates for stormwater works, catchment management initiatives and water quality monitoring.
- We can ensure any leaking sewers on our properties are repaired so that sewage does not leak into the bush, the drains and the creeks and that stormwater doesn’t flood into the sewers during heavy rain causing sewage overflows to the creek.
- We can join clean up campaigns when they are organized in our area.
- We can raise awareness of the catchment and the ways we damage it in our contacts with neighbours, friends and local people.
What are some of the things we shouldn’t do to avoid harming our local creek?
- We shouldn’t have a domineering attitude to nature. It’s God’s not ours!
- We shouldn’t drop litter onto streets or pathways or throw wastes into gutters or drains.
- We shouldn’t put weeds or garden wastes onto footpaths, in drains or in the bush.
- We shouldn’t use too much fertilizer, pesticides or weedicides on our gardens.
- We shouldn’t let stormwater get into sewers. In particular we should ensure that none of our roof drainage pipes are connected to the sewers to ensure that sewer mains don’t overflow sewage to the creek during heavy rain.
- We shouldn’t wash our cars over the gutters or on streets where nutrient rich washwater can flow into drains and creeks.
- We shouldn’t prevent natural infiltration of rainwater by excessive concreting over of gardens and open spaces. The faster runoff from hard surfaces seriously disturbs natural flow patterns and results in erosion and damage to stream banks.
There are many spiritual and practical things we can do to care for God’s Creation. WaterLines offers us an interesting focus for environmental activities in the Name of Jesus Christ.
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