The Menu “But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the

me, the blind, and you will be blessed.

Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.” Luke 14:13-14

Newsletter of the UCC Social Justice Team Issue 1, February 11, 2007

New face of social Chef’s Special:

justice at the UCC Being a Steward of God’s Creation
In an effort to better What does scripture say?
promote awareness about Catholic Social Teaching:
justice issues and the Stewardship of God's Creation “The Lord God took the
man and put him in the
response of faithful people The goods of the earth are gifts from God, and they are Garden of Eden to work it
around the UCC and the intended by God for the benefit of everyone. There is a
larger Austin community, “social mortgage” that guides our use of the world's goods, and take care of it.”
leaders of the Social Justice and we have a responsibility to care for these goods as Genesis 2:15
stewards and trustees, not as mere consumers and users. How
Team have created a bi-
we treat the environment is a measure of our stewardship, a
UCC Gets Recycling
weekly newsletter.
sign of our respect for the Creator. Program!
If you would like to help In an effort to become
with planning events and “True stewardship requires changes in human actions—both better stewards of God’s
workshops or have ideas to in moral behavior and technical advancement. Our religious creation, the UCC has
add to the team please email tradition has always urged restraint and moderation in the use started a recycling program.
sjteam@utcatholic.org. of material goods, so we must not allow our desire to possess There are paper collection
more material things to overtake our concern for the basic bins located in the copy
SJ Team Mission statement: needs of people and the environment. Pope John Paul II has
The UCC Social Justice Team room and computer lab.
linked protecting the environment to ‘authentic human The can bins are in the
seeks to connect what we ecology,’ which can overcome ‘structures of sin’ and which
experience at Mass on Sunday kitchen and by the coke
promotes both human dignity and respect for creation.” machine in the basement.
to how we live the rest of the Sources: Global Climate Change: A Plea for Dialogue, Prudence, and the
week by focusing on the tenets Common Good, USCCB, 2001 #16; http://www.osjspm.org/cst Please help us recycle!
of charity and justice. We serve
the common good through
works of mercy for the poor
Helen Prejean to Stop the Coal Rush Lobby Day at the Capitol
and vulnerable and advocating speak at the UCC
for just social policies. Participate Mon., Feb. 12. large cities including Dallas
A small number of power and Houston are also
Prayer Vigil for Life companies, including giant protesting because their air
TXU, want to build 18 new quality will suffer from the new
to be hosted at the coal-fired power plants in emissions, and environmental
UCC, Sat. Feb. 17 Texas. Governor Perry groups and business
Sister Helen Prejean will be issued an executive order in community leaders have filed
7-10:30 am at the UCC on Feb. 14 at 2005 directing Texas’ lawsuits to stop the plants.
The event, which will be 3:30 pm Sister Prejean environmental agency to
hosted by Catholic ministers to inmates on rush the proposed new Texas already leads the nation
Longhorns for Life, begins death row and wrote the plants through the state in global warming emissions—
with Mass at 7 am, then some book Dead Man Walking, permitting process. the emissions from just the
people will caravan to a which inspired the movie by proposed new coal plants
Planned Parenthood facility the same title. If you can not Citizens in areas where the would more than offset all the
for peaceful prayer, while make it during the day, she proposed plants would be global warming emissions
others remain in Adoration at will be at San Jose parish at built have been trying to reductions California recently
the UCC. Refreshments will 7pm (Location: 2435 Oak stop the “fast-track” process adopted. Texas air is already so
follow in the UCC Atrium. Crest, Austin, TX 78704) all year. Mayors of several C on t in ue d o n b ac k page
The Menu Newsletter of the UCC Social Justice Team
“ B U T W H E N Y O U G I V E A B A N Q U E T , I N V I T E T H E P O O R , T H E C R I P P L E D , T H E L A M E , T H E B L I N D , A N D
Y O U W I L L B E B L E S S E D . A L T H O U G H T H E Y C A N N O T R E P A Y Y O U , Y O U W I L L B E R E P A I D A T T H E
R E S U R R E C T I O N O F T H E R I G H T E O U S . ” L U K E 1 4 : 1 3 - 1 4

What’s the Big Bin of Groceries next to the Soup Suppers are Back
kitchen? It’s for the Micah 6 Food Pantry! The UCC community will come
together each Friday during Lent
The mission of the Micah 6 Pantry is to meet the needs of to break bread. The soup suppers
the homeless and impoverished in the UT campus area. It is will begin at 6:30 pm after the
like a mini grocery store with two small rooms of fruits, Stations of the Cross. A simple,
vegetables, canned goods, breads, cereals, and meats. Guests meatless meal will be served in
are greeted with a smile and select what groceries they need the atrium while a speaker from a
from the donated items. The Micah 6 Pantry is located in the local advocacy organization gives
basement of the University Baptist Church, on Guadalupe a presentation. If you would like
and 22nd and is open for shopping Thurs. evening 6-7pm make a soup of approximately 20-30 servings for one of the
and Sat. morning 10:30-11:30am. suppers please contact Michael Burkhart at
Members of the community are encouraged to donate tarazan_fox@yahoo.com. If you are interested in cooking
groceries and plastic bags to the bin at the UCC. Volunteer for a “night of organic soups,” contact Jenn at
shifts are Thursday morning, afternoon, and evening and jennifer.svetlik@gmail.com to coordinate.
Saturday morning.
Margot Wilson, a UCC grad student, volunteers the 2nd Support CWS CROP Hunger Walk
Saturday of every month from 9:30-11:30 am and invites CROP stands for Communities Responding to
anyone interested to join her! For more information visit the Overcome Poverty and identifies interfaith hunger
website: http://micah6austin.org,contact Margot Wilson at education and fundraising events. Austin’s CROP Walk is
margotw@mail.utexas.edu or Harriet Choffel, the Saturday Mar. 3-4 at Roy G. Guerrero park. To participate in the
Coordinator at hchoffel@austin.rr.com. Austin walk go to http://www.main.org/cropwalk.

Stop the Coal Rush, permitting “on hold” pending Texas’ expected growth in legislation requiring power
continued from front page: a review of the health, electricity demand over the plants built after a specific
polluted that more than half environmental and global next several years enough to date to meet or beat industry
of Texans live in areas where warming implications of eliminate the demand for “best practices” that would
the air fails to meet federal proposed technologies. some or all of the proposed reduce (but not eliminate)
minimum health-based -Carbon emission cap: new coal-fired plants. new power plant emissions in
standards. Texas has more Lawmakers could enact -Serious renewable energy Texas.
legislation similar to targets: Lawmakers could Source: www.stopthecoalrush.com
renewable energy potential
than any other state in the California’s recently enacted increase significantly Texas’
country—Texas’ renewable Global Warming Solutions “renewable portfolio There will be a lobby day at
energy sources could provide Act of 2006, which requires standard” —the percentage the Capitol about this issue
enough power to meet 40% the state’s environmental of electricity in the state that on Mon, Feb. 12.
of US demand if they were agencies to adopt regulations is required to come from To find out more, or to get
developed. to reduce statewide renewable sources. Under more info about contacting
greenhouse gas emissions. current law, only about 10% your legislators about this
What Can Legislators Do -Comprehensive energy of Texas’ electricity will have issue, go to
to Stop the Coal Rush? efficiency legislation: to come from renewable www.stopthecoalrush.com or
-Moratorium: Lawmakers Lawmakers could adopt a sources by 2015. to sign a petition against
could pass a resolution package of energy-efficiency -New technology standards: TXU’s actions, go to http://
putting all new power plant standards that would diminish Lawmakers could pass ga3.org/campaign/

Assist the Elderly with Care Calls
This service helps to ensure the safety of the elderly who are
often alone and may need someone to check in on them and
make sure they have necessities like food and heat or A.C. It
takes 5 minutes daily or 20 minutes per week so even busy
university students could participate. All you do is call eld-
erly, frail people to check if they are o.k. To get further de-
tails and get started with this program please call 476.6325.
Like what you see? Want to become a part of it?
A small group of students and adults committed to
promoting justice around the UCC and the larger
community produces this bi-weekly newsletter, looks for 
opportunities to do charity and justice, leads workshops, and 
hosts other events. If you would like to help with planning, have 
ideas to add to the team, or would like to put a submission into 
the newsletter,  please email sjteam@utcatholic.org.