I thought this afternoon would allow for a first break of the week, but then interesting things unfolded—all day!

Church was the place to be in Copenhagen today. Spending the day with church leaders was a blessing too. I began the day in the presence of one very special church leader who is serving as the epicentre of eco-hope here in Copenhagen.

“Welcome to Hopenhagen” billboards and wall paintings greeted us everywhere as we arrived in Copenhagen today. This city portrays a strong commitment to work toward climate justice. Surrounded by clean water and windmills, Denmark’s capital boasts that it has already created the framework for becoming the world’s leading climate metropolis. It has developed a heating infrastructure as well as a unique cycling culture: more than half the population cycle to and from work, and only one person in four owns a car.

I am not a climate change debunker but have some discomfort with the processes around Copenhagen. I have been having a hard time working through them because I do not deny there is a problem and I do not deny that we need, urgently, to care for our planet. What I have trouble with is the band-wagon that seems to be surrounding these issues and I feel suspicious.

Today Chris Tindal, Alanna Mitchell, and I head for Copenhagen to join Joy Kennedy and David MacDonald, who are already there from The United Church of Canada.

Last evening I was at Hillhurst United Church in Calgary. It was wonderful to be with these good folks, to speak to them, and to engage in some back-and-forth with other speakers. I did it all from the small apartment I call home in Toronto. And another speaker joined in from Copenhagen! It was another way to meet—a way that I expect and hope will become more common.

I invited my friend Alanna Mitchell to speak at a “brown bag lunch” in the General Council Office yesterday, and was amazed yet again at her mixture of scientific understanding, extraordinary talent as a communicator, and deep hope.

Mardi Tindal, the Moderator of The United Church of Canada, is blogging from COP15, the United Nations Climate Change Conference (http://en.cop15.dk/) in Copenhagen, Denmark, Dec. 7-18, 2009.

Late yesterday afternoon I received an e-mail from a faithful church member in rural Ontario. The words sounded harsh to me, questioning the Moderator’s priorities (going to Copenhagen) when the church at home needs so much attention. Most e-mail messages provide no real contact information, but this one had some clues. So I tracked down a phone number and had a good conversation with a wonderful woman last evening.