Week beginning 6th February

 

Song: Jesus is Lord.

Jesus is Lord! Creation's voice proclaims it - YouTube

Prayer:

Creator God,
In your hand are the depths of the earth.
The mountain peaks belong to you, The sea is your creation,
The dry land is your handiwork,
The fruit of the land is your design,
The taste of the produce is your gift,
And we are your people,
a flock under your care.
We give you our thanks and praise, O God.
Amen.

Taken from www.allwecan.org.uk

What is a Christian response to the environmental issues which surround us at the moment? What markers can we use to guide in our use of God’s creation?

Our main interest has to be to learn more of God. So our response to the creation has to be worship. The creation is a signpost to God. It is a means to learn more of God who provided these things for our enjoyment.

If we are a church, or for that matter a business, with a sign outside, the state of the sign tells people something about the church or business responsible for it. Similarly, the state in which we leave our bit of creation tells people something about how we regard that particular gift from God.

If we destroy creation, we are destroying a signpost to God.

Some countries have no tradition of gardening for pleasure, just growing plants for food. In the U.K. plants have been grown for their beauty for centuries, which many people have used as a way of getting closer to God.

Reading: Psalm 19

Another aspect of our approach to creation has to be dignity. We need to treat God’s creation with the dignity it deserves.

There is a view amongst some Christians that since we are going to get a new creation when Jesus comes in glory, why should we need to bother with the existing one! Christ could come tomorrow, they reason, it would be waste of resources to spend time on this creation.

Would you look after your house like this? Especially if you were trying to sell it? Of course not. Creation is not ours to do with as we please, we are merely stewards, trustees of something which is not ours, but for which we are responsible. It is a part of our revelation about who God is.

We are all creative. This does not just mean in one of the crafts, such as painting, music or needlework. All of us have a skill. How we use that skill shows something about us. How we look after that which has been entrusted to us tells others something about us. We have a responsibility to the world, regardless of when Christ is coming.

Song: How lovely is Thy dwelling place

How Lovely in Thy Dwelling Place by Ted Sandquist - YouTube

In the past, some people have been abusive in their treatment of animals. They say that they believe in life and love, but fail to show this in their treatment of animals. We need to show respect for life, perhaps learning something from other cultures such as that of India which places great reverence on the well-being of animals.

In the creation story (Genesis) the idea of not eating the fruit of the tree of knowledge tells us that we don’t need to exploit everything, there are things which we can leave alone.

Song: From the rising of the sun

From The Rising of the Sun To The Going Down of the Same OLPS OCDC 2018 - YouTube

Our meeting together shows a desire to be with God. This means that we can be here now, and respect the environment in which we find ourselves. At the same time, we can hope for the better things which are to come. When we celebrate Holy communion, we are remembering the suffering and hardships of Christ, and others. We are looking to Christ’s return, and celebrating his presence in the world.

What should be our motivation in our dealing with creation?

Do we go on protests? Do we get concerned about the sort of light bulbs we use? Should we be bothered about the amount and type of packaging we use? How can we be more “green”? How do we dispose of waste? Is the disposal done safely?, properly? What drives us in making these decisions?

Many different campaigns are being fought using advertising at the moment. Many of them seek to use guilt as a motivating force.

Guilt should not control us. This is not the way of the Christian. We can point out wrongs, but guilt should not be the weapon we use to motivate others.

We should use love.

We should look after what point to God, or its misuse will point to our neglect.

Loving our neighbour does not involve harming somebody or something else. Especially, we are not loving our neighbour if our waste, or trade practices impact badly on them. We should motivate others by our love. It cannot be a legalistic approach, “If you’re a Christian you shouldn’t buy/do………” This may be O.K. for those who have sufficient money or resources, but for others, this may be a choice that they cannot make.

In order to make decisions, and to encourage others to make decisions, we need to understand people and their circumstances in order to behave in a loving way towards them. Christ is the answer which will assist us in the questions of life and the environment.

Song: Blessed assurance

Blessed Assurance - YouTube