Planetwise prt 10

To see the other posts click here

Living it out: Mission as if creation matters

Call to action! As Christians we are called to fill the Great Commission, which appears in all four gospels with slightly different wording, Matthew 28:19-20 is the most commonly used. There are two important parts to the great commission; go and make disciples, discipleship is about leading people on a lifelong journey with Jesus, conversion is only the beginning of the journey. Everything I have commanded, Jesus also cared about the issues of justice and the environment. Mark 16:15 version of the great commission expands into the importance of creation "Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation". Our God given great commission, includes the whole of creation, not just people (again we are not the centre of the story).

Though I know of the great commission given to use by Jesus Christ, I didn't realise that God had also given us a great commission way before Jesus's time in Genesis 1:28 'ruling over and caring for creation'. We have to follow both as they are as equalling important.

I loved this statement: The whole gospel is about Jesus transforming a person's relationship with God, and their relationships with other people and the world around them.

Questions
1. If the command to reflect God in caring for creation is 'the first great commission', how is it reflected in your priorities?
Probably has come second, but I have never been comfortable with that, as caring for the environment and creation is something that sits well with me and I have a real heart and passion for.

2. Do you and does your fellowship or church, support each of the five marks of mission (page 137) through praying, giving and practical action?

5 Marks of mission:

• to proclaim the good news of the kingdom
• to teach, baptize and nurture new believers
• to respond to human need by loving service
• to seek to transform unjust structures of society
• to strive to safeguard the integrity of creation and sustain and renew the earth.

I think that my church does pretty well, we have a few missionaries in various fields, and support and regularly pray for those missionaries. Baptisms are a regular fixture during the year, and the congregation is always encouraged to get to know new people not only to the church but to the faith as well. If there is a need then something is done about it, meals are cooked, help is given, prayers are prayed, visits are made etc..The last two I am not so sure of, we do do regular features about sex trafficking, etc..and are encouraged to do our part. In recent times creation has been coming up, and I hope to be an active part of this new part of our church life.

3. How can we keep a full biblical understanding of mission, including creation care, without neglecting the importance of sharing the good news of Jesus with individual people? Does the work of A Rocha (see www.arocha.org) offer some helpful ideas?

Plantewise prt 9

For the other posts click here

Living it out: Lifestyle as if creation matters

This chapter is full of the things that Dave Bookless and his family have done to be more creation minded in their daily lives, I really like it cause this chapter is very practical. Though Dave Bookless does say that if you take stock of your lifestyle you would probably think that there is no hope, you couldn't possibly fix everything, but that is ok. Just take things one step at a time, make one improvement at a time and things will happen alot easier.

Prayer is still very important, pray to God about the areas of your life that need fixing and he will show you where to start.

Questions
1. 'One step at a time.' What is your next practical step in your lifestyle change?
Starting a compost heap or worm farm, we produce alot of organic waste (not just through food, but through general garden maintenance too), and it is something that has been in the back of my mind for a long time. I am going to endeavour to decided which would be best for us and go ahead and get started.

2.The chapter talks about 'behaving, believing and belonging'. Behaviour and belief are address in this book and many other places, but what about 'belonging'? Are there others you know who could join in exploring living lightly?

3.What would you want your lifestyle to look like in five years time? Is this a sustainable vision that honours God, includes justice for the poor and cares for creation?
I would like to have a productive garden going, with organic waste recycling (in some form), to know exactly where and what has gone into the food and resources that we consume. And I would really like to be an active member of A Rocha in Australia, having a group of us who meets together regularly to support each other, pray for creation issues and does practical things within the community. I think that this quite a sustainable vision, but I will be continuing to pray about the decisions that we make.

Planetwise prt 8

For the other posts click here

Living it out: Worship as if creation matters

Dave Bookless used the word WORSHIP as an exploration of how we can worship God as if creation matters:

W Wonder at God's creation
O Openness to God speaking through creation
R Rootedness in the place where God put us
S Sabbath rest and re-creation
H Hands-on involvement with creation
I Integration of all our relationships
P Prayer for God's kingdom

This chapter starts with a reminder of the importance of worship, and not just the worship in church with singing and dancing etc... or even regular prayer and bible reading. But worship is something that should happen everyday, in everything that we do (driving, working, etc). And it is something that we should do in creation more often, outside enjoying what God has created.

Wonder at God's creation : As adults we have lost that sense of wonder at the world around us, the majesty and beauty that God created. We need to get back to seeing the world as a small child does.

Openness to God speaking through creation : Creation can be God's way of speaking to us when we've lost our sense of perspective. Get out and spend time with God in creation, you can really get to know alot about who God really is, and what his purpose for us really is.

Rootedness in the place where God put us : We have looked at this concept earlier in the book, we are where we are for a reason. We need to put down roots in the community that we live in, because it is these roots that help us during times of turmoil and strife, like how an established tree can with stand huge winds and storms. Getting rooted in your community is about participating and getting to know people who live around you. Developing a sense of community.

Sabbath rest and re-creation : Again another topic that we have already covered, but it is a concept that in our modern world we seem to consistently miss or dismiss. We are not meant to be on the go 24/7, physically our bodies show the consequences. Most importantly God rested after he created the earth, on the 7th day he rested! And so should we.

Hands-on involvement with creation : We are apart of creation, and we rely on creation. This is something that I have never experienced because I have been lucky enough to grow up in more rural area as a posed to the suburbs or inner city, but people do experience negative consequences of not being able to get out into the fresh air and sunlight. I find their is something uplifting and fulfilling to work the soil and grow plants, especially bringing a sick plant back from the brink of death. Get outside....live.

Integration of our relationship : If Jesus is the one in whom 'all things hold together' (Colossians 1:17) - the centre of the whole universe - than all these fragmented bits of our lives will only make sense if we put him right in the middle and do not shut him out of certain areas. Christians can live quite fragmented lives, who we are at church is not who we are at work and the same at home or with friends. We should not live this way, Jesus should be apart of every part of our lives and affect everything that we do. He is the one who should be in control, not us.

Prayer for God's kingdom : Something that is lacking in my own personal prayer life, before reading this it had never crossed my mind about the importance of thanking God for creation and about things that are happening with creation. I personally have started praying for my garden and for the work I hope to start doing with A Rocha.

Questions
1.Using the WORSHIP outline on page 99, think through which of these areas need most attention in your own worship, and that of any church or fellowship you belong to.
Rootedness and prayer are probably my own areas that need work, I think that in someways the same for my church and home group that I belong to. Though I would say that every part of of the WORSHIP outline does need work.

2.Do you see the whole of life, including shopping and lifestyle choices as worship? Are there some practical ways that can help you worship Jesus in the midst of everyday life?
I have tried to be very mindful of the way both me and my husband live, from where our food comes from, how it is produced/treated and what we do with the resources that we consume (waste etc...). These things I have never considered to be worship, and I can see that they are important if not essential parts of worship, and I will continue to do more.

3. Do you pray about the earth? Think of some environmental issues, local or global, that concern or upset you, and take these to God in prayer. If you (and your church) have a pattern of prayer, try to include prayers for the whole of creation on a regular basis.

Gardening

Since I have been reading 'Planetwise' by Dave Bookless (see posts about this book here), I have had a great longing to be out in the garden. Actually want to be pulling weeds and mulching, I think that I know have about 1/2 of our garden done now which is great as I have been battling the weeds for the last 3 months.

I have learnt that things have got easier because of the cooling of the weather and the change in the season, the weeds are not so much in a growth phase which means that I have little more time after pulling the weeds out before I have to get the mulch down. Great because I don't have a constant supply and can only buy mulch when we can afford it.

Because money is a big issue I have found a way of making the mulch that I do buy go alittle further, cardboard & newspaper. These are things that I can get in quite a ready supply thanks to my wonderful hubby. Normally my husbands work just throws the cardboard boxes that their orders come in into the recycle dumpster out the back. Which is great that they get recycled, but it is also good for me. Everytime they get a delivery of large boxes my husband gives me a call I go down a pick them up, remove any tape & stables and cut/rip into size. I cover the newly weeded ground with the pieces of cardboard or multiple layers of newspaper wet with the hose or watering can and then covering with mulch. I have found that the layer of cardboard/newspaper means that the layer of mulch doesn't have to be as thick and thus you can cover a larger area. The cardboard/newspaper will eventually breakdown as does the mulch, but it takes a little more time.

Can't wait to get the whole garden mulch, really hoping that I will be able to stay on top of the weeds now. Next thing is to decide what plants to put in, I am thinking about low growing guerrilla and other natives. Attract some more birds into our backyard, Curios will enjoy more birds to sing to.

Planetwise prt 8

For the other posts click here

Living it out: Discipleship as if creation matters

I liked this chapter, it is starting to get into the actions that we can take to care for creation in a way that God intends us to do. This chapter also reminds us Jesus Christ had the closest unbroken relationship with God possible, and gives us a great insight about what is possible when you follow God wholly and completely.

Questions
1. Using Genesis chapter 1 and 2 and the example of Jesus, write a job description of humanity as 'the image of God'.
To love one another, without judgement. To take care of not only other human beings, but all creations that have been hand by the hand of God. Taking care also means that you help all creation to prosper and grow.

2. Our role as disciples of Jesus is described in this chapter as being like gardeners and caretakers, tenants and stewards, prophets, priests and kings. Which of these do you find most helpful or unhelpful, and why?
I find all but the last three very helpful, because I have always felt that though we are not 'long for this world' that we have a great responsibility to look after it, not only for the next generation to come but for God as well. Because he is the one who created all of creation in the first place. I am not 100% sure why I find being a prophet, priest and king abit unhelpful. Probably because of the amount of esteem I have for those positions. From reading the bible their have been some great Prophets, Elisha, Elijah and others, and some great Kings such as David and Solomon that I just find it hard to put myself in the same ranks. Priests, other than Aaron I haven't read much good about priests, especially in Jesus's time, definitely don't want to put myself in their ranks.

3. How can we use the gifts of science, technology and business in a way that sustains and stewards creation, rather than exploiting or destroying it?
We have been blessed with the ability, knowledge and drive to do almost anything. And for those people who say something can't be done, their will be someone who steps up and gives it ago anyway. Science has opened up the world, technology has given us the answers to alot of the problems in the world and business has given us the ability to organise large numbers of people and amount of money. We can use these gifts to help rebuild habitats, increase dwindling populations, product energy that doesn't require non-renewable resources, distribute food and water to all who need it, develop vaccines and medications that can cure diseases. The sky is the limit with possibilities.

Planetwise prt 7

For other posts click here

The New Creation: On earth as in heaven

This chapter is really challenging about what will happen to the earth, whether it will be completely destroyed when Jesus returns to the earth. And about the concept of 'new heaven and new earth', that the term 'new' has more to do with renewal and recycling then something completely new being created.

A great statement was made that the bible is purposely vague about what the 'new heaven and new earth' will look like, because it is not something that we need to know about. That we need to focus on our relationship with God in the here and now, not living in a time yet to come. Afterall, God is allowed to have some surprises in store for us.

Questions
1. How has this chapter challenged your understanding of the 'the end times' and the future of the earth? List any unanswered questions you still have, and (using the further resources section or in discussion with others) try and resolve these.....whilst recognising that the bible does not give neat answers to all our questions!
Probably in the way that the earth isn't going to be completely destroyed infact it will be 'renewed' and 'restored' to the way God intended it to be before the entrance of sin into the world. I think that I do have questions, mostly about timing and the recent events of the world. But I don't think that they could be reconcile these questions because I have a feeling that these questions fall into the 'don't need to know' category.

2. If the kingdom of God is both 'now' and 'not yet', what signs of God's kingdom can you trace in your experience, and in the world around?
Not sure how to answer this question......I hear and see on the TV all the events that do seem to signify 'creation groaning' and there is also the great beauty that I see in the natural world that does give us a great glimpse of the beauty of God. And I do think that that our relationship that we can have with god through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ was the first step of the coming of the 'new heaven and new earth'.

3. Read some of the biblical passage that describe the new creation (such as Hosea 2:16-23; Isaiah 11:6-9; 65:17-25), and then try to write your own description of a world where harmony exists between God, people and the rest of creation.
No more death, no more toiling for no reward, where you can play with lions and snakes and enjoy their company without fear of harm, no more pain or tears of sorrow, just pure joy.

Planetwise prt 6

For the other posts click here

Jesus: Saviour of the world

Colossians 1:15-20
- Jesus is the source of creation (vs16)
- The sustainer of creation (vs17)
- The saviour of creation (vs20)

There is no hope amidst the environmental crisis we face apart from Jesus Christ.

When Jesus healed a person, he wasn't just channeling God's power. He is infact God fixing apart of his creation that had gone wrong, through the fall. Wow what a mind changing, mind blowing thought (and truth).

Luke 8:22-25
- control over nature (he created it, only he can control it)

Matthew 6
- Jesus expected his followers to be familiar with the natural world

Jeremiah 8:7
- Prophets knew wildlife well

Why an I here?
Answer: we are here to worship God in Jesus, and to live in relationship with him within his amazing creation

The above makes the question of our existence quite easy to answer, we are here for a purpose. And when you think about that purpose is pretty simple.

All things hold together in Jesus, but without Jesus all things fall apart

God made a world where nothing is wasted, and it dishonours him if I am careless with what he has made (page 68)

Colossians 1:19-20
- when Jesus died on the cross it was for all the broken relationships on earth.

Questions
1. In what ways has this chapter affected your understanding of who Jesus is? How could this influence your devotional life and you lifestyle?
Probably the statement about Jesus healing was actually God healing the mistakes in his creation caused by the fall. God and Jesus are not two separate beings, but one in the same. Probably try and focus on the fact that I am not what the bible is able, and that there is a great focus on creations place and importance. Also seeing how I treat the earth and its resources as a part of my worship and devotional time.

2. Why does the story of Noah (Genesis 6-9) seem so relevant today? List some ways in which it helps us understand God's purposes and our response in today's environmental situation.
Because it speaks of the consequences of wickedness and sinfulness of the human race. We have been repeating the same mistakes, taking the responsibilities of the earth for granted.
We need:
- keep in mind that the world and everything it it belongs to go
- don't be wasteful
- be thoughtful about where are food comes from (how the animals are treated, etc)
- work with the seasons
- be thankful for everything that we have been given

3. The cross and resurrection of Jesus are the centre of Christian faith. How do they give us hope, for ourselves and for the planet?
That God has a plan for the whole of creation, to mend the damage caused by sin and for the rebirth of the whole earth. That all the groaning that we are experiencing (earthquakes, floods, fires, etc...) are not signaling the end of the earth but they are groaning of childbirth, signalling the hope of the world coming.

Planetwise prt 5

For the other posts click here

Land: People and place in context

The old testament refers to land 2,000 times, and the New Testament 250

The Bible gives loads of instructions on how we are to treat the land, even how we are use the land for agricultural purposes. Read the books of Leviticus, Numbers & Deuteronomy in the context of land and you get a whole new perspective. I have found these books terribly hard to read as most people have, but thinking about the land when reading them you do get alot of insight out of these books.

Questions
1. 'God wants us to put down roots wherever we are, even if it is not the place we have chosen, or even like'. How deep are your roots into your local community and environment? Using Jeremiah 29:4-7, think about how they could grow deeper.
In my local community I suppose my roots are not that deep, even though this is the community that I grew up in and went to primary school in. But both me and my husband have lived in this community in the same way that alot of Christians live on the earth that we are just passing through. I think that we need to do more community things like attending the school carnival, book sale, markets, and buying local produce (olive oil, etc)

2. How far is it right to speak of 'natural' disasters or farming crises as God's judgement upon our sinful behaviour?
In a collective sense, yes. But not on an individual basis or that a community who has been affected by say a flood or devastating fire were sinful and brought it upon themselves that is going too far. But it the way that the whole of humanity has treated and is treating the earth and our relationship with God.

3. In 2 Chronicles 7:12-14, what does God require of the people before he will 'heal' their land? How can we translate this message into today's context of climate of climate change and environmental uncertainty?
Humble themselves, pray, seek the Lords face and turn from their wicked ways. Stop being so selfish and self centred about being able to taken what ever we want whenever we want, pray constantly for guidance and environmental issues and seek the Lord through his word and through teaching at church and most importantly turning from the evil, wickedness of the world.

Planetwise prt 3

To see the other post click here

God: committed to creation

To some god is viewed as the 'Divine Watchmaker', god started (wound up) creation then just let it go & moved on. I do think to some degree this was my view of God, that he is very hands off with us and defiantly the rest of creation.


But as you read this chapter you discover that correctly this is not the behaviour of a relational God. How can God walk away from something that he created in love?

God is a sustainer, continuing to uphold, care for and renew his creation.

Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains, your justice like the great deep. O Lord, you preserve both man and beast (Psalm 36:6)

Psalm 65


The day is yours, and yours also the night; you established the sun and moon. It was you who set all the boundaries of the earth; you made both summer and winter. (Psalm 74:16-17)

God loves this world deeply and is involved with it intimately (page 23)


He is involved because he made the universe in love and continues to uphold it in his love and power (page 24)


We are living in very unstable times with news about the running out of non-renewable resources and natural upheaval (earthquakes, tsunami's, floods, droughts, etc...), it would be so easy to lose hope. Sustainability is the hope that we seek, Dave Bookless refers to sustainability as the new Holy Grail. Which it is, but you can't forget who the sustainer in sustainability is....God. But we still need to play our part, as Christians we can't just sit back, watch and except God to do all the work.



God speaks through two books

1. his word (the bible)


2. his works (creation)

Through both books we can get a much fuller picture of God then if we focused on just one, a mistake I think alot of people tend to make.

There are a number of example in the bible of God using creation to speak directly with people, an example being the story of Jonah, he was swallowed by a large fish who deposited him where God wanted him to be and where he had been running from.

I think that many churches miss teaching and worshipping based on both of the two books God uses to communicate with, it is time for us to rediscover the joy of simply spending time enjoying and learning from God's world.

Creation : belonging to God

The earth is the Lord's, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it (Psalm 24:1)

I think the message from this passage and this section is quite clear, despite what we have been brought up to believe (even it many churches) the earth belongs to God.

for every animal of the forest is mine, and the cattle on a thousand hills. I know every bird in the mountains, and the creatures of the fields are mine. (Psalm 50:10-11)

But God has made an 'arrangement' with us

The land must not be sold permanently, because the land is mine and you are but aliens and my tenants (Leviticus 25:23)

We are Stewart's & Caretakers

People: part of creation

I think the thing that stood out for me in this section is the statement about our DNA, our 99% shared DNA with apes is not about Creation vs Evolution (yeah!) but our relatedness as creatures before the Creator. Afterall all animals and us were all created on the same day (Genesis 1:24-31)

We were created interdependent with the rest of creation.

People: called apart within creation

Though is is import to recognise that we are apart of creation Dave Bookless does point out that the human species is a very important one, with a unique role to play in creation.

When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that care for him? (Psalm 8:3-4)

You made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor. you made him ruler over the works of your hands; you put everything under his feet (Psalm 8:5-6)

Our place in creation is not a right but a gift from God.

Environmentalists often blame Christianity for our current ecological crisis, using Genesis 1: 26-28 Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground." So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. God blessed them and said to them, "Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground."

They argue that Christians believe humans exploit & destroy as they wish. But I think that it is a self-centered human attitude rather than one you can solely blame on Christianity. Though it is pointed out that too often Christians have been so 'other-worldly' as to be of no earthly use.

Questions

1. What practical difference does it make to everyday life if we believe either that the earth is God, or that the earth belongs to God?

I think that believing that the earth is a gift as aposed to an entity then we have a greater responsibility towards it. Because it was made for us, we are not just happening to be exsisting ontop of someone.

2. How should the biblical insight that 'the earth is the Lord's and everything in it' (Psalm 24:1) affect attitude to possession and property?

It should make people repect and take more ownership of the earth, especially when through our own actions cause a species to be wiped out or a waterway to be polluted. We are ultimatly renting our little corner of the earth from God and eventually he is going to return and want to do a rental property inspection.

3. Why does Genesis emphasize that humans are made both 'from the dust of the earth' and also 'in the image of God'? What are the implications of each for our realtionship with the rest of creation?

To remind us that we are apart of creation but have a very special purpose as we were choosen by God to be in his image and do his work he on earth. The implications of this is that we can not just 'do what we will' with creation, use and abuse it for our own pleasure and enjoyment, we have a responsibility to look after creation.

Planetwise

Creation Calls

Creation cannot tell us all we need to know about God, only we were created in God's image (So God created human beings in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. Genesis 1:27). Creation emphasizes God's uniqueness & otherness (don't quite get 'otherness').

Talk of 'mother nature' or 'mother earth' confuses created with creator, and is contradictory to Exodus 20:3 You shall have no other Gods before me.

The world around us communicates important message about God, creation is in many ways Gods first chosen means of telling us about himself. Romans 1:20 For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities - his eternal power and divine nature - have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.

The fact that we have a relational God is probably one of the most easily seen qualities of God that can be seen in creation, through the interdependence of the world. Plants and animals rely of each other from food and survival and we rely on them too for clean air, food, clothing, etc...

Job 38:25&26 Who cuts a channel for the torrents of rain, and a path for the thunderstorm, to water a land where no on lives, and uninhabited desert. God cares and values us as well as the creation that he created.

This statement really got me God has made us to depend on himself, each other and the whole of creation.

Book Club

I have joined a book club, was a bit concern about having to buy a book (not something we can afford to do alot of at the moment). But thankfully I suggested one of my personal favs that I already own and everyone agreed. Woo hoo. So we are reading 'Planetwise' by Dave Bookless (great name for an author!).

I am going to be blogging my thoughts and answers to some of the questions that are in the book.

Introduction

1.Do you agree that 'as human beings we have got our relationship with the planet all wrong'? What evidence can you find to support this view?
I think that I defiantly agree with this statement, for too long we have taken everything that we can from the planet. Without consideration for the consequences. Mining and logging being two big examples. Digging huge holes, and completely stripping the land of trees have huge consequences. Mining poisons waterways and makes the earth almost dead so it is almost impossible to grow anything, land clearing for logging destroys habitat, weakens the earth by removing the roots that were holding the soil together so when the first heavy rain comes along mud slides happen.

2.Where would you place yourself in the spectrum of Christian attitudes to environmental issues: are they insidious, irrelevant, incidental or integral? Why?
Become stronger in the integral, I have always had a passion for the environment, but havn't been all that sure that being a Christian and an environmentalist actually went together. But the more I read the bible and books like this one I am happily understanding that infact it is an integral part of being both and environmentalist and a christian.

3. The chapter concludes that the bible is not just the story of God and humanity, but 'the story of God and the whole of creation'. Why do you think Christian have often only emphasized the 'human' elements of the bible, and neglected the wider creation?
Because humans are inherently selfish beings, which I don't think is helped by the messages we receive everyday. Messages about that we are the centre of our own world, that we should put ourselves first, etc. And also because it is easier to focus on ourselves, the 'what can one person do?' attitude.