Christians & theEnvironmentGod’s Word on God’s World

“Our survival is no more than a question of 25, 50 or perhaps

100 years”

JacquesCousteau, 1998

“Human beings only

have a 50/50 chance of

surviving the 21st Century”

Sir Martyn Rees,

Astronomer Royal, 2004

Where is the Hope?

" Before this century is over, billions of us will die, and the few breeding pairs of people that survive will be in the Arctic where the climate remains tolerable."

James Lovelock

2006

Belief affects action a sign in an Indian bird reserve

Insidious? (New Age / Gaia) Irrelevant? (only souls matter) Incidental? (a hobby for some) Integral? (essential to

the Gospel)

Christians & the Environment

What is theGospel?

Forgiveness of sins?

Soul-winning?

A ticket to

heaven?

The Kingdom of God?

Personal salvation?

Becoming a friend of

Jesus?

The Five Marks of Mission

•To proclaim the Good News of the Kingdom

•To teach, baptise and nurture 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

Jesus is Lordin Nairobi!

-70%+ Christian-Many churches

-Yet …-Poverty-Crime-Corruption -Eco-disaster

“The GM church, where the DNA of our societies

has been patched in such that the Gospel we preach is no longer biblical.”Peter Harris, Founder of A

Rocha

Act 1 : A Blessed Creation

1. A Blessed Creation

“And God saw that it was very good” Genesis 1God created the earth very good

Matter reveals God … but is not God!“through what has been made” Romans 1.20

The earth is God’s, not ours!“The earth is the Lord’s” Psalm 24.1-2

Humanity is part of creation, not separate“dust of the earth” Genesis 2.7

Humanity’s special task - to image Godin caring for the earth & its creatures

“subdue … rule over” Genesis 1.28“work & take care of” Genesis 2.15

Act 2 : A Fallen World

The land “suffers” (Jer. 12.4), “mourns” (Hosea 4.1-3), “vomits” (Lev. 18.25-28) and “groans” (Romans 8.19-22)

“The time has come for destroying those who destroy the earth.” Revelation 11.18

The breakdown of relationships, between God, humanity and creation

“Cursed is the ground because of you” Genesis 3.17

The environmental results of sin

God’s judgement on environmental sin

2. A Fallen World

God

land &creaturespeople

XX

XX

XX

2. A Fallen World

Act 3 : The Land of Promise

Leviticus 25; Deuteronomy 22.6; 1 Kings 21

“My rainbow will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth” Genesis 9.13

God has a covenant with the earth

Israel – modelling God’s purposes in the land of promise

The land as a spiritual barometer2 Chronicles 7.14

God continues to sustain all things

“All things look to you to give them their food at the proper time” Psalm 104.27

3. The Land of Promise

Act 4 : Jesus Saviour of the World

“all things” reconciled to God through the cross” Colossians 1.19-20

“all things in heaven and earth under one head, even Christ” Ephesians 1.9-10

His birth

Stilling creation’s storms Luke 8.22-25 His death

His future glory

4. Jesus – Saviour of the World The Creator & centre of the cosmos

“By him… for him… in him” Col. 1.15-17

“Peace on earth” Luke 2.14His life

His resurrectionThe first-fruits of a new creation

Act 5 : New Creation

“Go into all the world and preach the Good News to all creation” (Mark 16.15)

Vision: A Renewed Heavens and Earth

Mission: Includes creation-care

“God’s Kingdom is Creation healed” Hans Kung (Isaiah 65.17-25, Hosea 2.19, Romans 8.19-22)

Our Worship?Joining with all creation in showing the Lordship of Jesus Christ (Revelation 4.1-11)

5. New Creation

“When Christians take the earth seriously, people take the Gospel seriously.”

The late Rev. Dr. Rob FrostShare Jesus International

“If the Church wishes to find a common agenda with young people who are passionate about the future of the planet, it needs to recover to its theology the Biblical vision and moral imperative of caring for the environment.” Rt. Rev. James Jones,

Bishop of Liverpool

Towards Hope …

So what does this mean in practice?

“Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be

transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is - his

good, pleasing and perfect will.”Romans 12.2

Changing how we think about …Changing how we think about …

• the earth … the earth … God’s not oursGod’s not ours• ourselves … ourselves … interdependent within creationinterdependent within creation• the future … the future … God’s kingdom on earth …God’s kingdom on earth …• mission … mission … imaging God in creation imaging God in creation carecare• discipleship …discipleship …• lifestyle …lifestyle …• worship …worship …

W onder at God’s creativity

O penness to God in Creation

R ootedness where God puts us

S abbath rest and re-creation

H ands-on involvement with creation

I ntegration of all our relationships

P rayer for God’s Kingdom on earth as in heaven

Wonder enjoying God through His creation

Wonder

“A Rocha is an international conservation organisation working to show God’s love for all creation through practical local projects”

Wonder

Openness to meeting God in creation

Sharing creation’s worship God’s glory, power, wisdom (Ps. 104.24)

Seeing God’s character Romans 1.20

Seeking God’s will Jonah, Elijah; learning from animals – Job & Jeremiah

Sensing our place Job; perspective; rhythms & seasons

Openness to what God is saying to individuals

Opennessto new ways of doing church

Ecocongregation

A choice- An AR supporting

church- An AR

Ecocongregation- An Ecocongregation

Module OneChurch Check-up

•Helps establish priorities for action•Church meeting/PCC endorses•Covers church life:

WorshipWorkWitness

• BMS World Mission

• CMS

• Crosslinks

• Tearfund

• RSPB

• Wildlife Trusts

Openness to working with others

Openness to hear what others are saying

The Top Five

5. Local energy generation4. Beyond Kyoto …3. Solar power2. Faith groups getting active1. Energy efficiency

Rootedness in the place God has put us

“This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says to all those I carried into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon: Build houses and settle down; plant gardens and eat what they produce … Also seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, because if it prospers,you too will prosper.”

Jeremiah 29.4-7

A Rocha Portugal

Miranda & Peter Harris 1983

The Alvor Estuary Cruzinha

Rootedness

The growing A Rocha family!•Brazil•Bulgaria•Canada•Czech Republic•Finland•France•Ghana•India•Kenya•Lebanon•Netherlands•New Zealand•Peru•Portugal•South Africa•UK•USA … Switzerland … Uganda …

Rootedness

“There is a lack of greenery, open space, clean air and environmental awareness - all of which contribute to a lack of confidence and pride in the area.”

Southall Regeneration Partnership

A Rocha UK - Living WaterwaysRootedness

Minet … after …

RootednessA Rocha UK - Living Waterways

Sabbath rest and re-creation

Sabbath rest and re-creation

- Renewal through rest (Genesis 2.2; Isaiah 30.15)- Rediscovering God’s rhythms (Genesis 8.22)- Sabbath for animals (Exodus 20.10) - Sabbath for the land (Leviticus 25)

- Time as gift not commodity- Living at the pace of the planet

www.arocha.org.uk/livinglightly

Hands on involvementwith creation

KENYA

Arabuko Sokoke Forest Mida Creek

Watamu Marine Reserve

Golden-rumpedElephant Shrew

Tree nursery

LEBANON

Practical projects

Glasgow

Wyre

Minet

Steyning

Chilterns

Dronfield

Lizard

Hilfield

Preston

Gower

A RochaLocal case study

Dronfield – Norman Crowson

An ongoing journey

Glasgow

• Urban Vision and Paul and Esther Ede

• Rooted in community• Summer event

• Church eco-weekend

A Rocha

Taking on an allotment

“Receive the world that God

has given.Go for a walk.

Get wet. Dig the earth.”

Archbishop Rowan Williams

Integration of all our relationships

living in community with God, each other and creation

“You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit - fruit that will last.” John 15.16

Building Community

sharing food - Bulgaria

sharing tasks- USA

sharing a centre- France

Integration

Building Community

UK team

Integration

‘We arecommittedto renewing the earth andhealing the land through community-based and Christ-centredconservation projects’

Modelling Creation-careIntegration

Prayer for God’s Kingdomto come on earth as in heaven

Praying with creation

Praying in creation

Praying for creation

Prayerful life & work

Your Kingdom come your will be done

ON EARTH as in heaven

Unless the Lord builds the house, its builders labour in vain.

Unless the Lord watches over the city,the watchmen stand guard in vain.

Psalm 127:1 (NIV)