There is a new issue on the agenda for some churches these days... being eco-friendly. That is right... some who call themselves Christians have heard Al Gore's call for repentance and are preaching and practicing a lifestyle which is friendlier to the earth. Some even suggesting that our ever-increasing consumption of natural resources is sinful at worst and devastatingly ignorant at best.
I just listened to a 5 week series from Mars Hill Bible Church entitled God is Green. The content ranged from a theology of creation care to practical ways to live a simpler, less consumptive lifestyle. One Sunday they invited Dr. Matt Sleeth author of Serve God, Save the Planet: A Christian Call to Action. Rob Bell even suggested that this issue of green-ness is the new seatbelt.
Then yesterday I saw that Prestonwood Baptist Church in Dallas was written up in the Dallas Morning News as going green. The article did not so much focus on caring for the environment as saving money wasted on energy consumption to free it up for "real ministry." Christine and I visited Preston-"world" for a few months when we lived in Dallas. If Southern Baptists are going green... does that mean it is becoming a mainstream evangelical issue?
So what do you think.
Is God Green?
Does Jesus care how we consume or care-for the environment?
Should the church lead this charge or leave it liberal, tree-huggers?
8.01.2007
Is your God GREEN?
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4 comments:
Saving money by using less energy, thereby making those funds available for other ministry makes good sense.
Jesus told us to be shrewd as serpents, innocent as doves.
However, that's not where it ends with the environmental crowd.
I have been watching this over the years and it's not just reducing the landfills, or to stop being wasteful.
It's become a religion unto itself and the object of worship is Mother Earth.
They worship the created instead of the Creator.
It's a tragedy - many of these people are very conscientious, very concerned. The object of the concern is misplaced.
I do believe 2 Peter 3:10 and Revelation 21:1 will come to pass - there will be a new heaven and a new earth. In light of that I ask the question "why recycle?"
Am I advocating filling a broadcast spreader with mercury and doing up the neighborhood? No.
I liken it to the problem that the Corinthians had with eating meat sacrificed to idols, and Paul addressed in 1 Corinthians 8.
The principle that Paul taught is that even though you do have liberty with the food, don't cause your brother to stumble by purposely flaunting the steak dinner.
However, this situation is a bit different, in that we're not necessarily dealing with fellow Christians here as it relates to the environment.
At what point does all of the recycling and other related eco-friendly activities constitute earth worship?
Michael...
Thanks for the input. I really value it. I agree with you that some have no regard for creator and worship the created. They need Jesus to save their sins and the impending wrath of God.
But we don't want to throw out the bath with the bath water... what I am saying is...MAYBE pagan, left-wing, liberal, tree huggers may be right. Maybe we should be more responsible with our "vice regency" here on this earth.
So my questions remain unanswered... should Christians be less consumeristic? less careless in our ecologic footprint? Should our redemptive lifestyle reflecting our new citzenship and non-conformity to the patterns of this world involve a renewed sensitivity to all of God's creation... INCLUDING the earth.
To suggest that God only cares about spirit and not material is dualistic heresy known in the early church as Gnosticism.
Or to consider your option is recycling and driving a hybrid and eating organic merely earth worship?
I don't know... i'm just wondering.
Right - I'm not advocating trashing the earth.
There are a few reasons why, primary being that God created it, and according to Paul it's an incredible witness to God's power, majesty and creativity. According to Romans 2, God is going to use it as evidence for His existence for future use with fallen mankind.
What I think we (as Christians) need to do is find out how God views the earth. That's what we do with other areas of our lives - we find out what God says about what He created and live out that purpose.
Should Christians be less consumeristic?
I'll use another term: materialistic. And my answer is yes.
Less careless in our ecologic footprint?
Sure. But what constitutes carelessness? Sheryl Crow said recently that using more than 1 piece of TP is careless and hurts the environment.
Should our redemptive lifestyle reflecting our new citizenship and non-conformity to the patterns of this world involve a renewed sensitivity to all of God's creation... INCLUDING the earth?
I think we should have a better understanding of how God sees His creation.
To suggest that God only cares about spirit and not material is dualistic heresy known in the early church as Gnosticism.
I didn't intend on that being the case. To be honest, I was going to balance out my last question with something definitely non-Gnostic but I hit the "Publish" button instead of "Preview".
Or to consider your option is recycling and driving a hybrid and eating organic merely earth worship?
Figuring out when that crosses the line is what I'd like to find out. I worship Jesus of Nazareth, but when does all the eco-stuff conflict with that?
We need a pastor over here... spill on on aisle 3! :)
Nice feedback Michael.. sounds like we are both pushing against both sides of the "traditional" view of this issue.
Maybe we should take these questions to the bible... and interact with some Christian thinkers in the area ,like Matt Sleeth, who've written on the subject. Let me know what you find.
On the spill in aisle 3...
I wasn't even in aisle 3!
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