MondayMorningInsight - Leadership & Encouragement for Church Leaders

Calling all Environmentalist Pastors

Posted by: Todd
Posted on: Thu, February 08, 2007
Viewed 248
(12) comments so far

“As Christians have the moral responsibility to protect all of God’s creation for current and future generations,” said Cassandra Carmichael, eco-justice program director for the NCC.

“At the Council we strive to provide resources such as our recently released theological resources to folks in the pews,” said Carmichael. “This sermon award will help highlight the good work going on in churches across the nation as well as provide sermon starters for worship leaders.”

The award was announced six months after the release of “Opening the Letter: God’s Earth is Sacred,” a theological resource for congregations. According to Carmichael, an increasing number of congregations are preaching on the environment as evidenced by the rising popularity of the NCC’s Earth Day Sunday worship resource.

You can get more info (if you’re really THAT interested) here. HT to The Bible Belt Blogger (A GREAT blog, by the way!)

The National Council of Churches of Christ in the USA (NCC) today announced a call for submissions to its first ever eco-justice sermon writing award as part of its eco-justice work. The award, which is a celebration of God's creation in the proclaimed gospel, is open to clergy, lay leaders, and other religious leaders and entries can focus on a variety of environmental issues such as sustainability, global warming, wilderness, and water.

Comments

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Chip Sanders on Thu, February 08, 2007

so much of what is accepted as fact about global warming is simply someones opinion. Scientific consensus is not the same thing as fact. Either something is a fact or not. Remember that the sceintific consensus for a long time was that the earth was flat and the sun revolved around the earth. Anyone who disagreed was persecuted. Much of the same thing happens today. We simply do not know enough about the causes of climate change to head off on a crusade. We should as Christians also remember that most of the people pushing a radical enviormental agenda are generally opposed to Christianity and do not believe in a creator. Can we be careful to be good stewards of the enviorment? Yes. What does that mean? I do not think that is clear.

I think the rush to preach on “justice” as far as the enviorment is concerned is simply an attempt to sooth itching ears. I think as Christians we need to preach truth. We simply do not know what the truth is concerning climate change. Let’s be careful not to jump on this band wagon just because it is getting a lot of play in the media.

If we want to focus on “justice” issues then let’s work on making sure people have access to clean water. Let’s work on mosquito abatement in developing countries. Let’s work to make medicine availible to all. Let’s work on helping developing countries to develop sustainable food production. Let’s build schools and orphanages. Let’s build schools in our inner cities. Let’s preach the gospel! I think the enviormental movement while well intentioned by most tends to allow people to feel good about what they are doing without actually helping anyone! Let’s really go out and help people who need help instead preaching to sooth itching ears.
Linda on Thu, February 08, 2007

We should have concern for the environment. I like to look at what the Bible says because people are scared and concerned. In Hawaii where I live, the mountains and shorelines are eroding. We’ve had disease to our bananas; certain types of trees have gotten diseases and there’s been flooding. Isaiah 51: 6 says:

“The earth will wear out like a garment.” (NASB)
RevJeff on Thu, February 08, 2007

Hey Linda -

I think you just won the sermon writing contest!
Leonard on Thu, February 08, 2007

So much of the environmental push comes across as the rhetoric of politicians and government funded science. (read science with an agenda) I am not surprised by the group pushing the sermon contest. That said I love to recycle, drive clean emission cars, and believe in taking care of the environment. I jst do not think the people who push it have good information or motives. I guess they would not want a sermon from me.
Randy Ehle on Thu, February 08, 2007

There have been several discussions here at MMI about buying sermons, I would think that would be a good place to start in the recycling realm! As long as they’re printed on recycled paper, or downloaded on a computer that isn’t overly reliant on fossil fuels for its power!

A little more seriously…. One of our pastors shared the other day a conversation he had recently with his very environmentally-conscious, non-believing father. His dad asked if Luke had seen An Inconvenient Truth, about global warming. Here’s the gist of the conversation:

<ul>Luke: No, I haven’t seen it, but I’d like to. I’m curious, though, why you’re concerned about global warming. You’re an evolutionist, so wouldn’t it follow that if the planet warms up, we’ll just evolve as needed?

Dad: Well, we have a responsibility to take care of the earth?

Luke: Says who?</ul>

This exchange really shows that both sides have some learning and growing. For Dad, it was a call to live consistent with what he says he believes. For Luke - and for the rest of us who call ourselves children of God - it was a reminder that the earth really is God’s, and that “subduing the earth” doesn’t mean abusing it. Putting out intense efforts to keep the earth whole and green for thousands of years probably shouldn’t be our top priority, but neither should we be as casual as we have tended to be.
Pastor Al on Thu, February 08, 2007

What do they mean by saying “God’s creation?” Most of these pastor’s believe in “Darwin’s Creation!”
Daniel on Thu, February 08, 2007

Pastor Al, that’s a false dichotomy. Interpretations of Genesis aside, there’s nothing self-contradictory about the idea that biological evolution was likely God’s modus operandi for Creation. In which case, it’s God’s Creation and he created however he felt like creating it.

Regardless about how you feel on global warming (and my understanding is that the ‘controversy’ isn’t so much about whether or not global warming is happening, but whether or not all hell will break loose as a result of it), I think as Christians we can all agree that the Earth is ours to look after. We are, in a sense, at the summit of Creation, but this is no reason for vanity—to whom much has been given, much is required. Hence: recycling is a good idea, riding your bike is a good idea, reducing waste (e.g. by using your organic waste in a garden), moving closer to work/church and reusing gray water are all good ideas.

Once we are consumed with the vision of the Kingdom, we can start thinking creatively about how to manifest the Reign of God. This is what it means to be New Creation.

I trust that the sermons submitted for this contest of sorts emphasize the Body’s responsibility to care for Earth, rather than relying on the government to solve its problems…

My two cents.

-Daniel-
Linda on Thu, February 08, 2007

Rev Jeff,

Thanks for the vote!!
Pastor Al on Thu, February 08, 2007

Daniel,

Avoiding the “God used evolution to create the world argument” for a moment, you did say:

“ my understanding is that the ‘controversy’ isn’t so much about whether or not global warming is happening, but whether or not all hell will break loose as a result of it”

I hate to be the bearer of bad news but “Global Warming” is coming whether we want it or not!

“And God has also commanded that the heavens and the earth will be consumed by fire on the day of judgment, when ungodly people will perish.” 2 Peter 3:7 (NLT)

Excuse me for a moment…. I left my SUV running! Yikes. http://www.mondaymorninginsight.com/images/smileys/grin.gif

Now that’s my 2Cents!

Blessings,

Al
Stewart on Thu, February 08, 2007

I find this funny, “If we want to focus on “justice” issues then let’s work on making sure people have access to clean water” rather than the environment. Huh? A ‘clean water’ sermon is an environmental justice sermon.

Linda - great sermon

Randy - great sermon

I’m going to plagerize you both and win the contest! http://www.mondaymorninginsight.com/images/smileys/smile.gif
Michael on Mon, February 12, 2007

The earth is getting warmer. It also got warmer in the Middle Ages http://www.windows.ucar.edu/tour/link=/earth/climate/medieval_warm_period.html

That means before iPod, MTV, SUV’s, the combustible engine, and toilet paper for that matter. What your popular media won’t tell you is that “renewable energy” (solar/wind) programs are a total failure. They produce less than a percent of the nation’s energy - and have been riddled with so many other issues that if it weren’t for gub’ment subsidizing they would collapse altogether. And we all know that the government “knows best” when it comes to spending money.

http://www.heartland.org/Article.cfm?artId=18799

http://www.renewableenergyaccess.com/rea/news/story?id=42104

Another interesting fact that doesn’t get much publicity: The founder of the well-known Eco-movement, Patrick Moore, left the organization to preach the gospel of nuclear energy.

http://greenspiritstrategies.blogspot.com/2005/10/environmentalist-revisits-nuclear_17.html

My first question to these Christian organizations who get wrapped up in the eco-thing would be: What are you doing to fulfill the Great Commission?

As an American, I find it frustrating that these groups tend to focus their attention not on the great eco-offenders like China & India, but here in the U.S., where we have already strapped our hands behind our backs with the energy issue.
Michael on Mon, February 12, 2007

Oops - I forgot to say that Patrick Moore was the founder of Greenpeace. Out.