Embracing Kingdom Hope for a Broken World
Beauty of Creation: Ocean View
Sep 23rd
Beauty of Creation: a series where we look to take a moment and appreciate the amazing glory of God’s creation.
Photo by Scott Williams
Be sure to praise the Lord today for His beautiful creation. Where do you see this beauty around you?
Have you taken a picture that contains a glimpse of God’s glorious creation? Consider sharing it with our Creation Hope readers. Send it to us and we will post it so that others may appreciate the majesty of God’s creation.
Also consider:
Beauty of Creation: Hawaiian Waterfall
Matthew 22:37-39
Sep 21st
Green Verses: a series which seeks to highlight scriptures that point to God as the Creator, His sovereignty over the earth, His redemption of the earth, and our call to participate in that redemption. Take a moment and reflect on what God might be saying through His Word.
Matthew 22:37-39
He said to him, "’You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the greatest and first commandment. And a second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’”
We are all familiar with this verse, yet it doesn’t seem much like a “green verse” at first glance. In fact, both parts of the command very much reflect why we should care for creation.
First, loving God with all of who you are should come with a following of His commands, including those to care for His creation. Second, oftentimes when we chose not to care for creation we are harming our neighbors. We are choosing ourselves over then.
This week, reflect on how caring for God’s creation can help you fulfill this greatest commandment.
Also consider:
#20 Reusable Bags
Aug 30th
It is no secret that disposable plastic bags have been targeted for extinction. Reusable alternatives abound. Political campaigns for their removal or tax are commonplace. Knowledge of their inability to break down and adeptness at polluting is mainstream.
So, why do we continue to hear about this? Because plastic bag use continues to be in the hundreds of billions per year. No, that was not a typo.
Even though most of us know it would be better to use a reusable vs a disposable AND own at least a couple of them, we continue to see people using disposables in most stores.
So, let this be your friendly reminder to think ahead when you shop and bring your reusable bags with you.
Already a reusable bag expert? Perhaps it’s time to take things to the next level. Consider using reusable produce bags. Also, factor the packaging of products into your buying decisions. The more recyclable and less packaging the better. Even better, find ways to eliminate packaging (e.g. scooping your flour from a bin into your reusable packaging). This will further remove waste from your shopping experience.
Why don’t you check out this funny video from Heal the Bay about the life of a plastic bag?
Did you can make your own reusable bags from old T-shirts? Here are a few links to help you on your way:
http://www.instructables.com/id/FASTEST-RECYCLED-T-SHIRT-TOTE-BAG/
http://lifehacker.com/5520034/recycle-an-old-t+shirt-into-a-reusable-grocery-bag
http://tipnut.com/35-reusable-grocery-bags-totes-free-patterns/
Beauty of Creation: Grand Canyon Sky
Aug 26th
Beauty of Creation: a series where we look to take a moment and appreciate the amazing glory of God’s creation.
Photo by Scott Williams
Yet another photo from my recent trip to the Grand Canyon. God is good, all the time. All the time, God is good.
Have you taken a picture that contains a glimpse of God’s glorious creation? Consider sharing it with our Creation Hope readers. Send it to us and we will post it so that others may appreciate the majesty of God’s creation.
Also consider:
Beauty of Creation: Sun Rays at Galilee
Q & A: What if I don’t believe in global warming?
Mark 4:35-41
Aug 24th
Green Verses: a series which seeks to highlight scriptures that point to God as the Creator, His sovereignty over the earth, His redemption of the earth, and our call to participate in that redemption. Take a moment and reflect on what God might be saying through His Word.
Mark 4:35-41
On that day, when evening had come, he said to them, "Let us go across to the other side." And leaving the crowd behind, they took him with them in the boat, just as he was. Other boats were with him. A great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that the boat was already being swamped. But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion; and they woke him up and said to him, "Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?" He woke up and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, "Peace! Be still!" Then the wind ceased, and there was a dead calm. He said to them, "Why are you afraid? Have you still no faith?" And they were filled with great awe and said to one another, "Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?"
When surrounded by all of the natural disasters and challenges we encounter today, we often forget that the Lord is in control of even the wind and the sea. Remember that in the Bible the sea often symbolized chaos; it was something that could not be controlled. Our Lord has control even over the “uncontrollable.” Where in your life do you need to recognize the Lord’s control over the challenges you face?
Also consider:
#19 Rain Barrels
Aug 23rd
In the past we have looked at conserving water as a way to care for God’s creation, today we look more specifically at using rain barrels to help with that task.
First off, what is a rain barrel? Simply put, a rain barrel is a container that is used to collect and store rainwater. These containers typically catch the water from a roof or gutters.
How does it work?
- You connect the downspout of a gutter from your roof to the rain barrel which allows you to collect the water.
- You wait.
- One day it rains.
- Your barrel fills up with water.
- When you need the water (to irrigate your garden or otherwise) you fill up a bucket or attach a hose to the barrel’s spicket.
- You use the water.
- You smile because you are saving money and caring for creation.
Is it worthwhile? In some of our greatest storms I have put out buckets to collect rainwater only to be disappointed at the yield. So can a rain barrel really catch enough water to make it worth the effort? Well, because rain barrels are collecting the water from a much greater surface area (i.e. your roof) than the barrel itself, they are actually capable of collecting great amounts of water in short amounts of time. For they reason, they are effective in even the most arid environments.
Is it affordable? While purchasing a rain barrel such as the ones we sell on the Creation Hope Store is not cheap, there are other DIY alternatives. I got a 50 gallon drum for free on Freecycle which will be DIY’d into a rain barrel (note: a rain barrel is not currently an option for me, though you can see that I will be using one as soon as I can).
Where can I learn more? Try the following resources:
http://www.glgi.org/mediawiki/index.php?title=Rain_barrel
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rainwater_tank
Also consider:
Beauty of Creation: A Grand Canyon Waterfall
Aug 20th
Beauty of Creation: a series where we look to take a moment and appreciate the amazing glory of God’s creation.
Photo by Scott Williams
Another photo from my recent trip to the Grand Canyon. I was amazed at how many of these waterfalls there were to be found off the river and in side canyons. So beautiful!
Have you taken a picture that contains a glimpse of God’s glorious creation? Consider sharing it with our Creation Hope readers. Send it to us and we will post it so that others may appreciate the majesty of God’s creation.
Also consider:
Beauty of Creation: View Up the Grand Canyon
Rafting the Grand Canyon
Aug 18th
I recently wrote a post called “Take a Hike” for our green living series which highlighted the importance of taking opportunities to really appreciate God’s creation. Well, a little over a week ago I had a great opportunity to get out and enjoy God’s creation. I was blessed with the opportunity to go to the Grand Canyon with my dad and two of my sisters.
Now I have been to this amazing place several times before. I have even hiked to the bottom once or twice. But this trip was incredibly unique even after my previous experiences. We had the opportunity to hike down to the bottom of the canyon (about 9.5 miles) and then get into huge rafts to raft our way out of the canyon (about 180 miles).
Traveling this distance allowed us to experience the incredible diversity and beauty of this wonder that God created. We experienced views from the bottom, saw wildlife, hiked through side canyons and streams, sat under waterfalls, climbed up cliffs, and were bounced around by the rapids. I found myself continually amazed at the diverse beauty of this great place.
This was an incredible way to experience the beauty of God’s creation and a great opportunity to praise the Creator for his handiwork.
Rather than bore you with all the details of this week long trip, I thought I would show you a glimpse of the sights that we saw below.
Also consider:
Luke 12:6
Aug 17th
Green Verses: a series which seeks to highlight scriptures that point to God as the Creator, His sovereignty over the earth, His redemption of the earth, and our call to participate in that redemption. Take a moment and reflect on what God might be saying through His Word.
Luke 12:6
Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten in God’s sight.
I love how this verse highlights the value of all of creation. Here we see that what we might regard as insignificant is highly appreciated, looked after, and cared for by God.
In this particular verse, Jesus specifically emphasizes the importance of God’s creatures. Listen to what my friend Ben DeVries of Not One Sparrow has to say about this:
And if God places so much value in each of his creatures, how can we model ourselves after him by not making an effort to do the same? Every animal is a unique witness to us and the world of God’s grace, and deserves our respect and admiration on behalf of their Creator.
Good word. As followers of Christ, His values should be our values, His concerns our concerns, His care our care, His love our love.
Also consider:
Eco Theology: Rainbows & Promises
#18 Restoration Work
Aug 16th
“Take only memories, leave only footprints” (or similar quote is something you often see in parks, trails, etc. The intent, of course, is that those embarking through these areas do not leave any trash or do any damage. Sadly, this is often not the case however. Just last week as I traveled through the Grand Canyon I was disappointed to see that it was not at all uncommon to find bottles or trash lying all around.
It doesn’t have to be this way however. In fact, perhaps the idea is not just to not be destructive (sorry for the double negative). Perhaps we can (and should) be restorative in our relationships with God’s creation.
One such way that you can do this is to get involved with cleaning up beaches, rivers, mountains, etc. Whether going it alone or going with a local group, this is a great way to care for God’s creation. Perhaps our work is not just to leave only footprints, but to leave these places better/cleaner than we found them.
While picking up trash (and the like) can seem like a drag, I love to think that I can participate in Kingdom work when I get involved in this way. How exciting!
Here are a few tips to help you along the way:
- Be sure to get the appropriate permissions if necessary.
- Only remove litter. Leave any natural elements.
- Be sure to recycle any cans, bottles, etc.
- Be careful not to harm any plants or animals in the process. Watch your step.
- Be prepared. Bring bags for trash and recycling. If desired or necessary, bring gloves. Also, be sure to bring water and any other items you might need for your own safety.
- Don’t forget to appreciate God’s creation praise Him for it.
Stay tuned for an upcoming announcement about Creation Hope led events to restore God’s creation. Meanwhile, happy restorations.
*"A View of Alameda Beach & Its Trash" image by Blind Grasshopper used under Attribution-NoDerivs creation commons license
Also consider:
Eco Theology: Redemption of All Things
