Embracing Kingdom Hope for a Broken World
Posts tagged Hope
A Few Distinctions
May 28th
As Christians…
We are not environmentalists who care only for our own surroundings. We are people who care for God’s creation.
Our dominion of creation is not domination. Our dominion should reflect the way our Lord uses power in life-giving ways.
While we marvel at creation, we do not worship it. We worship only the Creator.
We do not pray at the expense of action. We pray that the Lord step in, then we participate where we are called.
Prayer does not just change the situation. Prayer changes the pray-er.
We do not ignore problems because God is in control. Precisely because He is in control we engage problems and seek to care for the things that He cares about.
Our hope for a restored creation is not wishful thinking. Our hope is a confident expectation in Jesus Christ, our Lord.
We do not despair in the face of a broken creation. We trust in the coming redemption of all things and seek to participate in that work.
Also consider:
Green Verses: Isaiah 11:6-9
May 11th
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.
Isaiah 11:6-9
The wolf shall live with the lamb, the leopard shall lie down with the kid, the calf and the lion and the fatling together, and a little child shall lead them. The cow and the bear shall graze, their young shall lie down together; and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. The nursing child shall play over the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put its hand on the adder’s den. They will not hurt or destroy on all my holy mountain; for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.
Some things are just impossible: a wolf living with a lamb, a lion eating straw, and an infant playing around snakes unharmed. Or irreconcilable relationships being reconciled, a decayed body restored, and a broken creation renewed. These things are impossible. And yet we serve a God in whom all things are possible. To Him none of these things are impossible.
I encourage you to catch a glimpse of this hope this morning. It is not a vain hope nor is it wishful thinking. It is a concrete hope in our God and Savior. In this our God, all things are possible even the seemingly impossible.
Also consider:
Earth Day & Creation Care Sunday
Apr 19th
You may well have heard that this Thursday, April 22, is Earth Day. What you may not have heard is that this week many celebrate Creation Care Sunday as well. So what are these days? Should we participate? How?
Earth Day
Earth Day is an effort by the Earth Day Network to raise awareness and motivate people to change their behaviors in order to help the environment. According to their website, “Earth Day Network was founded on the premise that all people, regardless of race, gender, income, or geography, have a moral right to a healthy, sustainable environment.” It is celebrated every year on April 22. This year marks the 40th anniversary of Earth Day. When it started 40 years ago 20 million were involved. Now they boast that over 1 billion people worldwide will be involved in Earth Day .
For all intents and purposes this is really a great event. It’s worldwide recognition and impact are undeniable. That said, I believe that our motivation for involvement and the message we send is distinct. I will refer you to my post about Earth Hour last month if you are new to the site or do not remember. I believe that as Christians we are able to participate in events such as Earth Day, while co-opting it to share our special message of hope. So, I encourage you to celebrate Earth Day this Thursday. While we share the call to action, this is not because we believe the earth is doomed. On Thursday, we celebrate the glory of God’s creation as it worships and helps point us to Him AND we rally around redeeming work of Jesus to participate in caring for and restoring His creation.
Creation Care Sunday
Many churches celebrate Creation Care Sunday this week. Although some churches celebrate it the Sunday before Earth Day (aka yesterday), it seems to me that more tend to celebrate it the Sunday after Earth Day. It is a way to intentionally focus on creation care in our services. While we hope that you are working towards regularly involving this into your worship, this is a great way to really focus in on it.
Here are just a few things that some churches do on Creation Care Sunday:
- Intentionally sing hymns or praise songs that highlight God’s creation
- Meet outside for worship
- Have a sermon that directly focuses on creation care
- Center the entire worship service (from the music to the message to the liturgy) on God’s creation
- Use PowerPoint backgrounds composed of images of God’s creation
- Create awareness around some key environmental issue
- Have information in the bulletin or elsewhere about how congregants can better care for creation.
Note that some churches, like this one, also do stuff the week of Creation Care Sunday to care for creation such as a cleanup day, an awareness event, or a nature walk.
Online Simulcast Opportunity
Finally, I just want to bring you attention to one last thing. This year a ministry called Blessed Earth is doing a simulcast on Wednesday night (April 21) called “Hope for Creation.” Their director is Matthew Sleeth, a former ER doctor turned creation care advocate who has authored Serve God, Save the Planet: A Christian Call to Action
What are you doing this week? Will you be involved in any Earth Day events? Is your church doing anything special for Creation Care Sunday? Please be sure to share what you plan on doing or come back next week and let us know about your experiences.
Whether or not you are intentionally involved in any events this week, do not forget the message of hope that Christians have to offer this week. This is not a week for us to retreat but rather to engage and share the good news of Jesus Christ.
Also consider:
Earth Hour 2010
Mar 26th
Earth Hour 2010 takes place tomorrow, Saturday March 27th from 8:30pm-9:30pm local time. The official Earth Hour website describes it this way: “On Earth Hour hundreds of millions of people around the world will come together to call for action on climate change by doing something quite simple—turning off their lights for one hour. The movement symbolizes that by working together, each of us can make a positive impact in this fight, protecting our future and that of future generations.”
Details: from 8:30-9:30pm turn off the lights in your house. Simple as that.
Think you will get bored with no lights? Here are a few options to pass the time (keeping in mind that it is only 1 hour):
- Take a walk
- Gaze at the beauty of the moon and stars (Remember that God created them and they sing His praises)
- Tell stories with your family
- Sit in silence (enjoying the break in all the noise that surrounds our lives so much of the time)
- Talk about why and how you care for God’s creation (maybe explore ways you can better do this)
- Spend time with those you love (note: how much easier it is to focus on others without the distractions)
Have other ideas of how to pass the time? Please share them in the comments below.
Now you might wonder if it’s worth it. What good can come of it? Does it make a difference? Well, when hundreds of millions of people in thousands of cities around the globe come together the impact is enormous. There are certainly energy savings which make a tangible difference. Perhaps more importantly is the impact it makes in generating awareness and changing peoples hearts and minds.
Here is one of the official Earth Hour 2010 videos:
*Update: if the video does not show in your browser, you can view it here on YouTube.
Climate change is an increasingly important issue for people around the world. As Christians, we need to take advantage of opportunities like this both to stand in solidarity with them AND to proclaim our unique message – that God Himself is working to restore His creation. For many Earth Hour may provide a glimpse of hope that people can make a difference. I think that’s great. But tomorrow an even greater message can be found as well – that God can, is, and will make the ultimate difference and we can live with the knowledge of that hope. You can be a part of sharing that profound message.
So, please join me in participating in Earth Hour 2010 not just to make people aware that our planet is broken, but to make people aware that God is working to restore and transform it and that He is calling us to participate with Him in that work.
Also consider:
Green Verses: Psalm 65:9-10
Mar 9th
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.
Psalm 65:9-10
You visit the earth and water it, you greatly enrich it; the river of God is full of water; you provide the people with grain, for so you have prepared it. You water its furrows abundantly, settling its ridges, softening it with showers, and blessing its growth.
Pray today that God will bless the earth, His creation. Any hope we have for the earth lies in Him.
Also consider:
Green Verses: Romans 8:19-23
Feb 23rd
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.
Romans 8:19-23 (NRSV)
For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the children of God; for the creation was subjected to futility, not of its own will but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and will obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. We know that the whole creation has been groaning in labor pains until now; and not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly while we wait for adoption, the redemption of our bodies.
Do you groan for redemption? Did you know that we grow alongside of creation? Creation, along with us, is in a broken state. It longs to be set free and transformed. Do you long to be transformed? This past weekend I attended the memorial service for my wife’s grandmother. She was a woman who never lost sight of the ultimate goal and who allowed that future hope to shape her life in the present. Ponder for a few minutes the glorious future that awaits both you and creation. Allow that hope to infiltrate your life and live in response to the great work that awaits.
Also consider:
Green Verses: Psalm 65:5-6
Feb 16th
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.
Psalm 65:5-6
By awesome deeds you answer us with deliverance, O God of our salvation; you are the hope of all the ends of the earth and of the farthest seas. By your strength you established the mountains; you are girded with might.
Where do you find hope? Perhaps the question is better phrased – in whom do you find hope? Today consider the One in whom you find hope and the great things He has done.
Also consider:
Perspectives: HOPEnhagen?
Jan 26th
A series which considers the latest news, statistics, and happenings from our unique perspectives.
HOPEnhagen?
Did you really think the 2009 summit on climate change would turn the tide of excessive consumerism and pollution?
The green, ecological, creation-care, environmentalism movement has always been (pardon the pun) and always should be a grassroots crusade. Did we seriously think top down legislation on earth stewardship would work?
We all know, our governments are looking more and more like a divisions of multinational corporations.
I for one believe that creation-care will look a lot like the early church. A kingdom movement of everyday people who are committed to making their faith in Jesus and align with every aspect of their lives.
“We the people” have the freedom and the will to make massive, earth changing shifts within our own homes that can and will impact the land, the seas and the skies.
Ask yourself what changes need to be made. Don’t wait for Washington or Copenhagen mandate changes you already know you should be making.
Hope lies in our Father and in you and I.
Also consider:
Welcome to the Creation Hope Blog
Jan 19th
Welcome to the Creation Hope blog. We are glad you have decided to join us on our journey to better care for God’s creation while embracing the hope we have through the redeeming work of Jesus Christ.
Our goal here is to form a community of people who will together discover how we can be green. We hope to journey together and help each other out. We seek to motivate, equip, and lead Christians to participate in God’s redemption of creation.
Why should you read our blog when there are numerous green blogs out there? Well… 1. we are Christians and approach the topic from a biblical perspective; 2. we try to eliminate or clearly define any jargon that leaves a lot of us saying, “HUHHH;” 3. whereas most approach this topic with a fear of destruction, we approach it with hope.
It is this last point that we feel makes us especially unique. Even many Christians approach this important topic out of reaction to the degradation of the earth or merely in response to biblical commands. We both accept the science they react to and embrace the commands they seek to fulfill. So, how are we different? The difference is this: we believe that there is good news for Christians. God is already at work restoring His creation and calls us to participate in that. We know that one day God will transform His creation fully and we will be with Him. We focus, first and foremost, on that hope that comes from Him. That doesn’t diminish our role. But it does give us an incredible hope.
Join us as we endeavor to live and work in light of this creation hope.
