Care for Creation as Evangelization and WorshipSample

Day One: Why don’t Christians care enough about creation? Do Christians care about creation? A lot of people would give a short answer: no. We are told that we are living in a time of environmental crisis, but we can be slow to comment or take action. Worse, Christians often deny that the destruction of the environment is happening at all. Message about environmental issues are often seen as political. This makes sense in some ways. Environmental organizations can have principles and ideals that go against Christian values, most significantly with regards to pro-life values. However, creation care and environmental stewardship do not have their roots in politics, they have their roots in the Bible. Let’s go back to the very beginning, when God created the heavens and the earth. After the six days of creation: “…God looked over all he had made, and he saw that it was very good!” (Genesis 1:31) If God sees that creation is very good, shouldn’t we too? If we look at creation, do we not see aspects of the goodness of the Creator? The environment and its destruction relates to many of the world’s human problems. To name just a few: failing crops affects our food supply; poor air quality affects our health; rising water levels affects where we can live. Ultimately as Christians, we care about the salvation of souls and seeing God face-to-face in His kingdom. But God has created us on this earth for a reason. While some theologies tell us things along the lines of “we are in the end times; it’s all going to burn anyway,” does this mean that we don’t have a responsibility to care about the environment, to care for God’s creation? “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” (Matthew 5:8) When we clean up the environment of our hearts, it transforms the mind. If we are participating with God in a righteous way, we see others, ourselves, the world, and God differently. Yes, God told us to “Be fruitful and multiply. Fill the earth and govern it.” (Genesis 1:28). We have dominion, but with rules. With dominion comes responsibility. In governing the world well – rather than exploiting or misusing it – we show respect to the One who has given it to us. We are not doing this alone, but with God. It does require a little effort on our part though. Can we learn? Will we learn? Or will we all learn too late? Questions for Discussion 1\. What does creation tell us about the Creator? Does it help us get to know God? 2\. Why do you think Christians are not more passionate about taking care of the environment? 3\. What does Genesis 1 tell us about God’s plan for mankind and care for creation?