Am I a Greenie ?
I
t’s always interesting to
observe how different church
congregations respond to the
same sermon. Believe it or not, crosscultural workers recycle sermons
when we visit partner churches during
our few months in Australia during
home assignment.
For me, the first week is the most
daunting. I have been away from
Australia for three years and I have
to deliver a well-crafted sermon to
eager supporters and friends in my
native tongue, which I haven’t used
properly for ages! On subsequent
weeks, English words flow in my brain
more swiftly and I refine the content
and delivery over and over. After a
few months I have a few succinct,
theologically sound, confidently
presented and engaging sermons…
then I hop on a plane again!
IS CARING FOR
CREATION A LEGITIMATE
MISSIONAL ACTIVITY?
Recently, my final speaking gig was
at a church where I was reasonably
well known. I was warmly greeted
and held the congregation engaged
throughout. I was slick. (After all,
this was the 15th presentation within
10 weeks!) At the conclusion, the
pastor got up to respond and close
the service. His first remark was
something like “I think that is the
first time we’ve had a Greenie in that
pulpit!” We all laughed and enjoyed
the fellowship that followed.
On reflecting on the Pastor’s remark,
I wondered if he was correct. People
had been speaking from that pulpit
for over 150 years, could I really be
the first? It indicates that my topic, a
Christian response to the environment
and its place in mission, was rarely
spoken of in church.
The reasons we have avoided linking
our faith to the environment are many
and varied. In Australian Baptist circles,
I suspect concern for the environment
has probably been considered
peripheral to our cause. After all,
are we not to concentrate on the
winning of souls? Caring for the
non-human creation is surely just a
distraction from our core focus.
But isn’t caring for the environment
a Gospel issue?
resonate · issue 27 · page 12
Since living in South-East Asia I’ve
discovered how Muslims have a similar
calling to be stewards of the earth as
us Christians. We both believe that
God has given the responsibility to
humanity to take care of His creation.
I have found working together with
Muslim friends on environmental
projects has provided a unique
opportunity to share the Gospel.
For my Muslim friends that are
aware of their spiritual responsibility
for creation (not all are), fear of
judgement is the sole motivation
for how they treat the environment.
However, God’s redemptive intentions
for all His creation extend beyond
judgement, to His new creation,
promised to us in Revelation. God’s
purposes have also been modelled
to us through the life and sacrifice
of Jesus, which commenced God’s
process of redemption. It is through
following Jes \