The list ethos-environment@googlegroups.com has been created and is found here. Whether or not is proves useful, only time will tell. The important thing is to stay in dialogue, thinking and sharing.
This group is largely NOT for engaging in debate about the reality of human caused global warming, and trolling by denialists with be dealt with swiftly. There are other places no doubt for you to do that.
Saturday, February 26, 2011
Friday, February 25, 2011
Guilt and hope
After reading the most recent God and Gum Nuts post on judging others from our sometimes sanctimonius position, I thought I'd put down what I think within the church we should be doing when thinking about and speaking on climate change and other environmental issues. This will be briefer maybe than it should be - which is an excuse to write another post later.
'Guilt paralyses, hope energises'.
We can point the finger at other people's wrong practices, and there are times for calling a spade a spade and bringing to light (sometimes gently, perhaps sometimes not so - especially on the corporate or political level) practices, traditions, etc that are harmful to God's creation and impact upon the world's poor now and into the future. However, it is very often the case that the last thing you want to do is make people feel guilty.
Forcing guilt is paralysing at best, at worst it provokes hostility. Yes, there may even be a place for this - but we shouldn't aim for it. Instead, clear communication will lead to Godly repentance and a genuine desire to change and serve God by caring for his creation and sharing its resources with everyone.
Guilt paralyses because it leaves us wallowing, looking at the problem and not the solution, at ourselves and not at God. Guilt is backward looking and can simply be self-indulgent. Self-flaggelation may be fashionable in some circles, but it
s useless.
The gospel provides us with hope, and hope energises. In all of our efforts we must remember it is not we who save the Earth but God who will save the Earth and his people when Christ returns. Indeed the Earth shares our hope because when we are raised, it will be released from its bondage (Rm 8:19-25). But just as we don't wait for glorification to cooperate in our own sanctification - in Paul's words we don't go on sinning so that grace may abound, but instead because of our resurrection hope we know nothing we do is in vain (1 Cor 15:58). Hence, our future hope encourages us to act in the present, hope is always proleptic. We work now towards the goal of releasing creation from its bondage to decay under human misrule, and in doing so shine forward a light from the new age to come.
This hope will encompass all of creation, and so we should aim to invite all to be a part of this. Christ is central to our salvation and that of creation.
'Guilt paralyses, hope energises'.
We can point the finger at other people's wrong practices, and there are times for calling a spade a spade and bringing to light (sometimes gently, perhaps sometimes not so - especially on the corporate or political level) practices, traditions, etc that are harmful to God's creation and impact upon the world's poor now and into the future. However, it is very often the case that the last thing you want to do is make people feel guilty.
Forcing guilt is paralysing at best, at worst it provokes hostility. Yes, there may even be a place for this - but we shouldn't aim for it. Instead, clear communication will lead to Godly repentance and a genuine desire to change and serve God by caring for his creation and sharing its resources with everyone.
Guilt paralyses because it leaves us wallowing, looking at the problem and not the solution, at ourselves and not at God. Guilt is backward looking and can simply be self-indulgent. Self-flaggelation may be fashionable in some circles, but it
s useless.
The gospel provides us with hope, and hope energises. In all of our efforts we must remember it is not we who save the Earth but God who will save the Earth and his people when Christ returns. Indeed the Earth shares our hope because when we are raised, it will be released from its bondage (Rm 8:19-25). But just as we don't wait for glorification to cooperate in our own sanctification - in Paul's words we don't go on sinning so that grace may abound, but instead because of our resurrection hope we know nothing we do is in vain (1 Cor 15:58). Hence, our future hope encourages us to act in the present, hope is always proleptic. We work now towards the goal of releasing creation from its bondage to decay under human misrule, and in doing so shine forward a light from the new age to come.
This hope will encompass all of creation, and so we should aim to invite all to be a part of this. Christ is central to our salvation and that of creation.
Thursday, February 24, 2011
The National Day of Prayer on Climate Change 6th November 2011
Ethos is proud to announce its involvement with the inaugural National Day of Prayer on Climate Change on Sunday November 6th 2011.
This day will be designed to bring Christians in prayer around the complex and controversal issue of climate change, as we seek unity within the church, the guidance of God's Spirit and wise and informed action by society as a whole.
More to come - watch this space
This day will be designed to bring Christians in prayer around the complex and controversal issue of climate change, as we seek unity within the church, the guidance of God's Spirit and wise and informed action by society as a whole.
More to come - watch this space
Consuming Creation conference workshops timetable
The timetable for the conference workshops is here. Please see here for the abstracts.
Session 1: 1:50-2:40
Jenny Morris - Environmental vegetarianism – healthy, tasty, compassionate and good for the planet
Nola Stewart - Caring for the Creation Bible Studies
Cath James & Joel Meadows - How to green your church building
Greg & Elvira Hewson - Which Beetroots best? Re-imaging a good life in energy constrained world
Deb Storie - Natural Disasters? A call to move beyond humanitarian response to corporate repentance
Session 2: 2:50-3:40
Richard Mallaby - Renewing Creation: Children experiencing wonder in the natural world offer hope
John Altmann - Sustainable practical responses to climate change and energy poverty in Africa: micro-solar lighting for the poor
Sally Shaw and Janet Down - Transition Towns – a Christian perspective
Claire Dawson - Demystifying Carbon Accounting
Brenton Reimann & John Brummell - Is God holding back our daily bread?
Session 3: 4:00-5:00
Kate Rigby & Anne Elvey & Jan Morgan - Creation, incarnation and the fellowship of creatures
Viv Benjamin - TEAR’s Carbon Fast
Paul Tyson - Jacques Ellul’s theological vision of the socio-cultural drivers of ecological disaster
Mick Pope - Communicating for change: talking about climate change in the church
Gordon Preece - Christian Super: A Case Study in Ethical and Environmental Investment for Non-Super Christians
Session 1: 1:50-2:40
Jenny Morris - Environmental vegetarianism – healthy, tasty, compassionate and good for the planet
Nola Stewart - Caring for the Creation Bible Studies
Cath James & Joel Meadows - How to green your church building
Greg & Elvira Hewson - Which Beetroots best? Re-imaging a good life in energy constrained world
Deb Storie - Natural Disasters? A call to move beyond humanitarian response to corporate repentance
Session 2: 2:50-3:40
Richard Mallaby - Renewing Creation: Children experiencing wonder in the natural world offer hope
John Altmann - Sustainable practical responses to climate change and energy poverty in Africa: micro-solar lighting for the poor
Sally Shaw and Janet Down - Transition Towns – a Christian perspective
Claire Dawson - Demystifying Carbon Accounting
Brenton Reimann & John Brummell - Is God holding back our daily bread?
Session 3: 4:00-5:00
Kate Rigby & Anne Elvey & Jan Morgan - Creation, incarnation and the fellowship of creatures
Viv Benjamin - TEAR’s Carbon Fast
Paul Tyson - Jacques Ellul’s theological vision of the socio-cultural drivers of ecological disaster
Mick Pope - Communicating for change: talking about climate change in the church
Gordon Preece - Christian Super: A Case Study in Ethical and Environmental Investment for Non-Super Christians
Want to network with other Christian Environmentalists on Facebook
A new group has just been started: Australian Christian Environmental Group. Check it out. Click here for the page.
Stephen Hawking and Carl Sagan on the Greenhouse effect
Between Venus and pre-industrial Earth is a range of worlds from permitting life as we know it, to large adjustments to society and ecosystem impoverishment, to societal collapse and ecosystem collapse, and finally to the destruction of everything. Between the two extremes is our future. Let's act now to make it a good future.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)