Comments on: Earth Day Confessions http://www.wonderofcreation.org/2009/04/15/earth-day-confessions/ "Wonders that cannot be fathomed, miracles that cannot be counted." —Job 9:10 Thu, 18 Mar 2010 18:54:52 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: speedcreed http://www.wonderofcreation.org/2009/04/15/earth-day-confessions/comment-page-1/#comment-342 speedcreed Mon, 27 Apr 2009 04:43:57 +0000 http://www.wonderofcreation.org/?p=2445#comment-342 The question is: “Does ‘creation care’ have a place in the Christian life?" The premise in assuming ones response to be negative is considered, perhaps, attributable to our Christian belief that the Earth will pass away when the Lord returns. And so, the postulation goes something like this: ‘why bother?’ I cannot think of any line of thought that could be any farther removed from biblical reason. After all- our bodies are temporal, but no one doubts our spiritual duty in caring for this, ‘the temple of the Holy Spirit’ … so how much less the ground where that temple stands? And likewise, though we understand the ‘brick and mortar’ that are our church buildings to be places that will ‘also pass away,’ would anyone dare to presume that that makes structural ‘upkeep’ and ‘maintenance’ unnecessary? Of course not- and neither should we neglect anything else that might be used in the reflecting of God’s glory. And I’m pretty sure that the earth qualifies in that respect. Romans 1:20 is often quoted in response to the ‘Creation Care’ issue and I think it appropriate enough for repeating: "For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities - his eternal power and divine nature - have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse." NIV And another bit of verse comes to mind, though it is not so often quoted, is: “But ask now the beasts, and they shall teach thee; and the fowls of the air, and they shall tell thee: Or speak to the earth, and it shall teach thee: and the fishes of the sea shall declare unto thee. Who knoweth not in all these that the hand of the LORD hath wrought this? In whose hand is the soul of every living thing, and the breath of all mankind.” Job 12:7-10 KJV “… In whose hand is the soul of every living thing … ‘every’ living thing.” That’s grass and trees and things that crawl, fly, or swim. How dare we not care for all that our God has made? The question is: “Does ‘creation care’ have a place in the Christian life?” The premise in assuming ones response to be negative is considered, perhaps, attributable to our Christian belief that the Earth will pass away when the Lord returns. And so, the postulation goes something like this: ‘why bother?’ I cannot think of any line of thought that could be any farther removed from biblical reason.

After all- our bodies are temporal, but no one doubts our spiritual duty in caring for this, ‘the temple of the Holy Spirit’ … so how much less the ground where that temple stands? And likewise, though we understand the ‘brick and mortar’ that are our church buildings to be places that will ‘also pass away,’ would anyone dare to presume that that makes structural ‘upkeep’ and ‘maintenance’ unnecessary? Of course not- and neither should we neglect anything else that might be used in the reflecting of God’s glory. And I’m pretty sure that the earth qualifies in that respect.

Romans 1:20 is often quoted in response to the ‘Creation Care’ issue and I think it appropriate enough for repeating: “For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities – his eternal power and divine nature – have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.” NIV

And another bit of verse comes to mind, though it is not so often quoted, is: “But ask now the beasts, and they shall teach thee; and the fowls of the air, and they shall tell thee: Or speak to the earth, and it shall teach thee: and the fishes of the sea shall declare unto thee. Who knoweth not in all these that the hand of the LORD hath wrought this? In whose hand is the soul of every living thing, and the breath of all mankind.” Job 12:7-10 KJV

“… In whose hand is the soul of every living thing … ‘every’ living thing.” That’s grass and trees and things that crawl, fly, or swim. How dare we not care for all that our God has made?

]]> By: Linda http://www.wonderofcreation.org/2009/04/15/earth-day-confessions/comment-page-1/#comment-341 Linda Sun, 19 Apr 2009 01:31:43 +0000 http://www.wonderofcreation.org/?p=2445#comment-341 Dean: We do need that change of heart and of vision, as well. The stained glass windows you used remind me of the ones in my 1920s built church. One series has a theme for each window, one of them being Nature. This window shows shepherds with sheep and their dog. I was struck by the fact that there was no wild animal in the picture--only domesticated and hybridized which are useful to man. Ninety years later, our vision still hasn't expanded much past what affects us, I'm afraid. Dean: We do need that change of heart and of vision, as well. The stained glass windows you used remind me of the ones in my 1920s built church. One series has a theme for each window, one of them being Nature. This window shows shepherds with sheep and their dog. I was struck by the fact that there was no wild animal in the picture–only domesticated and hybridized which are useful to man. Ninety years later, our vision still hasn’t expanded much past what affects us, I’m afraid.

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