"Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor, for everything in heaven and earth is yours. Yours, O Lord, is the kingdom; you are exalted as head over all." 1 Chron. 29:11
It's ALL His. The question is how can we be the best stewards possible of all His creation?
When I started digging, it seems overwhelming. The issues are huge. I think we know that there are so many ways that we are wasteful and destructive - we just like our conveniences to much to do anything about it. Our environmental policy is 'Don't ask, don't tell.'
Take bottled water. (Which my grandad who died about 20 years ago would roll over in his grave about . . . 'You buy what? When you can turn on the faucet and get it practically for free!')
Not only is it crazy that we pay a buck for a few ounces of water . . . not only do we use 1.5 million tons of plastic each year to bottle water . . . not only is their the environmental cost of manufacturing and transporting 100 billion liters of water each year . . . but 80% of the plastic used ends up clogging up our landfills.
And all of this for water that 25% of is simply re-processed municipal water. Interesting.
If you want to check out some stuff yourself, you could start by clicking here or here.
Remember I'm not in this to start worshipping the earth. But just to ask the question, how can we most honor God in caring for His creation.
Some of you have much better ideas and thoughts than me . . . Why don't you hit 'comments' and share em' with us . . .
Saturday, November 22, 2008
Creation Care - Part III
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Creation Care - Part II
Re*cy*cle [ree-sahy-kuh
As I said on Sunday, in the past I've been a recycler only when it's very convenient, or there's a lot of peer pressure (like my neighbors seeing that I never put my green bin out :)
I'm rethinking how a lot of my small efforts will go a long ways in caring for God's creation. I think for many years the evangelical church has disconnected following Jesus and blessing our society. But again, it's not just that - it's worship to care for what God has given us.
I mentioned Sunday that there are over 130 million cell phones retired every stinking year!! I'm also told that can also "potentially create 65,000 tons of dangerous electronics waste.”
So why needlessly waste? There are recylcers on the internet that will give you cash for your old phone. I plugged in my year-old Samsung in the website today and they would give me $13.78 - and they would pay the postage!
What if . . . someone at Oso Creek took on collecting old cell phones - wherever they could be found - and made it a ministry. Collected them and sent them in and then the resources were used to feed the poor or build water wells or pour into an under resourced nation.
That's just one example -- but as we recycle we're not JUST good neighbors - but if we're creative we can find ways to create inroads to the Kingdom of God coming to earth!
[These are the new signs that will go out by the recycle bins at Oso Creek!]
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Creation Care
"Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor, for everything in heaven and earth is yours. Yours, O Lord, is the kingdom; you are exalted as head over all." 1 Chron. 29:11
On Sunday I preached for the first time ever on caring for the creation. It was long overdue.
Adam & Eve began in a garden where they were charged to keep it and care for it. Our role is that of stewards - to return the creation better than we found it. I hope that you are asking God what the small ways are that you can care more for God's creation.
Below is the website I promised and this week I'm going to blog about more practical ways to live in the blessing of this kind of obedience:
http://savinggodsgreenearth.com/
