My Reform
“I believe many, myself included, have been fearful of what might happen if we actually advocate for something that has decisively been tagged as a value that belongs to those who oppose many Christian values. In our fear, we have been unfaithful to our responsibility to be good stewards of God’s creation… I stayed away from the issue for many years, viewing environmental conservation as a political issue. But apathy toward the environment doesn’t mean we have avoided getting involved in the issue - it simply means we have decided its value is not worth fighting for. And this is where many evangelical Christians have gone awry.” - excerpt from God's Green Earth, by Tri Robinson
Further to what is becoming my series and preoccupation in blogging recently, I should highlight some of what has been inspiring me lately. I've been apalled at a lot of consumer culture for years - but primarily I always thought of how those things affected us personally, as human beings. I felt that so many people were already worrying about the earth and it wasn't really my job. That was how I felt around the start of University. As I began to see the world from a more academic framework - information centric - it became clear that the problem wasn't always outside of my own purview or my own beliefs, and I became a lot less apathetic. At first I found myself taking an extra few steps to put my bottle in the recycling bin instead of the garbage, where I hadn't before. I found myself appraising items I saw discarded to see if any more usefulness was to be found in them. Paul and I talked about our plans to raise children with widely available used things to save ourselves money. By the time we have kids, I may even be willing to challenge myself to use almost entirely used items.
When we went to what is now our home church for the second time, the speaker's name was Michael P. Ferber, PhD, he works as the Assistant Professor of Geography and Director of Environmental Studies at The King's University College in Edmonton. His message was particularly excellent, well-balanced, and useful in encouraging personal change - which is one of the things I feel that MWPA does so well. If you'd like to listen, his full service is downloadable here (I listened to Service 2) and I have his notes as well if anyone wants them.
I particularly resonated with the above quote, as I felt it was very much the journey I'd taken - to the place where I see clearly that to honor God with my life sometimes means reflecting on and acting on principles of world stewardship insomuch as I am able. Michael termed this "Creation Care" and I feel like that is a great way to put it. I want to continue to make this my newfound act of worship - not to the detriment of any of the others, but as a way to recognize that God is worthy, and our Earth is worthy of my help in whatever ways I can.
We see the problem and the risk,
but nothing's solved
We just say, "Tisk, tisk, tisk,"
and, "Shame, shame, shame."
Finally fell asleep on the plane
to wake to see we're going down in flames
That's not who I want to be.
People of my race used to criticize others as savages, uncivilized. Perhaps what we are becoming - stuff-centric, evasive, and all-consuming - is even less civilized and even more savage than the idea we had of those we sought to reform - and almost certainly more "savage" than the people we considered so. Change starts on the inside of yourself. Hopefully I can help convince others to change themselves as well.
I'm part of the problem,
I confess,
But I gotta get this off my chest.
Let's extinguish the anguish
for which we're to blame,
and save the world
from going down in flames.
Further to what is becoming my series and preoccupation in blogging recently, I should highlight some of what has been inspiring me lately. I've been apalled at a lot of consumer culture for years - but primarily I always thought of how those things affected us personally, as human beings. I felt that so many people were already worrying about the earth and it wasn't really my job. That was how I felt around the start of University. As I began to see the world from a more academic framework - information centric - it became clear that the problem wasn't always outside of my own purview or my own beliefs, and I became a lot less apathetic. At first I found myself taking an extra few steps to put my bottle in the recycling bin instead of the garbage, where I hadn't before. I found myself appraising items I saw discarded to see if any more usefulness was to be found in them. Paul and I talked about our plans to raise children with widely available used things to save ourselves money. By the time we have kids, I may even be willing to challenge myself to use almost entirely used items.
When we went to what is now our home church for the second time, the speaker's name was Michael P. Ferber, PhD, he works as the Assistant Professor of Geography and Director of Environmental Studies at The King's University College in Edmonton. His message was particularly excellent, well-balanced, and useful in encouraging personal change - which is one of the things I feel that MWPA does so well. If you'd like to listen, his full service is downloadable here (I listened to Service 2) and I have his notes as well if anyone wants them.
I particularly resonated with the above quote, as I felt it was very much the journey I'd taken - to the place where I see clearly that to honor God with my life sometimes means reflecting on and acting on principles of world stewardship insomuch as I am able. Michael termed this "Creation Care" and I feel like that is a great way to put it. I want to continue to make this my newfound act of worship - not to the detriment of any of the others, but as a way to recognize that God is worthy, and our Earth is worthy of my help in whatever ways I can.
We see the problem and the risk,
but nothing's solved
We just say, "Tisk, tisk, tisk,"
and, "Shame, shame, shame."
Finally fell asleep on the plane
to wake to see we're going down in flames
That's not who I want to be.
People of my race used to criticize others as savages, uncivilized. Perhaps what we are becoming - stuff-centric, evasive, and all-consuming - is even less civilized and even more savage than the idea we had of those we sought to reform - and almost certainly more "savage" than the people we considered so. Change starts on the inside of yourself. Hopefully I can help convince others to change themselves as well.
I'm part of the problem,
I confess,
But I gotta get this off my chest.
Let's extinguish the anguish
for which we're to blame,
and save the world
from going down in flames.