HOw Do We Relate to Creation?????

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GordW said:
Pondered hard about putting this here or in "The Earth and Our World" but since it is about my sermon plans for September I landed here.

In some churches a "Season of Creation" is marked in September. I have only done this a couple of times before but decided that this year would be time again. The intent is time to reflect on how we interact with God's Creation. Mainly this year I think I will be reflecting on how important we are in the big picture. Here is my plan thus far:

  • September 8, Creation 1, Sermon title Who Has Created and Is Creating...: a time to remind ourselves that our faith story tells us that God is the mover behind Creation (whatever that might mean to you) and also that GOd continues to create and re-create. The Genesis 1 story tells us that GOd rests on the 7th day, it never says the work of Creation is finished.
  • September 15, Creation 2, Sermon title How Important Are WE?: Is humanity the pinnacle of God's creative act(s)? Are we the most important prat of the created order? I suspect many people of Christian Faith might give a half- or wholehearted yes to those questions but I am not so sure. Scientifically the Genus Homo has only been around for a small minority of the existence of the planet, Homo Sapiens is a mere blip in the timeline. I may tell the story of the person who complained that "why are caribou more important than jobs?" at a meeting I was at over 15 years ago
  • September 22, Creation 3, Sermon title Can We Understand It All?, working off the the voice of God speaking to Job out of the whirlwind here. Can we understand and predict it all? Science would probably not make that claim. If we can't, especially those of us who have not taken advanced degrees in sciences, how might that change our mindset as we interact with the world?
  • September 29, Creation 4, Sermon Title Paradise is a Garden?, the Greek word that lies behind our word paradise means (in part) a walled garden. The scene of a restored/renewed/re-created heaven and earth in Revelation is a garden. What do we think paradise would look like? [I think this will be a shift in focus from the other three weeks]
  • October 6, Creation 5, Sermon title Celebrate and Praise the Creator: too often when we talk about environmental issues in church (and in the world outside the church) we get focused on the bad news and all the ways we need to change. Scripture tells us that the Creation is a gift from God and a place where we can meet God. That seems to be a cause for celebration.
I look for thoughts or reflections or questions that folk think would fit with these themes.... (each week I will say more about where I see myself going so y'all can tell me I am right our to lunch)
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Appreciate your dedication to exploring how we interact with God’s creation. Here are some reflections for each of your planned sermons:

September 8, Creation 1: “Who Has Created and Is Creating…”​

Your focus on God as the continuous creator aligns well with my grasp of God’s kingship. Emphasise that God’s creative work's ongoing. This'll remind your congregation of God’s active presence in today's world.

September 15, Creation 2: “How Important Are WE?”​

It's crucial to balance humanity's special place in creation with humility. We're part of a much larger creation.

September 22, Creation 3: “Can We Understand It All?”​

The story of Job powerfully reminds us of human grasping's limits. Encourage the congregation to embrace creation's mystery and to approach it with awe.

September 29, Creation 4: “Paradise is a Garden?”​

The garden in Revelation 22:1-2 is a beautiful way to envision the restored creation. Highlight the theme of renewal, and how it reflects God’s ultimate plan for creation. This can also tie into stewardship, as we're called to care for the earth as God’s garden.

October 6, Creation 5: “Celebrate and Praise the Creator”
Celebration and praise are essential aspects of our faith. Psalm 148 is a wonderful passage that calls all of creation to praise the Lord. Emphasize the joy and gratitude we should feel for the gift of creation, and encourage the congregation to see environmental stewardship as an act of worship.

I hope these reflections are helpful as you prepare your sermons. May your congregation be blessed by this season of reflection and celebration of God’s creation.
Jae said:
Believe that we Christians must grasp both dominion and stewardship in their true biblical context.

Dominion really implies responsible governance. We must help “rule over” the Earth in the way that we believe reflects God’s care. This means ruling over with compassion, recognising that we're part of a much larger community of life.

Stewardship, we must begin to hold, is about managing with integrity the resources God's entrusted to everyone. We must make sustainable choices, protect ecosystems, and fight for environmental justice.

That said, many Christians are actively being good stewards by promoting environmental stewardship. Tere are now even faith-based groups dedicated to caring for God’s creation.

We Christians must honor God by helping to care for the Earth, recognizing our interconnectedness with all life, and ensuring that we're committed today to a just world of tomorrow for all. We must embody stewardship's true spirit in everything we do
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Each year, our English Worship Service for kids has a theme, a theme Scripture, and a slogan to go along with them. This year, our theme's "The Green Bible." We're teaching the children about the environment and taking care of our planet. I always say a little something in my sermons to them about it. Our theme Scripture is John 15:15a, and our slogan is "Live in the Vine!" We want to teach our kids the importance of caring for the Earth, and the joy that Christ has rescued them
 
Would it assist if we cultivated what popped up as a jack dupe item of no sense at all? i.e. mindless incarnation?

These happen in quantum devices ... and some say the brae'n is such a consumable as it needs frequent renewing ... reconnoitering with what's out there ...

This will be beyond a mass 've bunch ... kind 've Ayran ... Ares as word degrades into something else again ... word shift skirts what comes loose from the anquer ... anger? Its that que sound as it lines up ... a fiord, or fey ordinance ... hard things in flight! So many un utilized words (un-ordained)? Dis topped off ... dystopian ... thus Ra ject ... as it goes on, also, out of here! We cannot collect the prodigal (waste) or we'd bust ... something has to fly in the shade ... just to maintain the kohl!
 
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GordW said:
September 15, Creation 2, Sermon title How Important Are WE?: Is humanity the pinnacle of God's creative act(s)? Are we the most important prat of the created order? I suspect many people of Christian Faith might give a half- or wholehearted yes to those questions but I am not so sure. Scientifically the Genus Homo has only been around for a small minority of the existence of the planet, Homo Sapiens is a mere blip in the timeline. I may tell the story of the person who complained that "why are caribou more important than jobs?" at a meeting I was at over 15 years ago
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I feel that the challenges that are being faced due to our impact on the earth have shown that we are NOT the most important part of the what resides on earth. (I struggle with the concept of "created order")

There is also the challenge of "we". Does "we" refer to my family? to my inner group? Maybe to my city, or my country? Does it imply those who look like me? Yes, you have capitalized it, but...it is rare when considering the other, that we are able to extend to the needs / desires of all people.

I have a feeling that it is hard to go wide in our understanding of all people's. It takes listening, pondering, listening more, seeking clarification. That is hard work. It is setting aside our own needs. It means we need to discern what extension of someone else's rights infringe on our own.
We see the challenge of truth and reconciliation in our country. We have heard of it previously in other lands. It is a generational effort of hard work.

So, how do we listen to the earth itself? or the creatures? They don't have voices, though they show us. Can we learn what they need?

We haven't shown that we are willing to listen to scientists, and even when we do, there is significant critics after the fact. Look at COVID/ Vaccinations, or other scientific items.
 
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Creation is beyond mortal (these are to focused n eliminating or destroying anyone that fits into the sharing concept) so typical concepts go ... dearly departed considering what might have gone down the hole (tubes, pipe, sewer)

You do know there is a sector that believes thought/thinking etc. stinks ... thus thoughts are always under soul, or sona ... sound it out ... or write it off! That's business regime ... screw the populace before they get's yah ...

There is a resolution but that I am not allowed to say, why; because authority tells me it is not my place as my knowledge doesn't fit their perspective ... authority believes that authority cannot be questioned ... no matter, what? Thus deviations off the normal run of the line ... you 've heard that lion before ... just before consumption! Bring on the turkey the limited believe in ... incorporate it! Folly? Yes, I do believe it collapsed previously ... they refuse to stand because of internal consumption ... see theo's? Rendered to CEO! Know-stick function ...
 
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GordW said:
September 15, Creation 2, Sermon title How Important Are WE?: Is humanity the pinnacle of God's creative act(s)? Are we the most important prat of the created order? I suspect many people of Christian Faith might give a half- or wholehearted yes to those questions but I am not so sure. Scientifically the Genus Homo has only been around for a small minority of the existence of the planet, Homo Sapiens is a mere blip in the timeline. I may tell the story of the person who complained that "why are caribou more important than jobs?" at a meeting I was at over 15 years ago
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Hmm, not sure where this one will end up taking me.... here are y early thoughts at any rate:
gordsponderings.blogspot.com

Looking Ahead to September 15, 2024 -- Creation 2

The Scripture Readings this week are: Genesis 2:4b-22 Psalm 104:14-23 From Hamlet Act 2,Sc. 2 Image Source The Sermon title is How Importan...
gordsponderings.blogspot.com gordsponderings.blogspot.com
 
JayneWonders said:
I feel that the challenges that are being faced due to our impact on the earth have shown that we are NOT the most important part of the what resides on earth. (I struggle with the concept of "created order")

There is also the challenge of "we". Does "we" refer to my family? to my inner group? Maybe to my city, or my country? Does it imply those who look like me? Yes, you have capitalized it, but...it is rare when considering the other, that we are able to extend to the needs / desires of all people.

I have a feeling that it is hard to go wide in our understanding of all people's. It takes listening, pondering, listening more, seeking clarification. That is hard work. It is setting aside our own needs. It means we need to discern what extension of someone else's rights infringe on our own.
We see the challenge of truth and reconciliation in our country. We have heard of it previously in other lands. It is a generational effort of hard work.

So, how do we listen to the earth itself? or the creatures? They don't have voices, though they show us. Can we learn what they need?

We haven't shown that we are willing to listen to scientists, and even when we do, there is significant critics after the fact. Look at COVID/ Vaccinations, or other scientific items.
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WEll now I have a whole slate of other questions in my head.... folks would notice if the sermon goes really long right?
 
GordW said:
WEll now I have a whole slate of other questions in my head.... folks would notice if the sermon goes really long right?
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LOL. Depends where you are preaching it. UU sermons in some churches are almost lectures. I used to refer to the old (pre-me) service format at the fellowship as a lecture and discussion with singing.
 
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So my thoughts on our importance:

There is a hypothesis, based mostly on genetic evidence and rather speculative, that our line almost died out. They used to put it at 70K years ago but that theory has been shot down and now there's another one at 900K-ish (I'll find the relevant SciShow episode in a bit) and involves the near extinction of homo erectus, which would have snuffed out not just us but also all other species of human after erectus (Heidelbergensis, Neanderthal, Denisovan, Sapiens, might be some others that I am forgetting. I guess Floriensis, too, since they were offshoots of a branch of Erectus.). So would the world have been any better or worse had that happened? And the honest answer is that life would have gone on and evolution would have continued. It would be a different world for sure, but neither better nor worse, just different. Homo antecessor was already a separate line so maybe something would have happened there. Or maybe erectus would have been the end of the line for primates becoming intelligent beyond chimpanzee levels.

So how important can we really be to the broader universe if our evolution not happening would basically just produce a different world, neither better nor worse. Any attribution of a positive or negative value to that different world is purely a human perspective. Of course we think it would be worse without us (well, some green folks might think it would be better, but most would think it would be worse). But from the standpoint of the universe as a whole, it's just another variation in the endless chain of variations that is evolution. Might a fun world to visit, too, since a lot of lifeforms that died off due to, potentially, human hunting or competition, would still be around or have produced descendents. North America might still have elephants (mammoths and mastodons) and that sort of thing.
 
imo The goal of preaching should be spiritual transformation andt'herefpre topics like ecology and environmentalism are too irrelevant to personal
spInituality to be a common topic of lecture sermons. Rather, these ethically important topics should be the topic of small group discussions and Bible studies. Such studies should talke as their startng point biblcal texts that elaborate our status as "the image of God" n terms of our divinely assigned stewardship over creation and thus ultimately our role as co-creators to usher in the reign of God over all creation.
 
Sorry, GordW. I jumped ahead and responding to the opening questions rather than awaiting your dialogue
 
My most notorious thing on sermons and lectures: to many times the response by the populace was ... "we don't need t know (that)!"

Thus the trend goes down isle ...
 
Mystic said:
imo The goal of preaching should be spiritual transformation andt'herefpre topics like ecology and environmentalism are too irrelevant to personal
spInituality to be a common topic of lecture sermons. Rather, these ethically important topics should be the topic of small group discussions and Bible studies. Such studies should talke as their startng point biblcal texts that elaborate our status as "the image of God" n terms of our divinely assigned stewardship over creation and thus ultimately our role as co-creators to usher in the reign of God over all creation.
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The Bible teaches us that we're created in the image of God and entrusted with stewardship over his creation. Addressing ecological and environmental issues from the pulpit's a powerful way to connect our faith with this responsibility.

Those of us who preach can inspire our churches to see their role as stewards as a vital part of their spiritual journey. This approach encourages us to actively live out our faith in ways that honor God and protect his creation
 
Spiritual transformation: how could this occur if folk are told to believe in only concrete matters? It is a tough thing for those confined to pious matter ...

Then there is the concept of the bow wave of the earth causing a Van Allen thingy ... as we bash our way through the unknown ... all that's out there ...
 
Jae said:
The Bible teaches us that we're created in the image of God and entrusted with stewardship over his creation.
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My reality teaches me that being in "the image of God" means being an integral and intimate part of a divine, sacred existence and looking after it is looking after ourselves and vice versa. Failing in that means our extinction. We are responsible for our own fate, in other words. And it's not looking good right now.
 
GOD ... gamma odd dimension ... something particular that you cannot observe from here normally ... you must be outlander! Outlandish ... dark to say the least about the washed out ... the M's light? The medium is space ... carries light ...
 
GordW said:
September 22, Creation 3, Sermon title Can We Understand It All?, working off the the voice of God speaking to Job out of the whirlwind here. Can we understand and predict it all? Science would probably not make that claim. If we can't, especially those of us who have not taken advanced degrees in sciences, how might that change our mindset as we interact with the world?
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At this point I am really not sure where this one will take me.

Looking Ahead to September 22, 2024 -- Creation 3

The Scripture Readings this week are: Job 37:14-24 Psalm 104:24-32 The Sermon title is Can We Understand It All? Early Thoughts: Sometimes...
gordsponderings.blogspot.com gordsponderings.blogspot.com
 
As I read your post, I thought of the getting to know you exercise, where 4 people sit facing with knees touching and share what burden they are carrying they need to lay down to be fully present.

I am reminded how much we don't know about the other and how much we put up barriers to knowing.
 
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