resolution creation care

what makes one a christian environmentalist? is it just stewardship in one’s own sphere – reducing, recycling, reusing or does it take active participation in dialogue and action to change the world around us?

i am actively working in the environment education field, i uphold values of environmental stewardship and participate in dialogue but i feel like a fraud.  what am i actively contributing to environmental action? how am i making clear to the world around me the need to steward god’s creation.  all i see around me among fellow believers is materialistic consumption with little thought to where it has come from or where it will go.  i also admit my often dubious disregard for the environment around me when it suits me.  i am a fraud i fail here.  i am so glad of god’s grace through jesus christ yet i resolve in the vein of jonathon edwards to consider the creation of my god and not callously disregard it by my actions of self first.

the impact of environmental ethics on christian ethics

i have just been reading a recently published article titled the impact of environmental ethics on christian ethics by kevin  cowtan – 29 April 2006.  a  facinating study into perspectives of christians and non-christians to determine whether or not christians have a more anthropocentric view of the environment than non-christians.

cowtan succinctly explains the various attitudes that have developed in the church from jewish tradition through augustine to luther and beyond. he examines the divisions in christian thought – dominionist, stewardship and naturalist while taking into account feminist & liberation theologies.

after surveying respondants from the internet and through direct questionaires he comes to the conclusion that christians do have a more anthropocentric view than non-christians but that this does not means christian care less for the environment than non christians.  this is because contemporary christians are motivated by a belief of stewardship towards the environment.

an interesting concurrent path of invesitgation was to determine the amount of teaching about the environment in churches today. cowtan states that while most denominations have adopted environmental policies, they have been slow to filter down to congregational level appearing only occasionally in some catholic, quaker or emergent settings. his final comment being "since climate change issues are more likely to be embraced by younger people, the issue may not become more widespread at a congregational level until those young people become ministers in the heirachical churches."

To read whole study go to http://www.braunston.com/survey/ethics2.pdf

The Hamster Wheel

Many post-charismatics have also come up against the ecclesial brick wall that results from an inappropriate understanding and use of "accountability"; they have, at some point in their journey, confessed some weaknesses and struggles with sin to someone in leadership at their local church. The Bible supports the idea of confessing our sins to each other, so that we can be set free (healed) from the effects of sin in our lives (James 5:15-16).

However, many later found themselves on the hamster wheel of being "not ready to be released" into ministry by their leaders. Admitting weakness to their leaders has resulted in them being forever banished to the "damaged goods" category; the leaders have used this intimate knowledge (given in trust and in keeping with Scriptural teaching) to maintain control over the penitent.

from http://www.robbymac.org/charismatic/praxis/five_fold/

my husband and others have expressed just this sentiment regarding the powers that be at our current church.

i became so appalled with what i saw to be the misuse of authority in a particular incident that at a personal meeting with the pastor and his wife i stated quite firmly that they were never to offer me any "leadership position".  to some this may seem rash but to me it has been freeing. and so began my journey from bondage to freedom – a journey i am still on. 

Hello world!

hi all,  this is my first post in my own blog.  yippee i'm on a steep learning curve. why 'an environment of change'? because it's a good play on words.  i am interested in the environment but my life is always changing and so are my responses to it. i hope not to appear wishy washy but i know my thoughts, feelings and observations change with time and that may be played out here on this blog.