Greenday

So, this week's Greenday blog is about bottled water. Please go here to read an interesting article on the energy costs of bottle water.

And in other news, Taco Bell is going "green" with a whole new menu...

Word on the street

More about the Laugh in Peace Tour about which i wrote previously is now posted on Facebook. Check it out for the latest details and see who else is going.

Greenday Post

Today, i want to take time to simply appreciate the beauty of creation. It's been said that the key to happiness is in appreciating beauty. And i think there is no better way to persuade anyone of the majesty of God and the necessity of good stewardship of the earth than to marvel in it. These photos are the winners of the 39th annual, 2009 photo contest held by the National Wildlife Federation. They are soul-stirring.

Also, if you're looking for a way to go green* with your transportation, Ford has an innovative idea...

*This care looks suspiciously a lot like my green 1997 Mercury Grand Marquis...

Linked

i have no misconceptions that i have cornered the market on news, insight or humor... well, maybe humor. Therefore, from time to time, i will merely point you in the direction of articles that might be worth a glance or thorough read.


At-a-glance:

This is a "riveting" article on the changing gender norms as they relate to bread-winning in modern marriage. While it's not surprising, the statistics are interesting.


Worth-a-thorough-read:

This site is a great place to look if you want to get involved in helping Haiti. It rates various organizations and relief aid groups in their effectiveness. It allows you to make an informed decision about where to direct your own efforts.

In other news, Avatar is making waves in China. In the country where James Cameron's Titanic reigned as the number one movie for 11 years, Avatar is being yanked from theaters. Chinese citizens are drawing strong parallels not only to their history, but current situations of forced relocation for resources and the struggles in Tibet. The 3D version will still be shown in Imax theaters, but there are few of those and the ticket prices are higher.

Vengance is Mine

Vengeance is mine, saith the Lord. But just how much of what happens in today's world can we attribute to that vengeance. Can we attribute earthquakes and tsunamis to the wrath of God? Maybe only those over 6.0 on the Richter scale? How about planes crashing into buildings? How about famines and floods? What about school shootings? Some of our most influential religious leaders have very strong opinions about these issues. Largely, the media focuses on the most controversial of these leaders rather than the most rational or wisest or those most representative of the Christian faith.

Billy Graham suggested that some of the great tragedies in the United States have occurred because of our rejection of God. Jeremiah Wright suggested our actions and moral corruption were revisited on us in the trade center attacks. And Pat Robertson recently asserted that Haiti is being punished for the practices of non-Christian religion centuries ago. Interestingly, a dinner party of these 3 men and their wives seems unlikely, but they all espouse the general belief, which is not uncommon amongst [American] Christians, that the collective failure of believers (and non-believers) is directly related to the amount of suffering through enormous tragedies through which God punishes the world.

i can't say i agree with any of these three men. i understand Billy Graham. i understand that he's making the point that it's so out of vogue to teach children moral behavior that we can see some of those affects, but i don't think God moves in such violence just to say, "i told you so." i can see the points that are made by Jeremiah Wright. As a nation, we have allowed our leaders to make foolish decisions for greed and military conquest, but it doesn't address the ideological concerns of the radical groups that will continue to exist and attack us and others, no matter how little we exert our influence overseas as a country or international community. And i understand that Pat Robertson believes that God punishes people for disobedience or unbelief, but scripture also teaches that the rain falls on the just and unjust alike, and in Haiti, it has.

In all of this, i cannot read scripture and come to the conclusion that God punishes people through these horrendous acts. If you look at the times when God showed his wrath, you find no examples like the tsunami in SE Asia or the earthquake in Haiti, much less Columbine or 9/11. God's wrath fell on the world during a great flood, but it was made clear that Noah's family was the only righteous one and they were spared. There was no question. Everyone else was given the chance and they ignored it. They were given warning and a plan and it was clear. When God had wrath toward Nineveh, he gave them warning and when they repented, truly repented, they were spared. God is not in the habit of letting the innocent die when he moves to punish. God has no collateral damage. In fact, the Good News in which we believe is that God has only ever allowed one innocent person to die in place of the punishment of someone guilty. And that was his only son in place of all of us.

In any great disaster, particularly the ones i have mentioned here, there are deaths of the innocent, of righteous men and women and innocent children. i do believe scripture shows evidence of God's wrath unleashed in our world, but it shows so much more of a loving God who seeks to protect the innocent and the suffering ones and to bring healing to the remnant, the survivors. i don't see God moving in disasters, but in the aftermath, in healing, in rebuilding, in the body of Christ, the Church, to help and to heal and to love the world. Our God is a God of restoration and redemption above all else, and seeks the restoration and redemption of this world until Christ comes again to bring a new one.

Greenday Post

As always, Wednesday is Greenday. i've been reading a lot of interesting articles and literature lately on environmentalism and Christianity. Christians who are unwilling to self-identify as environmentalists, tree huggers or greenies have two major arguments. One argument is that the end of the world is eventually coming and there will be a new one, so why bother so very much with this one. i recently read an article that argued that Christians should refrain from being environmentalists. i was outraged. The essential premise is that an "environmentalist" is a person who believes we should try to preserve the world forever and since Jesus is returning some day, we would be foolish to believe the world will last forever.

Well, frankly, even a secular scientist will tell you that the world won't last forever. We'll either be swallowed by the sun in a few million years or be hit by an asteroid that will wipe us out. However, if we're to take seriously that the hour and dates for JC's big comeback tour are unknown (Mt 24:36), then we must plan for forever. Whether you're a Christian or an atheist, you gotta believe the world won't last forever, but it could be tomorrow, could be in a million years. And you don't plan to take care of your planet only through the end of the week any more than you plan to take care of your car through the end of the work day just in case the world ends.

Many believers take a different approach. This is the second argument. They're convinced that God made this world solely for the use and enjoyment of humankind. Therefore, if we need to cut down every tree in the world for houses, well, that's what they're there for. If we need to completely obliterate a species of birds or fish or whales in order to eat and/or have fun, well, that's what God made 'em for, right? It's an interesting argument and these believers point to Genesis, when God tells Adam it's his job to have dominion over all of nature.

Interesting.

If this was the only scripture or even the only book that references the relationship God intends for humans to have with creation, we could argue the point, but it might very well indicate nature was God's gift to humans and nothing more. However, even the creation story isn't that simple. God doesn't create a blank planet, set people on it and then create plants and animals and rain and sunshine to keep them happy. No, God creates a lavish world and delights in it before he ever even starts in with the play dough. The question many ask is, "Do animals exist to sustain people?" This is the wrong question. Even if the answer is yes (and i'll wager it is), the more thoughtful and faithful question is, "Do animals exist for any other reason than to sustain people?" This question seeks God's will more than human desire.

Creation exists as more than a comfort to humankind. First of all, nature exists for God's delight. Much of scripture, especially Psalms and Job indicate that God delights in creation. It makes God happy! Now, mere mortal that i am, i'm gonna go with this being more important than my comfort and sustenance. But that's just me. Heck, Job 41 indicates that God provides water and shelter for animals. It doesn't indicate that God does this so we can eat those animals. In fact, many of those animals would have been impossible for them to capture or kill and others were forbidden by God. Why take care of them so diligently if they are of no use to humans?

Nature was certainly made with human needs in mind, but not with them as the sole concern. Nature also exists to create in humankind the kind of awe that is the faithful and true worshipful response we ought to have for God. What else could create in us the sort of awe and inspiration than nature itself, whether the heavenly bodies or waterfalls or sunsets or an eagle soaring or a snowy vista from Pike's Peak? Nature evokes that in us which God desires, the response of glorifying the creator.

And lastly, creation, nature requires our cooperation. God commanded the birds and all creatures of the sea to go forth and multiply. It's a solidly grounded Biblical principal that we are responsible for not actively causing others to be disobedient to God. It is better even for a millstone to put around our necks as we're thrown in the ocean than to lead a child astray. How horrible is it then for us to eradicate the dodo or hunt whales to extinction? If we prevent the obedience of an entire species through our own carelessness or greed, will we not be held accountable?

Nature exists for our sustenance, certainly. It was created with humans in mind and we were given the responsibility to make use of it and care for it. However, God's creation exists for more than our benefit. We have been given domain, but it belongs to God. In Job 41:11b God says, “Everything under heaven belongs to me.” Not us. It exists for God's delight and to evoke the deepest sense of awe for our creator and we have a great gift and burden in proper stewardship and coexistence, whether it's until this weekend or until the Browns win the Super bowl.

Word on the Street

JOY/SHY YOUTH GROUPJOY (middle school youth) and SHY (high school youth) meet most Sunday evenings from 6 pm to 8 pm.

This Sunday is a Well Night. Bring $5 for food. Worship will follow.

January 17- JOY will meet at its regular time. SHY will NOT meet.

January 24- JOY & SHY will meet at the regular time.

January 31- Youth are encouraged to attend Brian Daoust's installation as the Associate Pastor of Youth & Young Adults at 4 pm before the regular JOY/SHY meeting at 6:00 pm.

Word on the Street

A Muslim, a Christian and a Jew walk into a church... Wellshire to be specific. Laugh in Peace, a must-see peformance will come to Denver. This Thursday, February 11th @ 7:30 PM, Wellshire will host 3 commedians of 3 different faith traditions. The ticket cost will be $28.50 and all tickets are general admission. Proceeds will go to Habitat for Humanity. It's sure to be a night you won't soon forget. Susan Sparks, a trained lawyer, comedian and preacher joins Azhar Usman and Rabbi Bob Alper in a trio act. Check out the website for more details on the 3 comedians and come see them for yourself.

Update: Tickets available for purchase after both Sunday services and during the week during normal business hours.

Wednesday is Greenday

Since i have a sneaking suspicion that the world was actually started on Thursday morning*, thus resting and appreciating all he created, i have declared that on my blog, Wednesday will be Greenday. i'll mark it with an environmental post whenever possible. As i've mentioned before, i think it's fairly impossible to read scripture, particularly the Old Testament (and therefore be a believer) and also not be an environmentalist. Next Wednesday, i'll start a series of posts that study those scriptures specifically, in case you or someone you know needs convincing that God intends for us to take care of God's creation.

Today, in honor of Epiphany, i'd like to share my own epiphany. While i like to think i know a thing or two about scripture, i also must admit i don't know nearly as much as i would like to know. Some things in the Bible still surprise me now and then. So while i'm aware that scripture has more than one account of the story of creation, one very important detail escaped me.

Do you know who/what was created on the sixth day? That's right, people! Oh, and cattle and creeping things on the ground. WHAT?!?! We share a day with creeping things? We share a day with cows and the little things on the counter or in the bathroom from which i must frequently don my armor and lance to battle for my wife? Seriously? i was floored. Barbara Brown Taylor points this out in an intro article to The Green Bible. As she bemoans, we don't even get to share it with a snow leopard or antelope or something cool. Now, as an ardent milk drinker, i'm ok with this arrangement. And i rather like spiders.

It is nonetheless a surprise, and feeling a little less haughty is one outcome of this discovery, but it's also enlightening. God made only us in God's image, of all the creatures, but he didn't set aside a day for us. He set us in charge of caring for those creatures. i feel a bit better about my desire to capture crickets and spiders in the house to set them free. And i am utterly convinced i want to buy my milk and cheese from happy cows ;-)




*God created sea monsters on the 4th day. It had to be a Monday.

Dances with Avatar

As promised, there will be the occasional movie review. i took in Jame's Cameron's Avatar last night. Before going to see it, i had not read a single review or even seen a full preview. This is rare for me, as i don't typically like to risk wasting a movie ticket price these days on a movie i'm not fairly certain i will enjoy. i had merely heard that it was visually stunning, probably more so than any movie ever before. In two words - it was. i can recommend the movie most highly to any science fiction fan, historian, ethicist or special effects/visual graphics fan. If you don't fall into any of those categories, you can still enjoy the movie, but it's fairly odd and the sci-fi bend may be too much for you.

While i thought the movie more closely paralleled Dances with Wolves, there's a humorous essay on its similarities to Disney's version of the Pocahontas tale...