1. Creation Care and the Gospel
Reconsidering the Mission of the Church

2. Outline What is the mission of the church?
Contextualising mission in the human age
Re-thinking the narrative
Engaging in Anthropocene mission

3. What is mission? Mission as central to church – Matthew 28
In heaven and on earth
Make disciples
Baptise
Observed all that I commanded
The Great Omission: The idea that the church has more often tried to reproduce Christians in their own image, converts, rather than disciples.

4. Ecotheology Eco-theo-logy Oikos = household Oikonomos Stewardship?
Ecology & economy
Clive Ayre – “a recognised descriptor of an approach that sets theology in dialogue with contemporary ecology, and asserts that our care of the natural world, or of God’s creation, is not just a practical issue, but a faith issue as well.”
David Reichardt – ecotheology as a contextual form of theology
Triune God

5. Ecomission
Reconciliation at all levels. God saves us with and not from creation c.f. heavenism (Habel) Eco-justice … the global poor who face the worst effects of environmental degradation. Eco-spirituality … caring for creation in its own right as a form of mission.

6. Context: The Anthropocene
Younger Dryas
Period of cities, writing, agriculture major religions, etc in steady climate
“whole + recent”

7. Anthropocene Equation
How quickly is the Earth System changing?
𝑑𝐸 𝑑𝑡 =f(A,G,I,H)

9. Great acceleration

10. 12 Feb

12. The creation temple
Gen 2:1-3 rest (ceases sabat) linked with rest nuha
Ex 20:11 For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea and all that is in them, and rested (nuha) on the seventh day; therefore the Lord blessed the sabbath (sabat) day and made it holy.
Ps 132 (a song of ascents)
7 “Let us go to his dwelling place;     let us worship at his footstool.”
8 Rise up, O Lord, and go to your resting place (menuha),     you and the ark of your might.

13. Finish
Gen 2:1 Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all their multitude. Ex In this way all the work of the tabernacle of the tent of meeting was finished; the Israelites had done everything just as the Lord had commanded Moses. Ex He set up the court around the tabernacle and the altar, and put up the screen at the gate of the court. So Moses finished the work.

14. Priests
Image of God = eikon
Gen 2:15 language of worship

15. The Fall

16. The “Fall” – sin occurs at all levels
Fall & cross – seen in individual terms, guilt before God
Human – human relations broken
Systemic evil. Society, technology
Humans & environment
“If the question is ‘how can I get to heaven despite the sin because of which I deserve to be punished?,’ the answer may well be ‘because Jesus has been punished in your place’.  But if the question is ‘how can God’s plan to rescue and renew the entire world go ahead, despite the corruption and decay which has come about because of human rebellion?’, the answer may well be “because on the cross Jesus defeated the powers of evil which have enslaved rebel humans and so ensured continuing corruption.” Tom Wright, Surprised by hope

17. Land Central idea Land care not environment
Land as metaphor – rest, shalom
Landedness & landlessness
Wilderness & landlessness
Prophetic role

18. Bookended new creation in John
Genesis 2
John 20
4 In the day the Lord made heavens and earth
1 first day of the week
Genesis 1 – creation of light
1 it was still dark (back to Jn 1 as well)
8 man put into the garden
15 Mary supposed Jesus to be the gardener
22 man and woman in the garden – a fit helper
17 Mary to announce resurrection to disciples
24 man clings to his wife
17 Mary not to cling to Jesus

19. Creation's eschatological groaning
Led by the Spirit from slavery to sin to the new creation as Israel was led to the land from slavery in Egypt
19 For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. 20 For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope 21 that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. 22 For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. 23 And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies.
Groaning of creation: deforestation, silting of harbour, smoke from fires, malaria (helped Rome collapse)
Horace ‘Caesar has brought back fertile crops to the fields’
Subjection is to human misrule (probably not a reference to animal death)
Creation awaits for what we wait for – redemption of our bodies because then we will rule properly
Later Spirit groans with us in prayer – all groaning for same thing, so can we say hovering Spirit (Gn 1:2) groans with the creation he has made?

20. Church gardens
As well as spaces for food growing & associated facilities such as compositing, water harvesting & a seed raising area:
Community art (e.g., mosaics, sculptures)
Places for indigenous and native plants, flowers and ornamentals
Spaces for socialising and celebration
Spaces for solitude and reflection
Places for education (e.g., outdoor classrooms)
Animals (e.g., chickens, bees)
Gymea Miranda Uniting Church

21. Community gardening as a mission activity
Deeply contextual – different models of ownership
Liminal spaces
Mission meets ecology: “To strive to safeguard the integrity of creation, and sustain and renew the life of the earth”
It transforms churches
Opportunities for ecumenism

22. Empire, ecology & being political
“Thine age, O Caesar, has brought back fertile crops to the fields.”
For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the children of God; for the creation was subjected to futility, not of its own will but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and will obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. We know that the whole creation has been groaning in labor pains until now

23. Politics, empire & resistance
Jesus call to turn other cheek, walk extra mile
Rendering to Caesar is giving up idols
Empire in Romans – Caesar vs Jesus: good news, son of God, Lord, bringer of true peace/pax
Romans 13 – you'd better watch out

24. Who would you choose to work with?

25. Summary We live in a human context.
We have a divine mission to make disciples who care for Earth.
Earth is a central part of the theodrama & has a future.
There are many ways to include creation care in mission.