MAY 25 - It's Not Easy Being Green

Check the bellvilleumc.org web site for the audio of this message.

Key Scriptures:

PSALM 24:1. The earth is the Lord's and the fulness thereof.

GENESIS 2:15. The Lord God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it.

PSALM 104:24, 30. O Lord, how manifold are your works! In wisdom you have made them all. The earth is full of your possessions...You send forth your Spirit, they are created; and you renew the face of the earth.

REVELATION 21:1-2. Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth...and I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem.


Too often we think of "stewardship" only in reference to putting money in the offering plate. A biblical concept of stewardship has to do with how we as creatures manage that which does not belong to us. So you see the obvious connection to our offerings. But there is also a clear connection to how we care for Planet Earth.

Fortunately, more and more Christian leaders are making the connection between personal faith and corporate responsibility.

In my message, I highlighted four leaders (three of whom I heard speak in the last year) who are making that connection in a strong way. Click on the links below to check out what they have to say on the topic!

N. T. Wright - Anglican bishop of Durham, Church of England

Tri Robinson - a Vineyard pastor in Boise, Idaho, and author of SAVING GOD'S GREEN EARTH

Joel Hunter - a pastor in Orlando, Florida

Rick Warren - pastor of Saddleback Church in southern California, and author of the best-selling book THE PURPOSE DRIVEN LIFE


Also check out the web site CREATION CARE

Here are some resources on being a "green church":

The Green Church: Responsible Stewardship of the Earth's Resources Pays Off

Green Church Links from the National Council of Churches of Christ

Here is a statement from the United Methodist Social Principles about the natural world:

All creation is the Lord’s, and we are responsible for the ways in which we use and abuse it. Water, air, soil, minerals, energy resources, plants, animal life, and space are to be valued and conserved because they are God’s creation and not solely because they are useful to human beings. God has granted us stewardship of creation. We should meet these stewardship duties through acts of loving care and respect. Economic, political, social, and technological developments have increased our human numbers, and lengthened and enriched our lives. However, these developments have led to regional defoliation, dramatic extinction of species, massive human suffering, overpopulation, and misuse and overconsumption of natural and nonrenewable resources, particularly by industrialized societies. This continued course of action jeopardizes the natural heritage that God has entrusted to all generations. Therefore, let us recognize the responsibility of the church and its members to place a high priority on changes in economic, political, social, and technological lifestyles to support a more ecologically equitable and sustainable world leading to a higher quality of life for all of God’s creation.


What is the hardest thing for you in attempting to exercise faithful stewardship of God's good creation?