Pollution is a Spiritual Problem Too

Our world is so desperate to breathe in the divine presence, we are suffocating here with injustice and hatred and conflict in our world, we so need the spirit to breathe into us and bring us back to life again—

 To bring our world back to life with this divine energy that brings us together as kin, as divinely connected but no matter how desperate we are for a breath of fresh air, for the breath of God to breathe into us and renew us...

 The reality is the air is polluted, and if the air is polluted, if human beings can’t take a breath of fresh air, the spirit is restricted, the spirit cannot work as well in us and through us…

Now is the time for us as followers of Jesus to lead the way in working to end pollution so that all people throughout the world can breathe fresh air, so that all may receive the spirit of God, the breathe of God, deep into their lungs, so all may revived by God’s spirit again and again and again…

So today as we breathe in and breathe out we know what is ours to do: we are the ones to work to end pollution, so that means very plainly we have to take steps to reduce our carbon footprint.

Watch This Video From The Service.

Christ Has No Body But Yours

We were not created for ourselves. We are created to till and keep the garden.

The word till is better translated as 'to serve' or ' to be a slave of.' Think about that, does that change things or what? 

When I think of 'till' I think work the land, you know, there's that physical image of using a steel hoe to break up the soil which gives you the impression that we are in charge and use and work the land for our purposes...but that is not what we are talking about...the word till means to serve, we are servants of the earth.

We are NOT the center of God's creation, we are not at the top to rule and do whatever we want to the earth, our purpose is to serve the earth. I will say it again this way: it is not about what is in our own self-interest...it is about what is in the best interest of the earth. This is driven home by the word "keep" which means "to preserve" or "to protect." We are responsible for the garden now and into the future. 

We are the ones to preserve and protect the earth, that is our purpose--that is what on earth we are here for.

Vineyards and Vegetable Gardens

Dominion and subdue.  Those two words are bound to come up when talking about how people of faith should view creation.  The words sound almost warlike.  What do they mean?  How are we to receive and care for gifts from God, especially the gift of creation.

Seeing Christ In Everyone and Everything

It is all Christ, Christ is all in all, every material, every physical thing is Christ and that includes you and that includes every person and plant and species on this planet. My favorite definition of a Christian is this:

 A Christian is one who can recognize Christ in every one and everything. 

 I don’t know that I am always a Christian under that definition but I want to be, don’t you, I want to recognize Christ in people with whom I disagree or who are different than me, and I want to recognize Christ in every aspect of creation...