Last week was a busy week with so much interesting stuff happening that I didn't get a chance to do much reflecting, let alone blog about it.
Last Tuesday the Evangelical Alliance, Tear Fund and UCCF met together at our church for a conference around the theme of 'Does God Believe in Climate Change?'
Thankfully the answer was Yes .. and not only that everyone seemed pretty convinced that God was asking the church to respond with a prophetic voice and to change how we live as individuals, families and church communities.
We were of course playing catch up with many environmental groups. (why is it that the church nearly always lags behind like this ... with God speaking through those outside the perceived sanctorum communio .. could it be that heaven had tried telling this to the church but in desperate the Holy Spirit had to go elsewhere to find someone who would listen? ... and what else are we not hearing ... on matters of justice, equality, inclusion etc)
Anyway the conference gave us both challenge and hope.
The Key note speakers included Sir John Houghton who started us off with Joseph's dream of seven fat and seven lean years encouraging us that God warned old Jospeh because he cares about people and wanted them, to be prepared ... and likewise the warnings coming from a changing climate are trying to say the same thing ... especially as it is the poor who will suffer most.
Sir John was followed by another John, (no knighthood yet but he is BUGB president) who talked about humanity's calling not just as stewards of creation, but as co-creators and more interestingly co-redeemers with God.
Later on it was a joy to see students from Cardiff and Swansea CUs engaging with the topic and with scripture ... the future feels a little brighter after the day. Maybe there is a green hill far away (or closer to home) that will stay both green and above the water line for a longer. I wonder what are the five things that people would most want to change in the life of their congregations to be more eco-friendly and keep the green hills green?
Last Tuesday the Evangelical Alliance, Tear Fund and UCCF met together at our church for a conference around the theme of 'Does God Believe in Climate Change?'
Thankfully the answer was Yes .. and not only that everyone seemed pretty convinced that God was asking the church to respond with a prophetic voice and to change how we live as individuals, families and church communities.
We were of course playing catch up with many environmental groups. (why is it that the church nearly always lags behind like this ... with God speaking through those outside the perceived sanctorum communio .. could it be that heaven had tried telling this to the church but in desperate the Holy Spirit had to go elsewhere to find someone who would listen? ... and what else are we not hearing ... on matters of justice, equality, inclusion etc)
Anyway the conference gave us both challenge and hope.
The Key note speakers included Sir John Houghton who started us off with Joseph's dream of seven fat and seven lean years encouraging us that God warned old Jospeh because he cares about people and wanted them, to be prepared ... and likewise the warnings coming from a changing climate are trying to say the same thing ... especially as it is the poor who will suffer most.
Sir John was followed by another John, (no knighthood yet but he is BUGB president) who talked about humanity's calling not just as stewards of creation, but as co-creators and more interestingly co-redeemers with God.
Later on it was a joy to see students from Cardiff and Swansea CUs engaging with the topic and with scripture ... the future feels a little brighter after the day. Maybe there is a green hill far away (or closer to home) that will stay both green and above the water line for a longer. I wonder what are the five things that people would most want to change in the life of their congregations to be more eco-friendly and keep the green hills green?
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