Stewardship in the Season of Creation


Gate Pa –  2nd Sunday in the Season of Creation 2019

Readings:
Psalm -                        Psalm 19
First Reading -            Genesis 1:1-25           
Second Reading -       Revelation 3:14-22
Gospel -                      John 1:1-5       
What I want to say:
I want to explore what the Season of Creation offers us; an opportunity to reflect on our place in this world as people made in the image of God. This is God’s world, and we are invited to live richly - joyfully responding to the goodness and generosity of God.
What I want to happen:
People to use this to respond to GretaThunberg’s speech to World Economic Forum in Davos on 23 January 2019.

The Sermon

       1.      Introduction:

This week we continue with our celebration of the Season of Creation.
Normally this is the period in the annual church calendar, from 1st September to 4th October,
Time dedicated to God as Creator and Sustainer of all life.
It is a time to recall that this is God’s world,
-          and that this planet and all who live on it belong to God.
During the Season of Creation, Christians around the world rejoice together. We’re called to honour the Creator by loving creation and each other.
An annual celebration
-          usually begins on September 1, the Day of Prayer for Creation – named by Ecumencial Patricarch of Constinople in 1989
-          - grown from there,
-          now a season that ends on October 4, the feast day of St. Francis.
today we join global ecumenical movement (at wrong time).
-          Some of us pray,
-          some of us do hands-on projects,
-          some of us advocate.

       2.      Genesis

start today with Genesis
-          one of two creation stories
are at least 2 ways of understanding what read
a.      in Sth Australia – Adelaide @ youth event
-          archbishop asked about environmentalism
-          offered what we might call domination understanding
-          understanding undergirded West’s approach to environment for long time
-          allowed us to be economic powerhouses of last few centuries
o   human beings given dominion over creation
o   this world is given to us a resource to use as we see fit
o   resource to use for our economic benefit
o   not matter the cost
o   number one priority is creation of wealth
o   bumper sticker- if your unemployed and hungary – eat an environmentalist. (Dad)
o   I so wanted offer alternative view – able to later
b.      alternative understanding
-          This world belongs to God not us
o   while it is God’s gift it is still God’s and is to be seen and treated as such
-          we are made in image of God
o   in image of God who is creating and giving life
o   relationship with creation should be marked by these qualities
o   as image bearers we are to join God’s work of creating, of life giving
Ü  markedly different way seeing creation from resource to use dimply for economic gain
-          actually supported by idea of having dominion -> usually read as domination
o   Hebrew word is rabba
o   means kingly rule
Ü  a lot of bad kings who used subjects for won economic gain
Ü  King rules is ways God rules with long term good of all subjects, starting with poorest, is paramount
Ü  our dominion is to live in such a way that the long term good of all, including world we live on – God’s gift to us – is paramount
o   this way understanding dominion is supported by idea stewardship in Gen2
o   stands in stark contrast to ideas offered by that Archbishop and my father

       3.      Season of Creation

This season provides us opportunity to join the world wide church catholic to hear again the invitation live in ways to join God’s creating and life giving work
some called this living richly:
-          joyfully responding to the goodness and generosity of God;
-          growing in our vocation as image bearers;
-          acting in the hope that God is reconciling all things.
And it also provides an opportunity to acknowledge that we have often not lived this way
-          repent for all the ways we have failed to live richly,
o   few weeks ago talked about repenting being gaining bigger mind
o   letting go of limited and limiting ways we see God and ways of God and ourselves
Ü  what this time offers us
-          and to lament the consequences of this failure.
Ü  In doing so we offer our neighbours ways of reverencing this world and to live that protects the most vulnerable.
-          we have much to repent
-          we have much to lament

       4.      Greta Thunberg –

          Greta Thunberg "Our House is on Fire" 2019 World Economic Forum ...

-          How do you respond?
-          What questions do you have?
-          What would you like to say in response?

          This sermon can be listened to here.

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