God's World - Our World

God's World - Our World

Sunday Morning Teaching Series through June 2011

June 5th:  "And God saw that it was good" (Genesis 1:1-2:3; Psalm 148)

1. How has the natural world made you more aware or appreciative of God?
2. How does nature help you understand the character of God?
   1. Think about some of the Biblical characters who encountered God within the natural world. (e.g. Jesus (Matt. 4:1-11); John the Baptist (Matt. 3:1-6); Moses (Exo. 3:1-6, 19:1-6); Hagar (Gen. 16:6-13); Elijah (1 Kgs. 19:1-15)) how did their encounter help them to understand more about the character of God?

As you read Genesis 1:1-2:3…

1. What parts of God’s creation are “good”?
2. What makes them “good”?
3. What does this suggest about how we are to treat creation?
4. What is climate, and how is it shaped?
5. What can we gather about God’s intentions for the balance of nature?
6. How does God provide for the survival of all living species?
7. What happens when the balance of the created world is disrupted?

Read Psalm 148...

1. How many different aspects of nature “Praise the Lord”?
2. How often and in what ways do you Praise Him?
3. How might you Praise Him more?

    June 12^th     “The whole creation groans”   (Hosea 4:1-3; Micah 6:8)    

 Read Hosea 4:1-3...

1. Why does the land mourn?
2. How similar is our culture to that described in Hosea’s time?
3. How do the values of our culture get in the way of caring for creation?
4. How faithful has the church been in caring for creation?
5. What is the connection between the care of creation and personal or congregational spiritual growth?
6. What is the responsibility of the wealthy nations like ours towards climate change?
7. What is the responsibility of the church (local, national and international) towards climate change?
8. According to Hosea 4, what are some of the results of turning our backs on God?
9. What is the relationship between faithfulness to God and the prosperity of the creation?

Consider Micah 6:8...

1. How would you define justice, mercy and walking humbly?
2. How would you define this in regards to the way in which we are to look after and distribute the wealth of creation?

June 19^th:   “A new heaven and a new earth”  (Micah 6:8;  Rev. 21:1-4)

“The ecological crisis calls into question the values of acquisition and material accumulation that pervades modern technological civilization. Harmony with the created order depends upon an attitude of restraint toward wealth and consumption. As we seek to respond to this challenge, we realise that the gospels provide resources which Christians in recent times have largely neglected. Jesus invites the disciples to a lifestyle of simplicity sufficient for their needs. The beauty and the gifts of creation are for all to enjoy, but Jesus warns against becoming slaves to the material world. This leads to an illusion of security and inevitably causes injustice. (see Luke 12:15) A simple lifestyle of sufficiency encourages cooperation and friendship in community, enjoyment of nature, and worship of God...”

“Technology will be a blessing if it meets the most important needs, serves God’s created order, and respects the cycles of nature. Technological development must not be regarded as an end in itself but as an instrument in the service of life. Climate change confronts us with the task of rediscovering technology’s servant role.”

(from “Sign of Peril, Test of Faith,” WCC, 1993, p. 33-34)

“Global Carbon Emissions reach record, says IEA”

The watchdog says emissions rose again after a dip caused by the financial crisis in 2009, and ended 5% up from the previous record in 2008. The increase raises doubts over whether planned curbs on greenhouse emissions will be achieved, the group says. At the meeting in Cancun, Mexico, world leaders agreed that deep cuts were needed to limit the rise in global temperature to 2C above pre-industrial levels. But according to the IEA’s (International Energy Agency) estimate, worldwide CO2 emissions from the energy sector reached a record 30.6 gigatonnes in 2010. “The world has edged incredibly close to the level of emissions that should not be reached until 2020 if the 2C target is to be attained.” (from BBC News, 31st May 2011)

1. What do you feel about the above quotes?
2. In what ways do you consider your lifestyle to be one of “simplicity”?
3. Consider Luke 12:15; how do you combat greed in the materialistic culture in which we live?