By: Bishop Scott Jones On 11/23/2009
Topics: Sermons/Speeches
“God’s creation is in crisis. We, the bishops of the United Methodist Church, cannot remain silent while God’s people and planet suffer. This beautiful natural world is a loving gift from God, the Creator of all things seen and unseen. God has entrusted its care to all of us, but we have turned our backs on God and on our responsibilities. Our neglect, selfishness and pride have fostered pandemic poverty and disease, environmental degradation and the proliferation of weapons and violence. Despite these interconnected threats to life and hope, God’s creative work continues. Despite the ways we all contribute to these problems, God still invites each one of us to participate in the work of renewal. We must begin the work of renewing creation by being renewed in our own hearts and minds. We cannot help the world until we change our way of being in it.”
Beginning with these words, the Council of Bishops of the United Methodist Church has spoken a message of hope and action to protect God’s creation. This letter and the accompanying Foundation Document are a major statement calling the people of our church to a deeper awareness of these problems.
For some, the awareness comes as bad news. It is sort of like going to the doctor for a physical when you have not been through that for years. You dread what you are likely to hear. You know there are issues with your health, and you have avoided the examination by an expert because you would rather not know the details. But eventually, you realize that things are getting worse and something needs to be done.
People in the United States have been concerned about preserving the environment since the creation of Yosemite National Park in 1864. As modern science is improved, we have become more aware of the many ways in which all aspects of the world interact and must be in harmony with each other. Growing industrialization in the 20th century led to pollution, decreased quality of life and increasing health problems in many parts of the world. Also during the last century, the world’s population expanded dramatically, and wars killed millions of people and disrupted almost every country’s social life or infrastructure. The rise of communism and the destructiveness of totalitarian dictatorships in many countries contributed to huge economic and social problems. None of the problems addressed by the bishops’ pastoral letter are new.
This does seem, however, to be a timely message to the people of the United Methodist Church and, through the Church to the world, that something needs to be done. We need to understand the problems and then plan courses of action that will contribute to solving the problems. Sometimes the easiest actions to plan are those that will change other people’s lives or cost them money.
I propose we all examine our own practices and ask how we can live more faithfully in line with God’s will for creation.
Toward that end, the bishops have made nine pledges in our pastoral letter.
Personally, I am already taking steps. When getting a new car, I directed the conference to buy a hybrid that increased my average miles per gallon by 10. I now use cloth bags at the grocery store to avoid plastic. I am using more digital communication to cut down on travel to meetings where that is possible. I am encouraging churches to avoid paper plates and Styrofoam cups in favor of reusable service items.
Over the next year, you will hear me preach and teach on these topics from a biblical and theological basis. The Council of Bishops’ documents are well grounded in Wesleyan theology and biblical truth.
God’s love for the whole creation and our role as people on a journey toward entire sanctification means we need to pay attention to all of these matters.
I encourage you to study these documents and ask how you can respond. They can be accessed online from the Resource section at www.umc.org.