Last Wednesday, we gathered for our third Table Talk. While the first two ventures helped us frame a space for diverse unity and become aware of our interpretive processes, this Table Talk waded into a specific issue. Envisioned as a space for Christians to find common ground amid difference on polarizing topics, we began with the hot topic of climate change.
Things did not get as heated as one might expect (Confession: I made too many temperature puns). Despite my relentless youth-minister humor, I believe something beautiful unfolded that night at the Valle Crucis Conference Center.
In my college years, I was one of two professing Christians in the sustainable technology program at App State. I felt isolated in my interest in this topic, assuming my fellow Jesus followers were unconcerned with the environment. Apparently, it is more of a myth than a reality that Christians are disinterested in the care of creation.
theHeart church family busted that myth with poise and compassion. It was a dream come true to hear attendees share their deep concern for God’s creation and desire to steward it well. While climate change is often seen as a hot-button, the issues we explored expanded well beyond it. Seeking to address the brokenness between humanity and creation requires a broad and interdisciplinary approach. Our church family carries a milieu of insights, concerns, and strategies that aim for the mending of the myriad issues related to climate. Where we expected some great divide, we found a wide common ground. And that, in these days, is something beautiful to celebrate. Indeed, this family of Jesus followers is seeking shalom in the community of creation.
If you missed this Table Talk, the conversation is continuing. We have lots of resources posted on the Table Talk III page - Study Sessions, podcasts, book recommendations, and spiritual practices. But we also wanted to share the fruit of our conversation. The evening ended with a brainstorm of ways we could be more responsible stewards of God’s creation. Our church family is brimming with ways we could put our shared desires into action:
Educate/Experience
provide helpful resources on our webpage
attend indigenous plant workshops and walks
host outdoor worship events
spend more time outdoors and help others connect with this place
learn from biblical principles of self-control and confront materialism
continue to be shaped by the Bible’s teaching on creation and its value
read from Indigenous Christian authors who address this topic
go on a prayer walk to develop a sense of place
Choose/Practice
garden
reduce/eliminate plastics from church functions, households
reduce water use with the “if-it’s-yellow, let-it-mellow” principle
add some cans to your grocery cart when shopping for the local food pantry
recycle
pick up litter
use reusable shopping bags
Volunteer/Serve
clean a local river
give time to tend local public gardens
participate in local weatherization projects to reduce home energy use
serve those who are food insecure or impoverished
Collaborate/Organize
with area churches already engaged in creation care ministries
with resource sharing programs or host our own co-op
with local conservation organization
to find ways to make composting accessible
carpools
We are a church and we do life together. Below are some organizations that came up in suggestions that any of us can partner with in formal or informal ways. Perhaps these organizations (some faith-based, some not) will equip our church family to represent God well in the wide field of creation care. Let us empower one another to follow God’s mandate that humanity steward his creation well. May we live with humility, care, and responsibility in the community of creation.
volunteeringhhc@gmail.com
Blue Ridge Conservancy
NC Interfaith Power & Light
Dismantling the Doctrine of Discovery
If there is another organization or resource you recommend, one that could help Jesus followers better steward their time, money, resources, and space in Kingdom ways, leave us a comment. Let us keep the conversation going as we seek shalom in the world around us.
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