wading into God's new creative work

"don't outsource your conception of what church communities ought to be to any other time.
this is not something to outsource. you were invited to be people who form communities of hopeful, optimistic Christianity. and you are called into that endeavor completely, theologically and ecclesiologically........ You need to be fully engaged in the formation of what it means to be people who live as a church in Christian community without having to outsource it to any other period of time, because the time that we live in is as good a time for the gospel, as good a time for theology, and is as good a time for creating church community as any period of time......we have the opportunity to do wonderful things in collaboration with God's continuous plans for this world"

Doug Pagitt at North Park

Global Warming as a Moral Issue

This is a portion of a letter composed by Dr. James Dobson of Focus on the Family and other voices from the conservative corner of the evangelical movement, addressed to the National Association of Evangelicals.

More importantly, we have observed that Cizik (NAE Vice PResident of Government Relations) and others are using the global warming controversy to shift the emphasis away from the great moral issues of our time, notably the sanctity of human life, the integrity of marriage and the teaching of sexual abstinence and morality to our children. In their place has come a preoccupation with climate concerns that extend beyond the NAE’s mandate and its own statement of purpose.

The line that bothers me within this paragraph is "are using the global warming controversy to shift the emphasis away from the great moral issues of our time,"
Now, I understand that issues relating to abortion, marriage, and sexuality are all important. However, if the preservation of our earth isn't an important moral issue, I'm not sure what is. The Earth and its resources sustain life, and from the beginning (see Genesis 1), care for the earth has been a primary mandate for mankind.

Whether global warming is a reality or not is hotly debated, but care for the earth should always be a moral issue that we have a pulse on. We should at the least, be actively particpating in the conversation. If Christians aren't a prophetic voice in this area we miss caring for the very earth God created for our enjoyment and his glory. Oh yeah, he looked down on it and and called his creation good.

I wonder if this kind of thinking stems from a thin eschatology that supposes we will all be wisked away to another place high in the sky? Christians realize that Jesus will be returning to earth right? And that for a season he is going to rule here? Personally, I'd like to present him with an earth that has been cared well for.

Door to Door Jesus

Check out this video from my boy, Luke O.
All you evangelicals out there should get a kick out of it.