Welcome
to our first 2019 edition of Zion News. I would like to make an announcement;
that is that 2019 will be a year when we focus upon the beauty of Creation.
However this is not to be simply a naval gazing, or indeed a sunrise or
hillside gazing exercise we hope that together we will grasp afresh God's
commission for us to 'Care for the Creation.'
The
world that we live in is indeed deeply beautiful, this morning when I awoke and
pulled back the curtains I was faced with the lingering splendour of a nearly
full moon. Just days ago people around the world marvelled at a lunar eclipse
which created a 'Super Blood Wolf Moon.' It happened at 3.30am UK time, so many
of us caught the effects only via newsreel, but it struck me just how glorious
and mysterious the world in which we live really is.
However
alongside the beauty and awe of our delicate, glorious world, we are also more
and more aware of the impact that our unfettered lifestyle is having. Last year
the BBC program 'Drowning in Plastic' served as a wake up call for many. Even
within the trailer the presenter when faced with a river totally rubbished in
plastic announced, 'My God, just look at it.' Sadly God does look at it, just
as Whales and sea birds have to swim in it and Turtles seem prone to digest it.
Eve in the Mythical garden of Eden was faced with the dilemma of whether to
consume the apple, now we must ask do our lifestyles really demand that we need
to consume plastic in such vast
quantities.
Of
course plastics are just one symptom of humanities ability to degrade the gift
of life that we have been given. The problems are immense. However I believe an
awakened church can support an awakening world. Jesus said his followers were
to be 'The light of the world.' (LED lights of course!) Our hope during the
course of the year is to encourage each one of us to consider what steps we are
called to take, to move the balance of our earthly footprint away from
degradation and back towards cherishing sustainability. I also hope that we may
be able to build some partnerships with others towards a common cause of
sustainability. (Ideas are already
beginning to bubble including a Repair Café, Waste Partnership or even a one of
2nd hand book fair, but I'm sure God can guide our imagination and our
partnerships.)
So
how may you get involved. Well of course we are all already involved. Our
lifestyle determines how much we consume and whether we try to reduce this or
reuse and share things. Are we serious about recycling or making sustainable
decisions around transport? As a whole church we will focus on Care for
Creation particularly in the summer, around our Church Weekend away at Hill
House. We
want to make this whole weekend adventure as close to Carbon Neutral as we
possibly can, so we're already planning a coach to transport us alongside
inspiring teaching and activities. It is my prayer that each of us will
individually decide to modify at least one aspect of our lifestyle, as well as
that we become a church which takes this issue as seriously as we have taken
Fair Trade and whole life discipleship in the past. They are after all, all
connected.
In
our magazine Eric has written a review of Ruth Valerio's book, 'Just Living.'
Her teaching may well help to guide us. We will also highlight this theme in
our daily prayer guide. So please pray with me that God will guide us and help
us to address this urgent demand upon our discipleship that we cherish this
beautiful world he has gifted to us. May we be good stewards in order that all
life may flourish. On which note I am delighted to also announce that on 15th
and 16th June we will host a Flower Show: beautiful!
Stephen
