ON THE CARE OF CREATION
An Evangelical Declaration on the Care of Creation
The Earth is the Lord’s, and the fulness thereof - Psalm 24:1

As followers of Jesus Christ, committed to the full authority of the Scriptures, and aware of the ways we have degraded creation, we believe that biblical faith is essential to the solution of our ecological problems.

Because we worship and honor the Creator, we seek to cherish and care for the creation.

Because we have sinned, we have failed in our stewardship of creation. Therefore we repent of the way we have polluted, distorted, or destroyed so much of the Creator’s work.

Because in Christ God has healed our alienation from God and extended to us the first fruits of the reconciliation of all things, we commit ourselves to working in the power of the Holy Spirit to share the Good News of Christ in word and deed, to work for the reconciliation of all people in Christ, and to extend Christ’s healing to suffering creation.

Because we await the time when even the groaning creation will be restored to wholeness, we commit ourselves to work vigorously to protect and heal that creation for the honor and glory of the Creator—-whom we know dimly through creation, but meet fully through Scripture and in Christ. We and our children face a growing crisis in the health of the creation in which we are embedded, and through which, by God’s grace, we are sustained. Yet we continue to degrade that creation.

These degradations of creation can be summed up as

1)land degradation;
2)deforestation;
3) species extinction;
4)water degradation;
5)global toxification;
6)the alteration of atmosphere;
7) human and cultural degradation.

Many of these degradations are signs that we are pressing against the finite limits God has set for creation. With continued population growth, these degradations will become more severe. Our responsibility is not only to bear and nurture children, but to nurture their home on earth. We respect the institution of marriage as the way God has given to insure thoughtful procreation of children and their nurture to the glory of God.

We recognize that human poverty is both a cause and a consequence of environmental degradation.
Many concerned people, convinced that environmental problems are more spiritual than technological, are exploring the world’s ideologies and religions in search of non-Christian spiritual resources for the healing of the earth. As followers of Jesus Christ, we believe that the Bible calls us to respond in four ways:

First, God calls us to confess and repent of attitudes which devalue creation, and which twist or ignore biblical revelation to support our misuse of it. Forgetting that “the earth is the Lord’s,” we have often simply used creation and forgotten our responsibility to care for it.

Second, our actions and attitudes toward the earth need to proceed from the center of our faith, and be rooted in the fullness of God’s revelation in Christ and the Scriptures. We resist both ideologies which would presume the Gospel has nothing to do with the care of non-human creation and also ideologies which would reduce the Gospel to nothing more than the care of that creation.

Third, we seek carefully to learn all that the Bible tells us about the Creator, creation, and the human task. In our life and words we declare that full good news for all creation which is still waiting “with eager longing for the revealing of the children of God,” (Rom. 8:19).

Fourth, we seek to understand what creation reveals about God’s divinity, sustaining presence, and everlasting power, and what creation teaches us of its God-given order and the principles by which it works.
Thus we call on all those who are committed to the truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ to affirm the following principles of biblical faith, and to seek ways of living out these principles in our personal lives, our churches, and society.

The cosmos, in all its beauty, wildness, and life-giving bounty, is the work of our personal and loving Creator.

Our creating God is prior to and other than creation, yet intimately involved with it, upholding each thing in its freedom, and all things in relationships of intricate complexity. God is transcendent, while lovingly sustaining each creature; and immanent, while wholly other than creation and not to be confused with it.

God the Creator is relational in very nature, revealed as three persons in One. Likewise, the creation which God intended is a symphony of individual creatures in harmonious relationship.

The Creator’s concern is for all creatures. God declares all creation “good” (Gen. 1:31); promises care in a covenant with all creatures (Gen. 9:9-17); delights in creatures which have no human apparent usefulness (Job 39-41); and wills, in Christ, “to reconcile all things to himself” (Col.1:20).

Men, women, and children, have a unique responsibility to the Creator; at the same time we are creatures, shaped by the same processes and embedded in the same systems of physical, chemical, and biological interconnections which sustain other creatures.

Men, women, and children, created in God’s image, also have a unique responsibility for creation. Our actions should both sustain creation’s fruitfulness and preserve creation’s powerful testimony to its Creator.
Our God-given , stewardly talents have often been warped from their intended purpose: that we know, name, keep and delight in God’s creatures; that we nourish civilization in love, creativity and obedience to God; and that we offer creation and civilization back in praise to the Creator. We have ignored our creaturely limits and have used the earth with greed, rather than care.

The earthly result of human sin has been a perverted stewardship, a patchwork of garden and wasteland in which the waste is increasing. “There is no faithfulness, no love, no acknowledgment of God in the land…Because of this the land mourns, and all who live in it waste away” (Hosea 4:1,3). Thus, one consequence of our misuse of the earth is an unjust denial of God’s created bounty to other human beings, both now and in the future.

God’s purpose in Christ is to heal and bring to wholeness not only persons but the entire created order. “For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things,  whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood shed on the cross” (Col. 1:19-20).

In Jesus Christ, believers are forgiven, transformed and brought into God’s kingdom. “If anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation” (II Cor. 5:17). The presence of the kingdom of God is marked not only by renewed fellowship with God, but also by renewed harmony and justice between people, and by renewed harmony and justice between people and the rest of the created world. “You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and the hills will burst into song before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands” (Isa. 55:12).

We believe that in Christ there is hope, not only for men, women and children, but also for the rest of creation which is suffering from the consequences of human sin.
Therefore we call upon all Christians to reaffirm that all creation is God’s; that God created it good; and that God is renewing it in Christ.

We encourage deeper reflection on the substantial biblical and theological teaching which speaks of God’s work of redemption in terms of the renewal and completion of God’s purpose in creation.
We seek a deeper reflection on the wonders of God’s creation and the principles by which creation works. We also urge a careful consideration of how our corporate and individual actions respect and comply with God’s ordinances for creation.

We encourage Christians to incorporate the extravagant creativity of God into their lives by increasing the nurturing role of beauty and the arts in their personal, ecclesiastical, and social patterns.
We urge individual Christians and churches to be centers of creation’s care and renewal, both delighting in creation as God’s gift, and enjoying it as God’s provision, in ways which sustain and heal the damaged fabric of the creation which God has entrusted to us.

We recall Jesus’ words that our lives do not consist in the abundance of our possessions, and therefore we urge followers of Jesus to resist the allure of wastefulness and overconsumption by making personal lifestyle choices that express humility, forbearance, self restraint and frugality.

We call on all Christians to work for godly, just, and sustainable economies which reflect God’s sovereign economy and enable men, women and children to flourish along with all the diversity of creation. We recognize that poverty forces people to degrade creation in order to survive; therefore we support the development of just, free economies which empower the poor and create abundance without diminishing creation’s bounty.

We commit ourselves to work for responsible public policies which embody the principles of biblical stewardship of creation.

We invite Christians—individuals, congregations and organizations—to join with us in this evangelical declaration on the environment, becoming a covenant people in an ever-widening circle of biblical care for creation.

We call upon Christians to listen to and work with all those who are concerned about the healing of creation, with an eagerness both to learn from them and also to share with them our conviction that the God whom all people sense in creation (Acts 17:27) is known fully only in the Word made flesh in Christ the living God who made and sustains all things.

We make this declaration knowing that until Christ returns to reconcile all things, we are called to be faithful stewards of God’s good garden, our earthly home.
View partial list of signators

For more information:
Evangelical Environmental Network
4485 Tench Road Suite 850
Suwanee, GA 30024
(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

I note this declaration was completed in 1994 (this is when the original signatories added their names), and it is intriguing to see how far the evangelical network were ahead of the contemporary eco-theology movement, and how evangelicals have resisted a pantheistic outlook in favour of mining the Christian scripture and an appreciation of the deep tradition of Christian scholarship.

There is no doubt we have been irresponsible & profligate in our use of resources. Any call to greater responsibility is welcome. How much ‘overpopulation’ is a factor & what climate ‘change’ is do to human activity are debatable, other than in the Media. Greed & its offspring seem much more culpable, with mismanagement & ignorance not far behind

The reason for having this statement here is that the Social Responsibility Commission is looking at the issue of creation care but has no desire to “reinvent the wheel” or spend time on producing something which could be adapted from somewhere else. This statement seems like a good place to begin thinking and the issue for the commission is really whether there are things about the environment that specifically needs to be said by the ACC, that is, which relates directly to the situation in the church or the community in Australia. It may be useful to say something to members of the ACC, members of the UCA, Christians in Australia, certain groups of people in the wider community (such as those involved in environmental matters or politicians) or wider society more generally.  But there is little point in making very general, “motherhood” statements.

So the question for those looking at this thread revolves around what could be said or done that would be of value.

A little later I’ll try and answer my own question but in the meantime all thoughts and considerations are welcome.

Current issue: The earth and its apparent immanent destruction is a current issue that has the rapt attention of the media, politicians, economists, scientists and do-gooders who like to throw spanners in the works such as the greenies and the current leaders of the UCA. Because of these complications we should tread carefully rather than recklessly.

Theologically: The creation of the world – and the end of it – (as Bonhoeffer reminds us in “Creation and Fall”, opening paragraphs ch 1.) is integral to the Christian faith, and knowable only through Christ. For Acquinas, it is possible to reason from the observable world to the creator. For Calvin, the individual has no excuse not to acknowledge God because everywhere the universe displays the Creator’s magnificent handiwork (Ch5 Institutes. Commentary on Ps 24)

On the Care of Creation (somewhat complicated) statement reminds us that the purpose of man is to relate to God(Augustine said this, Confessions p 1 and Calvin, books 1 and 2 of Institutes) that sin, such as the destruction of God’s earth, prevents knowledge of God. I think the ACC needn’t make “declarations” of any sort –chiefly because the UCA spends a lot of time this and no one hears it: it is for the vanity of the writers. Although, these statements I appreciate for raising issues. Paragraph 26 is at once high-sounding, judgmental, non-specific, and doesn’t demand anything in particular of the writers.  Paragraph 24 requires money and middle class sensibility and tastes – this statement comes out of a wealthy culture. Harmony, justice, reconciliation are loaded words. You know how homosexualists and UCA folk have used them to try to impose a false “unity”.  What is actually supposed to happen at the level of congregation when these words are bandied around and they “put into action”?

What to do: It might be less confronting to consider how we as members in a congregation, have contributed to despoiling creation, but not living simply, and how our desire to seek for reassurance in things, instead of God, have helped despoil creation and put up a barrier to our coming to God.

I think several simple “reminders” of need to worship God, accept his grace in everything, including creation, would be a more helpful stance for ordinary members. Also, I like the decision of the Catholics to quietly put solar panels on all their buildings to make the Catholic church energy pollution-free within 25 years is a nice, non-judgmental witness. That is also shrewd business sense – they have so many buildings they can “bulk buy” those things.

On the practical level, it might be more helpful to prepare a “kit” (small booklet) that raises some of the issues that can be discussed in a congregation, some of the theological issues (leaning towards the Reformed convictions of faith) and some helpful simple prayers that are accessible to ordinary people in congregations, who come from their ordinary everyday concerns to worship in churches.

I like the gentle language of Calvin on Creation. It is easy to grasp and moves the readers’ sensibilities towards faith - and responsibility and accountability to God.

Calvin Page 21 commentary on Genesis
Since the infinite wisdom of God is displayed in the admirable structure of heaven and earth, it is absolutely impossible to unfold The History of the Creation of the World in terms equal to its dignity. For while the measure of our capacity is too contracted to comprehend things of such magnitude, our tongue is equally incapable of giving a full and substantial account of them. As he, however, deserves praise, who, with modesty and reverence, applies himself to the consideration of the works of God, although he attain less than might be wished, so, if in this kind of employment, I endeavor to assist others according to the ability given to me, I trust that my service will be not less approved by pious men than accepted by God. I have chosen to premise this, for the sake not only of excusing myself, but of admonishing my readers, that if they sincerely wish to profit with me in meditating on the works of God, they must bring with them a sober, docile, mild, and humble spirit. We see, indeed, the world with our eyes, we tread the earth with our feet, we touch innumerable kinds of God’s works with our hands, we inhale a sweet and pleasant fragrance from herbs and flowers, we enjoy boundless benefits; but in those very things of which we attain some knowledge, there dwells such an immensity of divine power, goodness, and wisdom, as absorbs all our senses. Therefore, let men be satisfied if they obtain only a moderate taste of them, suited to their capacity. And it becomes us so to press towards this mark during our whole life, that (even in extreme old age) we shall not repent of the progress we have made, if only we have advanced ever so little in our course.
Matthew Henry, similarly, moves the reader to consider the wonder of God in creation, and his humble place in it.

Matthew Henry, genesis, p 14, reflects on John 1.12. Let us learn hence,

(1 That atheism is folly, and atheists are the greatest fools in nature;
for they see there is a world that could not make itself, and yet they will not own there is a God
that made it. Doubtless, they are without excuse, but the god of this world has blinded their minds.

(2) That God is sovereign Lord of all by an incontestable right. If he is the Creator, no doubt he is the owner and possessor of heaven and earth.

(3) That with God all things are possible, and therefore happy are the people that have him for their God, and whose help and hope stand in his name, Ps.cxxi. 2; cxxiv. 8. (4.) That the God we serve is worthy of, and yet is exalted far above, all blessing and praise, Neh. ix. 5, 6. If he made the world, he needs not our services, nor can be benefited by them (Acts xvii. 24, 25), and yet he justly requires them, and deserves our praise,

By Paul Langkamp