The biggest difficulty in generating concern for the environment is our inability to look at things over a long period of time. For example, we have always known the furnace at the church was particularly inefficient. We have been aware our gas bills would be much less if we were to purchase a more efficient heating system.
December of 2008 the furnace broke down altogether. We were concerned about how we would get through Advent and how we would be able to get through Christmas Eve without a furnace in the sanctuary. We set up fans to blow heat into the sanctuary from other parts of the building and we proceeded to purchase a new furnace. Actually, we now have two furnaces that replace the one. They occupy about half the space. One of the two furnaces kicks on when heat is needed and the second furnace then comes on only when called for. The savings is significant but we wouldn't have arbitrarily discarded the old furnace until we had a crisis.
When we think about what we can do to save our planet some of the suggestions seem foolish if we are thinking of the short term. Once we extend out thinking beyond the short term to the distant we begin to see the financial wisdom in conservation not to mention the additional benefit that comes when we are looking at doing some things to preserve the planet for the children and the future.
The book of Revelation points us to this kind of long term thinking when we discover that God is "the alpha and the omega; the first and the last". To be faithful to God is to be aware of our relationship with God here and now; but it also calls for us to be aware that our relationship with God outlives us. We have a responsibility to the people who will come after us and to the God who was in the beginning and to the God who will be in the eternal forever.
The sermon Sunday has three sections:
1. Original Sin -- We are not Gods; be careful how we use our resources
2. Collateral Sin -- We are made in the image of God; Care for God's world
3. God is the alpha and the omega -- God was before we were and God will be after we're gone. The span of our responsibility transcends the years of our existence.
Do you have some thoughts about this? Write me at charlesschuster@fcfumc.net. If you are willing to have other people read your thoughts click on the box below.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Charles Schuster
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1 comment:
Absolutely love the connection to future generations that you raise here. God asks us to tend to the garden and to be fruitful and multiply. But he also tells the birds and fish to be fruitful and multiply. We, being created in his image, need to keep fast the responsibility that God has given us.
Thank you for these blog posts. Even though I don't attend your church I enjoy your thought provoking posts.
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