A guide for churches tackling sustainability issues
What does being a Christian have to do with saving the earth? What can Christians do to practise both stewardship while tending to their relationship with Christ?
Creation Care and the Gospel seeks to answer these questions in four chapters by examining the origins of Creation Care in the Old Testament and the New Testament and explores how Creation Care can be implemented in our lives as Christians and within the Church. Each chapter ends with questions that would be useful for group discussions or personal reflection.
In the first two chapters, Ps Leow Wen Pin, Associate Pastor at Bethany Evangelical Free Church, takes us through the Bible to explain why Creation Care should be part of every Christian’s life. Through his examination of the Bible, he notes a deliberate order in Creation through the emphasis of “separation” of the elements such as “the light from the darkness” and arrangement of the fauna “according to its kind” that remind us of God’s creative purpose.
The third chapter is written by co-founder of Creation Care Sg, Dennis Tan. He draws six lessons from creation that Christians can apply in their lives. For example, like the Tembusu tree, we should be “rooted in [b]iblical knowledge” and like “cicadas”, we should be “vocal”. He calls for Christians to care for creation and speak up against unsustainable behaviours.
Finally, Rev Lam Kuo Yung, Senior Minister at Katong Presbyterian Church, mentions how Creation Care can be incorporated into church life through education and action. This could mean practising sustainable habits such as purchasing second-hand furniture and avoiding single-use items, recognising that “we most honour God by using his resources wisely”.
The book is a firm reminder that Creation Care has always been a core mission of Christians, reaffirmed by the gospel and Apostles’ Creed that speaks of God as “maker of heaven and earth”.
The relationship between Christians and the earth has always been intertwined, and it is natural that we care for God’s creation as much as we care for each other. As Rev Lam suggests, we should be “[raising] champions” to inspire change and create a sustainable church.
Creation Care and the Gospel serves as a great primer for any Christian keen to understand Creation Care and its intersection with our relationship with God.
Creation Care and the Gospel
By Lam Kuo Yung, Leow Wen Pin and Dennis Tan, edited by Leow Wen Pin
Available from 16 September via Armour Publishing https://armourpublishing.com/product/arm-series-creation-care-and-the-gospel
Information correct at time of publishing