Psalm 136:2 — “He gives food to every creature. His love endures forever.”
Every Christian
…will believe that salvation is God’s grace and love for the whole world
…will show love, mercy, patience, self-control, and a thoughtful concern for God’s world in their choices that impact the world
…will make enjoying the natural world around us and learning more about it a part of their worship
…will give special attention to what he/she eats because what we eat not only impacts our health but also shapes the world we and other living creatures live in
…will support farmers who raise food in ways that are merciful to animals and show compassion, love, mercy, self-control, and patience toward the land and water
…will, as part of his/her transformed life, apply those values as part of a larger group of value compass points that would produce a fruit-bearing life
…will be voices for proper care for Creation in the places where they live, work, and play
…will not work for companies that needlessly and relentlessly spoil the earth and that are complicit in systematic injustice towards people and their communities
…will make landscaping decisions that damage God’s world as minimally as possible and replenish God’s world as much as possible
…will give our children and grandchildren many opportunities to enjoy the beauty and fascinating life around us.
…will give to organizations stewarding God’s world
…will speak as prophets for our society to show love, patience, self-control in how it deals with the larger issues of how we treat God’s world
…will pray for God’s world and its mending
Each American Church
…will teach, as part of its larger set of teachings, that the story of salvation includes Creation
…will use camps and other ways to offer spiritual experiences within Creation
…will apply love, mercy, self-control, and a thoughtful concern for God’s creation in decisions about the communal impact of the Church on Creation, from landscaping decisions and energy efficiency to food choices.
…will promote and support issues and efforts that are in keeping with love, self-control, mercy towards Creation and that have a bigger impact
….will give children experience caring for Creation
…will challenge theology and thinking that contradicts Christian love, mercy, self-control, and a thoughtful concern for Creation even if it seems accepted by popular culture.
…will partner with organizations and people who are caring for creation, whether they be local and sustainable farmers or international organizations
…will create beautiful, living landscapes and gardens that demonstrate the enjoyment Christians have of Creation around our houses of worship
….will support missions that expand care for Creation.
…will modify the liturgy so that Creation is regularly celebrated and given attention
…will speak the truth about the contradictions between popular culture and political forces vs. Christian values, including the imperative to care for Creation
…will pray for Creation and Christian advocates speaking for that care
The Church
…will create an international coalition-organization dedicated to collecting Creation care concerns and issues from local churches around the world and to mobilizing resources from the global church to help with those issues.
…will create ministries to support and protect environmental activists who, Christ-like, stand up to powers of selfishness and greed and face the threat of violence for doing so.
…will create and build projects in every country to demonstrate how Christian Creation care principles can contribute to vibrant, life-giving communities in the particular conditions of each country
…will experiment with new ministries, missional orders, and new forms of church centers to foster better care of the world by Christians
…will explore partnerships with local and international conservation groups to address local and international conservation issues of particular focus
…will struggle and work against trends and forces that threaten God’s world
…will speak against injustice and oppression in every form
