Fulfilling our Mission through Environmental Stewardship

Linda B. Rimer, Environmental Stewardship Committee Chair

The Episcopal Diocese of North Carolina has developed a "mission strategy" for the diocese called "Living God's Dream by Making Disciples and Making a Difference." (http://www.episdionc.com/missionary/mission_goals.html) A vision statement is provided as the basis for the goals and objectives that make up this strategy. This vision statement reads: "Our vision as a diocese is to be a community of disciples committed to following Jesus Christ into the dream of God for us and for all creation."

Years of Sunday school and sermons, Bible study and introspection have, no doubt, taught us much about following Jesus as individuals and as a parish, into the dream of God for us. But what have we been taught, or discerned, about following Jesus into the "dream of God for all creation"? The environmental stewardship article for this month attempts to explore what "the dream of God. . . for all creation" might be and what it might mean for us as parishioners if we attempt to follow Jesus there.

Our Presiding Bishop, Frank Griswold, addressed this in an article posted on the Episcopal Church website on June 1, 2005, entitled "Being in Harmony with Creation: Reflecting God's Own Love of the World." In the article, he quotes St. Francis of Assisi in his Canticle of the Sun, and refers to a Navajo blessing, to describe a wonderful relationship of brotherhood and sisterhood with creation, one that could move us to a great respect and affection for "this fragile earth our island home" and that would lead us to deeds of healing for our planet.

Bishop Griswold then quotes St. Paul in his letter to the Romans (8:19-22) to demonstrate what he calls a "different perspective" on the reciprocal relationship between humans and creation: "For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the children of God ... creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and will obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. We know that the whole creation has been groaning in labor pains until now; and not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly while we wait for adoption, the redemption of our bodies."

The article goes on to interpret this text as making clear "the indissoluble link between the children of God, which is all of us, and creation. The future and well being - redemption - of one is bound up with the future and well being of the other. The bondage of the one is reflected in the bondage of the other." (http://www.episcopalchurch.org/1829_62390_ENG_HTM.htm)

We get a bit more insight into what it might mean to follow Jesus Christ into the dream of God for all creation in the closing paragraph of this article which reads: "Our relationship to creation reveals the disposition of our souls and says a tremendous amount about whether we are children of light or children of darkness. Our focus on the environment moves us not simply to admire and rejoice in the beauty that surrounds us, but also to recover and renew our gratitude and reverence for the wonder of creation of which we ourselves are a part. In so doing, may we indeed be faithful stewards of the world God has given into our care."

Clearly our Presiding Bishop believes that we should admire and rejoice in the beauty of our planet while at the same time, demonstrating our gratitude, reverence, and faithful stewardship of God's creation.

The coming year will provide multiple opportunities for all parishioners to rejoice in the beauty of our planet. Think of spring in Chapel Hill or summer on the coast or fall in the mountains. But we are called to do far more than experience this beauty. We are called to demonstrate our stewardship - by acting in ways that protect our air, water, land, climate, and other animals and plants that share God's creation with us. As in previous months, the Environmental Stewardship articles in Cross Roads for 2006 will continue to explore ways in which parishioners of the Chapel of the Cross can demonstrate their individual and collective stewardship.

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© 2006 The Chapel of the Cross