This is the first in a series of reflections centred around the theme of Whole-Life Discipleship with a Whole-Creation Perspective. I pray that you will meet the Lord in a new way through these posts, that you will delight in the LORD as your Creator and know that you are deeply loved as His creation.
Scripture for contemplation and meditation
- Psalm 24:1-2 “The earth is the LORD’s, and everything in it, the world and all who live in it; for he founded it on the seas and established it on the waters.”
- Genesis 1:26-28 “Then God said, ‘Let us make humankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.’ So God created humankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. God blessed them and said to them, ‘be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves along the ground.”
- Genesis 2:15 “The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.”
The first question the LORD had me seriously consider when He called me to the ministry of creation care was, “Is creation care a ministry?” To which I now respond with a resounding ‘YES!’ and not only me, but the Holy Spirit in me. But to get to this point, I had to go on a journey of learning what exactly creation care is to the LORD, and what exactly ministry is. Along this journey, I became increasingly frustrated that when I told people I was called to creation care, the main response I got, besides “What exactly is that?” was, “Yes! I think recycling is so important!” This frustrated me, not because recycling isn’t important, but because it seemed that there was a very narrow understanding of creation care, one that was lacking any true motivation or conviction to care for the creation for the sake of the Lord.
The Lord helped me to understand that the two main components that are lacking from the general understanding of creation care are: 1) the fear of the Lord as the Creator, Owner, and Lender of every single thing that has been created and 2) the inclusion of people as recipients of creation care, not just the administrators of it. What I am now convinced of is that ‘creation care’ is the understanding of our proper place in the world as fellow-creatures with a God-ordained responsibility: the ministry to keep, tend, and steward well the created order, which includes lands and environments, animate and inanimate creatures, and all people.
The questions I am contemplating in this current season, and invite you to contemplate with me, are:
- How does whole-life discipleship inform our approach to creation care?
- How do we pursue whole-life discipleship from a whole-creation perspective?
Song for meditation
‘All the Earth’ by WorshipMob and Jesus Co. The link below is both the official song and the spontaneous worship addition. Yes, it is 18 minutes long, but it is worth listening to every minute! If you use Spotify, the song and the spontaneous part are separate. You can find it on WorshipMob’s ‘Made New’ album.
This song is one of the most beautifully written songs I’ve ever heard, and I feel that it articulates my heart on creation care, but more importantly our Creator, so well. I feel the Spirit move every time I listen to this song, so I hope that as you listen you are blessed by the Lord’s presence and the assurance of His Power and Name and Lordship over all!
Kirsten Meadows, Inspire Missioner, mentored ministry student Asbury Seminary
