Eco Mission
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Oiko-Mission
As the place of the whole earth in the reign of God is acknowledged, “then eco-mission becomes not only possible but indeed also inevitable.” Cornelius Niemandt claims that “God’s mission encompasses the cosmos; therefore Christian mission includes all of God’s created order – the whole ecodomy.” An all-encompassing metaphor for mission is the Greek word ‘oikos’, meaning household. The whole household of God provides for the practical needs of people, expressed in economics and social justice, the relational needs of community and partnership, as well as caring for the environment and ecosystems that support and sustain the whole ‘household’ of the oikoumene, the whole world. An ‘oiko’-mission perspective emphasises the interconnectedness of humanity and the earth, and brings a vision of divine abundance and blessing. This is expressed in the breaking of bread in Communion, and sharing food in hospitality. The prefix “eco-” carries with it this root Greek meaning.
The Eco-Mission Movement
“Mission with creation at its heart” is increasingly being acknowledged as a valid and distinctive movement in the global church. Mallory McDuff researched local church projects across the USA and writes about “a new environmental movement, where justice as a priority for the church means a clean and safe environment for all.” She describes how “a focus on God's earth transforms both people and congregations, creating more relevant and powerful ministries for today. As a result, people of faith are creating a new environmental movement with a moral mandate to care for God's good earth.” This is motivated primarily by the realisation that environmental degradation has become a major defining feature of our age with massive implications for every nation and ecosystem from the smallest to the largest; an acknowledgement, in the words of Pope Francis, of “the appeal, immensity and urgency of the challenge we face.”
Eco-Church
Eco-mission is “authentic eco-theology grounded in communities of eco-practice.” Celia Deane-Drummond advocates that “the mandate of all Christian communities is to work together at a local level to build ecological responsible forms of flourishing.” This goal of enhancing the eco-mission of local churches has led to an international Eco-Church movement. Organisations such as A Rocha have promoted the development of ‘eco congregations’, in which local churches are resourced to work across five areas: “Worship and teaching, Management of church buildings, Management of church land, Community and global engagement, Lifestyle.” Eco Church programmes provide a wealth of resources for churches, including for children and youth engagement. As well as practical projects and initiatives the Eco Church movement has a high priority on worship, celebration and thanksgiving, with a spiritual foundation connecting with God-in-action.
Creation Care
The term ‘Creation Care’ has become well used within the global church to refer to a concern among Christians for ecology and sustainability. It has explicit theological and biblical underpinnings which are accepted across evangelical and more traditional churches (e.g. the Evangelical Environmental Network in the USA calls their website ‘CreationCare.org’. ). Creation does not just refer to the origins of the universe as created by God. As Neil Darragh points out, Creation “includes the entire creative act of God in all its initiating, sustaining and culminating aspects.” In this dissertation I have chosen to capitalise ‘Creation’ to refer to the universe in general and specifically to the natural non-human environment. I use the phrases ‘care for Creation’ and ‘eco-mission’ interchangeably.
Green
The word ‘green’ has become associated with environmentally aware groups, politics, products. It is also used in relation to theology and mission in phrases like ‘greening the church’, or Bron Taylor’s advocacy of “dark green religion.” In Europe the image of ‘green’ is widely used in the church, such as the ‘Gronkirke’ (Green Church) movement in Denmark. However, Neil Darragh explains that ‘green’ is not commonly used in the church in NZ, partly to play down political associations but also because the church’s mission is a long story that predates current trends.
As the place of the whole earth in the reign of God is acknowledged, “then eco-mission becomes not only possible but indeed also inevitable.” Cornelius Niemandt claims that “God’s mission encompasses the cosmos; therefore Christian mission includes all of God’s created order – the whole ecodomy.” An all-encompassing metaphor for mission is the Greek word ‘oikos’, meaning household. The whole household of God provides for the practical needs of people, expressed in economics and social justice, the relational needs of community and partnership, as well as caring for the environment and ecosystems that support and sustain the whole ‘household’ of the oikoumene, the whole world. An ‘oiko’-mission perspective emphasises the interconnectedness of humanity and the earth, and brings a vision of divine abundance and blessing. This is expressed in the breaking of bread in Communion, and sharing food in hospitality. The prefix “eco-” carries with it this root Greek meaning.
The Eco-Mission Movement
“Mission with creation at its heart” is increasingly being acknowledged as a valid and distinctive movement in the global church. Mallory McDuff researched local church projects across the USA and writes about “a new environmental movement, where justice as a priority for the church means a clean and safe environment for all.” She describes how “a focus on God's earth transforms both people and congregations, creating more relevant and powerful ministries for today. As a result, people of faith are creating a new environmental movement with a moral mandate to care for God's good earth.” This is motivated primarily by the realisation that environmental degradation has become a major defining feature of our age with massive implications for every nation and ecosystem from the smallest to the largest; an acknowledgement, in the words of Pope Francis, of “the appeal, immensity and urgency of the challenge we face.”
Eco-Church
Eco-mission is “authentic eco-theology grounded in communities of eco-practice.” Celia Deane-Drummond advocates that “the mandate of all Christian communities is to work together at a local level to build ecological responsible forms of flourishing.” This goal of enhancing the eco-mission of local churches has led to an international Eco-Church movement. Organisations such as A Rocha have promoted the development of ‘eco congregations’, in which local churches are resourced to work across five areas: “Worship and teaching, Management of church buildings, Management of church land, Community and global engagement, Lifestyle.” Eco Church programmes provide a wealth of resources for churches, including for children and youth engagement. As well as practical projects and initiatives the Eco Church movement has a high priority on worship, celebration and thanksgiving, with a spiritual foundation connecting with God-in-action.
Creation Care
The term ‘Creation Care’ has become well used within the global church to refer to a concern among Christians for ecology and sustainability. It has explicit theological and biblical underpinnings which are accepted across evangelical and more traditional churches (e.g. the Evangelical Environmental Network in the USA calls their website ‘CreationCare.org’. ). Creation does not just refer to the origins of the universe as created by God. As Neil Darragh points out, Creation “includes the entire creative act of God in all its initiating, sustaining and culminating aspects.” In this dissertation I have chosen to capitalise ‘Creation’ to refer to the universe in general and specifically to the natural non-human environment. I use the phrases ‘care for Creation’ and ‘eco-mission’ interchangeably.
Green
The word ‘green’ has become associated with environmentally aware groups, politics, products. It is also used in relation to theology and mission in phrases like ‘greening the church’, or Bron Taylor’s advocacy of “dark green religion.” In Europe the image of ‘green’ is widely used in the church, such as the ‘Gronkirke’ (Green Church) movement in Denmark. However, Neil Darragh explains that ‘green’ is not commonly used in the church in NZ, partly to play down political associations but also because the church’s mission is a long story that predates current trends.