BLESSED EARTH

Serving God, Saving the Planet

APRIL 2010 NEWSLETTER || WWW.BLESSEDEARTH.ORG || VOL. 2, NO. 4

Make Earth Day a Church Day

I like to pause on birthdays that end
in zeros and contemplate their meaning.
Milestones allow us to reflect on past ac-
complishments, lament opportunities lost,
and plan for the journey ahead.
This month, Earth Day turns forty. In
the past, I was asked, “Isn’t Earth Day just
for treehuggers—and nature worshippers?”
Today, it is no longer if Christians should
celebrate Earth Day, but how.
In the decades leading to Earth Day’s
fortieth, we have seen unexpected heroes
and unlikely partnerships. Richard Nixon
championed the EPA, and camouflaged
hunters crouching in the predawn light be-
came the advocates of wetlands. Yet many
have used environmental issues as a way
to divide, rather than partner. For instance,
some religious leaders have claimed that
dominion gives us license to use up what-
ever we want, without restraint.
Nothing could be less in keeping with
the overarching spirit of scripture. Dominion
implies tremendous responsibility—just ask
any parent or teacher who has “dominion” planted an oak to mark his wife’s pass- phorically downstream. By definition we are
over a young child. ing. We know that the first aesthetic God the temporal guardians of all those who will
Fortunately, in recent years such talk assigns is to trees (Genesis 2:9), and that drink the water in one hundred years.
has become less common—because the Deborah held court under a palm. We know
Bible doesn’t support trashing the planet. that the Lord retains claim on the earth With every blessing,
In fact, it is filled with passages that show (Psalm 24:1) and will someday punish those
God’s ownership of creation, His love for who “destroyed the earth.” (Rev 11:1)
creation, and His desire for humanity to be As we mark the fortieth Earth Day, the
good stewards. words in Ezekiel come to mind. “When you Dr. Matthew Sleeth
We can learn much from what scripture drink the clear water, must you foul the rest Executive Director
includes, and excludes. We do not know with your feet?” (Ezek 34:18 NRSV) This ex-
if Abraham was tall or dark, but we do cerpt from the Clean Water Act of 571 B.C.
now what species of tree he found shade refers not just to the purity of water, but to
under when greeting strangers and that he the needs of those living literally and meta-

Creation Care Scripture Green Tip of the Month

“Ask the LORD for rain in the springtime;
it is the LORD who makes the storm
clouds. He gives showers of rain to men,
and plants of the field to
everyone.”
Zechariah 10:1
Earth Day begins at home! Use rags instead
of paper towels; cloth napkinsinstead
of paper ones. Buy post-consumer recycled
paper and recycle it when you’ve used it.

PO BOX 227 || WILMORE, KY 40390 || CONTACT@BLESSEDEARTH.ORG

 Letters from you: Eco-Mission Trips
Andy Bathje and Wes McChristian
Confrontation Point Ministries

I first got to know Blessed Earth execu-

tive director Matthew Sleeth when I was
asked to introduce him as our chapel speak-
er at Asbury College. That was more than
three years ago, and we’ve been sharing the
creation care journey ever since.
Matthew helped disciple me when I felt
a calling to leave my comfortable college
deanship, in pursuit of some unknown work
that would allow me to spend more time in
God’s creation. I announced my decision in
the fall, in hopes that God would reveal the
answer by May. He did, in the very last hour, projects. Throughout the week, our young -tal stewardship, and servant-leadership.
when I was asked to become the executive people volunteered at a community garden; A few years ago, Matthew teamed with
director of Confrontation Point Ministries. toured a large recycling center; maintained me to initiate an Ichthus Music Festival re-
Confrontation Point creates Christ-cen- trails in the Daniel Boone National Forest; cycling campaign. Last summer, more than
tered mission trips for about 50 youth groups organized a “trash scavenger hunt” with el- eight thousand people attended this four-day
each summer from more than 20 states ementary school children; cleaned debris out concert, and we recycled forty thousand bev-
across the country. Participants on all of the of a Kentucky cave and enjoyed the beautiful erage containers! We believe that living the
trips stay at local campgrounds, experience playground God created for all of us. Most Christian life means “looking up to God, out
at least one day of outdoor adventure (climb- importantly, they learned a right relationship to others and down for trash.” When people
ing, paddling, caving or backpacking) and between God, people, and creation. attending the Christian rock festival saw us
are motivated to grow as servant-leaders We’ve also developed an educational sifting through plastic bottles, it made them
through service to others. workbook Divine Nature, which helps partici- consider not just their relationship with the
Last summer, we initiated a new mis- pants gain a Biblical model for creation care. Creator, but also with His Creation.
sions program--Creation Restoration--which Each day, energetic staff members guide the We still have spots open for the 2010
explores our calling to be good stewards of youth through activities that promote team mission trip season and encourage church
the earth while integrating “green” service development, spiritual growth, environmen youth groups to sign up today!

HOPE FOR CREATION

HOPE FOR CREATION
A Live Simulcast Event
INTERNATIONAL SIMULCAST

On The Eve of Earth Day 2010

Join thousands around the globe on April 21 for Blessed Earth’s first Hope
for Creation International Simulcast. Featuring the new Blessed Earth film
Join
series and Dr. the worldwide,
Matthew Sleeth, theinteractive
evening ofconversation.
worship will draw you and
your churches, families
One night. One and friends closer
message. to God and
The Church his creation.
united.

Find out more at http://blessedearth.org/simulcast!

APRIL 21
Take the next step.
www.blessedearth.org
BLESSED EARTH || SERVING GOD, SAVING THE PLANET || WWW.BLESSEDEARTH.ORG
Resource of the Month

The Gospel According to the Earth

As an emergency room doctor, Matthew Sleeth
saw a disturbing increase in asthma, autoim-
mune diseases, cancers, and other environ-
mentally related health issues. One slow night
in the ER, Sleeth picked up a Gideon’s Bible in
the waiting room. Although raised in a Christian
home, he had long ago abandoned his child-
hood beliefs. Reading the gospels that night,
Sleeth became a Christian, and to his shock,
he began to uncover in the Scriptures an enor-
mous wealth of environmental answers that he
had been seeking.
Here, Sleeth invites you on his family’s journey
as they realize that one cannot be a Christian
without recognizing the Bible’s call to care for
God’s creation. From Genesis to Revelation,
the Bible is filled with instructions on how we
can demonstrate our love for the Creator by
caring for the earth. Sleeth leads us on a highly
creative journey through Scripture, visiting
some of the most important characters in the
Bible and discovering what they can teach us
about issues such as stewardship, caring for
our neighbors, and pollution. Adam and Eve in
the Garden of Eden teach us the importance
of physical work in relation to discovering
fulfillment and a sense of human purpose, the
prophet Daniel calls us to question our dietary
habits, and the story of Noah addresses key
issues for life on earth: how do we relate to the
Creator, to others in the human community, and
to the rest of the natural world? With passion
and faith, Sleeth provides a new green lens
through which we can read the Bible to dis-
cover answers to our biggest questions about
the environment and how to care for it.
Visit http://www.matthewsleethmd.com for
information about this exciting new book!

OUR MISSION
Blessed Earth is an educational nonprofit that inspires and equips faith communities to
become better stewards of the earth. Through outreach to churches, campuses and media
we build bridges that promote measurable environmental change
and meaningful spiritual growth.

Web: www.BLESSEDEARTH.org Blessed Earth

E-mail: contact@blessedearth.org PO Box 227
Twitter: www.twitter.com/blessedearth Wilmore, KY 40390