Earth Mission v Moon Mission

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Earth Mission-v-Moon Mission Mars Mission
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The 3rd Mission of the Church

• 1st Mission Matthew 28.19 The Gospel to all
  peoples
• 2nd Mission Luke 4.18-19 social justice and
  liberation
• 3rd Mission Mark 16.15 Gospel to all
  Earth/creation

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The Original Mission

• The mandate to dominate and to subdue Earth
  Genesis 1.26-28
• Provided the Western mandate to harness nature
  and colonise creation
• Ignoring Genesis 2

• Primordial image
• No vegetation, no rain, none to 'abad
• Humans created for Earth, from Earth not vice
  versa!!!!!!!
• Gen. 2.15 First mission - in forest to 'abad
  and shamar

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4 Mandates for an Earth Mission

• 1. To celebrate and protect our planet as
  sacred/a sanctuary
• To empathise with Earth and enable her voice to
  be heard
• To explore ways of healing the wounds
• To affirm the Gospel basis for our mission

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First Mandate

• To celebrate and protect our planet as sacred, a
  mysterious piece of stardust and a sanctuary
  filled with God's presence!

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This mandate means becoming custodians who

• Celebrate Earth as a mysterious planet created by
  God for us to enjoy as a rich expression of grace
• Acknowledge Earth as a sanctuary in which we are
  welcome to worship with Earth and the wider Earth
  community
• Protect Earth from desecration by those who view
  Earth as but a resource to be exploited.

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Earth as Sanctuary - 1

• Mystery - Sheer grace of all that exists
• A galaxy that gives birth to baby planets
• Creatio continua the continuous impulse
• More than thanks for a baby
• Guardians of grace, mysteries of space, and
  wonders of life

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Earth as Sanctuary 2

• The kabod YHWH, the living presence on Sinai, the
  tabernacle and temple BUT
• Isa. 6.3 -Holy holy holy, the whole Earth is
  'filled' with thy presence!
• Earth is santuary- we are priests/guardians

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Alienation from Earth -Custodians of Earth

• Heavenism!
• God in heaven above, high, holy, superior, a
  'better country' from Heb. 11.14-16, so Earth
  below is...
• Alienated, separated from Earth as
• Guide me o thou great Jehovah....

• Our mission is to return home, affirm we are
  Earth beings, be reconciled
• Announce we are custodians of this sanctuary
• Protect our sanctuary from desecration

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Mission through Worship

• As custodians of this sanctuary we need to
  sensitise our people through worship IN that
  sanctuary
• Worship with creation
• Confess our sins
• Empathise with Earth
• Affirm our mission

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The First Mandate

• The first mandate of the Earth Mission is a call
  to the worship leaders of our community.
• Are you willing to commit yourselves to become
  custodians of this planet sanctuary called Earth
  and integrate through worship a deep spiritual
  understanding of how our relationship with Earth
  is basic to our relationship with God?
• Our mission is to serve and preserve not to
  dominate and descrate our planet.

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Second Mandate

• To enable the voice of Earth to be heard by
  empathising with the various domains of our
  planet as they suffer injustices caused by humans.

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This mandate means becoming prophets who

• Listen to the cries of injustice rising from
  Earth and thereby learn about the numerous
  injustices caused by human greed,
• Articulate the voices of Earth so that the
  injustices are heard and recognised as such,
• Confront the authorities of church and state with
  a clear message on behalf of Earth and the poor
  of Earth.

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The Cries of Earth

• Earth as a subject in prophets Isa. 1.2 Joel
  2.21-22
• Earth suffers and mourns Jer. 12.4 Joel
  1.18-10
• Earth suffers because of human sins Jer. 4.23-26
  27-28 'For this Earth shall mourn'

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Indigenous Listening

• Spiritual kinship with the land birthing
• Hear the land/spirit suffering with the land
• I understand that Mother Earth is suffering
  because there is so much devastation' Yunupingu

• The Creator Spirit is crying because the deep
  spiritual bonds with the land and the people have
  been broken Rainbow Spirit Elders
• Should weas prophetsbe able to hear the
  groaning of creation? Romans 8

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Crucified Land?

• My mother, my mother, What have they done?
• Crucified you like
  the Only Son?
• Murder committed by mortal
  hand!
• I weep, my mother, my mother
  the land. Mary Duroux

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Cries for Justice

• If my land has cried out against me, and its
  furrows have wept together.... Job 32.38
• The fields are devasted and the ground mourns
  Joel 1.10
• Hearing cries for justice for Earth and poor of
  Earth

• The poor of Earth
• Environmental refugees from rising sea levels -
  Tuwalu
• Millions starving from massive food shortages
• Prophets for the poor

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Mission Through Advocacy

• Follow the lead of prophets
• Dare to speak for Earth in pain
• Earth herself summons us to cry
• Advocates for Earth and poor of Earth

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The Second Mandate

• The second mandate of the Earth mission is a call
  to be advocates of social justice in our
  community.
• Are you willing to commit yourselves to be
  prophets who can speak for Earth and the poor of
  Earth that are suffering because of the current
  ecological crisis and with a strong voice
  confront our local, national and religious
  leaders with a message that will provoke justice
  and compassion?
• Our mission is to empathise with Earth and let
  her voice be heard.

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Third Mandate

• To explore the ecosystems of Earth to discern
  just ways to balance the needs of all peoples and
  habitats of a planet in crisis.

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The Laws of Nature

• Planet governed by laws of nature
• Laws in crisis with climate change?
• Climate change disasters not divine acts of
  judgement
• Need a mission that involves science

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Ways of Wisdom

• Gaining wisdom as wise/scientists of old
• Inner codes that govern phenomena of nature
  ants, trees
• 'Way' or derek is the inner code in wisdom
• Task is to 'discern' the way of X and learn how
  to live in

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Human Folly

• Each domain has its 'place' and role in the
  ecosystem
• Humans have abused the 'place' and 'ways'
• An atmosphere overloaded with gases upsetting the
  balance in the 'ways' of nature
• The 'way' of the bushfire has changed?

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The Joseph Principle

• The 7 year famine Joseph story
• The Principle Wise in time of prosperity to
  prepare for the day of scarcity
• Preparing for the Greenhouse Age
• Food management for starving millions

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Mission through Science

• Our Earth mission means engaging with the world
  of science to survive,
• Mission for wisdom across the curriculum
• Education means involving science and wisdom in
  tandem for the future of Earth.

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The Third Mandate

• The third mandate of the Earth mission is a call
  to scientists and educators to recognise the
  underlying wisdom that governs the laws of
  nature.
• Are you ready then to find ways of cooperating
  with these laws to both heal the wounds of the
  planet and find new ways of nurturing life to
  overcome the imbalances evident in the
  environmental crisis?

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Fourth Mandate

• To affirm that as Earth beings our motivation
  for healing Earth is grounded in the act of God
  becoming incarnate, a part of planet Earth, to
  reconcile and restore all things.

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Earth Beings

• Ecology changed our cosmology
• 1. Earth is a living planet, a habitat that
  nurtures our consciousness. We dwell IN Earth not
  On Earth.
• 2. Earth is a fragile web of inter-connected and
  inter-dependent forces we are carbon creatures
  made from Earth

• 3. Earth is a community of kin with all living
  beings -whether ants, elephants or organisms
  common genetic coding.
• 4. As Earth beings we have a responsibility for
  Earth. Earth as mother, home, origin, partner?
  Whatever metaphor we choose, we are involved.

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'We are Earth'

• Matter is made from rock and soil. It, too, is
  pulled by the moon as the magma circulates
  through the planet heart and roots such molecules
  into biology. Earth pours through us, replacing
  each cell in the body every seven years! Ashes
  to ashes, dust to dust, we ingest, incorporate
  and execrate the earth, are made from earth. I am
  that! You are that! (Macy)

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Earth Incarnation

• Incarnation God's commitment to creation when
  God becomes a creature, an Earth being child
• John 1.14 God becomes 'flesh' the very stuff of
  Earth, the Word becomes Earth
• logos ensarknos

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Deep Incarnation

• As an Earth being Jesus drinks the very raindrops
  we do
• The 'glory/presence' in Earth 'dwells' in the
  incarnate one!
• '...an incarnation in the very tissue of
  biological existence' Niels Gregersen

• Luther 'God is wholly in the grain and the grain
  is holy in God'
• God is wholly in that piece of Earth called
  Jesus, and that piece of Earth, that is holy in
  God, represents all of Earth.
• Therefore????????

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Theologia crucis

• 'The cross is not only indirect exposure of God,
  it is God's presence sub contariounder the
  opposite. It is the indecent exposure and
  scandal of God who is crucified as well as
  hidden. God is concealed in a villified and
  broken human being. Jesus is God made pure and
  abused' Rasmussen.

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The Cross in Creation

• Theologia crucis God both hidden/revealed
  through cross God of cross hidden except
  through faith deus absconditus
• Through scandal of the cross the invisible God
  made visible as one who suffers pro nobis
• Cannot discern the 'depth' of God through
  contemplation of nature - theologia gloriae

• Cross reveals to us that the God whose presence
  'fills' Earth is the suffering God at Calvary
• God is part of the Earth mission, suffering and
  healing in, with and under planet Earth.
• God's incarnate presence in the pains of the
  current crisis.

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Radical Alienation

• The God who suffers, also suffers in, with and
  under creation
• Humans have commited crimes against creation
• As a result we live with alienation from creation
  as well as from God

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Radical Reconciliation

• Trinity of empathy longing for renewal
  creation, spirit, humans groaning Rom. 8
• Reconciliation via suffering God on cross not
  some cosmic conquest
• God reconciles 'ta panta' whether in heaven or on
  Earth Col. 1.20

• In Christ, God incarnate in Earth, Earth too
  suffers and bear the cross.
• The land too is 'crucified' with the incarnate
  God. Go therbey liberates Earth.
• The lamb of God who takes away the sins of 'the
  whole world!'

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The Cosmic Christ

• The healing process is alive reconnecting the
  alienated.
• The incarnate Christ is the risen Christ, the
  cosmic Christ filling creation.
• Christ rises with creation, with Earth,
  anticipating the resurrection/restoring of
  creation.

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Mission Through Faith

• People of faith need to provide a deep spiritual
  basis for this mission.
• As Earth beings, rather than souls en route to
  heaven, we need to be the eyes and ears of the
  cosmic Christ and discern God's presence, not
  only in the grandeur of nature but also in the
  groaning of creation.

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The Fourth Mandate

• The fourth mandate of our Earth Mission is a call
  to people of faith in our community to recognise
  a deep spiritual dimension to our mission.
• Are we ready to recognise that as Earth beings we
  are connected with God not only through God's
  immanent presence in creation, but also through
  the incarnate God who suffered for, suffers with,
  and brings new life to Earth?

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Earth Mission Australia

• Are we ready to be
• Priests worshipping in this Earth sanctuary
• Prophets who hear and speak for Earth in crisis
• Wise who know the ways of nature
• People of faith listening to the incarnate God
  calling us to join Christ in the healing of Earth

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Black Saturday (Amazing Grace)

• Amazing flames that scorch the sky,
• Like hurricanes of fire,
• Alive with eucalyptus oil,
• Are roaring higher and higher.
• These swirling balls of oil ablaze,
• That leap oer trees at will,
• Descend on fields and flocks and homes,
• Explode and burn and kill.

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Black Saturday

• Wheres God in all this swirling ash?
• Wheres God in all this pain?
• Awaiting somewhere in the sky
• To one day send some rain?
• The face of God is burnt and black
• The hands of God are red!
• The God we know in Jesus Christ
• Is bleeding with the dead.

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Black Saturday

• Is this, O God, the shock we need
• To face our life ahead,
• Adjusting to a Greenhouse Age
• When we must share our bread?
• Christ, show us now your hands and feet,
• The burns across you side
• And how you suffer with the Earth,
• By fires crucified!