For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. (Colossians 1:16, New International Version)
Theme: The Local Church
Context:
Today and tomorrow, we will focus on the Discipline of Creation, and we will begin by considering questions about the role of Creation in your local church.
In some ways, Creation is a “complicated” discipline. Entire doctrines and books have been written on the subject including contributions from Thomas Aquinas (Catholic) and John Calvin (Protestant), who wrote about the importance of creation to church doctrine. For 40 days of Discipline, we are focused on a relatively simple concept. Our focus is on the fact that we can appreciate and worship God through his creation (e.g., nature, humans, and things created by humans). We are not trying to suggest that creation is a substitute for Jesus (living Word) or the Bible (written word). However, we believe that we rob ourselves of insights into the magnificence of God when we don’t stop to smell the proverbial roses.
Primary Questions:
- Does your local church provide a biblical perspective on creation?
- Are various art forms used by your local church to display God’s magnificence?
- Does your local church intentionally incorporate elements of creation into worship?
- Does your local church extend the principle of stewardship to God’s creation?
Your Feedback:
While you are not expected to share your answers to the questions above, we would still love to hear from you. Based on your answers to the questions, what is your general observation about how local churches relate to creation?