Hosea 4:1-4; Romans 8:20-22
Richard Dahlstrom, Senior Pastor, www.spiritsoulbody.org
When we fly over the issue of environmental destruction, we see two defining paradigms and are forced to choose which one we’ll pursue
- God’s Design: The Stewardship Model
- Rejection of God’s Design: (resulting in) The Dominator Model
- The Way of Turning
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Discussion Questions
Before questions, attempt to give the group a bit of a summary of the main points of the sermon and then choose a few questions that fit your group’s needs and style. We don’t intend for you to use all of these. Three to five questions may be a good number.
- How have you enjoyed the snow this past week?
- Read: Hosea 4:1-4; Romans 8:20-22
- If we consider there is an ecology within God’s design of the world, in how we were intended to interact with all of God’s creation, how does that inform the way we view human’s appointed role? (i.e As a steward of, versus a ruler over, the earth).
- **For LOTR buffs, consider how the example of how Stewards of Gondor changed how they viewed their own role over the years that they waited for the return of the king. How did that impact their view of the King when he did return and the ways they cared for the people within the kingdom.
- In what ways has the Doctrine of Discovery (based on the 1493 Papal decree) influenced our current day Dominator Model?
- The Church, in the name of Christianity, has participated in the human quest for power over the centuries; how do we repent and turn from that as representatives of the Church today? (Note. Try and resist the urge of individualism that says, “that wasn’t me” or “that interpretation of Christianity is not what I believe” etc.).
- Richard posed in his notes that sermons such as these can sometimes appear to offer only two bleak options: 1.) Depression - I’m so deeply embedded in the system that it’s hopeless, my choices won’t matter, we’re doomed 2.) Denial - there is no human made climate change, our consumerism is fine and our technology will solve our environmental problems.
- How are both of these views problematic?
- How might you envision a third way of viewing our response as humans to the care of creation?
- As we turn to God for how to turn towards stewardship, what questions do you want to ask him?
- Which aspects of embracing your vocation to “keep the garden” come more naturally for you and which are a challenge for you? (Ex. Where one shops/material possessions, food choices, views of other humans and solidarity with them, etc.