Each month, as your new Student Pastor of Missions, I will reflect on what Missions mean for First Church, why God calls us to engage in this work, and how we do that in respectful and appropriate ways. With our focus this month on the Climate Crisis, there is no better place to start than with creation care. The Climate Crisis affects all of us, but it disproportionately affects the most vulnerable and marginalized amongst us; creating health hazards for those already without healthcare access, pushing people into unstable housing situations when their homes are destroyed from extreme weather events, destroying ecosystems and whole animal species, and so much more.
In the Genesis creation story, God says, “Let us make humankind in our image, according to our likeness; and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the wild animals of the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth.” But what does it mean to be made in God’s image and to have dominion over all living creatures?
Scholar and activist Carol J. Adams examines our understanding of Jesus to answer this question,
“if we see Jesus as the ultimate “image” of God, then how Jesus operates in his earthly ministry…has bearing on how we interpret what it means for us as images of Christ to exercise dominion. Dominion would come to basically mean serving others in such a way as to help them flourish as the creatures they have been created to be…[it] is intimately bound up with God’s love and God’s creation.”
Carol J. Adams, “What About Dominion in Genesis?,” in A Faith Embracing All Creatures : Addressing Commonly Asked Questions About Christian Care for Animals, ed. Tripp York and Andy Alexis-Baker, The Peaceable Kingdom Series, 2, (Eugene, Oregon: Cascade Books, 2012), 10.
In understanding dominion in this way, we see that our responsibility as Christians is to be in service to all creation and to be stewards of the earth.
We engage in Missions across various interconnected global issues, including the environment. The term “Missions” can carry many different meanings. We use it here to describe how we educate ourselves, advocate for change, and act through service in the world to seek justice, peace, and healing for our global society. We are led by a principle of Love, for God and for Neighbor, that guides as towards respect as we build relationships with communities and one another in all that we do.
For October, our First Church Missions highlights include:
Educating Ourselves
We start in Missions by educating ourselves on the important global issues affecting many throughout the world. Our Climate Justice working group has been instrumental in organizing our faith and climate crisis focus for our Sunday Morning and Monday evening education classes, culminating with an educational lunch and learn at the end of the month on Environmental Justice, being jointly hosted by several ministry teams.
Advocacy for Change
We advocate for change in our local and national policies that will protect the vulnerable and give voice to the oppressed. This coming Sunday, our Church & Society team has prepared a meaningful movies event discussing gun violence in our country and includes speakers addressing legislative efforts in our state.
And recently, our Church & Society team also organized a postcard writing campaign for the 2022 mid-term elections through the Center for Common Ground-Reclaim Our Vote (ROV). The postcards were written to people in states that have been known to purge voters from the rolls or that have been passing more restrictive voter access laws.
Service in the World
While we advocate for change, we also offer our time and compassion through acts of service in the world as we live out what it means to love God and our neighbor. Our laity-led Shared Breakfast ministry program continues strong with the help of many volunteers, so far providing over 170 sit-down or walk-up meals already in October.
And our Global Missions team is working on developing regional, national, and global partnerships by preparing for an upcoming mission trip next spring with Sedro Woolley Central United Methodist Church to their sister churches along the Arizona/Mexico border, studying and learning about immigration issues.
Refer to our website for further details and registration links for any of these events, or reach out to me.
God calls each of us to participate in the life and the ministry of the universal church, as one body of Christ. I invite you to listen for the ways the Holy Spirit is encouraging you in Missions. What is that global issue that is on your heart? Is it one listed above or one not yet listed? I would enjoy being in conversation with you about theologies of Missions and what inspires you. Send me an email and let’s chat!
Jackie Celin, Student Pastor of Missions