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Climate Crisis

 20 September 2020. 25th Sunday in Ordinary Time. St Matthew-in-the-City, Auckland, Aotearoa New Zealand 
Alan Broom

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Climate Crisis

Transcript
Hiding my kitty Nakata. Kia Optima to welcome to Super Matthew in the city and Tamaki makaurau go. Our total of New Zealand on the third Sunday, in the season of creation. The final Sunday, we celebrate in this season or next week, is our Patron Festival, the Feast of Olaf's, and meth use, We hope and pray and playing that, we may be able to meet in person next Sunday. However, we are unsure of our covid lockdown levels. But with we meet in person, or whether you meet online, we will be celebrating Saint Matthews. Next Sunday and we will have gift preacher of the bishop, John black with us. But today, we welcome, Ellen Brew, who will be our speaker as we moved to consider our responsibility as people of faith in the season of creation to collectively advocate in. But we can well for our creation, we hope you enjoy our parishioner photos. This we together have taken photos as we notice creation, and so, our worship continues grace, to you and peace from God, our creator, the lavador beginning, and Without End in our midst and with us, God is with us here. We find a new life, the Earth and everything on it, the world. When all who live in it, belong to God. We live in God's world. We are not survive. We share this life with the heavens and the Earth with the waters, and the land with trees and grasses with fish birds and animals with Patricia's of every form. And with all our brothers and sisters together. We form strengths and web of creation, woven and held together by God, our creator in the beginning creation was woven, a beautiful web loved into being in which all things are connected in which all things need all things. We are one in the whip of creation and our sentence for today. You shall love the Lord, your God with all your heart. And with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind and your neighbor as yourself. We pray together, God or the Incarnation love becomes flesh with Hunger is fitted. The Dignity of the sword and Creation delighted for some second made our prayers. Make a place for love to take shape Place rooted and grounded for those who seek justice peace and the healing of the Earth. Hear the gospel of Christ, according to Luke chapter 10. Beginning at verse 25. Just when a lawyer stood up to test, Jesus. Teacher. He said, what must I do to inherit eternal life? He said to him what is written in the law? What do you read there? He answered. You shall love the Lord, your God with all your heart. And with all your soul, and with all the strength, and with all your mind, and your neighbors as yourself, and he said to him, You have given the right answer, do this and you will live. For wanting to justify himself, he said to Jesus, and who is my neighbor? Jesus replied, a man who's going down to Jerusalem to Jericho and fell in the hands of robbers. Who stripped him beat him and went away. Leaving him half dead. Now by a chance, a priest was going down that road. And when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. So likewise a levite came to the place and saw him passed by on the other side. That's a Samaritan while. Try it traveling, came near him and when he saw him he was moved with pity. He went to him and bandaged his wounds having poured oil and wine on them. Then he put him on his own animal, brought him to an inn and took care of him. The next day, he took to dinner, I gave them to The Innkeeper and said, take care of him. And when I come back, I will repay you several more, you spend Which of these three do you think? And was unable to the man who fell into the hands of the robber. He said. The one who showed him. Mercy. Jesus said to him go and do likewise. This is the gospel of Christ. Marina everyone. Over the last three weeks we've been considering our responsibility to care for creation. And in this context, our carbon footprint, and what each of us has prepared to do to make a smaller impact on our environment. We had all been challenged to review. Our way of living in engage, with each other around, these issues with high levels of concern, expressed, and favor of change. And so we've considered our energy sources are energy, use and decided to be more mindful about flicking. The switch has on our homes. We talked about travel, all our daily commuting and public transport, and our air travel, and then our food where it comes from the energy that goes into processing and transporting food. We've talked about intensive animal farming and the impact on the environment and we have discussed our wasteful Society, how we wrap and tear apart throw Out and check and dumped in the earth is meant to swaddle at all. We've also alluded to the increase risk to the poor of the world with the world and crack climate crisis. It has caused us to think and reflect, and to take action to see what differences we can make and lowering our environmental footprint for this is creation. We are talking about, as yet we know of now that no other planetary system like ours, we are all called, love the Earth in the fullness of it. The abundance of nature yet so threatened because of lack of restraints. But there is still a feeling that we are perhaps tinkering around the edges that we cannot render significant change as a small group of people and the real change change that we will release a world safe for the next Generations. Needs to be done on the macroscale change that has mandated because we as humans and our government. See the planet has and crisis of our own making governments need to change their approach, radically and science societies need to recognize. There will be no Societies in the Future unless there is Major change, change starts with us today, and is about calling for change, advocating for change on a large scale. We will discuss the details of that in our after church discussion. Listen to the powerful words of Jim mental and his book climate world climate Church. For the sake of humanity, the world, the ecosphere. In countless generations of unborn children and creatures. Our present social and economic system needs a moral intervention. And so does the church. It's time to declare a new moral era. I'll read that again. The sake of humanity, the world ecosphere. And countless generations of unborn children and creatures are present social, and economic system, needs a moral intervention. And so does the church. It's time to declare a new moral era. Notice that the moral order is not just about Humanity but it is the world and the ecosphere that is all of life and it's teeming abundance upon which we are dependent and it is the countless Generations. Following us The Unborn children, our unborn child, great grandchildren, great grandchildren. And their children is for these that we call for Change and it is for the already disadvantaged in the world who has sea Rises droughts patch arable land increase. League common floods and fires fires, make the already margin or livelihoods impossible. It is not primarily about ourselves but all of creation that which is yet to be any at that which is yet to be created. It is about intergenerational and into species Justice. It is a fundamental issue of Justice. How we impact the future. We are in the middle stages of a crisis but it is are is as if we are driving over a precipice blindfolded, hoping against what we are told and read and see on our screen, wouldn't it be good at this? Nightmare was just that some entertaining of Dark Fantasy that will. In the end not happen or that maybe this is just a really bad year and next year, will be better. How many so-called 100-year floods forest fires and droughts? Do we need and five years to convince us? Unfortunately, the science of climate change. Does not allow this blind. Hope instead Rising Greek greenhouse, gas levels in the stratosphere wrapping the Earth as it were in a thermal blanket. And this needs to reduce markedly to render any hope for the future. The science is disputed by a few who have another agenda. But the main culprit is carbon dioxide largely from fossil fuel emissions, since the Industrial Age with diminishing forestation to absorb the carbon dioxide it is, since the Industrial Age that carbon dioxide levels are increased exponentially. Hence, our crisis, We ignore the vulnerability of our planet at our Peril and to the Peril of generations and all species to come. Reversing climate changes later stopping a huge ship, stopping happens, 20 kilometers out of port because of the momentum, if and when we stop carbon emissions will be a laying long lag time before they will be any observable benefit. We were told about this 50 years ago and the common response was that, they, whoever they are will work something out. So, here we are now on the brink of collapse and we have a very small window of opportunity left. And we Going to have to work something out. It's time to declare a new moral era. In the past crises have been averted because people have been emotionally engaged with the pandemic. We saw what was happening overseas, the overloaded hospitals, the bodies being loaded, and the mass Graves, and we fell in with the government plan. It was General acceptance that the plane was right and this is what we needed to do for each other. The threat of nuclear Holocaust made New Zealand, stand up against the powerful and say, no, to nuclear ships. We had seen the evidence of nuclear Devastation in Japan and New much worse was possible and the superpowers were loaded with Weaponry enough to destroy the planet. Several times over some Matthews, was a leader in the anti-nuclear movement. Now, we see the bleaching of coral, reefs and out-of-control forest fires on parched forest reserves and See, huge areas of Africa. Inundated with floods and people fleeing their homes. Climate, refugees are on the way. It is time to connect the dots that this is a planet and crisis as the human species, we occupy more than our share of the biosphere. We do not live in harmony with nature rather we try to control it for our advantage and we consume much more than our fair share of resources. It has been estimated as everyone on Earth, ate a standard Western diet of two servings of meat daily and processed food, say ham sandwiches, for lunch and then Meat and three vegetables. Night, maybe bacon and eggs, weekly for breakfast, plus cheeses and dessert. It would take the equivalent of five to six Earth planets to feed the world. That of course is not possible. And I know most of us do not eat like that, but many do scientists talk about global warming and 1.5 degrees average as our Tipping Point, we are very close to that. I suspect suspect, most people cannot get their heads around, 1.5 degree change, or two or more degrees for farm. Work West consequences. The numbers seem trivial they are not The Earth is a finely balanced system of complex interactions between species Sun, water soil, and the air or held and delicate balance. Think of the human body. If our body temperature, rises, one degree above 37 to 38, we have a fever and feel unwell even more on. Well, 1.5 degrees above needing to go to bed. Rest, drink plenty of fluid. At three degrees above normal, we may well need hospitalization. These tiny incremental changes, make a huge difference, our bodies are perfectly and finely balanced, keeping our temperatures out of constant. Of course, our bodies do not have the same daily variations of internal climate but as the natural climate that average temperature of the Earth are a reflection of the precise setting the balance between the Earth's systems, some tech companies claim we are. Irreversible situation and it's too late to stop climate change. So, they're putting their creative energies and cooling Fabrics, building, and writing materials with higher melting points. There is money to be made here agencies such as Mars. One plan settlement on Mars, partly for the survival of the human species. It is all I suspect a reenactment of the Tower of Babel myth when humankind is and search for ultimate control. Cole. I find this completely lacking in moral Direction. It is a plan to escape this mess here rather than pitching and with their enormous resources to reverse the damage. We are heading into more and more perilous times. A customary Comforts are going to be less obtainable. They'll be much suffering around the world. As peoples can no longer live in their environment. Whether it because of inundation with risen sea levels, Orlando longer bearing crops because of Out. One on the Five Hundred Year floods happening yearly, vast forest fires food, scarcity, and temperatures, which are too hot for work and living Wars over land and water ownership. We're starting to see this I take no comfort in my age. We are starting to see enormous upheaval, but our children are going to see much worse. It is time to declare a new moral order. This time to go away feelings of hopelessness and despair and be a Beacon of Hope not a reality, avoiding hope that something better is ahead beyond the grave, but hope grounded and love for each other. And for all living things, it is time to stop the blaming and to take responsibility. It is time to lament our role in this crisis and ask. What can we do? How can we affect change in that country and signal to the world that we are serious? Deadly serious? There is a small chance of holding Calamity back. If we take on near carbon-neutral Lifestyles and help the little Nation to do the same people argue, there is no point in New Zealand. Changing of the biggest culprits do not, but in the past you least you Zealand has been a leader. The women's vote. We were the first and always two Nations followed. There's been a lot of noting about our pandemic response. We are powerful and we go alone the world does notice. It's Continue to be a model. But people say that will cost us too much how we trade, what we trade, how we relax, how we travel, how we eat? Yes, there is a big cast, but this is Tiny compared to the cost to the next Generations of a depleted planet. There is a false separation of the economy from ecology. Economic hazards seems more important to people than ecological disaster and the u.s. major political payers and parties wallow in denial about climate change. In order to make room for corporations and those who profit from them to become the de facto rulers of the earth as we know it. The Earth has remarkable repair capacity when it is treated with respect. But today the And the economy are seen as valid occupants of each end of a seesaw. But growth Ian orientation of the economy's goes up and the environmental impact was driven on the opposite direction. We are presented with a growth economy, which involves more extraction. Extraction, were a mission more. Polluted waterways. I would love to dab convinced. It could be different. Here's the Garden of Eden set us up with some simplistic false Notions, there is a creation narrative and then the man and woman are set up having dominion over All Creatures, but it was a scene of Harmony men and women naming all creatures classifying or creatures. But the Temptation has always been to have more than the natural Order of Things aloud. And so the Apple was eaten and we continue to do that. Don't get me wrong. There is a genius and human discovery that has created so much and we are beneficiaries or wonderful human exploration and creativity. It's just that we have felt entitled to dominion over land creatures in and, and Indigenous peoples. Matthew Fox ask the question. What does it mean to wake up to ecology to learning to love our Earth home with a deeper love and to acknowledge how much we owe her and How Deeply we need to adopt our ways to her if we are to keep her healthy and fit so that future generations of being can thrive in her midst, The future is to a large part due to how we have been living our lives, for the past 200 years, and the decisions we make in the next one to ten years. Our only chance we have for changing that picture for the better, we are responsible for the future. The gospel Narrative of today is very familiar and has been inspired charitable. Deeds over the ages, the man. Beset by robbers and the passers-by that bigotry is the religious leaders. Those with means passing by, on the other side of the road, but it is the outside of the Samaritan who takes action to save this wounded, man, he tends his wounds and find some shelter and a place to recover. Its modernized a story that's think of Yes, as having been exploited gouged drained, chopped flattened polluted and Earth struggling to sustain life systems of when upon what your life depends. And let's think of our journey through life, we have been aware of the ecological consequences of modern living for a long time. I was a teenager when I first heard about it, We have been warned voices have been calling for restraint for at least the last 50 years but we have changed little, they have been properly proclamations and agreements to cut emissions like the Paris agreement but worldwide the emissions increase. On what side of the road, are, we walking past this wounded world, yes. Obviously the oil industry passes by looking away towards the vast profits industrialist pass by saying, we need more oil and gas to power up. Manufacturing. Others need to protect their shareholders. Government's pass by elected by their people but are afraid to mandate strict environmental policies because of an election is looming. And say, part they pass by reluctantly picture ourselves flying by looking for pleasures and distant. Places picture, large parts of the church passing by preaching salvation for the afterlife as its main message. Yes. We see the Damage Done. But who is going to come to the aid of the Wounded Earth? Who's going to say? We have to stop and rescue the Earth before it is too late. It is time to declare a numeral era. It is time to find another way then Relentless growth by further, extraction production acquisition and waste on a Monumental scale. It is time for us to mirror God's love for creation and set that as our overwhelming priority. How we might do this isn't part of the discussion. We will have after church today is the church going to be a leader in turning the world away from the brink of this nuclear moment. Its act together and discuss it after church. Thank you. Spirit of fools. Kia annoying Tato. Blessed are you Lord Our God all things come from you our life. This world all that we have in our Yet we have abused the world and module image, Lord, and your God knows please forgive us. Lord please guide your church to keep to your priorities in all that it does to support us with wisdom and love as we try and obey your world to be good neighbors to all on this planet to never avoid our responsibilities and passed on by on the other side. Beloved father, we humbly pray for peace and Justice in our world for all displaced. Persons, those without good food. Clean water, those living in substandard dwellings or on the streets of our cities. Please bless with wisdom. All who are employers? May they not abuse or treat their workers with Injustice? We pray for all who seek to bring about fair trade and sustainable living. We ask for your blessing on all First Responders, all hospital and Community workers and the City Mission who seeks to build up a spirit of community within our area. God of creation. We are so sorry for destroying the balance and Harmony of your creation. We pray for all those working to stop pollution of its lungs seized and are those protecting, endangered, species and biodiversity and those showing us how to reduce our carbon footprints. Please let us not squander or hordes of good things you have given us, but use them to the God of all awesome. Lord! Thank you for the blessing of our father and Friends. We humbly ask your healing and nurturing touch on all who are ill. those way down with depression, those fearful of what the future, holds those lost in materialism, the unemployed and victims of violence and abuse Lord, we commend to you, our friends and loved ones who are departed from us. Especially, we mention our beloved Ruth Spellman May they enjoy your presence and love. Merciful father, please accept these prayers for the sake of your son. Our Savior, Jesus Christ, Armand. A For Bonita. They all creation lift up its heart and gladness around us, may the children of God emerge as a community of Grace, in the light of our God. The God Who blesses us with life. And so, may the blessing of this God creator. Redeemer and Giver of Life, be with you this day and always go. Now for the spirit of God is alive. And the land are men. We go in the power of love.