Bible study one

Why should the issue of Climate Change be important to Christians?

You will Need

• A Flipchart
• Bibles
• Factsheet 1

Take time to warm the group up - try some 'getting to know you' games.

Introduction to the theme

Why should the issue of Climate Change be important to Christians ?

Psalm 24 tells us, "the earth is the Lord’s and all that is in it." We are called by God to treasure and care for the earth as a sacred trust. Jesus instructed us to love our neighbour as ourselves. If we do harm to the earth this will bring harm to other people, and we are responsible for each other’s wellbeing.

God requires us to deal justly with one another. Environmental damage falls most heavily on the poor, and will fall even more heavily on those yet to be born. We are only now coming to recognize many of the ways our society is harming the earth and its people.

One of the most challenging is global warming: it has been hard to detect with certainty. Its effects are delayed. It is irreversible on a human timescale. The only way to slow global warming is to reduce our carbon footprint. This won’t happen unless we all act together, in our personal lives, in our local communities, and in the global community.

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Open with prayer and then play some 'getting to know you' games. Introduce the theme Creation and Global Warming.

Ask the group in two’s or three’s to talk about things in God’s creation that make them happy. After two or three minutes get the group to share their thoughts.

Then, back in their two’s and three’s, ask them to explore these questions:

• Does the natural world make you more aware or appreciative of God? 
• How does nature help you to understand the character of God? 
• Have you experienced the fearsome or destructive quality of nature? If so how did it make you feel?

Take time for the group to feedback and share.

Comment: Although we know that God is with us always and in all places, there has been a tradition going back to biblical times of people having an experience of God in the natural world.

With the whole group:

• What examples can you name of biblical characters who have encountered God within the natural world?

Examples may include: Jesus (Matthew 4:1-11), John the Baptist
(Matthew 3:1-6), Moses (Exodus 3:1-6,19:1-6), Hagar (Genesis 16:6-13), Elijah (1 Kings 19:1-15),

If they are not able to suggest examples themselves, ask the group to look up some of the Bible passages above.

Read aloud Genesis 1:1-2:3. Since this reading is long, you may choose to have two people reading alternate verses.

Now lead a group discussion using the following questions: 

• What parts of God’s creation are amazing and what makes them amazing? 
• What does this suggest about how humans are to treat creation? 
• What qualities are needed for human life to flourish? 
• What qualities are needed for the natural world (plants, animals, land, etc.) to flourish?

Distribute copies of Bible Study Factsheet 1 Give the group time to read the factsheet. Lead a discussion using the questions

• From your reading of Genesis 1:1-2:3 what can you gather about God’s intentions for the balance of nature? 
• What is the greenhouse effect? 
• How does God provide for the survival of all living species? 
• What do you think happens to the created world when this balance is disrupted?

Using Psalm 148, divide the group into halves and have the two groups read alternate verses.