Author: Jonathan Dodson

Environmental Discipleship (Pt 1)

Posted on August 26, 2010

In an age of global warming, Kyoto debate, and environmental policy, many Christians find themselves unsure how to respond. Who is telling the truth about the effect of carbon emissions, deforestation, and so on? What is the environmental responsibility of a disciple of Jesus?

Authentic Christian faith requires ecological obedience.

Ecological Obedience

Steven Bouma-Prediger tackles this topic in For the Beauty of the Earth: a Christian vision for creation care. His central thesis is that authentic Christian faith requires ecological obedience. What is our ecology? Working through various words (environment, nature, creation), he settles on the term “earth” to designate the realm that God has created and that man is responsible for.

We care for only what we love. We love only what we know. We truly know only what we experience.

We Love What We Know

He explores various spheres of earthly responsibility–lakes, mountains, forests–noting in striking detail the sheer creativity of God. The Blue Creek National Park in Belize contains over 3,300 different species of birds! In Costa Rica alone there are 550 species of butterflies. Lavish! But do we care? He notes: “We care for only what we love. We love only what we know. We truly know only what we experience.” So true. So here’s some knowledge for you:

  • Deforestation rates equal the elimination of one state of Indiana a year.
  • The hungry of our world fit 18 times around the equator.
  • 11% of birds and mammals are threatened by extinction.
  • Only 53% of the global population has potable water.
  • The hottest 14 years of recent history have been since 1980.

Scientific debate is not over whether or not the earth is warming up, but how much and how fast it will accelerate and what the consequences will be. Add to this population boom, waste production, loss of biodiversity, energy misuse, and water scarcity and we have a problem. The earth is not being cared for adequately. It is groaning.



4 Reasons I’m Excited about the GCM Conference!

Posted on August 25, 2010

Here are four reasons why I’m excited about the GCM Collective Conference, which is just two months away Oct 28-30!

(1) Practioner-tested Missional Community Training: There’s a lot of talk about missional communities but few are planting, multiplying, and leading missional communities with time tested results. Drawing on years of experience, many of the breakouts specialize in training people in missional community leadership. Whether you have missional communities or not, these breakouts will equip you to lead a more missionally effective church.

(2) Top Notch Theological Reflection on Mission: With the emergence of the Missional Church, do we truly know the state of mission in America? Who do we need to engage with the Gospel? How can we engage them effectively? Are there missional structures and approaches to discipleship that have proven effective? Ed Stetzer and Jeff Vanderstelt will address these issues from the stage, while breakouts push these insights through into everyday practice.

(3) The Collective Experience: The Collective experience has the power to equip and galvanize gospel movement well beyond the conference! It groups missional leaders together who share an affinity in their mission, i.e. megachurches, urban context, small church plants, house churches, suburban context, helping them to process GCM conference content through their similar challenges and experiences. This shared learning will encourage and strengthen people in their mission. Plus, an online community will be available for the shared learning to continue!

(4) The Centrality of the Gospel in Mission: The conference will not make best practice central to mission but our grasp and communication of the Gospel of Jesus Christ! We will devote an entire plenary to clarifying what the Gospel is. In confusing times, this will help us clarify and clasp this remarkable good news we have been entrusted with.

A Wife That is Hard to Find

Posted on August 23, 2010

I’m back.

After two weeks of vacation, two weeks of teaching, preaching, serving in Uganda, a weekend speaking in Phoenix, AZ, and way too many airplanes, I’m back with my family, back to my church, back in my great city, Austin, TX. I’m so glad to be back. I’m eager to work out new ideas and to spend time with old friends.

A Missional Wife is Hard to Find

But first things first. I landed at 7:00 last night, the day of my wife’s birthday, and spent a wonderful evening with her (thanks for the babysitting Jackie). Without Robie none of the above would be possible. She supports so much ministry. She does so much ministry. She loves people well. While I was gone she did an interview with Tribeza, made dresses, threw parties, a wedding shower, took care of our children, counseled and discipled others, renovated my office, and found out she was pregnant with our third!

A Wonderful Wife is Hard to Find

I love my wife. I love her for who she is not just what she does, but what she does is an expression of who she is. She loves. She puts people first. She pursue others when others don’t pursue her. She brings life, joy, and wisdom into our family, community and city. I’m excited about bringing another eternal soul into the world with her. She makes great babies. She makes for an outstanding partner in the Gospel. But most of all, she makes life great, for me and for others because she is great. She is a great woman whom I don’t deserve. And I realize, during all these travels, that a woman like Robie is hard to find. I love you, hon.

Today I’ll be enjoying my family. We’ll rejoice in the grace that God gives us. We’ll eat, laugh, tickle, play, shop, exercise and other fun stuff in the security of our Heavenly Father’s love. What more could a man ask for? I doing better than I deserve!