Richard Nelson Update
Dear Friends of Sola Roof,
It's great to make acquaintance with Mel Landers and all the others on this list [ANPRC List] - I invite you all to share this message with your friends of Faith and particularly with your Christian brothers and sisters so that we may see what response there may be. I wish to find further confirmation of a belief I have begun to entertain: that this medium of the internet that is permitting us to communicate with each other - around the world from east to west in a flash - that this is a Providential Gift from God. I feel that He has given us this gift in these later days - that is: internet communication and collaboration technology for a definite Purpose.
Like all tools, the internet can be used for good or bad or the trivial. But the greatest Good we could do is to use this tool for Kingdom work. We have been tasked to build God's Kingdom "on earth as it is in heaven". And we know that this work only, among all human activities, has the power to end hunger and poverty and give each one of the human family the heritage that God has destined.
We have Christian communities that have built "Crystal Cathedrals" and multi-million dollar "campuses" - so it is not beyond expectation to think that we could build a demonstration "Green Church?”. We could unite in worldwide Internet collaboration, using an open and transparent design process and merit based consensus decision process to bring to bear all the inspired talent available. A true participatory system would be used to reach out to all Christians and people of faith who wish to collaborate. A collective effort would be made to fund, design, build and operate this project for the greater Glory of God. A competition would take place to select the first host communities for the Green Church? initiative and a process put in place to support their replication across the world community and in any community of Faith. The know-how will be Open Source: accessible, affordable, appropriate and adaptable to the local needs. As Christ our Redeemer said: He desires to see us, his children, acting in unity and with a single purpose: to know Him and to do His Will in our lives.
He also desires to see us reaching out to aid and assist all communities in need, seeing people everywhere as our brothers and sisters - even those "who despise" us. Only our action can redeem us, since as we stand before Him we are all convicted for our disobedient acts and our failure to act according to His Word. He has told us very clearly how, at the end, he will know us who on seeing our brothers in need, acted; while them who did nothing he will not recognize. [Matthew 25:33 He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.] (In context: Matthew 25:32-34 for the complete text visit: http://www.biblegateway.com)
I am certain that all Christians who have been born into a personal relationship with Christ know in their hearts that we must find our way to "sustainable living" and assist others to do the same. Does not Christ teach that if we first align ourselves with God's Will that He will then take care for all of our needs; that he will GIVE us our daily bread? Is not this the very core concept behind sustainability; that God's Design is the great Pattern that we must follow to secure forever our protection, sustenance and our well being?
Therefore our dwelling place [Revelation 21: 3; And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God"] must be a design inspired by our faith in His Promises. We must find our "natural" place; our sacred space. And this space will have different aspects for the perfection of our lives at home, at work, at play and recreation, in the community, in commerce and especially in His sacred space - as reflected in our Churches. Therefore we must conclude that all our design efforts are but attempts to reflect in our creations His perfect act of Creation.
By taking up this challenge to perfect our dwelling places we should let in the spirit of revelation; and open the door for the Holy Spirit to walk in. Then our "Green Building" and "Sustainable Living" initiatives will have a greater chance to realize and demonstrate in our lifestyles and in our communities His perfect purpose in our lives. When Christ said "by their fruits you will know them" He was he speaking of a special work that we are commissioned to achieve in the later days - is building Green Churches? one aspect of this work?
I believe I have posed enough questions so I better end with saying that I am extremely interested in your answers so please do reply by creating your own page with a link at the Green Church Vision page.
Further, please note that I would like to have a reply from ALL of you who wish be involved (rather than lurking on the sidelines) in further discussion. We need to build a Team and a Plan. Thanks so much.
Your friend in Christ, Rick
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