Skip to main content

Cosmission 2

The logic of cosmission starts at creation. God, Father, Son and Spirit, created the world (Gen 1:1-2; Jn 1:1-2; Col 1:16; Heb 1:1-3). He formed it and filled it with glorious vegetation and animal life. The process is disputed by 6-day literalists, old-earth creationists and theistic evolutionists and is not the point of this blog, but all authentic Christians agree: God created the heavens and the earth. He placed humanity in this world, male and female, in his image (Gen 1:27). This means, capable of relationship, creative, emotive, volitional and alive. The male and females are to become one, marrying and propogating the human race filling the earth, forming families of love and truth. Humanity was given 'ownership' in the sense of 'stewardship' for this world, the task of governing it and caring for it (Gen 1:28; 2:7).


This creation mandate lies at the heart of cosmission. The 'big picture' of humanity is utilising the wonderful gifts of God in creation and building the world of human society. It means exploring creation, reflecting its artistry and utilising the elements of creation to form a world. It means building community based on the agape of the Trinity, spreading out through the world, filling it with people and living in love. It is not a whimpish soft type of humanity that is in mind however, but a blend of nurture and courageous joyous exploration.

It is thus a tremendously exciting vision of God's image bearers graciously accepting his grace-offered gift of this world and their role as stewards, and building it. Ideally, they would do so within the boundaries he gives. Jumping ahead then, cosmission is seeking to live out the creation mandate of God to care for his world on his behalf, exploring it, utilising its resources, building with all that he has given us with beauty and love a glorious world.

I don't know about you, but I find this extraordinarily exciting. Cosmission!
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Ten Reasons Why A.J. Miller is NOT Jesus!

Note: Forgive me for the long blog, but this one really got me going! Last Sunday night on TV One's Sunday aired the report A.J. The Messiah. The program was the story of A.J. Miller in Queensland in Australia, who, unlike most of us, genuinely believes that he is Jesus. Miller appears at one level to be a normal Aussie bloke, in his early thirties, longish brown hair, unshaven, good looking, articulate and charismatic. Yet, unlike anyone I know but in the manner of other Messiah-claimants, he says without inhibition, "I am actually Jesus." He claims to remember vividly his former life and death including his experience of crucifixion. The memories supposedly began when he was 2 years old and realised later that he was Jesus around 33. In the program he writes on a white-board, "I am Jesus. Deal with it"—to applause from his congregation. He has disciples, some of whom claim to have been with him 2000 years ago including Mary Magdalene who is his "soul-ma
272 comments
Read more

Tribute to Stuart Lange

For anyone who is interested, I have attached my tribute to Rev Stuart Lange here. He is a legend! It was fun to roast him.... A Tribute to Stuart Lange, No Longer Vice Principal Community of Laidlaw… But still church history lecturer… so not a good bye, but my way of Saying Thanks to you for your years as VP Community… Stuart Lange, not Langey; or Longey; or not langgggg.. but Lange! Or, as I like to put it, S.lang… Slang… for good reason. Stuart Lange, history prof, a man who truly embodies his subject; the quintessential historical prof… Slightly eccentric, crooked smile, hooked and bent nose… you know he has a crook elbow too, took the dog for a walk, hit the chain, smashed the elbow… Of course the dog was unharmed… No Surprise, a lover of animals, each year looking after the animals at the Massey Christmas drive through, donkeys, lamas… etc… Then there is his Einsteinlich hair… kind of a wild man of Southland look… in fact… Stuart Lange A face a cartoonist would die for! The ne
491 comments
Read more

Evangelical Presbyterians’ Statement On Same Sex Marriage

I am involved in a group called Presbyterian Affirm. It is an evangelical group within the NZ Presbyterian Church which seeks to promote the gospel and the renewal of churches. A group of us under the leadership of Stuart Lange have worked to put together a statement on same-sex marriage. Our hope is that the government will not pass the legislation, believing that the legislation is not necessary and strays from God’s ideals for humanity. Here is the recently released statement. I would appreciate your thoughts on it. PRESBYTERIAN GROUP OPPOSES SAME-SEX MARRIAGE BILL Presbyterian AFFIRM, a widely-supported conservative network within the Presbyterian denomination, is speaking out against the Bill which would allow same-sex couples to marry, declaring its views in a “Statement on Marriage” (see below). Presbyterian AFFIRM believes that “marriage is a unique human institution and treasure” which has “always been about the pairing of a man and a woman”, and that re-definin
386 comments
Read more