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What is Creations Joy? And what is Green Orthopraxy?
Creations Joy! is a publication, now preparing for its fourth issue, with news, essays, and information about the Orthodox Church and the Environment.
Green Orthopraxy is a network of Orthodox Christians concerned with Creation.
Why "CREATION'S JOY!"
- A message from the Publisher
A criticism often levied against those who speak up about the protection of the Earth is that "those environmentalists are all doom and gloom." And without intentionally meaning to be, topics such as polluted riverbeds, ozone depletion, global warming, species reduction, unsustainable economies/technologies, overpopulation, environmental health threats, and environmental racism are of such a serious nature that even addressing one of them on a small scale may be an invitation to despair. But the Orthodox Christian conviction of a Risen Christ who calls all of Creation into the New Life of the Kingdom so that the Universe can be transfigured can clearly view the tragic consequences of sin without giving into the temptation of despair which is a further excuse for lethargy and self indulgence. And so while this newsletter pertains very directly to the natural environment it is also dedicated, not to Creation's hopelessness, but to Creation's joy! And what is the joy of Creation? Four things come to my mind that Creation delights in:
- 1 -
- Creation finds joy in her Bridegroom, the Lord Jesus Christ who stands ready to receive Creation as a Bride. For the Church's destiny concerns the whole universe and the Marriage Supper of the Lamb spoken of in Revelations 19:7-9 (of which the Mystical Supper of the Eucharist is a foretaste and participation in) is an event when the Creator and Creation will "wed" or become united in a mutually interpenetrating unity of love.
- 2 -
- Creation finds her joy in the Mother of God, who was the fruit of Creation carefully brought to ripened spiritual maturity upon the tree of Jesse (see Isaiah 11:1) of which she was the branch who brought forth the flower of salvation in giving birth to her Son, our Saviour, Jesus Christ. In her person, the Theotokos manifested the glory of the whole created world being a fellow creature and yet mother of the Incarnate Creator.
- 3 -
- Creation finds her joy in us when we become what our Creator intended us to be: priests of a cosmic Eucharist offering back to God the gifts He gave to us, gifts which we have partaken of and marked with the seal of our labor. The longing for such a fulfillment of joy on Creation's behalf is expressed by St. Paul, "the whole creation has been groaning in travail together" (Romans 8:22)... "for the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the children of God" (Romans 8:19).
- 4 -
- Creation finds her joy in her own beauty. Who among us has not once gazed at a starry sky, or listened to the rhythm of the ocean wave breaking against the sand or watched a dog at play or listened to the mummers of creatures at sunset and not felt the rapt amazement of a wondrous moment. But nature's beauty is not meant to be a superfluous offering of an otherwise well reasoned, well ordered universe. For if in every anatomical structure of a life form and in every naturally occurring chemical mixture in the atmosphere and in every relation between two organisms in a given ecosystem there can be said to be a function discernible to the astute observer, than the beauty that arises from the sum total of the universe's intricately and complexly balanced harmony has a function as well - to declare the presence, wisdom and overflowing love of a caring Creator and Sustainer of life.
May this newsletter contribute to your personal joy as well as encourage you further in your commitment to be a responsible steward upon God's majestic Earth.
- Charles Bradley, publisher
Thank you, for visiting the Creation's Joy! Homepage!
Check back again soon for more!
Subscriptions:
To subscribe to Creation's Joy! please send a check for $15.00 (U.S.) payable to Charles J. Bradley (with a note on the check "Green Orthopraxy" and send it to P.O.Box 7238, Cumberland, R.I. 02864. Please send the following information for your subscription:
Submissions:
Green Orthopraxy publishes Creation's Joy four times a year. Submissions may be any of the following: news items, essays, poems photos, even cartoons... all relevant to the them of the newsletter: Orthodoxy and the environment. Articles about parish or household projects, ascetic living, environmental health issues, environmental soundness and energy efficiency of church buildings, toxic waste issues relevant to a particular Orthodox community, the question of Orthodox involvement in environmental/social activism are especially appreciated. Articles should be no longer than two pages in length. If at all possible, send articles on a 3.5 inch IBM compatible disc in TXT format and also a hard copy. Submissions can be returned if you send a self-addressed stamped envelope. We hope you would like to subscribe to Creation's Joy! The legal, non-profit status of Green Orthopraxy is still in development so I cannot say that your contributions at this time are tax deductible. It is hoped that will be the case by the publication of the next issue.
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