RENEW 2010: This Year's Theme

As we think about the RENEW conference, February 19-21, we want to make sure that we keep times of exciting and moving worship. These periods of praise allow God's Spirit to move mightily within, triggering renewal and giving us strength to carry on. I praise God that we have Sandra Henderson and a tremendous praise team here. They can lead us right up to the throne of our glorious Creator, causing us to fall on our knees in humility and awe.

As we fill our cups in the presence of the Almighty, we also need to remember why he gifts us. God pours out His Spirit on us so that we might bless the nations. He gifts us so that we might pass His gifts along to others. "It is too small a thing for us to simply bless ourselves," said Isaiah. "Instead God wants to make us a light to the nations" (my paraphrase). We worship, but a key component of worship is service. And we serve God by remembering and fulfilling our obligation to care for the world and for each other. We have a mission!

The theme for our conference is "New Beginnings: Creation as the Source of Worship and Mission." Our focus will be on the creation and on God as Creator.

The creation narrative shapes our faith in ways great and small. The power of our Creator God is one of the great paradigms of the Bible. In recent times, however, the story of creation has become a battle ground for Christians to argue about young earth/old earth theories. The focus on the “how” of creation has distracted us from the “who, what and why” of Genesis 1-2.

Scripture is full of references to creation and to God’s creative powers.

The Book of Psalms contains many references to the majesty of the created order and our Maker:

Psalm 8 “When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars that you have established…”
Psalm 19 “The heavens declare the glory of God…”

Psalm 89 “The heavens are yours, the earth also is yours; the world and all that is in it—you have founded them.”

Psalm 90 “Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever you had formed the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God.”

Psalm 95 “For the Lord is the great God, the great King above all gods. In his hands are the depths of the earth … the sea is his, he made it.”

Psalm 100 “It is he that made us, and we are his.”

Psalm 104 “You set the earth on its foundations, so that it shall never be shaken.”

Psalm 115 “May you be blessed by the Lord, who made heaven and earth.”

Psalm 136 “Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good … who by understanding made the heavens.”

Psalm 139 “I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.”

Psalm 148 “Praise the Lord, ye heavens adore him. Praise him angels in the heights.”

Psalm 150 “Let all the breath praise him.”

The psalmists testify that our Creator is worthy of our praise and honor. Worship finds renewed meaning in a healthy understanding of a God who creates. When we lift our eyes up to the heavens, to the Maker of heaven and earth, our response should be one of awe and admiration.

Mission also finds its purpose in the creation story. God gave us a job to do: “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over … every living thing that moves upon the earth.” Our understanding of this commission greatly affects our sense of mission. God gave us a job, and we have to take our responsibility seriously. But just what does it mean to care for the earth? For one thing, we cannot abdicate our role as God’s co-workers in restoring the created order to a rightful relationship with God. But we also can’t be arrogant since our role is bounded by the sovereign Creator of the universe. Whatever we do on this earth had better bring honor and glory to him!