urban eco-mission (paul ede)

URBAN CONSULTATION JUNE 2012 BELIEVING IN THE CITYBELIEVING IN THE CITYPaul EdePaul EdeUrban Eco‐mission: Brownfield Rehabilitation

Urban eco‐mission: healing the l d i h i d i l iland in the post‐industrial city

27th June 2012 Neopolis Urban Consultation 2012Believing in the City

Reconciliation Ecology?Reconciliation Ecology?


Research PaperResearch Paper

• Academia.edu to download my research– Urban eco‐mission: healing the land in the post‐g pindustrial city

• How can Clay Community Church more faithfully perform brownfield rehabilitation f i ?for community use?

• www.claychurch.org.uk


The Permanent Revolution: ApostolicImagination and Practice for the 21st Century ChurchImagination and Practice for the 21st Century Church

Alan Hirsch, Tim Catchim

“Incarnational mission, by its very nature, sparks i i l i i ”missional innovation”

It also sparks theological innovation


John 3:16John 3:16

• “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in yhim shall not perish but have eternal life.”

• What is the Greek word here translated• What is the Greek word here translated ‘world’?


Chris Sunderland The Dream that inspired the Bible (Earth Abbey, 2009)

• “The work of Christ has to be conceived, not in terms of a human‐oriented gospel, but in g pterms of a whole creation view.”


Christology Missiology EcclesiologyChristology, Missiology, Ecclesiology


Missional Christology in a nutshellMissional Christology in a nutshell

• Jesus is Lord (Colossians 1)• Jesus was born in a stable ( h ll )(Phillipians 2)


Church on the Move: New Church, New Generation, New Scotland Peter Neilson p39

• “Phillipians and Colossians offer us two Christologies and two missiologies. As Ray g g yBakke, the creative writer in Urban Mission, has pointed out: in his Bible Phillipians andhas pointed out: in his Bible Phillipians and Colossians sit side by side. The new Church for a new Generation will need that bifocalfor a new Generation will need that bifocal vision to follow this Christ.”


ENVIRONMENTAL MISSION IN POSSIL


STATISTICS ANDSTATISTICS AND QUOTES


• Glasgow has the largest amount of derelict and• Glasgow has the largest amount of derelict and vacant land in any of Scotland’s urban areas: by 2010 Glasgow City had 1,322 hectares (about 2,000Glasgow City had 1,322 hectares (about 2,000 football pitches), 12% of Scotland’s total. Glasgow is not only quantitatively but also qualitatively more blighted than other Scottish cities

• In 2010, 60% (803 hectares out of 1322 hectares) of Glasgow’s vacant and derelict land was located in areas of the city ranked in the top 15% of the S i h I d f M l i l D i i (SIMD)Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation (SIMD).

• Comparison of area measurements: 1 kilometre squared (km2) = 100 hectares (ha). 1 football pitch = 0.695 ha (assumption). 1 hectare (ha) = 2.47 acres.


• “in Possilpark, 100% of the population lives within 500 metres of derelict plots of land. pThis compares to a Glasgow‐wide average of 60 3% and a Scotland‐wide average of60.3%, and a Scotland wide average of 29.8%.”


• “The 2003 Review of Scotland’s Cities states that “there is clear and longstanding evidence g gthat vacant and derelict land is close to poorer households and that they do see it as a majorhouseholds and that they do see it as a major negative influence on their wellbeing, constituting an environmental injustice ”constituting an environmental injustice.”


• “Reduced access to quality greenspace has a negative impact on levels of physical activitynegative impact on levels of physical activity, diminishes an individual’s sense of wellbeing through fewer chances to interact with naturethrough fewer chances to interact with nature and socially, leaves children more likely to be

i ht d d lif toverweight and reduces life expectancy among older people”

• Glasgow Centre for Population Health ‘Health and the Physical Characteristics of Urban Neighbourhoods: Critical Literature Review’ Concepts Series Briefing Paper 2 (Online)e g bou oods C t ca te atu e e e Co cepts Se es ef g ape (O e)


Lisa Benton‐Short & John Rennie Short, Cities and Nature (Abingdon: Routledge, 2008) p10

• “In the early stages urban growth is small and• In the early stages urban growth is small and environmental impacts while strong are highly localised As the city moves into a morelocalised. As the city moves into a more industrialised mode of production, environmental degradation is more severe asenvironmental degradation is more severe as the environmental impacts are heavier and l l ti A th t dlonger lasting. As the economy matures and the people become more affluent, a greater

i i l d th lit f th bpremium is placed on the quality of the urban environment.”


QuestionQuestion

• The evangelical church helped meet the public health needs of city of Glasgow during its y g gindustrial phase of growth– Loch Katrine Water Supply to the slums– Loch Katrine Water Supply to the slums

• Why shouldn’t it do the same during this current phase?– Greenspace redevelopmentp p


Tony Campolo How to Rescue the Earth Without Worshipping Nature (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1992) p139

“Th bi i i f A i f h h• “The big cities of America are, for the most part, on the verge of bankruptcy. As these cities cut their spending, one of the first things to go is any ongoing program toone of the first things to go is any ongoing program to plant trees. ‘But trees are a fundamental building block of a healthy urban environment,’ says Dan Smith y , yof the American Forestry Association...This kind of tree planting is a whole new kind of missionary work for b h b f h h hurban Christians. It becomes a way for the church to

say ‘we care’ to the rest of the community and for Christians to live out their calling to rescue dyingChristians to live out their calling to rescue dying creation.”


FROM SPACE TOFROM SPACE TO PLACE

Good sites for sore eyesGood sites for sore eyes


The Clay PitThe Clay Pit


Quadrupal ListeningQuadrupal Listening

• Understanding Possil from the perspective of a child who grew up hereg p– Triple listening – Graham Cray

• Assuming that Christ was Lord of everything• Assuming that Christ was Lord of everything– Quadruple listening?


Bats, Beasties and Buried Treasure ,30th June 2012


Possil MeadowPossil Meadow


Brothers PathBrothers Path


Guerilla GardeningGuerilla Gardening


CHRISTOLOGYCHRISTOLOGY


Christ as the New TempleChrist as the New Adam/New

dGardenerChrist as the Tree of Life


A healed city land includedA healed city – land included

• 1 Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb 2 down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for

3the healing of the nations. 3 No longer will there be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve him. Rev. 21


Genesis 2:9Genesis 2:9

• And the LORD God made all kinds of trees grow out of the ground ‐ trees that were g gpleasing to the eye and good for food. In the middle of the garden were the tree of life andmiddle of the garden were the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.


1 Peter 2:241 Peter 2:24

• He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for grighteousness; by his wounds you have been healedhealed.


PNEUMATOLOGYPNEUMATOLOGY


I will heal their landI will heal their land

• “If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face p y yand turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and I will forgive their sinhear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” 2 Chron. 7:14


Healing of the Dead Sea Ezekiel 47Healing of the Dead Sea – Ezekiel 47Then he led me back to the bank of the river. 7 When I arrived there, I

t b f t h id f th i 8 H id tsaw a great number of trees on each side of the river. 8 He said to me, “This water flows toward the eastern region and goes down into the Arabah,[b] where it enters the Dead Sea. When it empties into the sea the salty water there becomes fresh 9 Swarms of livinginto the sea, the salty water there becomes fresh. 9 Swarms of living creatures will live wherever the river flows. There will be large numbers of fish, because this water flows there and makes the salt water fresh; so where the river flows everything will live 10water fresh; so where the river flows everything will live. Fishermen will stand along the shore; from En Gedi to En Eglaimthere will be places for spreading nets. The fish will be of many kinds—like the fish of the Mediterranean Sea. 11 But the swamps pand marshes will not become fresh; they will be left for salt. 12 Fruit trees of all kinds will grow on both banks of the river. Their leaves will not wither, nor will their fruit fail. Every month they will bear fruit, because the water from the sanctuary flows to them. Their fruit will serve for food and their leaves for healing.”


Healing of the water in JerichoHealing of the water in Jericho

2 Ki 2 19 22• 2 Kings 2: 19‐22• 19 The people of the city said to Elisha, “Look, our lord, thi t i ll it t d b t th tthis town is well situated, as you can see, but the water is bad and the land is unproductive.” 20 “Bring me a new bowl ” he said “and put salt in it ” So they broughtnew bowl, he said, and put salt in it. So they brought it to him. 21 Then he went out to the spring and threw the salt into it, saying, “This is what the LORD says: ‘I y g yhave healed this water. Never again will it cause death or make the land unproductive.’” 22 And the water has

i d t thi d di t th d Eli hremained pure to this day, according to the word Elisha had spoken.


Salt of the EarthSalt of the Earth

• Matthew 5:13• What did Jesus mean when he called us to beWhat did Jesus mean when he called us to be salt of the earth?


MISSIOLOGYMISSIOLOGY


Faithful empowerment through brownfield rehabilitation: a schema


EnterEnter

Th E h i ll h h ill• The Enter phase is really a preparatory phase that will be required in a context where no existing incarnational Christian witness exists relying onincarnational Christian witness exists, relying on relocated leaders not just indigenous ones. The Enter phase requires a kenotic, incarnational movement back p q ,into communities of deprivation affected by brownfield blight to live among the community. Or as the Twelve

k f d b “ lMarks of New Monasticism describe it: “relocation to the abandoned places of Empire.” This is the foundation for new possibilities of connectionfoundation for new possibilities of connection

• Listening is key.


SeeSee

h h id ifi d i b• The See phase was identified as important by participants because, in their experience, initiating practical transformative action attracts attention and creates for local people an alternative vision of how their local spaces could be transformed. This has generated significant conversation and practical support among our neighbours and enabled reconnection between local people and the church.


CallCall

• Seeing provides a platform for the Call phase in which the call of God is articulated to neighbours and friends to participate in the work they have seen Whether expressed inwork they have seen. Whether expressed in religious jargon or not, a call needs to be made to invite people into the unfoldingmade to invite people into the unfolding, relational story of the Kingdom of God. The call phase begins the process of reconnecting residents with God and the land.


ActAct

• Response to this call results in the Act phase which is participatory, collaborative and p p yfocussed on discovering and releasing the gifts of both the church and the community intoof both the church and the community into brownfield rehabilitation


OwnOwn

• This activity in turn generates the capacity to Own the results. These phases cement preconnection between the church, land and residents Pride surfaces and passion for theresidents. Pride surfaces and passion for the work embeds itself.

• Peter and strimming• Addison and joining inAddison and joining in


ValueValue

hi i l d f l b i• This, in turn, leads to a new sense of Value being placed on the newly transformed public place, hi h b f t Th V lwhich before was mere vacant space. The Value

phase also captures the idea of residents discovering their value in God as reconnectiondiscovering their value in God as reconnection with Christ is facilitated. Then the cycle begins again with a new set of local peopleagain, with a new set of local people demonstrating the possibilities afresh, and the possibility of ongoing mentoring/discipleshippossibility of ongoing mentoring/discipleship from existing participants.


A FOURTH “R”A FOURTH R

• it may be appropriate to add a fourth “R” (Rehabilitation) to John Perkin’s mantra for ( )urban mission of Relocation, Reconciliation and Redistribution This might help to stressand Redistribution. This might help to stress the importance of land reform and environmental justice in his approachenvironmental justice in his approach.– Mark Gornik To Live In Peace: Biblical Faith and the Ch i I Cit (USA E d 2002) 169 f 3R’ +Changing Inner City (USA: Eerdmans, 2002) p169 for 3R’s + repentance


Faithful empowerment through brownfield rehabilitation: a schema


• the Christian practice that most readily captures faithful reconciliation ecology is p gyhospitality ‐ practiced towards creation. This suggests finding creative ways to proactivelysuggests finding creative ways to proactively welcome flora and fauna back into Possilpark on its own terms rather than a transformingon its own terms, rather than a transforming community space just for our benefit.


ECCLESIOLOGYECCLESIOLOGY


Greenbelt Movement ‘Heaven Is Green ‐An Interview With Wangari Maathai’

• “If we could make [Easter] Monday a day of regeneration, revival, of being reborn, of finding l i b i h h i ld bsalvation by restoring the Earth, it would be a great

celebration of Christ’s resurrection. After all, Christ was ifi d th I li ht t h I lcrucified on the cross. In a light touch, I always say,

somebody had to go into the forest, cut a tree, and chop it up for Jesus to be crucified What a greatchop it up for Jesus to be crucified. What a great celebration of his conquering [death] it would be if we were to plant trees on Easter Monday in thanksgiving ”were to plant trees on Easter Monday in thanksgiving.

• (Online: http://www.greenbeltmovement.org/a.php?id=115– accessed 24‐12‐11)


Tree Planting EucharistTree‐Planting Eucharist


CONCLUSIONCONCLUSION


• “nature‐deficit disorder describes the human costs of alienation from nature, among them: diminished use of the senses, attention difficulties, and higher rates of physical and , g p yemotional illnesses. The disorder can be detected in individuals, families anddetected in individuals, families and communities.”

• This disconnection from nature is an additional• This disconnection from nature is an additional, and rarely discussed, poverty affecting Possilpark


Richard Louv Last Child in the Woods (London: Atlantic Books, 2010) p300

• Paul Gorman, National Religious Partnership for the environment: “The extent that we separate our children from creation is the extent to which we separate them from theextent to which we separate them from the creator – from God... any religious faith that acts as an accomplice to this separation isacts as an accomplice to this separation is heretical and sinful.”


DiscussDiscuss

• To what extent do you agree that separating people from creation separates people from p p p p pGod the creator?

• To what extent do you think that• To what extent do you think that evangelicalism has been an accomplice in

l fseparating people from creation?• Has evangelicalism embraced heresy?Has evangelicalism embraced heresy?


urban eco-mission (paul ede)

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