“Our Responsibility for the Earth and Animal Kingdom” Video:
A video project for The Humanitarian Church. Describes the issues of consumerism as it affects the earth, humans and non-humans alike, what God intended for creation, and encourages us all to learn about what we can do to change our lifestyles to live more fully into the peaceful, vegan vision that God intends for all creation.
As with most things we realize there is more to be said after the final edit and publish! In the video, mention is made of several areas in which to do more research – animals for food, vivisection, animals for sport, entertainment, the puppy mill and cattery atrocity, domestic animal abuse. Important areas to research also but not mentioned are animals for sport and canned hunting. A fabulous resource for an in-depth study of the issues at hand today is the book, “Dominion: The Power of Man, The Suffering of Animals, and The Call to Mercy” by Matthew Scully. Scully does a fantastic job of providing a thorough education on all of these subjects.
In the video I make mention of Shepherding All God’s Creatures Blog, you can find the blog, Facebook page, Animal Christian Concern – ACC (SAGC’s sister Facebook page) and SAGC Prayer Group all here at this link: https://shepherdingcreation.com
Interviews With May Tripp”, founder of Animal Christian Concern
1. EXCELLENT 5 MINUTE interview with May Tripp (Founder of Animal Christian Concern in 1985) recorded for Yorkshire TV back in 1990. I find it interesting that the same deeply held beliefs that we Christian Animal Welfarists are proclaiming now, were all proclaimed with great strength and clarity 30 years ago, confirming and reinforcing our stance today!
2. ROW BREWS OVER ANIMAL SERVICE – May Tripp (ACC Founder), was understandably feeling quite angry when she did this 5 minute interview for YTV at our 1995 Ripon Cathedral Service! Despite mass protests, the UK Government refused to ban the live export trade, so she reluctantly suggested the export of carcasses of animals that had been slaughtered in this country instead (the lesser of two evils). The Bishop, in his sermon, seemed to side with the farmers and exporters, who were angry that we were praying for animals! However, he did later write to apologise to us. In our ‘ACC Newsletter’ May wrote:
“The ‘Church Times’ carried an article headed, “Row Brews Over Animal Service”. The article then explained that in our Service there would be prayer for animals exported live and for those that are factory farmed. It gave, for ACC, my own views on live exports, expressed a concern of Bishop Malcolm Menin, which suggested that our anxieties about live exports might be overstated, and gave comments from farmers. “My hackles rise, as a farmer, at the unfairness of the way we’re being treated …” said one; and a spokesman for the NFU claimed that live animal transport was a legal trade but admitted that it was a complex issue which “exercised the farmers of Britain greatly”.
Within 24 hours I was receiving telephone calls from the media, which continued for the next three weeks and eventually I had spoken at length to, or given taped recordings to, Yorkshire Post, Yorkshire Evening Post, Northern Echo, Radio York, Radio Leeds, Premier Christian Radio, London, Tyne Tees TV, Yorkshire Television, Radio Scotland Religious Broadcasting (which was broadcast by co-operation with Radio Leeds) and perhaps most unexpectedly of all I spent almost an hour on the phone – half way through my washing up and in rubber gloves as I remember – to an impeccably spoken reporter from the Church of Sweden Newspaper who went into the minutest detail of every aspect of our work. One result of this media interest was a ‘Five Minutes’ production for Yorkshire Television which was filmed at our Ripon Cathedral Service and which was based largely on the issue of live exports.
The astounding aspect about all this media interest was that at the centre of it was controversy about PRAYER! As the Yorkshire Post reported it:
“Farmers Angry Over Prayer For Animals”! How often it is said that prayer is a non-activity leading to nothing? Well it certainly led to something this summer and a result of the controversy was that a major part of the ACC ‘Alpha and Omega’ Prayer, described by the Yorkshire Post as “controversial”, was printed in secular news items and read out on radio! NFU spokesman, Robin Craddock, referring to our ACC Intercessions said angrily: “It’s a red rag to a bull!” And what was he so angry about? Our prayer: “Give us, O God, the penitence to raise your suffering creatures before you for your justice, mercy and blessing.”
“Bring Lolita Home”, words and music by Bruce Coughlan
This video is a stunning piece of work, the words in the song evoke emotion as does the melody, as to Lolita’s plight and the callousness of man to keep her captive in a pool that for her is like what a human would experience living in a bathtub (she was captured in 1970 and has remained in this pool since). Here are the words of the first lyrics of the video:
“Forty-five years is a long haul Trapped inside these prison walls Doesn’t time slip by at a crawl, Lolita? Can someone tell me, what was your crime? To take you away from all of your kind? Lost and afraid for such a long time, Lolita?”
For more information about Lolita and the latest news as activists push to have her released to a sea sanctuary and eventually, back home to her native waters: http://www.salishsea.org/Tokitae/?fbclid=IwAR2sdmr5RRtcQhYdYYDNpxkE8bEOMFVBqAZzfeSo8lwOhkXG-stjycGlZc4
“Why Did God Accept Abel’s Sacrifice and Not Cain’s?” by Craig Wescoe
In this video Craig discusses why God accepted Abel’s gift but not Cain’s (Genesis 4) as well as what can be learned from the account and applied to our own lives.
For more in-depth about this subject from Craig, go here: https://swords2plowshares.com/why-did-god-favor-abels-gift-but-not-cains/
Steve Chalke on Animal Welfare – Sarx:
This video speaks to the heart of Shepherding All God’s Creatures Blog and Prayer Group Ministry! The foundation of Christian living is to live a life of justice, put others first, not abuse or exploit or use for our own best benefit other creatures or other things on earth but to lift up and to nurture all that God has created.
Maybelle’s Story, from Gentle Barn:
My friend Jill lives in Tennessee now. I am so sad that we don’t get to see each other much, but very happy for her and her family, they love it there! And, Jill and her family went to The Gentle Barn!! They met Dudley the cow (scroll down to the video of his story!), and this sanctuary is an amazing place I am told! The founders live their mission statement, gently and non-judgmentally sharing the story of their animals in hopes of changing the minds and hearts of people everywhere to see animals as the sentient, marvelous creatures that they are – not that much different from humans in so many ways!! The bond between baby and mother is strong in all creatures, human and non-human. Watch Maybelle’s story and see for yourself just one example of this precious bond!
Diablo, renamed Spirit, the Abused Leopard:
Remarkable video! Humans do not know how to communicate with animals, but I believe we did at one time, and that we will again. It starts with learning more about who they are as sentient beings – all of them. When instead of using them as tools, commodities, utilities, food, and getting to know them, perhaps we can arrest our poor treatment of them and begin caring for the earth and all that is in it more appropriately. Oh God, for the day when all your creatures can lie down in safety with one another. No more fear, or aggression with one another or with us. (Isaiah 11:6-9) They will no longer fear us, as they will have no reason to once we are transformed into the sons and daughters of God. (Romans 8:18-25) I pray for that day to come quickly, and for humans to wake up to our mandate of manifesting this kingdom, this new earth now until he does come and fully restore the entire creation.
The New Earth:
This short video is stunning – what creation from the beginning was supposed to be until sin – anything that separates us from the love of God Spiritually that also brought about separation physically from God – brought us the broken-ness we know all too well now in the earth – among people, animals, the earth itself.
Sit back, relax and enjoy – imagine the earth renewed and as it should be, with all his creatures along with us enjoying the fullness of the Father’s presence and the Son’s reign over us all – let the Spirit flow through you and renew your spirit with His, and remember:
“Eye has not seen, nor ear heard,
Nor have entered into the heart of man
The things which God has prepared for those who love Him.”
1 Corinthians 2:9
“Give Me Jesus”:
This video of Billy Graham speaking to crowds of people to come to Christ carries the essence of the Christian faith. It is what the Bible is all about, the culmination of the story of man, his fall, his Living God coming as a man to live the life Adam did not, in order to defeat Satan’s work, provide us a means of redemption, and carry our forsaken-ness with him to the grave, which was the consequence of stepping outside the covenant relationship boundaries designed by the Father for humans to live within for the protection of the entire creation in the Garden of Eden at the beginning of their story. Stepping outside these boundaries left them without a Captain. Mankind bought Satan’s lie that he could judge for him or herself right from wrong and they thought they did not need God’s help; the first humans truly thought they “could be like God” as Satan told them. And to this day, this is the crux of mankind – and the root of ALL our troubles. We try to live without God at the center of our lives individually and corporately. We are left with a hole in our lives that craves the kind of life that ONLY the Living God can provide – a hole that has such an insatiable hunger for love and wholeness, for peace and well-being, that mankind tries to fill himself on everything around him, including the creation itself, destroying it – while remaining empty if not even emptier.
Have a listen to Billy Graham’s message and to Fernando Ortega’s song. Come to the foot of the Cross of Christ!! Allow HIM to give you the LIFE that ONLY He can and fill the hole that is hungry for HIM! By God’s design, we were created by Him to experience wholeness only through Him.
The Dudley Story:
This is the story of Dudley the cow. Only a baby, he was shipped to auction and ended up at a cattle ranch, to be fattened up and slaughtered. Dudley had gotten tangled in some bailing twine, cutting off all circulation to his foot, severing it completely. Hobbling around on 3 legs, his body began deteriorating – he was heading down a path to destruction. The rancher took pity on him and called the Gentle Barn. Dudley went through multiple surgeries, and had a prosthetic fitted. Watch Dudley’s transformation from pain and misery to renewed life and joy. Dudley shows us how a kind and playful spirit can help guide us through life’s toughest challenges. He spends his life at the Gentle Barn Tennessee, where he helps children and adults find the courage and wisdom to persevere through their own life challenges.
A Mother’s Grief:
This video is a testimony as to the way that life for animals is, while also being a testimony as to the way it should be and isn’t……while showing the audience they feel and suffer in as much as we do when losing their offspring. It is not graphic.
The Theology of Christian Veganism:
This is a very good video of what the bible says about veganism. The bible does give us permission to eat meat, there is no doubt. The bible also says a lot about being loving and merciful in ALL we do. The way that animals are treated today in much of the industries that bring us food, clothing made of animal skins, vivisection, animals in entertainment, animal sports, are not loving or merciful. We should consider whether partaking in the products from them fit ethical and moral standards of our calling as Kingdom people. We are here to be set apart from the cultures that surround us, putting on display the character of the Father just as Jesus did, in a fitting fashion given the times we live in. God cares about animals (Prov 12:10; Matt 10:29 are just two verses). We will be judged on our treatment of them (Hab 2:17; Rev 11:18).
Feature Video “Shalom:”
This sermon describes the heart of SAGC blog and FB page. The Kingdom of God – our relationship with the Father, each other, human dominion over the earth and animal kingdom that was intended by God for Humans to experience, is described very well in this video.
What We Can Do To End World Hunger:
This video is from the EVOLVE! Campaigns Organization in the UK. More about EVOLVE! here:
The Personality of Cows:
This is who cows REALLY are! Watch, and enjoy… Not graphic!!
In this day and age where we have made animals into commodities and utilities, may videos like this awaken us to a side of animals (cows in this instance) that we squelch and destroy – their spirit, their livelihood, their individuality! Each one is truly an individual.
Man:
When I first saw this video I thought how well it depicts what mankind in his fallen state is doing to the earth and animal kingdom.
The Story of Stuff:
This educational video tells the story of consumerism – exactly how the world is fed a constant stream of stuff that keeps us busy, spiritually empty, and is completely trashing the planet. It doesn’t talk directly about animals, but as you watch you can plainly see why we are headed towards a mass extinction of species. “Where our treasure is, there also will be our hearts.” (Matthew 6:21) Perhaps were mankind to begin “storing up for ourselves treasure in heaven” (Matthew 6:20) God would fill our hearts to overflowing and we would no longer need to fill up by creating all this stuff. We would see what a heavenly treasure the natural earth and the animal kingdom – all that God created in all it’s wonder and beauty and magnificence – really are. We can only get LIFE from God.
The Anabaptist response to war/violence:
In this 5 minute video, Bruxy Cavey, the teaching pastor at The Meeting House in Toronto Canada, talks about the power of bad ideas. Using scripture from 2 Corinthians 10: “For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.”
Though animals are not mentioned, one can take the ideas expressed here, and apply this knowledge to how we should also “set ourselves against” the pretensions that cause harm to all that God has made. Therefore, “taking every thought captive to make it obedient to Christ” we create a peaceful world around us beginning in our thoughts, not partaking in and speaking up about (setting ourselves against) that which destroys and does not build up, nourish, or care for creation.
“All acts performed in the world begin in the imagination.”
— Barbara Grizzuti Harrison
Circus Lion Freed From Captivity:
In this short video, one is able to see the joy and absolute sentience of this beautiful creature! All of God’s creation is meant to experience the earth – the grass beneath the feet, paws, hoofs; the rain and the sunshine; feel or sniff the breeze and the wind in their hair or their mane!! Watch, and see the complete surprise on this lions face as freedom presents itself when the door is first opened – the lion can hardly believe it!
Last Moment of Grace:
In this short video (not graphic) it depicts what happens between a calf and his/her mother in the dairy industry. I don’t know about you, but I’ve watched a lot of nature videos, and most of us know from them (likely whether we’ve watched nature videos or not, it has become common knowledge to a large extent) that all mothers and babies share a bond that is not explainable well enough in any language, but captured well in this video and others like it, and is experienced by all mothers and babies. They experience the worst kind of agony when they are separated, whether human or animal. God’s design was for mothers and babies to be together. Listen to God in this scripture: “Do you know when the mountain goats give birth? Do you watch when the doe bears her fawn? Do you count the months till they bear? Do you know the time they give birth? They crouch down and bring forth their young; their labor pains are ended. Their young thrive and grow strong in the wilds…” (Job 39:1-4)
God reveals himself in the miracle of life. He awaits the birth of one of his creatures as he does a human baby with great anticipation. We do great harm not only to the animals whom we treat so callously as to ignore God’s designs, but we grieve Gods heart immensely when we do so, also.