Serving God, Saving the Planet Guidebook: A Call to Care for Creation and Your Soul by J. Matthew Sleeth M.D.

by Matthew Sleeth

Not long ago, J. Matthew Sleeth had a fantastic life and a great job as chief of the medical staff at a large hospital. He was living the American dream—until he saw an increasing number of his patients suffering from cancer, asthma, and other chronic diseases. He began to suspect that the Earth and its inhabitants were in deep trouble. Turning to Jesus for guidance, Sleeth discovered how the scriptural lessons of personal responsibility, simplicity, and stewardship could be applied to modern life. The Sleeths have since sold their big home and given away more than half of what they once owned. In Serving God, Saving the Planet, Sleeth shares the joy of adopting a less materialistic, healthier lifestyle, stronger relationships, and richer spiritual lives. With the storytelling ease of James Herriot and the logical clarity of C. S. Lewis, Sleeth lays out the rationale for environmentally responsible life changes and a how-to guide for making those changes. “Creation is groaning. And Matthew Sleeth has responded. Serving God, Saving the Planet is not an alarmist call of despair, but a hopeful invitation to re-imagine the way we live. Sleeth’s words have the urgency of an ER crisis coupled with the deep faith that the Church is ready to join God in healing the wounded world.” --Shane Claiborne, activist and author of The Irresistible Revolution.

Mass Market Paperback

First published April 23, 2012

About the author

A former emergency room physician, Dr. Matthew Sleeth felt like he was straightening deck chairs on the Titanic, saving one patient at a time while the whole ship (Earth) was going down. Together with his wife and two teenaged children, he began to bring his lifestyle in line with his values, cutting back on their fossil fuel by two thirds and electricity use by nine tenths.


Following a new calling, Dr. Sleeth resigned from his position as chief of the medical staff and director of the ER to teach, preach, and write about faith and the environment throughout the country. Dr. Sleeth is a graduate of George Washington University School of Medicine and has two post doctoral fellowships. He is the author of Serve God, Save the Planet: A Christian Call to Action (Zondervan), the introduction to the Green Bible (HarperOne), and will release a second book, The Gospel According to the Earth: Why the Good Book Is a Green Book (HarperOne), in fall of 2009. He is currently the executive director of Blessed Earth.

Reviews

[Cara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some really good stuff here. An important perspective that goes far beyond turning off lights and cutting down on driving.

[Ronia Dubbaneh · Rating 3 out of 5]

Learned a ton from this and it’s definitely a good launching pad into the world of earth care and our responsibility to care for planet and people, not just as humans but as Christians. But much of it felt pushy & prescriptive, and some extreme viewpoints I did not agree with (like not putting kids into sports, pets being bad for the environment, reducing emphasis on end of life care, etc). Overall, while not "great" this book has challenged me in the best way possible.

[Jeff Eisele · Rating 5 out of 5]

A both challenging and encouraging read that tells how Dr. Sleeth and his family take big and bold steps, guided by their Christian faith, to better care for the planet as they lessen their personal impact.

[Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

God designed the earth to sustain every generation's needs, not everything we could ever want.

"God gave us dominion over everything." Yes, but when we exterminate a species or destroy a habitat, we forever lose dominion over it. We cancel God's blessings on things that we destroy.

"We don't need to worry about nature; everything will be renewed after the rapture."
Similar logic to "sin is okay because God will forgive me anyway".

The real goal of all stewardship: to take a gift, nurture it, and give it away some day. Jesus is the supreme example of stewardship of a human life.

The world doesn't need more princes or princesses. It needs servants of justice, truth, compassion, and love-- it needs servants of God.

[Doug Bruce · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although this book is firmly rooted in Christianity, the message is universal. Dr. Sleeth makes a good case for observing a Sabbath, for physical, mental, social, emotional, and most of all, spiritual reasons.

[Beth Price · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great tool

This book provides a great way for groups to begin a journey of creation stewardship. Highly recommend for anyone looking to "go green" in a biblical sense.