Category: Dr Matthew Sleeth

2010. It’s a new year. I can’t help noticing the evenness and symmetry of the number. Is it a good thing to make New Year resolutions? Is it biblical? I was recently reading an article that compared and contrasted Judaism and Christianity with other forms of religion. Our God may not live in time, but… Continue reading Walking Boldly Ahead

“We are all meant to be mothers of God, for God is always needing to be born.” Meister Eckhart This past January we had a big snow and ice storm in Kentucky. I did not waste any time calling a friend who works at a beautiful horse farm just outside of Lexington, and she made… Continue reading Celebrating Our Savior’s Birth

One of the greatest mistakes we humans make—one that we all make daily—is the sin of hypocrisy. Recall the last ten times you were hypocritical. Can you recall? Hmm…. Can you recall even one time you acted in a hypocritical manner? When I first heard the poll in which 90 percent of Americans said they… Continue reading From Thought to Action

Last month, when I spoke at the Catalyst conference in Atlanta, I came across a study called “Beyond the Trend.” The premise is that while trends may govern the world, they don’t have to rule our lives. I could not agree more. For example, Christians should take advantage of the weekly gift of Sabbath rest.… Continue reading Life Beyond the Trends

A few years ago, on a sunny fall afternoon, I sat on a worn granite step just east of Saint Peter’s Basilica. I had taken an article written twenty years earlier outside to study. The article, by John Paul II, was an impassioned plea to Christians, particularly wealthy Westerners, to stop harming the environment. Throughout… Continue reading Creation Care Gets Heaven’s Attention

It was a beautiful fall day in New England, the kind that sends calendar makers running for their cameras. The hospital stood just a few feet from the shore, a brick structure with the added charm of functioning windows. I was the chief of staff and head of the emergency department, and I was just… Continue reading An Ounce of Prevention

 Two decades ago, I took care of a young asthmatic girl in the emergency room.  It was a hot summer day, and Etta was having a severe asthma attack.  I promised her that I would not let her die. Etta was not my first asthma patient, nor would she be my last.  In the last… Continue reading A Broken Promise

Sometimes we must lose ourselves in order to find our way. I live in a small college town near Lexington, Kentucky. One summer, my wife and I and a couple of friends were invited to share the evening with a group of families who dwell together in an intentional manner, about sixty miles from our… Continue reading Confessions of an Evangelical Treehugger

  On April 22, we will celebrate the thirty-fifth anniversary of Earth Day. This year, all living things around the planet will have a new ally: Evangelical Christians. What will this partner be like? Will Evangelicals collaborate with traditional environmentalists? Will they celebrate Earth Day? It is only fair to tell you I belong to… Continue reading Will Evangelicals Celebrate Earth Day?

By J. Matthew Sleeth, MD The news of Greenland’s melting icecap is the latest in a long list of scientific warnings. In 1992, hundreds of the world’s leading scientists, including the majority of living Nobel laureates, signed a joint declaration titled “The World Scientists’ Warning to Humanity.” These 1,600 scientists accurately predicted the magnitude of… Continue reading Will Christians Save the Planet?

By Andy Crouch, Christianity Today As our family sits together, eyes closed, we say grace. Today it’s Timothy’s turn. “God, thank you so much for all we have,” he begins in what turns into a typically prolix nine-year-old’s prayer. Eventually he is done—”in Jesus’ name, Amen”—and I turn the key. We have just filled up… Continue reading Rx for Excess

The news of Greenland’s melting icecap is the latest in a long list of scientific warnings. In 1992, hundreds of the world’s leading scientists, including the majority of living Nobel laureates, signed a joint declaration titled “The World Scientists’ Warning to Humanity.” These 1,600 scientists accurately predicted the magnitude of global warming, species extinction, and… Continue reading Will Christians Save the Planet?

Many of us have built lives in which we have neither rest nor work. Our jobs do not stress our muscles and joints. Our rest is a series of events in which we give our minds over to machines such as televisions, computers, and DVD players. We use machines to chop vegetables, brush teeth, wash… Continue reading Physical Work, Spiritual Health

  A few weeks ago Mrs. Sleeth and I were traveling, and on Saturday evening we lodged overnight in St. Johnsbury, Vermont.  The hotel served a complimentary breakfast the following morning.  While enjoying toast and orange slices, I looked over at my fellow travelers. Twenty-five or so adults were present, plus some energetic children (dressed… Continue reading Add 10 Years to Your Life — Guaranteed!

  Hurricane Katrina has come, and raged, and passed. Our nation faces a moment as crucial as July 4, 1776, December 7, 1941, or September 11, 2001. We are at a crossroads and have vitally important decisions to make. As a physician, evangelical Christian, and environmental lecturer and writer, I would like to explore the… Continue reading Can Americans Prevent Future Katrinas?

This Earth Day could mark the birth of new alliance between environmentalists and Christians – and that”s good news for our planet. Evangelicals believe that God not only made everything, but that he loves his creation, enjoys it, and claims ownership of it. Yet for the past two centuries Christians and non-Christians alike have taken… Continue reading The Future of Eco-Evangelism