The New York Times > Business > Oman's Oil Yield Long in Decline, Shell Data Show:

Perhaps more ominously for the world's oil outlook, he added that the failure of Shell's horizontal drilling technology in Oman suggested that even advanced extraction techniques 'won't bring back the good old days.'

I have never been much of an environmentalist. This is largely due to my evangelical "left behind" theology upbringing. But this is changing. More and more I am understanding the gospel to include all of creation and not just a "free-get-out-of-jail-card."

My reflections started changing on this topic as I was preaching through the book of 1 Corinthians and especially chapter 15. One of the most interesting questions I wrestled with from that chapter was "Why is a physical resurrection of Jesus Christ so important and necessary? Why is a spiritual resurrection not enough?"

I believe that part of the answer to that question is that God is working to redeem (put right) all of creation. All of the physical creation. Clearly we have made quite a mess of it.