At the 11 o'clock Eucharist on Earth Day 2018, 22 April, we wrote out our hopes and prayers on paper leaves as we reflected on the astonishing gift of Planet Earth. At the Offerrtory we placed them on the altar. Thanks to Petra for collating them, and to Deborah and Chloe for organising us. The comments written on the paper leaves appear below - click "Read more". And below, an Earth Day Meditation and Liturgy in the church Garden -
I hope for the power of greenery, peace and compassion to overcome hate.
Overcome despair and complacency.
To be a good friend and neighbour to the earth and its people.
I pray for easy access to clean water for all people everywhere.
May we see you, our God, in the life of our planet, in the lives of all others, and in our own lives.
In gratitude.
I pray that the farmer in the Faroes (referred to in today’s sermon) will learn to love people and his life.
God, I hope we will be moved with compassion about the effects of global warming on the plight of the world’s poor.
I bring before God my sadness at the loss of so much of the beautiful marine life of all our oceans – the coral of the Great Barrier Reef and all is that damaged.
My hope and prayer is that we come to see ourselves as part of all life on this Earth and abandon our feeling of entitlement to rule over it.
Fish.
That we re-learn our oneness with God’s earth.
Peace and love all around and everywhere.
She bid me take life easy as the grass grows on the weirs.
I pray for concord and love of one another and of the earth.
That we may quickly learn to protect and cherish the earth and not simply use it for increased profit.
Waste not, want not.
May peace and love come to us all who look after this world.
Responsibility.
We thank you for the beauty, inspiration and healing power of this earth, our home.
Help us to work together to sustain it and share it with all.
Help me to take more seriously the role I have to play as a steward of God’s wonderful creation.
May we love, honour and treasure the earth, the waters and the air – and all that they contain.
I pledge to be willing to spend more in order to do the right thing by the earth.
Bless our fragile planet. Enable us to help the earth to renew itself, so that future generations can live here.
Forgive our selfishness towards the earth. May we learn and change.
Eco Church? Why are all the lights on? Wren’s sunlight is enough!
Self forgiveness.
We pray that we save the ocean from plastics.
Grant us to recognise the harm we do every moment to our world and environment. Give us grace to change our own ways to restore the world to its glory.
May we know ourselves at home, and home as sacred.
I pray for all those who have lost their homes, communities and lives as a result of climate change. Let us together learn how best to protect God’s great earth and as such protect all creatures and people.
I hope we - the human race - wake up to the harm we do to the Earth.
Pray for kindness to ourselves, to the Earth, and to all living things.
Diversity (written four times on the leaf)
I’ll recycle as much as I can and check with the Local Authority.
That we may make better use of our resources so that all our fellow humans may benefit.
We all need to come together in realisation that while we are all responsible and culpable, together we all have the capacity to make a difference.
Overcome despair and complacency.
To be a good friend and neighbour to the earth and its people.
I pray for easy access to clean water for all people everywhere.
May we see you, our God, in the life of our planet, in the lives of all others, and in our own lives.
In gratitude.
I pray that the farmer in the Faroes (referred to in today’s sermon) will learn to love people and his life.
God, I hope we will be moved with compassion about the effects of global warming on the plight of the world’s poor.
I bring before God my sadness at the loss of so much of the beautiful marine life of all our oceans – the coral of the Great Barrier Reef and all is that damaged.
My hope and prayer is that we come to see ourselves as part of all life on this Earth and abandon our feeling of entitlement to rule over it.
Fish.
That we re-learn our oneness with God’s earth.
Peace and love all around and everywhere.
She bid me take life easy as the grass grows on the weirs.
I pray for concord and love of one another and of the earth.
That we may quickly learn to protect and cherish the earth and not simply use it for increased profit.
Waste not, want not.
May peace and love come to us all who look after this world.
Responsibility.
We thank you for the beauty, inspiration and healing power of this earth, our home.
Help us to work together to sustain it and share it with all.
Help me to take more seriously the role I have to play as a steward of God’s wonderful creation.
May we love, honour and treasure the earth, the waters and the air – and all that they contain.
I pledge to be willing to spend more in order to do the right thing by the earth.
Bless our fragile planet. Enable us to help the earth to renew itself, so that future generations can live here.
Forgive our selfishness towards the earth. May we learn and change.
Eco Church? Why are all the lights on? Wren’s sunlight is enough!
Self forgiveness.
We pray that we save the ocean from plastics.
Grant us to recognise the harm we do every moment to our world and environment. Give us grace to change our own ways to restore the world to its glory.
May we know ourselves at home, and home as sacred.
I pray for all those who have lost their homes, communities and lives as a result of climate change. Let us together learn how best to protect God’s great earth and as such protect all creatures and people.
I hope we - the human race - wake up to the harm we do to the Earth.
Pray for kindness to ourselves, to the Earth, and to all living things.
Diversity (written four times on the leaf)
I’ll recycle as much as I can and check with the Local Authority.
That we may make better use of our resources so that all our fellow humans may benefit.
We all need to come together in realisation that while we are all responsible and culpable, together we all have the capacity to make a difference.