Daily Prayers Tuesday, 26 July 2022

Welcome everyone to our Tuesday prayers, which this week are brought to you by me, Stuart Kean, who is one of the group of people at Cornerstone working on the Eco Church initiative.

In preparing our prayers and reflections for today I’ve been reflecting on the theme of Caring for Creation.

Let us begin with a reading from Genesis 1: 9-13 and 20 – 23

And God said, “Let the water under the sky be gathered to one place, and let dry ground appear.” And it was so. ¹⁰ God called the dry ground “land,” and the gathered waters he called “seas.” And God saw that it was good.
¹¹ Then God said, “Let the land produce vegetation: seed-bearing plants and trees on the land that bear fruit with seed in it, according to their various kinds.” And it was so. ¹² The land produced vegetation: plants bearing seed according to their kinds and trees bearing fruit with seed in it according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good. ¹³ And there was evening, and there was morning—the third day.
²⁰ And God said, “Let the water teem with living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the vault of the sky.” ²¹ So God created the great creatures of the sea and every living thing with which the water teems and that moves about in it, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. ²² God blessed them and said, “Be fruitful and increase in number and fill the water in the seas, and let the birds increase on the earth.” ²³ And there was evening, and there was morning—the fifth day.

Reflection
The Bible shows us that the earth is sacred, a creation of our creator God. It has value because God made it and declared it is good – not merely useful, adequate or necessary to humanity, but good.
The diversity and abundance of life on earth reflect the generous heart of a God who loves to bless who delights in growth and richness and wants us to share his delight in – and care for – the world around us.
#LiveLent – Care for God’s Creation.

How do we live in creation? Do we relate to it as a place full of “things” we can use for whatever need we want to fulfil and whatever goal we wish to accomplish? Or do we see creation first of all as a sacramental reality, a sacred space where God reveals to us the immense beauty of the Divine?
As long as we only use creation, we cannot recognise its sacredness because we are approaching it as if we are its owners. But when we relate to all that surrounds us as created by the same God who created us and as the place where God appears to us and calls us to worship and adoration, then we are able to recognise the sacred quality of all God’s handiwork.
The Sacredness of God’s Handiwork, A reflection by Henri Nouwen

Let us pray:

For our world of beauty and plenty
Creator God
For our world of beauty and plenty, we praise you-
For the earth, the seas, the plants, the animals and all the wonders of the universe.
We stand before you in awe and wonder in all that you have created.
Thank you for your generosity, a world for all to share.
Create in us a desire to come together as One World for Now is the Time to Act.

Redeemer God
Have mercy on us for our over consumption of the world’s resources,
For our lack of responsibility in devastating the habitats of your creatures,
For our thoughtlessness in filling the world with our rubbish,
For the pursuit of economic growth which leaves our brothers and sisters in poverty.
Forgive us our selfishness, that has led to this climate crisis, and bring us together as One World for Now is the Time to Act.

Sustainer God
Be generous in your gifts of wisdom, understanding and courage to help us see:
the interconnectedness of climate, nature and our lifestyles,
our responsibility to secure a future for our children, and the urgency to act now.
Inspire us to change personally, in our local communities, as nations and at a global level for we are One World, climate changes everything, and Now is the Time to Act.
Maureen Thompson, Show the Love Prayers, Green Christian

Actions we can take:
Allow yourself to wonder at the abundant, varied and often beautiful creatures who share our world. Let these words of former Archbishop Rowan Williams inspire you to act today: “Receive the world God has given you. Go for walk. Get wet. Dig the earth!”

A blessing
May our loving God,
who created the world and all that is in it,
Inspire us to delight in our beautiful home,
And to live in wonder, peace and joy.
May our living God keep our hearts turned to loving our neighbour and to respecting the creation we share.
May our merciful God help us to live this week in goodness and hope,
And fill us with God’s peace.
Amen
Ash Vale Chapel Poetry Group

As we close our time together, let’s listen to the beautiful John Rutter version of the hymn: For the beauty of the earth:  Please click on the link to listen to the hymn and/or reflect on the powerful message in the verses.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xlBkpAm3fhw&ab_channel=MaylisSusan

For the beauty of the earth
For the beauty of the skies
For the love which from our birth
Over and around us lies
Over and around us lies

Lord of all, to thee we raise
This our joyful hymn of praise

For the beauty of the hour
Of the day and of the night
Hill and vale and tree and flower
Sun and moon and stars of light
Sun and moon and stars of light
Lord of all, to thee we raise
This our joyful hymn of praise

For the joy of human love
Brother, sister, parent, child
Friends on earth and friends above
For all gentle thoughts and mild
For all gentle thoughts and mild

Lord of all, to thee we raise
This our joyful hymn of praise

For each perfect gift of thine
To our race so freely given
Graces human and divine
Flow’rs of earth and buds of heav’n
Flow’rs of earth and buds of heav’n

Lord of all, to thee we raise
This our joyful hymn, our joyful hymn of praise
This our joyful hymn of praise

Stuart Kean
Eco Church working group