World Environment Day Liturgical Resources

                                    

                                         5 June 2005

 

The following resources have been collated for use in churches.  They provide some ideas.  You are also encouraged to compose your own creative liturgies and share them with others. We gratefully acknowledge the use of material from the following  sources:  European Christian Environment Network, Creation Time 2005 (www.ecen.org). Christian Aid Trade Justice Week (www.april2005.org).  National Council of Churches, Earth Day Sunday 2005 (www.nccecojustice.org).Web of Creation, Earth Day (www.webofcreation.org). These websites as well as the NECCSA website (www.neccsa.org.za) offer further resources.  You are encouraged to design and compose your own

 

 

Call to Worship

 

Loving creator

Leader Loving Creator,

             you care for the land by sending rain;

             you make it fertile and fruitful.

             What a rich harvest you provide!

 

All       All your creation sings for joy.

 

Leader  When we take care of the land,

              sowing the seed and reaping the harvest,

 

All       All your creation sings for joy.

 

Leader   When we keep streams and rivers clean,

              when we respect the purity of lakes and seas,

 

All         All your creation sings for joy.

 

Leader   When we recognise that we are one family,

              brothers and sisters together,

  with responsibility for the land and the waters,

 

All       All your creation sings for joy

  for you bless us abundantly all our days.

 

 

                              ***

 

Leader   The world belongs to God

 

All          The world and all its people

 

Leader    How good and lovely it is

 

All          To live together in harmony

 

Leader    Love and justice come together

 

All           Justice and peace join hands

 

Leader      If God’s disciples keep silent

 

All           These stones would shout aloud

 

Leader     Creator God, open our lips

 

All            And our mouths shall proclaim your praise

 

 

We celebrate the creation

Leader:  God looked into emptiness and created all that is.

God spread out the earth in its diversity with mountains and valleys, rivers and fertile plains.

There were patches of flood and fire, of dryness and of vivid green,

embraced by wind and sea - a sun-filled landscape of hospitality.

 

And, threading through it all,

like weavings of golden hope,

were dreams of justice and compassion

and gentle streams of peace.

 

God gathered all peoples into community,

gave a sigh of joy

and set us free to choose our path

in a daring adventure of trust.

 

All         This is our God

This is the wonder of our calling in faith.

Let us worship God.

 

 

 

 

 

Our Creator calls us

 

Leader   Our Creator calls us,

              our Maker gathers us.

 

All         Let us come into God’s presence with thanksgiving.

 

Leader   In wisdom God gave birth to all things,

              loving and cherishing the earth.

 

All         Let us love God’s earth

              and rejoice in its abundant life.

 

Leader   In Christ, God loves us to the uttermost.

 

All          Let us become what we are, the body of Christ,

               walking together in justice and peace.

 

 

May the Lover of Creation…

 

May the Lover of Creation, who gives birth to all things,

the Beloved, who meets us in Jesus,

and the Spirit who joins us in love,

Three-in-Communion, One God,

make us a community of hope and wholeness,

loving the last and the least, making peace, resisting evil,

and caring for the good earth,

till all things are fulfilled in the great dance of God;

and may God be praised, now and for ever. Amen.

 

Litany for Creation
Leader:  Praise to you, O God, source of all waters. For vast oceans, flowing rivers,

              and gentle rains we give you thanks.

 

All         Forgive our careless waste and polluting ways.

 

Leader   Help us to cleanse, conserve, and share; teach us to care for the gift of water.

 

All         Come and heal your people. Come and heal the waters.

 

Leader    Praise to you, O God, creator of the dry land. For mighty mountains, rolling

               hills, and fertile prairies we give you thanks.

 

All         Forgive our wanton greed and violent ways.

 

Leader    Help us to sow, till, and harvest with care; teach us to live gently on the 

               land.

 

All          Come and heal your people. Come and heal the land.

 

Leader     Praise to you, O God, breath of life and maker of air. For wind and wave,   

                breath and breeze, light and life we give you thanks.

 

All           Forgive our heedless acts and selfish ways.

 

Leader     Help us to live justly, simply, and wisely; teach us to care for the gift of air.

 

All           Come and heal your people. Come and heal the air.

 

Leader    Praise to you, O God, Lord and Giver of Life. Your love sustains planet                

                earth and by your hand all things living are fed.

 

All           Forgive our neglect and abuse of your gifts.

 

Leader    Help us to serve, defend, defend and restore your creation.

 

All          Help us care for your people. Help us care for the earth.

 

Prayer of Confession

Creator of the earth and all living things, maker of the sky and the air and the breath of life, God of all that is: we are your servant people, created out of the clay of the earth itself. We forget that we are your creatures and we play at being gods. We neglect the work of stewardship that you have provided for our occupation and our joy. We have used, abused, and abandoned those things that you have created for your delight. You have created a fragile world in a perfect and delicate balance. Thinking too much of our own importance we have upset the balance. We ask your forgiveness, Holy and Righteous God. We yearn to join with the mountains and valleys, the rocks and the birds of the wild ocean waters in singing your praises. Amen

Assurance of God’s Love

 

Love has its source in you, Creator God.  It flows from you like an ocean, persistent against an unyielding world.  And like an ocean which batters, erodes, and wears away even the toughest stone, your love persists in hardened hearts.  It flows inside and works a miracle.  Who would think that water was more powerful than granite, love mightier than the hardest heart?  Thank you, Creator God for the powere of your love.

 

A prayer of commitment

 

Leader   God has given us the world to care for;

  let us commit ourselves to caring for God’s creation.

 

All       Amen. We respond to God’s gift.

 

Leader  Let us use our control over the natural world wisely and sensitively.

 

All        Amen. We dedicate our efforts to serving God’s Kingdom.

 

Leader  Let us exercise our husbandry of animals and birds without exploitation.

 

All        Amen. May no creature suffer cruelty at our hands.

 

Leader  Let us nurture green and growing things for nourishment and beauty.

 

All       Amen. May we use all advances in knowledge to enrich life on earth.

Leader  Let us do all we can to keep pure the soil, the air and the water that give us         

              life.

All        Amen. May we cherish the earth.

 

Leader  Let us resist the temptation to exploit and pollute for profit and convenience.

 

All        Amen. We cannot serve God and money.

 

Leader  Let us love our neighbours and open our hearts to the needs of the poor.

All        Amen. Jesus said: ‘There is more happiness in giving than in receiving.’

 

Leader  Let us pass on to our children and the generations yet to come a

 world fit to be called home for the whole created order.

 

All       Amen. May we learn to appreciate the wonder of God’s world.

            In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

 

 

 

The Lord’s Prayer

 

Eternal Spirit,

Eartrh-maker, Pain-bearer, Life-giver,

Source of all that is and that shall be,

Father and Mother of us all, Loving

            God,

In whom is heaven:

The hallowing of your name echo

            through the universe.

The way of your justice be followed by

            the peoples of the world.

Your heavenly will be done by all

            created beings.

Your commonwealth of peace and

            freedom

Sustain our hope and come on earth.

With the bread we need for today, feed

            us.

In the hurts we absorb from one

            another, forgive us.

In times of temptation and test,

            strengthen us.

From trials too great to endure, spare

            us.

From the grip of all that is evil, free us.

For your reign in the glory of the power

            that is love,

Now and forever.

Amen.

 

 

Closing prayers

 

Grandfather,

Look at our brokenness.

We know that in all creation only

the human family has strayed

away from the sacred way.

We know that we are the ones

who are divided,

and we must come back together

to walk in the sacred way.

Grandfather, sacred one, teach

us love, compassion and honour

That we may heal the earth

And heal each other.

 

 

             ***

 

Bakerwoman God,

We are patiently kneaded

by your strong and kind

hands.

We are filled with the

seasoning of faith.

We are forgiven and

made whole again.

We are your bread of

blessing.

And your leaven of love

is rising within us,

Transforming us into all

that is meant to be

shared.

For this we give you

thanks!

Amen.

 

Blessing

May the blessing of God

fountain of Living Water

flow within us as a river of life.

May we go through life refreshing

many as a sign of healing for all;

through the One who is Life eternal.

Amen