November 2021: Planetary Mess
A service responding to the COP26 conference that was finishing the same day.
The slideshow for the service (pdf version) is here.
Intro/welcome
Maker of the earth and all its creatures
We welcome you here
Friend of the earth and all its creatures
We welcome you here
Renewer of the earth and all its creatures
We welcome you here
You sustain the universe by your Spirit
Breathe your breath on us tonight
May we too be lovers of the earth our home and all its creatures
Amen
Music
Listen to 'Universe' by Gregory Alan Isakov
Reading
Genesis 1 - 2:4
Stations:
Leaves:
Lament:
- To express passionate grief
- To express regret or disappointment
It’s autumn when the trees lose their leaves and winter melancholy is on its way
Sometimes we need to grieve and mourn before hope can break through
Let us create a tree of lament waiting for the spring:
- A lament for what we have lost
- A lament for what we are losing
- A lament for what we still might lose
Read the notes written on the leaves
Use the pens and leaves to write your personal lament or laments – a word, a phrase, a drawing
Add them to the netting to create our tree of lament
People wrote:
- 40 million birds disappeared from UK skies since 1970 (RSPB)
- WFH all the time
- 40% of plants are threatened with extinction (RBG)
- June, Jean, Rosemarie xxx
- Since 1945 UK has lost 50% hedgerows
- Lament for the loss of clean air and space
- Lord have mercy. We are losing a future of wild beauty and diversity trading our children’s dreams for get rich schemes
- Moderate summers that were not stiflingly hot
- Snow in winter
- Seeing less people
- At 1.5C most coral reefs die - at 2C they all die
- Lament for the loss of bees and species of birds
- UK has lost 133 wildlife species since 1500s (RSPB)
- Less foreign travel
- Dirty rivers
- Ivory-billed woodpecker
- Dodo
- Great auk
- Passenger pigeon
- UK has only 50% of natural biodiversity remaining (NHM)
- That eco-friendly heating is too expensive for most
- Species
- We are but dust and to dust we shall return
- If we do the right thing we can’t fly across the world to see loved ones
- Hedgehogs declined by 95% since 1950s
- The rain forests are being destroyed through people’s greed
- The animals are crying out for survival
- Lament for unnecessary destruction of trees
- Lament for Adrian and for Lauren
Light:
Introduction
We have been given this planet to enjoy by our creator. But with this comes a share in the responsibility of caring for God’s world.
At this first prayer station, we are invited to think about how we view our world. What do we see that needs protecting?, and our behaviour that needs changing that is harmful to the planet and other species.
We are also challenged to think about what do we want to see change? Maybe by starting locally where we live. We can be examples to others, in our words and actions, by perhaps taking on one new issue in order to be ‘energy efficient people’.
Do think about this and perhaps share your ideas in the cafe with others afterwards over a glass of wine.
On day one, God created light from darkness
On the first day of creation, God made the heavens and the earth, light from darkness, night and day… quite a busy day! We often associate light with the good, bright and happy things of life. And darkness can represent the things that aren’t so good.
At this prayer station, you’re invited to think about the way you view our world. Write all the good things about our world on the yellow paper, and thank God for them as you do so. Then write down the things that you’d like to change on the dark paper - praying for a better world as you write. Even when things do seem dark and gloomy, we’re reminded that God calls us to shine with the light of faith - so don’t lose heart!
Take action! Remember that darkness is sometimes OK - for example, when you switch off lights that you don’t need. Let your light shine - but if you can make it an energy efficient light, even better!
People wrote:
On the black cards:
- Losing species
- Reduced biodiversity and resilience
- Glaciers melting meaning that polar bears and penguins have to travel further and further to find food - some won’t survive.
- Separation from each other
- Separation from God
- Violence
- Stabbings
- A culture of entitlement and impunity
- Corruption in government and business
- Rising sea levels
- Melting glaciers
- Disappearing islands
- Drought
- Floods
- Less travel abroad
- The impact of the rich burning our fuels, on the lives of so many others
- Our thirst to travel
- Unwillingness to change
- Climate change forcing migration
- That CO2 levels are returning to pre-COVID amounts
- That climate issues divide communities eg the LTNs in our neighbourhoods
- Racism, misogyny, prejudice, discrimination
- The rich oppressing the poor, not using their privilege to bless and give
- People fleeing their homes, seeking asylum and not being welcome here
- Destruction of our home through greed and self-interest
- Sense of powerlessness - how do we change things?
- Stopping toxic waste being dumped in the sea, where fish are choking to death
On the yellow cards:
- That we are so incredibly strong and resilient when we join forces
- That we have already survived terrible tragedies and come out stronger and wiser
- Both mankind and the earth’s creatures
- Growing food
- Watching and listening to the birds
- Duck-billed platypus
- Newts
- Other amusing animals
- People realising that spending time with each other is more fun than buying lots of stuff we don’t need
- There is a deal, and hope of a better one #Make it happen Egypt!
- Voices of the small island nations are getting heard
- Continuing to live simply honouring the ingredients I have, consciously eating seasonally
- Countries coming together
- Scientific awareness
- Covid vaccine
- Wealth to address issues
- Veggie foods
- Simpler living
- Challenging the ‘fast fashion’ industry that is using child labour to produce its goods
- Educating people to recycle their old clothes and learn to make them for the poor/homeless
- No Mow May
- Planting a garden
- Growing trees
Mercy:
Water is a big issue into the future.
As the planet temperature rises so too water will rise making lands uninhabitable and increasing migration.
It’s a planetary mess. This station is a place to pause, lament and ask for God’s mercy.
Lord have mercy
Christ have mercy
There are 5 watermelons to be carved like you would a pumpkin.
Take one of the knives and (carefully) carve on of the letters m e r c y - one in each watermelon.
Once they are carved light a candle and place inside until they spell the word ‘mercy’.
Make that a prayer.
Ecocide:
1. Write:
I love you [something] you are beautiful
three times
and add to the liturgy:
A Liturgy against Ecocide
by Sam Donaldson, from Amos Trust 'Little Spaces of Hope'
I love you earth, you are beautiful
I love you earth, you are beautiful
I love you earth, you are beautiful
I love you rivers, you are beautiful
I love you rivers, you are beautiful
I love you rivers, you are beautiful
I love you trees, you are beautiful
I love you trees, you are beautiful
I love you trees, you are beautiful
I love you birds, you are beautiful
I love you birds, you are beautiful
I love you birds, you are beautiful
I love you body, you are beautiful
I love you body, you are beautiful
I love you body, you are beautiful
People added:
- starry starry nights
- dogs
- the sea
- waves
- beaches
- otters
- ocean
- kale, cauliflower, squash and leeks
- autumn colours
- sky
- gravity
- soil
- sky [again]
- flowers who return each year to give us colour and make us feel good inside
- trees who give us seasons and colour, who help the birds to nest each day
2. In what ways are you a lover of the Earth?
Write on post-its and stick up
[This was mostly misunderstood - it was asking 'what are the actions you take that show love for the Earth']
People wrote:
- I don’t eat meat
- I love the moment the plants come up making everything green
- I love the smell of wet earth
- I love walking through wide views on cliffs and mountains
- I love walks in the country
- Spotting seeds growing
- Running on earth under a canopy of trees grounds me
- I grow veg
- I use green energy and buy less
- I love birds and sea
- I love the smell of rain after a dry spell
- I love the miracle of migratory birds returning
Eucharist
A eucharistic liturgy reflecting on our relationship with God and nature, in repentance and hope.
Music
Listen to 'The Soil' by David Benjamin Blower
Blessing
Extract from the Climate Justice Summit Liturgy, in Amos Trust 'Little Spaces of Hope'
Treat the earth well.
It was not given to us by our parents,
it was loaned to us by our children
So walk softly upon the earth
May its beauty surround you
May its wisdom delight you
May its music invite you
Rejoice in creation
Listen to the pain of the voiceless
Water the barren earth
Plant seeds in the wasteland
And act as if our hope in the future is irresistible.
Amen
The mess has ended
Go in peace
Photos
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