Season of Creation 2024 invitation
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Advent – Day 1 (December 3rd)
Eco-Chaplain David Coleman begins our series of daily advent reflections. Isaiah 64:1
Hymn Poem – God the Sustainer
(To go with Exodus 33:12-23 Matthew 22:15-22) Meter 11 10 11 10 – Was Lebet, Was Schwebet [Brightest and best…] CH4 327 or CH4 634
Downloadable PDF below
1) God the Sustainer is God who embraces
weaves and connects all that’s known and obscure;
Seas and the skies suffer human injustice:
Earth shares a voice with the downtrodden poor.
2) God in Christ Jesus speaks love full of warning:
counsels we build on the rock, not on sand
teaches alertness and wide-awake walking
faith is God’s gift for the good of the land.
3) Kingdoms will suffer from violent corruption –
Even the Kingdom of Heaven itself
Earth, God’s Creation, is balanced in beauty:
fragile, our friend, needing care for good health .
4) Nothing we do, say, or pray is irrelevant:
neither to neighbours next door, nor afar.
God’s is the glory that’s known in Earth’s goodness
Empires do fall, when such truth they ignore.
Review of ‘Laudate Deum’ (Laudato Si, update)
Eight years ago, I reviewed ‘Laudato Si’ for the URC’s reform Magazine. It was quite hard going, a densely-written 40K words. I’ve eagerly been awaiting this update. Please do read the whole thing once it’s fully online, but here’s a ‘first impressions’ review. [Downloadable PDF]
EcoChaplain for Orkney:
texts ( without accompanying images) for seven events over three Sundays
PDF of the collection of writings (downloadable)
PDF of the St Magnus Sermon 9th July(downloadable)
Pentecost opening prayer
(A variant of the prayer used in Iona Abbey in 2022 when Pentecost was also the start of Wildlife Week AND St Columba’s Day )
Prayer of Approach and Confession
Irrepressible God, incarnate in the Earth
Made Flesh, through love,
and sharing thus, in Christ
all we, too, share
with birds and beasts and green things.
On this Day of Celebration
when Church is born to rejoice
in diversity;
On this Day of Wonder, building with gratitude
on the customs and wisdom of many peoples;
On this Day of Sabbath,
when Earth needs rest and healing;
On this Day
We praise you, with all that breathes:
The Earth and all whose home Earth is.
And yet this day,
our way of life pays wayward court to other gods:
to profit, domination, endless growth,
disrupting cycles you built in
to the World you gave your Son for;
By choice,
We are addicted to injustice,
and even when we see the need for change
we spout delay in place of wisdom,
and blame the poor, or sow despair
when hope and rapid change bring healing.
Ever and again we build on sand
knowing that the flood is on the way.
So, on this Day
may we breathe a liberating Air
fearless of how it might look
to live as those forgiven, healed, set free
from what we need carry no longer.
God, Christ and Spirit;
eager to welcome all who are lost;
where damage is done
by choice or neglect
repurpose your compassion
Silence
Kyrie ( where customary sung)
Declaration of Forgiveness
God of Good Earth,
who, in Christ, forgives
before we get things right:
Show us our place and purpose
through the friendship of Christ
sharing flesh with all life.
And getting on with it!
Amen,