THANKSGIVING


O God of all the world
O Christ incarnate in the Earth
O Breath sustaining life


Thank-you God, for this peculiar time.
thank-you that the days have come
For a city to whom all the nations have been streaming
And indeed from which has been streamed to all nations.
messages of hope, the good news of warnings
which still can be acted on
For all its many faults,
may we thank God that COP has come to our doorstep
that the pandemic has not stopped it once more.

Thanking God for the solidarity of those of us
who stand in queues
each morning, or notice how the indigenous voice
is being raised and heard beyond expectations and the manifest fact of their collective wisdom being seen and openly respected

We thank you for the signs that salvation belongs to the natural world
with an amazing new appreciation of Nature-based solutions
that your kingdom is within reach in response to the signs of the times.


We give thanks that the contradictions of the injustice
inherent in our addiction to fossil fuels
which manifestly harm the poorest first
-that these contradictions are now so very clear
in the garish light of the official layers of COP

We give thanks that the people who queue up to go through the checkpoints each day aren’t fools,
and that they are not wasting their time.

Nor were those who in the great march on Saturday blessed this city with their joy, their hope, their singing, their anger and their marching in your light.

So many ways and traditions and disciplines and faiths brought together here today.,


We give thanks for the hospitality of this city
especially of the churches
and the peace of the gathering thus far:
the unreported Good humour of the police and security services
and the prayers and commitment of those who, each in their own small way
give a lead to their neighbours
on the path to a better, greener, holier, more just relationship with
the creatures with whom we share a home,
and the dust to which we return.

O God of all the world
O Christ incarnate in the Earth
O Breath sustaining life
May the giving of thanks
sustain and encourage us
and give glory to your name,

let it be so: AMEN



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INTERCESSION

O God of all the world
O Christ incarnate in the Earth
O Breath sustaining life

Encouraged by the hope,
sustained by the joy
and trusting in your solidarity

We bring you also everything
that worries or troubles us.

The struggles we each face, just to keep going
the things we share and those we’d rather not

And we pray for the life of this church, both as a sanctuary
and a light for love and justice, for all God’s creatures
including human ones.

That the day to day caring and building of community
-the greenest pursuit open to us –
may never take a back seat
even when informed and shaped
by global truth and urgency.

We ask and look for the inspiration
to appreciate and act upon the manifest interdependence
so that the beauty and wonder of the natural world
is revealed in unshakeable truth
as necessary even to our own lives
at every practical, spiritual level.
and in the crafting of our devotional life as a church

Confront us with our ignorance and arrogance
in the exploitation of habitats given by you as much to others as to us
and show us the way of hope and commitment.
as the good things of COP emerge, that they be not overshadowed
nor diminished
by the disappointments, delays and continuing injustices
which will remain next week.

And though so many prayers are made
for the leaders and their discussions
Dear God hear our prayers for every layer of gathering
civil society, faith groups, scientists and artists



Give us gratitude
for each small step forward;
Anger to drive change with urgency
Forgiveness for those who have tried and failed
Perseverance, to look beyond these desperate days to a better life for all…
And hope on which to build a generous path to Earth’s tomorrow
whatever foundation may be laid today, with you, for healing!

praying always and everywhere as you taught…