Liturgies for an Eco Church

LITURGIES FOR AN ECO CHURCH

The earth is the Lord’s and all that is in it,

the world, and those who live in it.

Psalm 24.1

Some material included in this service is copyright:

Foreword

The Right Reverend Trevor Wilmott

Bishop of Dover

I welcome this opportunity both to celebrate and commend these new resources which Matthew Rushton has given to the life of the church. Green is not only the colour of ordinary but also the colour of growth. I hope and pray that these resources will bring enrichment both to individual and community but perhaps more importantly remind us that this world is God’s gift for us all to cherish and sustain

+Trevor

Introduction

These resources have been prepared in particular for those engaging with the Eco Church and Eco Diocese initiative. They have been written with the first anniversary celebrations in mind but could also be used to celebrate another milestone in the process of becoming an Eco Church, or as part of a study day or meeting concerning issues of environmental care.

There is a standalone liturgy for an Eco Church built around an act of commitment to take seriously the church’s calling to consider and take action on environmental issues. Elements of this basic liturgy are then presented within orders of Morning/Evening Prayer and Holy Communion, together with other liturgical materials that can be used or adapted as appropriate. There is also an ‘Eco Litany’ for devotional use on its own, or as part of prayers of penitence or intercession.

Two particular themes are evident in these materials:

In these liturgies, communities are encouraged to ‘green’ the worship space. Green is the colour closely associated with ‘Ordinary Time’, which is not ‘ordinary’ at all, but rather ‘ordered’ time. This is the period during the church’s yearwhich does not celebrate a specific aspect of the mystery of Christ – unlike the seasons of Advent, Christmas, Lent and Easter, which have their own distinct focus and characteristics – but allows the church to consider the mystery entire, attending to the passage of time, humanity’s place within creation, and God’s purposes for the world.Ordinary Time also contains some of the specific opportunities to celebrate God’s generosity to and in the earth, and our responsibilities as part of creation.

This is an opportunity to reinforce and rediscover the significance of the colour green within our worshipping life. We would love you to focus on using some green material for liturgical use. Perhaps there is a green altar frontal, vestment, lectern fall or communion cloth that could be brought back into use, or something new could be made, perhaps by a Sunday School or community club.

Alongside green furnishings, it may be that lighting or technology could be utilised for ‘greening’ the space, symbolically, to focus our prayers and praise on the abundance of creation and the representational nature of the colour green for God-given life and the flourishing of nature, as well as highlighting the struggles of those for whom green is a rare colour in their environment.

Eco Church identifies five areas of a church’s life that are a focus for potential change and reflection: worship, church buildings, use of land, community and global relationships and awareness, and lifestyle. Those five areas inform and structure these resources, particularly in relation to the Act of Eco Commitment and the Eco Litany, to focus our worship on the aims and intentions of the Eco Church initiative.

Much of the content of these resources is original, having been prepared specifically for this purpose. Use has also been made of other resources in Common Worship, including New Patterns for Worship (Prayers of Penitence and Extended Preface in the order for Holy Communion) and Times and Seasons (blessing). In addition to these resources, reference can be made to the resources for ‘Creationtide and Environment’ issued by the Church of England, particularly in relation to appropriate readings, hymns/songs, and further reading.

offer you these resources in the hope that they will enhance the life of your church as you spend this time reflecting on God and his creation, and on our place within that creation. We worship a God who has made the heavens and the earth, and who has created us and placed us in this world to tend it and look after it. We recognise that much in this world has gone wrong because of our own activities and we desire to work to put that to rights, and to join in with God’s plans for salvation, through the blood of Jesus, in the power of the Holy Spirit: plans that encompass all that he has made.

The Reverend Matthew Rushton / Dr Ruth Valerio
Precentor,
Canterbury Cathedral / Church and Theology Director,
A Rocha UK

A LITURGY

FOR AN ECO CHURCH

Gathering

The Lord be with you.

And also with you.

Lord, fill us with the knowledge of your will

that we may bear fruit in every good work.

Colossians 1.9-10

A hymn/song is sung, music is played, or silence is kept, during which the worship space may be ‘greened’ – with an altar cloth, a lectern fall, changed lighting, projected image, or other green display brought in or revealed

Blessed are you, Lord God of all creation,

how majestic is your name in all the earth;

you dry up the green tree

and make the dry tree flourish;

in your hand is the life of every living thing

and the breath of every human being;

As your Son made the multitude to sit down on the green grass

and fed them with the bread of life,

make us to lie down in green pastures

and lead us beside still waters;

so that, like a tree planted by water,

which does not fear the heat but whose leaves shall stay green,

we may be refreshed and sustained in you,

and honour the everlasting covenant

you have established with your creation,

for you have seen that it is very good.

Blessed be God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

Blessed be God forever.

Psalm 8.1; Job 12.10; Ezekiel 17.24;

Psalm 24.1; Mark 6.39; Psalm 23.2;

Jeremiah 17.8; Genesis 19.17

Word

A psalm, reading(s), and/or canticle(s) follow

Act of Eco Commitment

Noah made sacrifice to the Lord God, and the Lord said in his heart

‘I will never again curse the ground because of humankind.’ Genesis 8.21

As we offer our own sacrifice of prayer and thanksgiving,

we pledge ourselves to honour the everlasting covenant

between God, the creator of all things who loves the world,

and the creation which responds in joyful praise.

Let us pray.

Lord God,

the earth is yours and all that is in it,

the world, and those who live in it; Psalm 24.1

hear our prayer, accept our service and receive our pledge:

May our worship honour your generous gifts; may we explore together our responsibilities to the creation of which we are a part, in preaching and teaching, in prayer and praise:

for the earth is yours and all that is in it.

May our church buildings be houses of prayer, temples to your glory,and signs of the renewing power of your grace to sustain and refresh all life;

may our use and development of the resources we have inheritedbe an example of careful nurturing of discipleship and fruitful witness:

for the earth is yours and all that is in it.

May we allow the land we occupy to flourish in your care;may we share and protect both open space and managed earth,and build community with and through the land and all it sustains:

for the earth is yours and all that is in it.

May we live as the body of Christ, fosteringrelationships within our local and global communities, and raising awareness of how our actions affect our brothers and sisters across the world, having a particular care for the poorest and most vulnerable:

for the earth is yours and all that is in it.

May we show in our lives what we claim in our words,revealing in our discipleship our love for you, for each other, and for your world,following your command to bear fruit that will last: John 15.17

for the earth is yours and all that is in it.

Lord God,

we pledge ourselves to your service in caring for your creation,

that your kingdom may grow from the seed of hope

into a tree of righteousness and justice for the world,

and the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay

and will obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God,

through Jesus Christ our Lord. Romans 8.21

Amen.

Prayers

Prayers of thanksgiving and intercession may follow, ending with

The Collect

O Lord our God, who brought your people into a good land,

and sends showers of blessing that the earth shall yield its increase;

flourish within us your gift of faith

that, in our worship, our churches, our communities, and our lives,

we may honour and renew your creation

and join in obedience with the wind and the waters,

the wilderness and the desert,

the birds of the air and the fish of the sea,

and all created things to give glory and praise

to the image of the invisible God,

the first born of all creation,

Jesus Christ your Son our Lord,

who is alive and reigns with you

in the unity of the Holy Spirit,

one God, now and forever.

Amen.

Deuteronomy 8.7; Ezekiel 34.26; Mark. 4.41;

Isaiah 35.1 Job 12.7; Colossians 1.15

Filled with awe at the wonders and works of God,

as our Saviour taught us, so we pray

Our Father in heaven,

hallowed be your name,

your kingdom come,

your will be done,

on earth as in heaven.

Give us today our daily bread.

Forgive us our sins

as we forgive those who sin against us.

Lead us not into temptation

but deliver us from evil.

For the kingdom, the power,

and the glory are yours

now and for ever.

Amen.

The service concludes with a blessing or the Grace

AN ORDER FOR

MORNING OR EVENING PRAYER

FOR AN ECO CHURCH

Preparation

MORNING PRAYER:

O Lord, open our lips

and our mouth shall proclaim your praise.

EVENING PRAYER:

O God, make speed to save us.

O Lord, make haste to help us.

Fill us with the knowledge of your will

that we may bear fruit in every good work.

Blessed are you, Lord God of all creation,

how majestic is your name in all the earth;

you dry up the green tree

and make the dry tree flourish;

in your hand is the life of every living thing

and the breath of every human being;

As your Son made the multitude to sit down on the green grass

and fed them with the bread of life,

make us to lie down in green pastures

and lead us beside still waters;

so that, like a tree planted by water,

which does not fear the heat but whose leaves shall stay green,

we may be refreshed and sustained in you,

and honour the everlasting covenant

you have established with your creation,

for you have seen that it is very good.

Blessed be God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

Blessed be God forever.

The Word of God

Psalmody

Psalm 65, or another appropriate psalm, is said

Praise is due to you, O God, in Zion; ♦

to you that answer prayer shall vows be paid.

To you shall all flesh come to confess their sins; ♦

when our misdeeds prevail against us, you will purge them away.

Happy are they whom you choose

and draw to your courts to dwell there. ♦

We shall be satisfied with the blessings of your house,

even of your holy temple.

With wonders you will answer us in your righteousness,

O God of our salvation, ♦

O hope of all the ends of the earth and of the farthest seas.

In your strength you set fast the mountains ♦

and are girded about with might.

You still the raging of the seas, ♦

the roaring of their waves and the clamour of the peoples.

Those who dwell at the ends of the earth

tremble at your marvels; ♦

the gates of the morning and evening sing your praise.

You visit the earth and water it; *

you make it very plenteous.

The river of God is full of water; ♦

you prepare grain for your people, for so you provide for the earth.

You drench the furrows and smooth out the ridges; ♦

you soften the ground with showers and bless its increase.

You crown the year with your goodness, ♦

and your paths overflow with plenty.

May the pastures of the wilderness flow with goodness ♦

and the hills be girded with joy.

May the meadows be clothed with flocks of sheep ♦

and the valleys stand so thick with cornthat they shall laugh and sing.

Glory to the Father and to the Son

and to the Holy Spirit;

as it was in the beginning is now

and shall be for ever. Amen.

First Reading

Canticle

A Song of Francis of Assisi, or another suitable canticle is said

e.g.- for MORNING PRAYER no.45 p597

- for EVENING PRAYER no.74 p632

(Common Worship: Daily Prayer)

Most High, all powerful, good Lord, ♦

to you be praise, glory, honour and all blessing.

Only to you, Most High, do they belong ♦

and no one is worthy to call upon your name.

May you be praised, my Lord, with all your creatures,

especially brother sun, ♦

through whom you lighten the day for us.

He is beautiful and radiant with great splendour; ♦

he signifies you, O Most High.

Be praised, my Lord, for sister moon and the stars: ♦

clear and precious and lovely, they are formed in heaven.

Be praised, my Lord, for brother wind; ♦

for air and clouds, clear skies and all weathers,

by which you give sustenance to your creatures.

Be praised, my Lord, for sister water, ♦

who is very useful and humble and precious and pure.

Be praised, my Lord, for brother fire,

by whom the night is illumined for us: ♦

he is beautiful and cheerful, full of power and strength.

Be praised, my Lord, for our sister, mother earth,

who sustains and governs us ♦

and produces diverse fruits and coloured flowers and grass.

Be praised, my Lord, by all those who forgive for love of you ♦

and who bear weakness and tribulation.

Blessed are those who bear them in peace: ♦

for you, Most High, they will be crowned.

Be praised, my Lord, for our sister, the death of the body, ♦

from which no one living is able to flee;

woe to those who are dying in mortal sin.

Blessed are those who are found doing your most holy will, ♦

for the second death will do them no harm.

Praise and bless my Lord and give him thanks ♦

and serve him with great humility.

Second Reading

Responsory

O Lord, how manifold are your works!

In wisdom you have made them all;

the earth is full of your creatures.

You are worthy, our Lord and God,

to receive glory and honour and power.

O Lord, how manifold are your works!

For you created all things,

and by your will they existed and were created.

In wisdom you have made them all;

the earth is full of your creatures.

Glory to the Father and to the Son

and to the Holy Spirit.

O Lord, how manifold are your works!

In wisdom you have made them all;

the earth is full of your creatures.

Psalm 104.26; Revelation 4.11

MORNING PRAYER:

Gospel CanticleBenedictus (The Song of Zechariah)

Refrain:God saw everything that he had made,

and indeed, it was very good. Genesis 1.31

Blessed be the Lord the God of Israel, ♦

who has come to his people and set them free.

He has raised up for us a mighty Saviour, ♦

born of the house of his servant David.

Through his holy prophets God promised of old ♦

to save us from our enemies,

from the hands of all that hate us,

To show mercy to our ancestors, ♦

and to remember his holy covenant.

This was the oath God swore to our father Abraham: ♦

to set us free from the hands of our enemies,

Free to worship him without fear, ♦

holy and righteous in his sight