Environment Day

ENVIRONMENT SUNDAY
5 JUNE 2005

(Please note that this environment liturgy was drawn up by St. Mary’s on the Braak Congregation in Stellenbosch and first used on Pentecost Sunday 8th June 2003. You may want to change the readings and choose different songs)

Brief introduction and Welcome: Christ is risen
He is risen indeed.

The Lord be with you
And also with you

In mystery and grandeur we see the face of God,
In earthiness and ordinariness we know the love of Christ,
In heights and depths, and life and death
the Spirit of God is moving among us.
Let us praise God.

Hymn: PRAISE TO THE LORD: [ #536 in The English Hymnal, #192 in Living Praise / Mission Praise. No copyright notice is published in either case.]: Praise to the Lord, the Almighty, the King of creation;
O my soul, praise him, for he is thy health and salvation;
Join the great throng,
Psaltery, organ and song,
Sounding in glad adoration.

Praise to the Lord, over all things He gloriously reigneth;
Borne as on eagle wings, safely his saints he sustaineth
Hast thou not seen
How all thou needest hath been
Granted in what he ordaineth?

Praise to the Lord, who doth prosper thy way and defend thee;
Surely, his goodness and mercy shall ever attend thee;
Ponder anew
What the Almighty can do,
Who with his love doth befriend thee.

Praise to the Lord! O let all that is in me adore him!
All that hath breath join with Abraham's seed to adore him!
Let the 'Amen'
Sum all our praises again
Now as we worship before him.

Almighty God
to whom all hearts are open
all desire known
and from whom no secrets are hid:
cleanse the thoughts of our hearts
by the inspiration of your Holy Spirit
that we may perfectly love you
and worthily magnify your holy Name;

O God, your fertile earth is being stripped of its riches
Open our eyes to see

O God, your living waters are being choked with chemicals
Open our eyes to see

O God, your clear air is being filled with pollutants
Open our eyes to see

O God, your creatures are dying and your people are suffering
Open our eyes to see

God our maker, so move us by the wonder of creation
That we repent and care more deeply

So move us to grieve the loss of life
That we learn to cherish and protect your world

Brief silence: O God of justice and plenty, whose generous earth was created
for its own particular beauty,
for the nourishment of its people, and to sing of your glory,
we confess that through our sinfulness
we have harvested injustice and pollution, and not your abundance;
the land has become strange to us
and our songs of celebration have turned harsh.
Forgive us all that is past
and grant that we may serve you
in newness of life
to the glory of your Name.

Priest standing:: Almighty God, who forgives all who truly repent, have mercy on you, pardon your sins and set you free from them; confirm and strengthen you in all goodness and keep you in eternal life; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen

The Collect(s) of the day:: Let us pray.

Heavenly Father
your Son has taught us
that in losing our life we save it:
put to death in us
all that keeps us from the life you alone can give;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen

Creator God
You have crafted a beautiful world for our pleasure,
but we have trashed it.
We now join you in your act of re-creation;
lead us to a deeper appreciation of what you have given us,
and, as we commit ourselves to care for your creation,
may your Holy Spirit empower us to clean up the
mess we have made;
in Jesus' name we pray. Amen.

The First reading: Genesis 1: 1-5 Psalm: 8 The Second reading: Romans 8: 18-27 Gradual Hymn/Chorus Gospel: John 7: 37-39

Creed (from W Australia): We believe in God the Father Almighty who out of love gave the earth to all people.

We believe that as human beings we are a special part of this Creation, and that all aspects of Creation are precious gifts to be used and looked after with loving care.

We believe in Jesus Christ who brings in the Kingdom, heals creation, and offers the peace of God to all through His death and resurrection.

We believe in the Spirit of God who moved over the face of the deep, bringing order to our world.

We want to believe in the beauty of simplicity, in love with open hands.

We dare to believe in a new humanity where justice will flourish, respect for all Creation will abound, and peace will be a reality.

We express our beliefs, reminded of the love of God, the grace of Christ,and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Sermon

Prayers:: O Lord, grant us the grace to respect and care for your creation
Hear our prayer

O Lord, bless all of your creatures as a sign of your wondrous love
Hear our prayer

O Lord, help us to end the suffering of the poor and bring healing to all your creation
Hear our prayer

O Lord, help us to use our intellect and technology to undo the damage we have done to your creation, and to sustain your gift of nature.
Hear our humble prayer

Lord, we acknowledge our past indifference and ex-ploitation of your world,
including people and animals, plants and habitats.
We commit ourselves to live sustainably, sharing earth's gifts in the future.
We ask your assistance that we may recognise that we are not above your creation,
but members of a diverse created community with a special responsibility to love and let be. Amen.; Jesus loved the earth, loved it as a lover, because it is God's earth;
He loved it because it was created by His Father from nothingness to be Life's temple. And so Lord we now ask you to inspire us with that same love for your Creation, that we might be good stewards of all that you have given us. We ask this humbly, in the name of your Son, our Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.

Hymn: ALL THINGS BRIGHT AND BEAUTIFUL: [This hymn is recommended. It is not reproduced here as copyright status has not been clarified. It is #587 in The English Hymnal and there carries copyright © 1915 by J Curwen & Sons, Ltd. ]

Dumping of garbage in front of congregation and sorting of waste by Sunday School children. The Peace Offertory Hymn and Collection: HOW GREAT THOU ART: [This hymn is recommended. It is not reproduced here as the translation, adoption & popular arrangement are copyright © 1953, Stuart K. Hine. It is #173 in the Living Praise / Mission Praise book. ]

Presentation of Gifts and the Taking of the Bread and Wine

EUCHARISTIC PRAYER
FROM A NEW ZEALAND PAYER BOOK

Christ is risen!
He is risen indeed.

Lift your hearts to heaven
where Christ in glory reigns.

Let us give thanks to God
It is right to offer thanks and praise.

It is the joy of our salvation, God of the universe, to give you thanks through Jesus Christ. You said 'Let there be light'; Your light shines on in our darkness.

For you the earth has brought forth life in all its forms.You have created us to hear your Word, to do your will and to be fulfilled in your love. It is right to thank you.

You sent your Son to be for us the way we need to follow and the truth we need to know. You sent your Son to give His life to release us from our sin. His cross has taken our guilt away.

You send your Holy Spirit to strengthen and to guide, to warn and to revive your Church. Therefore with all your witnesses who surround us on every side, countless as heaven's stars, we praise you for our creation and our calling, with loving and with joyful hearts:

Holy God, holy and merciful, holy and just,
glory and goodness come from you.
Glory to you most high and gracious God.

Blessed are you, most holy, in your Son, who washed his disciples' feet,
"I am among you", he said, "as one who serves"

On that night before he died, he took bread and gave you thanks. He broke it, gave it to his disciples, and said:
Take, eat, this is my body which is given for you; do this to remember me.

After supper, he took the cup, and gave you thanks. He gave it to them and said:
Drink this. It is my blood of the new covenant, shed for you, shed for all, to forgive sin; do this to remember me.

Therefore with this bread and wine we recall your goodness to us.

God of the past and present, we your people remember your Son.
We thank you for his cross and rising again,
we take courage from his ascension; we look for his coming in glory,
and in him we give ourselves to you.

Send your Holy Spirit, that we who receive Christ's body may indeed be the body of Christ, and we who share his cup may draw strength from the one true vine.

Called to follow Christ, help us to reconcile and unite.
Called to suffer, give us hope in our calling.

For you, the heavenly one, make all things new;
you are the beginning and the end, the last and the first.

Praise, glory, and love be yours, this and every day,
from us and all people, here and everywhere. Amen.

As Christ has taught us we are bold to sing:

Our Father . . . . .

THE BREAKING OF THE BREAD AND
THE COMMUNION

Communion Hymns: CONCLUSION: Give thanks to the Lord for God is gracious
God's mercy endures for ever.

Father almighty we offer ourselves to you as a living sacrifice in Jesus Christ our Lord. Send us out into the world in the power of the Holy Spirit to live and work to your praise and glory.

May the road rise to meet you,
May the wind be always at your back,
May the sun shine warm upon your face,
May the rains fall softly upon your fields.
Until we meet again, may you be held in the hollow of
God's hand. Amen.

Concluding hymn: YOU SHALL GO OUT WITH JOY: [This is recommended but is not reproduced here due to copyright © 1975, Lillenas Publishing Co. It is #281 in Living Praise / Mission Praise.]

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