Prayers with a Creation care theme
... prayers of praise!
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“Come in, come in”: Psalm 47
Come in, come in, come one, come all! Lift your heart, clap your hands. Shout praise, sing joy, to our God, the Highest One, to the Majesty of Majesties! Come, see the world from God’s point of view – In him the victory has already been won, all that troubles us is overcome, under our feet. In him we are at home – come, claim your inheritance. Come home to his love. So lift God higher! Let thanks and praise lift the roof of your soul! All that has been, is, or shall be belongs to our God and is restored by our God. Come, give honour! Come, give praise, here and everywhere, amen! Psalm 148: Calling all creation!
Hey, you! Give praise to God! You angels in heaven, sing out glory. You stars, sun and moon, shine bright with praise! God dreamed you and called you and here you are! You fish and whales and squid, sing praise in the deep. You elements of nature, fire, rain, wind, cold and heat, stone and mountain - praise! God dreamed you and called you and here you are! You plants and forests, praise God as you flower and fruit. You mammals, insects, reptiles and birds - praise! God dreamed you and called you and here you are! You people, Presidents and nobodies, rich and poor, women and men and girls and boys, in every corner of planet Earth, God dreamed you and called you and here you are! So listen out for the Name that is above every Name, sing out with all the love and joy you can find for all you are is made by God, all you have is gift from God. Calling all creation – come and be found in praise! |
Psalm 65: He’s got the whole world in his hands!
(We who live at the ends of the earth, at the farthest reaches of the sea; with the hills and fields and oceans we shout and sing to praise the Lord!) He’s got all of the people in his hands, He’s got all our regrets in his hands, He’s got all of our hopes in his hands, He’s got the whole world in his hands! He’s got the ends of the earth in his hands, He’s got the crashing of the waves in his hands, He’s got the high mighty mountains in his hands, He’s got the whole world in his hands! He’s got the dawning of the morning in his hands, He’s got the last rays of sunshine in his hands, He’s got the sweet falling rain in his hands, He’s got the whole world in his hands! He’s got the planting of the seed in his hands, He’s got the gathering of harvest in his hands, He’s got the sheep and the farmers in his hands, He’s got the whole world in his hands! Psalm 75: The pillars of the earth
Scientists say that the universe is balanced precisely on just a few key numbers: the force of gravity, the power that holds atoms together and keeps everything both moving and stable. We know that God is this power and we give thanks – Thank you, God! God is the designer, carefully planning all things and holding up the balance of life. We humans like to boast of how important we are, how much we can do and make and control. But God is the judge, and greed has consequences. When we destroy God’s creation there is a price to pay. So we give thanks – Thank you, God! And we lift our praise to our great Creator! |
... prayers of confession
A ‘Throw-Away’ Prayer of Confession and Commitment
Lord, we have learned to throw things away
to drop in the bin anything we no longer want.
A truck comes and takes it away,
so easy, so convenient, not my problem.
Lord, we confess that all we have is yours
everything we hold has come from your creation
and returns to your earth.
In you, nothing is thrown away.
Each person is treasured, every living creature,
and every thing made with human hands
from the wealth of the earth.
Lord, we commit ourselves to live well in your Creation,
our lives in your cycles of grace,
our choices inspiring others,
our actions revealing your generosity and justice.
Lord, in your mercy, forgive us.
In your power invigorate us.
In your loving kindness restore us
to harmony, to hope, to you,
that the whole earth may live to praise your name
through Jesus Christ our Lord and saviour
Amen.
Lord, we have learned to throw things away
to drop in the bin anything we no longer want.
A truck comes and takes it away,
so easy, so convenient, not my problem.
Lord, we confess that all we have is yours
everything we hold has come from your creation
and returns to your earth.
In you, nothing is thrown away.
Each person is treasured, every living creature,
and every thing made with human hands
from the wealth of the earth.
Lord, we commit ourselves to live well in your Creation,
our lives in your cycles of grace,
our choices inspiring others,
our actions revealing your generosity and justice.
Lord, in your mercy, forgive us.
In your power invigorate us.
In your loving kindness restore us
to harmony, to hope, to you,
that the whole earth may live to praise your name
through Jesus Christ our Lord and saviour
Amen.
“Abundant Grace”: a prayer of confession based on Romans 5
God of Grace, you proved your love for us;
while we were lost in sin Christ died for us.
We confess that we still feel lost,
we still feel cut off from you.
We confess that relationships are broken,
with each other and with the earth you have made.
We confess that we still know the dominion of death
although we know the life of Christ.
Our world is troubled by the sting of viruses
the warming of oceans, the power of storms.
We confess that our waste lies buried in the land
and our plastic floats in the sea.
Jesus Christ, your act of righteousness justifies us all.
You died on the cross to restore all creation.
Crucify the condemnation we deserve
and lead us into grace, abundant grace.
For yours is the free gift of righteousness.
In you is everlasting life, Lord Jesus.
Amen.
God of Grace, you proved your love for us;
while we were lost in sin Christ died for us.
We confess that we still feel lost,
we still feel cut off from you.
We confess that relationships are broken,
with each other and with the earth you have made.
We confess that we still know the dominion of death
although we know the life of Christ.
Our world is troubled by the sting of viruses
the warming of oceans, the power of storms.
We confess that our waste lies buried in the land
and our plastic floats in the sea.
Jesus Christ, your act of righteousness justifies us all.
You died on the cross to restore all creation.
Crucify the condemnation we deserve
and lead us into grace, abundant grace.
For yours is the free gift of righteousness.
In you is everlasting life, Lord Jesus.
Amen.
Reflection on James 5
James 5 is a recipe for healthy living and healthy community. James advocates for justice, authenticity, forgiveness and “patient endurance under suffering” (5:10). He calls on the community to care for each other when they are sick and to pray for healing. He upholds the power of prayer, and gives as an example the prayers of Elijah whose prayers brought in a drought and then broke the drought and brought the rain (5:18). The health of the earth is connected to the spiritual and relational health of the people.
Prayer from James 5
Congregational response:
Leader: Loving Lord, we have wandered from your ways.
All: Forgive us, lead us and empower our prayer.
God of all, we come in prayer and praise this morning.
We carry our complaints against the world around us
and our complaints against each other.
You are our Judge and our forgiveness.
We remember faithful people who have inspired us.
We ask for patience to endure
and for joy even in our suffering.
Leader: Loving Lord, we have wandered from your ways.
All: Forgive us, lead us and empower our prayer.
God of all, we come in prayer and praise this morning.
We carry our concerns for your world
We cry out for justice for the poor
We cry out for rain for the dry places
We cry out for healing for the sick.
For the healing of the earth and the healing of families, we pray.
Leader: Loving Lord, we have wandered from your ways.
All: Forgive us, lead us and empower our prayer.
In silence we pray for our own needs
and we bring our own confessions,
May our “Yes” be yes and our “No” be no.
… (2 minutes of silence)
Leader: Loving Lord, we have wandered from your ways.
All: Forgive us, lead us and empower our prayer.
Leader: Friends, the Lord is full of mercy and compassion.
You are forgiven. Be at peace. Amen.
James 5 is a recipe for healthy living and healthy community. James advocates for justice, authenticity, forgiveness and “patient endurance under suffering” (5:10). He calls on the community to care for each other when they are sick and to pray for healing. He upholds the power of prayer, and gives as an example the prayers of Elijah whose prayers brought in a drought and then broke the drought and brought the rain (5:18). The health of the earth is connected to the spiritual and relational health of the people.
Prayer from James 5
Congregational response:
Leader: Loving Lord, we have wandered from your ways.
All: Forgive us, lead us and empower our prayer.
God of all, we come in prayer and praise this morning.
We carry our complaints against the world around us
and our complaints against each other.
You are our Judge and our forgiveness.
We remember faithful people who have inspired us.
We ask for patience to endure
and for joy even in our suffering.
Leader: Loving Lord, we have wandered from your ways.
All: Forgive us, lead us and empower our prayer.
God of all, we come in prayer and praise this morning.
We carry our concerns for your world
We cry out for justice for the poor
We cry out for rain for the dry places
We cry out for healing for the sick.
For the healing of the earth and the healing of families, we pray.
Leader: Loving Lord, we have wandered from your ways.
All: Forgive us, lead us and empower our prayer.
In silence we pray for our own needs
and we bring our own confessions,
May our “Yes” be yes and our “No” be no.
… (2 minutes of silence)
Leader: Loving Lord, we have wandered from your ways.
All: Forgive us, lead us and empower our prayer.
Leader: Friends, the Lord is full of mercy and compassion.
You are forgiven. Be at peace. Amen.
A Plastic Confession
Give each person something made of plastic to hold (including some waste plastic)
God of all creation, thank you for this plastic.
Thank you for gift of oil that you made deep inside the earth,
made from ancient plants and the bones of animals long gone.
Thank you for the gift of human intelligence and skill,
for scientists and engineers who work the oil rigs and machines.
Thank you for the gift of creativity,
for designers who invent a million uses for plastic.
Thank you for the gift of plastic.
It is so very useful and it makes our lives easier.
God of all creation, we confess to you this plastic;
we like the convenience of colourful waterproof things.
But we do not like what happens to our plastic when we throw it away.
We hate that it floats out to sea and gets eaten by fish.
We hate that it releases chemicals that poison our land and our water.
We like this stuff and we hate it.
Help us, God of all creation.
We’ve made a huge problem and we don’t know how to fix it.
We confess to you our need for cheap easy things.
We commit ourselves to buy less plastic,
and to fight against plastic production and pollution.
God of all creation, renew the face of the earth
Spirit of our Lord Jesus Christ, save us from all that threatens to destroy this beautiful world you have given us. Amen.
Give each person something made of plastic to hold (including some waste plastic)
God of all creation, thank you for this plastic.
Thank you for gift of oil that you made deep inside the earth,
made from ancient plants and the bones of animals long gone.
Thank you for the gift of human intelligence and skill,
for scientists and engineers who work the oil rigs and machines.
Thank you for the gift of creativity,
for designers who invent a million uses for plastic.
Thank you for the gift of plastic.
It is so very useful and it makes our lives easier.
God of all creation, we confess to you this plastic;
we like the convenience of colourful waterproof things.
But we do not like what happens to our plastic when we throw it away.
We hate that it floats out to sea and gets eaten by fish.
We hate that it releases chemicals that poison our land and our water.
We like this stuff and we hate it.
Help us, God of all creation.
We’ve made a huge problem and we don’t know how to fix it.
We confess to you our need for cheap easy things.
We commit ourselves to buy less plastic,
and to fight against plastic production and pollution.
God of all creation, renew the face of the earth
Spirit of our Lord Jesus Christ, save us from all that threatens to destroy this beautiful world you have given us. Amen.
Ash and repentance
To place ash onto your body and clothes is a powerful expression of grief and repentance in scripture (Esther 4:1-4, Luke 10:13). This symbolised human mortality in the face of God’s glory (Genesis 18:27). What a stark contrast to our culture’s denial of mortality and limitation! What could be less appealing to us than the Biblical call to cover yourself in ash?
Make a small bowl of ash by (safely!) burning a bit of cardboard. Pass this around and invite everyone to smear some ash onto their body (e.g. the back of their hands).
We grieve for the destruction of your Creation.
Lord, have mercy.
We repent the wrong we have done.
Christ, have mercy.
To place ash onto your body and clothes is a powerful expression of grief and repentance in scripture (Esther 4:1-4, Luke 10:13). This symbolised human mortality in the face of God’s glory (Genesis 18:27). What a stark contrast to our culture’s denial of mortality and limitation! What could be less appealing to us than the Biblical call to cover yourself in ash?
Make a small bowl of ash by (safely!) burning a bit of cardboard. Pass this around and invite everyone to smear some ash onto their body (e.g. the back of their hands).
We grieve for the destruction of your Creation.
Lord, have mercy.
We repent the wrong we have done.
Christ, have mercy.
... prayers of blessing
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Let all creation sing
(especially for a Communion service) Let all creation sing your glory true. Let every heart confess our need of you. Praises to your name, age to age the same. Thank you that you came to make all things new. As bread is broken, come, Lord Jesus, here. As wine again is poured, we know you near. Make our spirits still, emptiness you fill, brokenness you will in your mercy, heal. Prayer of thanks for an offering From the giver comes the giving, from the earth, watered and warmed, gifts of tree and wing and flower - our land, our home, our place. In the giving comes the gift, food to be shared, care for the poor, work to be done, people to love - your world, your work, your gift. Amen. |
A Night Prayer Blessing
Grace and peace of the deep flowing river Grace and peace of fantail and tui Grace and peace of rain, of sun, of stillness Grace and peace of food made by many hands Grace to you, peace to you this night and every night. A Spring Blessing May the sap rise in your heart as the Spirit of Jesus lives within you. May you flower bravely with gifts you are yet to discover. May you know the great delight God has in you May others see in your eyes and in your smile the beauty of Christ’s love. Amen |
... prayers for a planting day
A reflection on Matthew 15:13
In Matthew 15 Jesus is engaged in a head-on confrontation with the pharisees over the whole concept of what puts us right with God and what puts us off-side with God (“defiles”). According to Jesus, doing right by your parents, caring for old folks, matters more than religious stuff. What you think and say matters more than how you eat. His disciples are worried about offending the pharisees, and Jesus replies “Every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted will be uprooted” (Matthew 15:13). Jesus is challenging the power and status of the pharisees, but this fascinating statement by Jesus can challenge us also.
When we plant actual plants, our hope and intention is that our heavenly Father is doing the planting through us. When we establish communities and build the organisation of the church, our hope and intention is that this is Christ’s planting more than our own. We pray for protection against anything that might uproot, poison, or eat these plants we plant, or the teams we invest it. Heavenly Father, plant with us.
In Matthew 15 Jesus is engaged in a head-on confrontation with the pharisees over the whole concept of what puts us right with God and what puts us off-side with God (“defiles”). According to Jesus, doing right by your parents, caring for old folks, matters more than religious stuff. What you think and say matters more than how you eat. His disciples are worried about offending the pharisees, and Jesus replies “Every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted will be uprooted” (Matthew 15:13). Jesus is challenging the power and status of the pharisees, but this fascinating statement by Jesus can challenge us also.
When we plant actual plants, our hope and intention is that our heavenly Father is doing the planting through us. When we establish communities and build the organisation of the church, our hope and intention is that this is Christ’s planting more than our own. We pray for protection against anything that might uproot, poison, or eat these plants we plant, or the teams we invest it. Heavenly Father, plant with us.
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Our Father in Heaven, holy is your name in all the earth.
Mighty is your planting over all the earth. What you have planted will not be uprooted. What you establish will grow strong and good. Bless the work of our hands and our spades. Bless these plants that they may grow strong. Protect them from harm: manaaki. Surround us with your love: awhi mai, awhi atu. We are your people, the work of your hands. In your name we work, for your honour. Amen. |
A circle blessing
A circle of friends, a spread of food, aching muscles, thankful hearts, time to rest, time to laugh blessings on you, and you, and you! An outdoor grace We stand with thanks around this meal. The food smells good, tastes better for friends to share it with. Blessings of river, birdsong and earth, Blessings of peace, aroha and joy, for God is here and we give thanks. |
... prayers based on Scripture
“A Day is Coming”: a litany of hope based on Isaiah 32
A day is coming, we can see it coming
when Christ the King will set all things to rights
and governments rule with justice,
when all people will have a hiding place from the wind,
and streams of water flow in a dry place,
when all eyes see and all ears hear,
minds grasp clearly and tongues speak clearly.
A day is coming, we can see it coming
when what we take for granted
crumbles in our hands,
when the property of the wealthy is abandoned
and wild creatures roam free,
when the wilderness of weeds
becomes a fruitful field.
A day is coming, it is close, it is here,
when a spirit from on high
is poured out on us,
when justice is at home in the wilderness
and righteousness is at home in the fields
when the people have secure homes,
quiet places to rest.
Christ, our King, bringing your peace, we pray -
peace between peoples,
peace with all your creation.
peace on earth.
In you is our security,
in you we place our trust.
Amen.
A day is coming, we can see it coming
when Christ the King will set all things to rights
and governments rule with justice,
when all people will have a hiding place from the wind,
and streams of water flow in a dry place,
when all eyes see and all ears hear,
minds grasp clearly and tongues speak clearly.
A day is coming, we can see it coming
when what we take for granted
crumbles in our hands,
when the property of the wealthy is abandoned
and wild creatures roam free,
when the wilderness of weeds
becomes a fruitful field.
A day is coming, it is close, it is here,
when a spirit from on high
is poured out on us,
when justice is at home in the wilderness
and righteousness is at home in the fields
when the people have secure homes,
quiet places to rest.
Christ, our King, bringing your peace, we pray -
peace between peoples,
peace with all your creation.
peace on earth.
In you is our security,
in you we place our trust.
Amen.
... prayers of dedication
Hold the world gently
Hold the world gently,
Touch the earth lightly
Move in the power of God.
Sing the faith strongly,
Speak the truth humbly
Stand in the presence of God.
Why do we hope for creation?
Why do we care for its life?
Why do we pray in the brokenness?
For this is the heart of God.
We are one drop in the ocean,
We are one sprout on the vine.
We add our weight to the balancing
For we are the friends of God.
Let there be rain in the wilderness,
Let there be peace in the storm.
Let there be love in the human heart,
For this is the touch of God
Hold the world gently,
Touch the earth lightly
Move in the power of God.
Sing the faith strongly,
Speak the truth humbly
Stand in the presence of God.
Hold the world gently,
Touch the earth lightly
Move in the power of God.
Sing the faith strongly,
Speak the truth humbly
Stand in the presence of God.
Why do we hope for creation?
Why do we care for its life?
Why do we pray in the brokenness?
For this is the heart of God.
We are one drop in the ocean,
We are one sprout on the vine.
We add our weight to the balancing
For we are the friends of God.
Let there be rain in the wilderness,
Let there be peace in the storm.
Let there be love in the human heart,
For this is the touch of God
Hold the world gently,
Touch the earth lightly
Move in the power of God.
Sing the faith strongly,
Speak the truth humbly
Stand in the presence of God.
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Kenepuru Psalm
I watched and watched until the light got white and my bum got numb as the sun rose over Kenepuru Sound while a shag fished a stingray cruised bellbirds chattered and the air hung gentle over the water. I hardly dared to breathe with the beauty of the Lord in every moving reflection in these ripples - ever constant, ever changing - in these rocks and trees and tides. O my eyes, look, notice O my ears, open to hear O my heart, receive this drink it deep into your bones and hold the knowledge that at every moment of every day for every millenia, somewhere in the world the sun rises dancing across the water!! |
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