Midday Prayers during COP26

Wednesday 3rd November

Forgiving God, we recognise that we have avoided your call, shirked responsibilities and mis-stewarded your gifts to us.

God forgive us; Let your grace live within us

Sharing God; we have resisted expressing your life and bringing to birth your kin-dom.

God forgive us; Let your grace live within us

God who first loved us, help us to love others by forgiving. 

God forgive us; Let your grace live within us.

(Adapted from https://ourcommonprayer.org/2021/09/07/wednesdays-in-climate-emergency/?relatedposts_hit=1&relatedposts_origin=1824&relatedposts_position=0&relatedposts_hit=1&relatedposts_origin=1824&relatedposts_position=0)

Reading: God’s mercy is for those who revere him from generation to generation. He has shown strength with his arm; he has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts. He has brought down the powerful from their seats of power, and lifted up the vulnerable; he has filled the hungry with good things, and sent the rich away empty. Luke 1:50-53

On this the third day of COP26 the focus will be on finance, so let us pray:- 

We pray for all the participants,

the decision-makers and the protestors,

the bureaucrats and the prayerful,

influencers and bankers,

shareholders and investors.

May they recognise and understand 

the need to finance what is good for the environment,

to assist those who are vulnerable,

to shift from carbon production to green industries,

to plan for long term not short term gain.

Loving and patient God,

may your will be done.

All: Amen.

We stand at a tipping point, O God,

teetering between life and death:

Shall we fall or rise?

“Chose life!” 

Shall we retreat into our shells, bury our heads in the sand:

Or shall we step forth into a new age of sustainability?

“Chose life!”

Shall we ignore the science, hide ourselves in the trappings of consumerism:

Or shall we openly embrace renewable lifestyles?

“Chose life!”

Shall we pointlessly mourn the loss of polar bears and elephants, bees and butterflies:

Or shall we live our lives so that all may live?

“Chose life!”

Shall we fly to the ends of the earth while ice sheets melt:

Or value the future by enjoying what is local?

“Chose life!”

Shall we disregard floods and droughts, storms and heat waves, as seasonal blips:

Or acknowledge them as already-present signs of climate change?

“Chose life!”

Shall we close our ears to cries of help from farmers and islanders as their lands disappear:

Or shall we join voices in calling for justice?

“Chose life!”

Holy God,

Prompt us and urge us, encourage and propel us,

to now change our life styles so that all may have life and live!

Amen.