16th April 2025
For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse. Romans 1:20
St Paul reminds us that God’s wisdom is writ clear and large in the world that God has created. It is to our detriment if we overlook that so-visible source of truth.
15th April 2025
“Even the sparrow has found a home, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may have her young— a place near your altar, LORD Almighty, my King and my God.” Psalm 84:3
Having a safe home, a place where we belong, can be a source of contentment. Successful ecosystems are those where each species has its own niche. If we live in a society where not everyone has a place to cal home, a place to belong, then we should be questioning how successful our society can claim to be. Nature deserves a safe home, and people deserve a safe home – and the two are not incompatible.
Reshaping how we can talk positively about the climate crisis – part 3: Finance
April 2025
How can we talk about the climate crisis in a way that sounds encouraging?
The climate crisis is an existential threat which is certainly not good news. Its causes and impact are diverse and numerous such that it is hard to pin down ‘This is the cause’ or ‘This is the solution’. It is hard to quantify ‘This is how it will effect you’ and ‘This will be the time table.’
All this makes it difficult to find a way of talking to people about the crisis and how we might respond.
So here are some thoughts that might help.
Finance for a Better Future
We are told that one of the most effective ways of tackling climate change is to redirect the money that funds climate damaging industries such as oil and gas production . Make My Money has campaigned on this issue with both humour (short films and ) and straightforward facts and graphics:
“All of these banks refuse to stop funnelling money to the companies pumping new fossil fuels.
They each talk about climate change, but we need less talk and more action on what really matters:
* Immediately stop providing money to new clients who are involved in expanding fossil fuel operations
* End the flow of new money to existing fossil fuel clients who won’t stop the expansion of fossil fuel operations and haven’t published credible plans aligned to a 1.5 degree global warming limit
* Set out a clear timeline for cutting ties with existing clients that continue to expand fossil fuel operations”
But despite the ease with which we can switch banks, many of us haven’t bothered to take this simple action. Perhaps because there is no immediately visible result. Stop driving to the shops and you straight away see the benefit of not having to refuel your car. Switch your bank and there is no noticeable reduction in oil production, no financial gain. And anyway aren’t high street customers mere minnows in an ocean of big financial organisations?
Is it also that with banking we see ourselves as customers buying a service, not as patrons providing banks with money and probity? Banks like – need – to be seen as upright, trustworthy and moral institutions: people with whom you can safely entrust your money. That is part of the reason that banks will sponsor sporting and cultural events – it improves their perceived reputation as ‘responsible’ companies. And that is why groups have campaigned against such greenwashing bank relationships eg Barclays and Wimbledon Lawn Tennis/ Live Nation music festivals/ National Trust/ Sadler’s Wells.
Turning the situation round, should we be actively expecting our bank – the bank we support with our money and our patronage – to demonstrate how it is using its financial clout to create better world? By way of example let’s look at Triodos. Triodos scored the top mark in a recent survey by Ethical Consumer, scoring 96 out of a possible 100 points. The big five high street banks – Lloyds, HSBC, NatWest, Santander and Barclays scored 6 or less. (1)
Triodos does not provide finance for fossil fuels, nor fast fashion, nor weapons and warfare, nor gambling. Triodos does provide finance for renewable energy, nature restoration, healthcare, art and culture: “We believe it’s not enough to avoid funding harmful practices, so we actively support those building a better tomorrow. Our commitment goes beyond avoiding harmful investments. We proactively seek out and support initiatives that contribute to a sustainable future, ensuring that every loan and investment aligns with our mission.” (2)
For example, “Ember, the UK’s first all-electric intercity bus operator, has increased its fleet of zero emission coaches with a £5.6m loan from Triodos Bank UK. The electric coach operator, based in Scotland, has a fleet of vehicles designed specifically for intercity travel. These buses are zero-emission, contributing to environmental sustainability by reducing carbon footprints and improving urban air quality.” (3)
Triodos also finances “Copeland Park … a social, cultural and creative hub in Peckham, an area of London that is becoming increasingly known as a haven for artistic individuals and collectives. At Copeland Park, traditional warehouses and industrial buildings have been transformed into workspace for a number of creative businesses. The historic Bussey Building, for example, now provides a home for artists’ studios, theatre groups, live music venues, fitness studios and faith groups – along with incomparable views of London.”
In Wandsworth “Beyond Autism seeks to improve the education and health of children diagnosed with autism and/or related communication disorders. A loan from Triodos Bank allowed Beyond Autism to purchase their facility.”
On Mull “NWMCWC was set up by the local community in 2006 to purchase and manage the Langamull and West Ardhu forests in North West Mull. With 2 Triodos loans, we were able to help with a variety of projects, including helping with the construction of a woodshed for timber felled at the woodland.”
And in Wales “NWMCWC was set up by the local community in 2006 to purchase and manage the Langamull and West Ardhu forests in North West Mull. With 2 Triodos loans, we were able to help with a variety of projects, including helping with the construction of a woodshed for timber felled at the woodland.” (4)
In addition Triodos does not use its profits to pay bonuses to its staff. Rather “Triodos believe all our workers should be paid fairly and our focus should be on impact – for the whole Triodos community.” (2)
Choosing – switching to – an ethical banking really does enable our money to create a better future, and can do so in a clearly transparent way, such that we can be proud of what our patronage can achieve.
The following websites help individuals switch to ethical banks:-
(1) https://www.ethicalconsumer.org/money-finance/shopping-guide/current-accounts
NB the other banks recommended in the Ethical Consumer report included Coop Bank/ Smile, Cumberland Building Society, and Nationwide, all scoring 70 or more.
(2) https://www.triodos.co.uk/your-money-has-power
(3) https://www.triodos.co.uk/articles/2024/powering-sustainable-travel-with-ember
14th April 2025
But ask the animals, and they will teach you; the birds of the air, and they will tell you; ask the plants of the earth, and they will teach you; and the fish of the sea will declare to you. Who among all these does not know that the hand of the Lord has done this? In his hand is the life of every living thing
and the breath of every human being. Job 12:7-9
There can be no greater wisdom than understanding the world in which we live, and there is much we can learn from our fellow brethren who live along side us. Sometimes it surprises us to see how contented – how lacking in worry – our companions are! I was reminded of this yesterday when watching a pair of otters frolicking in the sun at the London Wetland Centre.
13th April 2025
Reflection with readings for the liturgy of the palms below
The collect for today tell us that for love of us, God sent Jesus into our world to give us a lived example of how we as human should inhabit the world.
In today’s first gospel reading, the parable Jesus has just told is that of the money (talents misdirects us into thinking of gifts or aptitudes not metal coinage) where the one who buries the money he has been given, is punished for not earning his master a rich profit. It is not a straight forward parable. Does the rich merchant present God who has given us gifts of varying value, or does the rich merchant represent the ungodly ‘world’ in which inequality is rife? Is it a parable that calls on us to make a profit for God, or one that invites us to challenge the concept of unearned profits?
This is how the parable begins: A nobleman went to a distant country to get royal power for himself and then return. But the citizens of his country hated him and sent a delegation after him, saying, “We do not want this man to rule over us”. Not an image that reflects our idea of God. And ends “But as for these enemies of mine who did not want me to be king over them—bring them here and slaughter them in my presence.” Again not an image that suggests a forgiving, loving God.
Is it maybe a parable about power and kingship? In the wilderness Satan has already offered Jesus the power and wealth of all the kingdoms of the world. Jesus refused that offer then; is he also challenging what is meant by power and kingship as he prepares to enter Jerusalem? The image of power and kingship represented by Caesar, or by Herod, or by the chief priest?
Just as Jesus’s parable about financial investments is not easy to understand, I’m not sure that the instructions Jesus gave to his disciples about securing a donkey were easy. Following his instructions required a lot of faith and a lot of humility: trusting that doing what Jesus asks will not result in ridicule and that even if it does, would you will still complete the commission or look sheepish and sidle away?.
But once they have secured the donkey – once they have taken that risk and stepped outside conventional, ‘worldly’ behaviour – it is easier to enter into the spirit of the occasion. Quickly they deck the donkey with robes, and lay a red carpet of palms and yet more robes. Now they feel part of something that is both radical and special. Stepping of the pavement into the road at the start of a march can be nerve wracking – we have been brought up to walk only on the pavements – but once everyone is marching along the road, chanting and waving banners, it all becomes so much easier, so much fun: “Here we are! We’re the change that is already happening!”
The disciples are beginning to see Jesus’s plan. He is going to enter Jerusalem on his own terms. And yes it will be a triumphal eye-catching entry – no sneaking in undercover. But equally it is going to challenge the status quo. Yes Jesus is a king but not like any king that the authorities might imagine. This is a king who will humbly ride in on a donkey. He is not going to laud his authority overs. His route into the city is not going to be created by armed troops, nor is he going to be accompanied by an armed body guard that would ensure an appropriate degree of distance between king and people. This king is going to be surrounded by the ordinary people – the people of the street and the land – by people who willing choose him as their king. Jesus is not going to become king through force of power. His entry will be surrounded by genuine shouts of joy, by a widespread celebration that here at last is someone who knows their needs and will satisfy them. This is the king chosen and endowed by God as their messiah.
The example Jesus gives us is, in terms of worldly convention, not straight forward. Rather Jesus is challenging us to rethink whether we should be aligning ourselves with worldly conventions and practices. As followers of Jesus we should be thinking outside that box; we should be challenging the world’s assumptions. Power that is controlled by a small and rich elite is not how things should be in God’s kingdom. Support should not be gained through the exploitation of fear and/or greed. Kingship – authority – should be about humility and should reflect the voices of the many. Kingship/ authority should be about joy and celebration, about meeting people’s needs, restoring hope and ultimately renewing our relationship with God.
As followers of Jesus we need to find ways of supporting the incoming reign of God’s kingdom and of countering the corrupting, destructive power of the current ‘worldly’ order that we see flaunted by so many world leaders.
Luke 19:28-40
After telling a parable to the crowd at Jericho, Jesus went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem. When he had come near Bethphage and Bethany, at the place called the Mount of Olives, he sent two of the disciples, saying, “Go into the village ahead of you, and as you enter it you will find tied there a colt that has never been ridden. Untie it and bring it here. If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you untying it?’ just say this, ‘The Lord needs it.'” So those who were sent departed and found it as he had told them. As they were untying the colt, its owners asked them, “Why are you untying the colt?” They said, “The Lord needs it.” Then they brought it to Jesus; and after throwing their cloaks on the colt, they set Jesus on it. As he rode along, people kept spreading their cloaks on the road. As he was now approaching the path down from the Mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to praise God joyfully with a loud voice for all the deeds of power that they had seen, saying,
“Blessed is the king
who comes in the name of the Lord!
Peace in heaven,
and glory in the highest heaven!”
Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, order your disciples to stop.” He answered, “I tell you, if these were silent, the stones would shout out.”
Psalm 118:1-2, 19-29
1 Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; *
his mercy endures for ever.
2 Let Israel now proclaim, *
“His mercy endures for ever.”
19 Open for me the gates of righteousness; *
I will enter them;
I will offer thanks to the Lord.
20 “This is the gate of the Lord; *
he who is righteous may enter.”
21 I will give thanks to you, for you answered me *
and have become my salvation.
22 The same stone which the builders rejected *
has become the chief cornerstone.
23 This is the Lord’s doing, *
and it is marvellous in our eyes.
24 On this day the Lord has acted; *
we will rejoice and be glad in it.
25 Hosannah, Lord, hosannah! *
Lord, send us now success.
26 Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord; *
we bless you from the house of the Lord.
27 God is the Lord; he has shined upon us; *
form a procession with branches up to the horns of the altar.
28 “You are my God, and I will thank you; *
you are my God, and I will exalt you.”
29 Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; *
his mercy endures for ever.
7th July 2023
As a deer longs for flowing streams, so my soul longs for you, O God. Psalm 42:1
You Lord, are the source of all good things:
We praise you.
You call us to tend and care for your creation:
May we strive to do your will.
You have made us as brothers and sisters with all that lives:
May we live together in peace.
A reading: Exodus 3:1-7
Moses was keeping the flock of his father-in-law Jethro, the priest of Midian; he led his flock beyond the wilderness, and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. There the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire out of a bush; he looked, and the bush was blazing, yet it was not consumed. Then Moses said, ‘I must turn aside and look at this great sight, and see why the bush is not burned up.’ When the Lord saw that he had turned aside to see, God called to him out of the bush, ‘Moses, Moses!’ And he said, ‘Here I am.’ Then he said, ‘Come no closer! Remove the sandals from your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.’ He said further, ‘I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.’ And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God. Then the Lord said, ‘I have observed the misery of my people who are in Egypt; I have heard their cry on account of their taskmasters. Indeed, I know their sufferings…’
Response
Great and awesome God,
keeper of promises
and steadfast in love,
We lay before you the sorrows of the world:
Soldiers and civilians killed in war,
police and rioters caught in the crossfire of inequality
refugees risking death to seek a safer life,
lives lost in floods and heatwaves.
Lord have mercy:
and hear our prayer.
Great and awesome God,
keeper of promises
and steadfast in love,
We lay before you the sorrows of the world:
Rivers drained by drought,
glaciers and ice caps carved away by heat,
burning tundra and wild fires,
coral reefs bleached by heat stress.
Lord have mercy:
and hear our prayer.
Great and awesome God,
keeper of promises
and steadfast in love,
We lay before you the sorrows of the world:
Livelihoods gone because of rising fuel prices,
harvests lost as rainfall diminishes,
futures destroyed by armed conflict,
lives lost through lack of medical attention.
Lord have mercy:
and hear our prayer.
Great and awesome God,
keeper of promises
and steadfast in love,
We lay before you the sorrows of the world:
Wildlife made homeless by forest clearance,
migrating birds dying from heat exhaustion,
bees and butterflies poisoned by pesticides,
marine ecosystems decimated by over fishing.
Lord have mercy:
and hear our prayer.
Great and awesome God,
keeper of promises
and steadfast in love,
We lay before you the sorrows of the world:
Political intransigence that leaves people powerless,
broken promises that relegate the needs of biodiversity,
half-baked measures that ignore the vulnerable,
taxes that reward the rich and take from the poor.
Lord have mercy:
and hear our prayer.
Holy and loving God,
comfort us when we are overwhelmed,
reassure us when we feel helpless,
inspire us when we lack hope
and empower us when we can make a difference.
Amen.
The Grace
11th April 2025
“Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise! It has no commander, no overseer or ruler, yet it stores its provisions in summer and gathers its food at harvest.” Proverb 6:6-8
Here perhaps is an invitation to consider the very many different ways in which communities can organise their affairs. Autocracies, monopolies and patriarchies are not the only options. Cooperative and democratic alternatives offer more to all participants in terms of equality and justice. Indeed the prophets tell us that God does envisage radical change.
“The wolf shall live with the lamb, the leopard shall lie down with the kid, the calf and the lion and the fatling together, and a little child shall lead them”. Isaiah 11:6
10th April 2025
Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. Revelation 22: 1-2
The RHS reminds us that plants – and frequently their leaves – are important for the medicinal properties. “Many familiar garden plants were first grown for their healing properties rather than their appearance, and many common herbs were valued as much for medicinal uses as they were in the kitchen.” (1)
Whilst the Lancet notes “Human health has been inextricably linked to the use of herbal medicines for millennia, making natural medicinal resources one of the oldest contributions of nature to human wellbeing. Human health has been inextricably linked to the use of herbal medicines for millennia, making natural medicinal resources one of the oldest contributions of nature to human wellbeing.1,2 However, increasing global change in the anthropocene is jeopardising the future of these contributions to societies…Bioactive compounds produced by plants and their endophytes are integral parts of ecosystems, participating in fundamental ecological processes and contributing essential health benefits to populations globally. The current lack of transdisciplinary frameworks for evaluating medicinal biodiversity as a central component of planetary health hinders the ability to sustainably manage that biodiversity and fully benefit from its potential contributions to human societies.”
(2)
The natural world is very much there for the promotion of health and wellbeing in so many different ways – and we humans need to be more caring and appreciative of all that it is there for our mutual benefit.
(2) https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanplh/article/PIIS2542-5196(22)00317-5/fulltext
9th April 2025
“Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds!” Luke 12:24
Anxiety and especially being anxious about things we can’t influence, feels increasingly common in our busy technological world. We often over-analyse, over-complicate our lives and become more and more stressed. Yet acknowledging that we are as much a part of nature as the birds – and as beloved by God – can give us a calmer, more balanced take on life. If we can let go of more of our worries and accept that God has created a natural world which can more than satisfy our needs, then we will find greater happiness.
“Research shows that people who are more connected with nature are usually happier in life and more likely to report feeling their lives are worthwhile. Nature can generate many positive emotions, such as calmness, joy, and creativity and can facilitate concentration. Nature connectedness is also associated with lower levels of poor mental health, particularly lower depression and anxiety.” (1)
8th April 2025
He makes me lie down in green pastures; he leads me beside still waters; he restores my soul. Psalm 23:2-3a
Even though we know it is good for us, both mentally and physically, it is surprising how often we don’t make time to walk in the natural world, to sit by the water, to watch the wildlife, smell the clean air, listen to the wildlife, or to absorb the pheromones from the trees.
The Woodlands Trust is passionate about the health benefits of trees and works to ensure that everyone has access to the benefits of trees and nature. “Embracing nature’s embrace: woods and trees do more than just clean air. Growing scientific evidence is revealing that reconnecting us to nature bolsters our physical and mental wellbeing.”
The Green Tau 