Author: Judith Russenberger

Environmentalist and theologian, with husband and three grown up children plus one cat, living in London SW14. I enjoy running and drinking coffee - ideally with a friend or a book.

The water of eternal life

 15th November 2025

Jesus said … “Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” John 4:14b

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 Ezekiel 47:1-12 

Now he brought me back to the entrance to the Temple. I saw water pouring out from under the Temple porch to the east (the Temple faced east). The water poured from the south side of the Temple, south of the altar. He then took me out through the north gate and led me around the outside to the gate complex on the east. The water was gushing from under the south front of the Temple. He walked to the east with a measuring tape and measured off fifteen hundred feet, leading me through water that was ankle-deep. He measured off another fifteen hundred feet, leading me through water that was knee-deep. He measured off another fifteen hundred feet, leading me through water waist-deep. He measured off another fifteen hundred feet. By now it was a river over my head, water to swim in, water no one could possibly walk through. He said, “Son of man, have you had a good look?”

Then he took me back to the riverbank. While sitting on the bank, I noticed a lot of trees on both sides of the river. He told me, “This water flows east, descends to the Arabah and then into the sea, the sea of stagnant waters. When it empties into those waters, the sea will become fresh. Wherever the river flows, life will flourish—great schools of fish—because the river is turning the salt sea into fresh water. Where the river flows, life abounds. Fishermen will stand shoulder to shoulder along the shore from En Gedi all the way north to En-eglaim, casting their nets. The sea will teem with fish of all kinds, like the fish of the Great Mediterranean.

“The swamps and marshes won’t become fresh. They’ll stay salty. But the river itself, on both banks, will grow fruit trees of all kinds. Their leaves won’t wither, the fruit won’t fail. Every month they’ll bear fresh fruit because the river from the Sanctuary flows to them. Their fruit will be for food and their leaves for healing.”

A response:-

In the beginning

it was a mere drop of water, 

a slight dampness on the ground:

It will become in us a spring of water welling up to eternal life.

The wetness gathers, 

soaks into the ground, 

bubbles up and becomes a spring:

It will become in us a spring of water welling up to eternal life.

Overflowing, 

the spring gives birth to a stream, 

slipping and sliding and a journey begins:

It will become in us a spring of water welling up to eternal life.

Meeting with others, 

joining forces, growing in magnitude,

the stream becomes a river:

It will become in us a spring of water welling up to eternal life.

From youth to maturity 

the river grows in girth and presence, 

bearing an ever growing load:

It will become in us a spring of water welling up to eternal life.

Spilling over, spreading out, 

the river branches out into a delta 

disbursing its fertility across the land:

It will become in us a spring of water welling up to eternal life.

Returning, homing in on the tideline, 

the river pours out unhesitatingly 

into the greater depth of the sea:

It will become in us a spring of water welling up to eternal life.

From cradle to grave, may our lives be channeled by God’s wisdom.

From beginning to end, may our lives serve God’s kingdom.

From source to sea, may our lives overflow with God’s love.

Amen. 

The Lord’s Prayer 

Counting on … 187

14th November 2025

Not only have humans been adding excessive amounts of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere (largely though burning fossil fuels), we have also been destroying the Earth’s own ways of absorbing carbon dioxide. Two of the main ‘carbon sinks’ (as they are known) are forests, especially rain forests, and oceans. 

Loss of rainforest in the Amazon continues to increase due to deforestation (principally clearing tree to grow other crops) and wild fires (which are increasing as temperatures rise and as droughts become more severe). (1) 

It is sad to report that in the leaders’ summit in advance of COP30, the UK government determined not to help fund the Tropical Forests Forever Fund (TFFF). The TFFF aim is to raise $25 billion from developed countries attending COP30, which will underpin a $125 billion fund (p rest coming from private investors)  to protect rainforests on both the Amazon and Congo. (3) 

Oceans loose their ability to absorb carbon dioxide as they heat (warm water absorbs less CO2) (2) 

 and as  flora and fauna are removed (from whales to sea grass) and from bottom trawling and mining which release previously absorbed CO2. (4)

To an extended protection of the oceans already exists via the 30 by 30  Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) where signatories agreed to protect and enhance the biodiversity of 30% of land and sea by 2030. (5) This will hopefully be further extended to include international waters that lie outside those waters controlled by individual nations  with the High Seas Treaty. (6) 

(1) https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2025/06/climate-strikes-the-amazon-undermining-protection-efforts/

(2) https://news.climate.columbia.edu/2025/09/04/the-ocean-carbon-sink-is-ailing/

(3) https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/nov/05/uk-opts-out-of-flagship-fund-to-protect-amazon-and-other-threatened-tropical-forests

(4) https://www.southampton.ac.uk/publicpolicy/CFloor.page

(5) https://for-the-ocean.org/event/cop30/

(6) https://highseasalliance.org/treaty-negotiations/

Counting on … 186

13th November 2025

Here in the UK whilst the Labour Party in its last manifesto promised ‘no new oil and gas’ there is still uncertainty as to how this is to be implemented. Exploration licences for oil fields such as Rosebank and Jackdaw had already been issued. The former to Equinor (Norwegian) and Ithaca (Israeli), and the latter to Shell. However before any oil and gas can be extracted a development license is needed. The development license issued for Rosebank was challenged in court as it took into account only scope 1 and 2 emissions and not scope 3 emissions – these being the emissions released when the oil and gas are used and which are clearly far greater than scope 1 and 2 being those related to the extraction of the fuels. 

Equinor and Ithaca have submitted a revised application but as yet we don’t know whether or not the UK government will approve this. If the licence is approved, the subsequent greenhouse gas emissions would significantly undermine the UK’s net zero carbon budget.

For more information and to sign a petition and/ or write to Kier Starmer – https://www.stopcambo.org.uk/

Counting on … 185

12th November 2025

Cutting methane emissions is clearly a quick and important way of reducing the short term damaging effect of greenhouse gas emissions, but unless emissions from fossil fuels are also tackled, the climate crisis will only increase. National governments and fossil fuel companies need to legislate and implement (respectively) plans to end fossil fuel production. Yet unbelievably across the world countries are still planning to further expand fossil fuel production! 

“The increases in fossil fuel production estimated under the government plans and projections pathways would lead to global production levels in 2030 that are 500%, 31%, and 92% higher for coal, oil, and gas, respectively, than the median 1.5ºC-con­sistent pathway.” (1) 

The International Energy Agency itself reported in 2021 that there was no need for new developments: sufficient oil and gas production is already in place to meet global needs as the world transitions to renewable energy. (2)

Clearly this is an issue that needs to be addressed during COP30. 

  1. https://productiongap.org/2025report/
  2. https://www.iea.org/reports/net-zero-by-2050
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/sep/22/fossil-fuels-coal-gas-oil-extraction-climate-goals-beyond-reach?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other

Counting on … 184

11th November 2025

CO2 is the main GHG but methane is another, particularly potent, GHG. Methane doesn’t last as long in the atmosphere (ten to twelve years compared with hundreds or even thousands of years for carbon dioxide) but its warming effect is greater than that of carbon dioxide – as much as 80% more. (1)

40% of methane emissions are natural; 60% are manmade. Methane levels are now two-and-a-half times greater than pre-industrial levels. 

Methane levels are still rising but clearly if emissions were curtailed it would help address the short term impact of climate change and rising temperatures. Frustratingly the IEA reports that “around 40% of today’s methane emissions from fossil fuels could be avoided at no net cost” (2) Methane emissions from fossil fuels can be reduced by reducing flaring and venting and by curtailing leaks! NB Natural gas is 80-95% methane.

To date methane emissions reduction has been via voluntary pledges, which are not tackling the problem. This is something that needs to be addressed during COP30. “ Durwood Zaelke, the president of the Institute for Governance and Sustainable Development, said countries must sign a new global agreement on methane rather than sticking with the non-binding pledge. “With emissions still high, the voluntary pledge is clearly not enough to keep us from passing the fast-approaching tipping points,” he said. “We need a more muscular binding methane agreement.” (3) 

  1. https://energy.ec.europa.eu/topics/carbon-management-and-fossil-fuels/methane-emissions_en

(2) https://www.iea.org/reports/global-methane-tracker-2024/key-findings

(3) https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/nov/10/rich-countries-have-lost-enthusiasm-for-tackling-climate-crisis-says-cop30-chief?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other

Counting on … 183

10th November 2025

COP30 starts this week in Belém, Brazil. Global greenhouse gas emissions are continuing to rise as are global temperatures. The real hope is the all the parties will agree to transition rapidly away from fossil fuels – fossil fuels are the single biggest cause of greenhouse gas emissions. Unless they are eliminated, there is no way we can curb, let alone rein in, rising global temperatures and all that that will do to destroy the ecosystems in which we rely.

The main greenhouse gas, and one most easily measured, is carbon dioxide. Carbon dioxide in the atmosphere keeps in heat. Without some CO2 in the atmosphere our planet would be very cold. 

CO2 levels in the atmosphere (measured in parts per million) have varied throughout geological time. This graph (1)  shows atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations in the atmosphere over the last 800,000 years (red line). CO2 levels were lower during the ice ages, and higher during the warmer interglacial periods. During this entire era, CI2 levels never exceeded 300 PPM until the modern era. The graphic also shows the differences  global temperatures above and below the mean – the temperature anomaly.

There is a clear correlation between CO2 levels and temperature fluctuations. But more significantly the graph shows how rapidly both CO2 levels and temperatures are rising. It is a rate of change that is not due to natural deviations but to the impact of human activity. 

 (1) – https://theconversation.com/the-three-minute-story-of-800-000-years-of-climate-change-with-a-sting-in-the-tail-73368

9th November 2025

Reflection with readings below

The first chapter of the book of Haggai is set a month before today’s passage. In it Haggai is told by God that it is not yet time to rebuild the Lord’s house. But then God speaks again asking Haggai to consider the wellbeing of the people – they have planted much but harvested little; they have something to drink but not enough to satisfy their thirst; they have clothes but not enough to keep warm. And God says “Give careful thought to your ways.”

It seems that God is setting the ground – maybe enacting a parable – that challenges the people to understand that there are different ways of living. They can live according to the ways of the past, of convention, which don’t  satisfy their needs, or they can live according to the ways of God which will satisfy all their needs. And so it is in the next month that God’s word to Haggai calls on the people to restore God’s house and so restore their own well-being – and handsomely so with much wealth!

For the people of Judah, the temple was the house of God that had been destroyed by the Babylonian invaders. Now that some of those exiled to Babylon have returned to Jerusalem, the desire is to rebuild the temple. But for us in the 2st century might we rather consider the Earth as being God’s house? 

“The God who made the world and all things in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands” Acts 17:24 

And if we look at the Earth as God’s temple, do we see it as a place that has been well cared for, a place of peace and beauty? Or do we see a place that is broken and damaged, and in need of repair? 

When we look at the wellbeing of our fellow creatures (human and nonhuman)do we not see communities that do not have enough to eat and drink, that do not have adequate clothing and protection? Could that be because we are not living in accordance with God’s ways?  Are we misusing the world’s resources such that the needs of many are not satisfied? Surely it is therefore time to reassess and redirect the way we live? 

Absolutely! Time and again we hear scientists warning us that our continued use of fossil fuels and of greenhouse gas emitting practices is continuing to fuel the climate crisis. We are now on track for more than 2C of warming. This will ensure brings even more extreme weather events – droughts, storms, wild fires and hurricanes such as Melissa last week – more food shortages (over the last three years, British farmers have lost the equivalent of a year’s supply of bread because of adverse weather affecting harvests) – more deaths from excess heat, the increasing loss of species and destruction of delicate ecosystems, etc. 

We also hear social welfare and justice campaigners telling us that the gap between rich and poor is growing; that people’s lives are being diminished not because the resources aren’t there, but because they are not being made available; that they are not being shared fairly. We hear that mental ill health is rocketing;  that corporate power is trumping democracy; that the justice systems favours governments over individuals, and big businesses over everyone. Injustice is endemic world wide.

And we hear of governments ignoring the warning signs, of governments focusing on those with loudest voices, of governments focusing on the next election not our corporate long term survival. Next week COP30 begins its deliberations. Participating nations knew well in advance that they would have to come to this meeting with updated plans to reduce their national emissions in line with the net zero targets.  In fact they have known this since the  signing the Paris Agreement in 2015. Yet many have not even submitted a plan, and of those that have, none have been sufficiently ambitious to keep the world on track to avoid even a 2C rise in temperatures!

Absolutely it is time to reassess and redirect the way we live.

Haggai 1:15b-2:9

In the second year of King Darius, in the seventh month, on the twenty-first day of the month, the word of the Lord came by the prophet Haggai, saying: Speak now to Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and to the remnant of the people, and say, Who is left among you that saw this house in its former glory? How does it look to you now? Is it not in your sight as nothing? Yet now take courage, O Zerubbabel, says the Lord; take courage, O Joshua, son of Jehozadak, the high priest; take courage, all you people of the land, says the Lord; work, for I am with you, says the Lord of hosts, according to the promise that I made you when you came out of Egypt. My spirit abides among you; do not fear. For thus says the Lord of hosts: Once again, in a little while, I will shake the heavens and the earth and the sea and the dry land; and I will shake all the nations, so that the treasure of all nations shall come, and I will fill this house with splendour, says the Lord of hosts. The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, says the Lord of hosts. The latter splendour of this house shall be greater than the former, says the Lord of hosts; and in this place I will give prosperity, says the Lord of hosts.

Psalm 145:1-5, 18-22

1 I will exalt you, O God my King, *
and bless your Name for ever and ever.

2 Every day will I bless you *
and praise your Name for ever and ever.

3 Great is the Lord and greatly to be praised; *
there is no end to his greatness.

4 One generation shall praise your works to another *
and shall declare your power.

5 I will ponder the glorious splendour of your majesty *
and all your marvellous works.

18 The Lord is righteous in all his ways *
and loving in all his works.

19 The Lord is near to those who call upon him, *
to all who call upon him faithfully.

20 He fulfils the desire of those who fear him; *
he hears their cry and helps them.

21 The Lord preserves all those who love him, *
but he destroys all the wicked.

22 My mouth shall speak the praise of the Lord; *
let all flesh bless his holy Name for ever and ever.

2 Thessalonians 2:1-5, 13-17

As to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered together to him, we beg you, brothers and sisters, not to be quickly shaken in mind or alarmed, either by spirit or by word or by letter, as though from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord is already here. Let no one deceive you in any way; for that day will not come unless the rebellion comes first and the lawless one is revealed, the one destined for destruction. He opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, declaring himself to be God. Do you not remember that I told you these things when I was still with you?

But we must always give thanks to God for you, brothers and sisters beloved by the Lord, because God chose you as the first fruits for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and through belief in the truth. For this purpose he called you through our proclamation of the good news, so that you may obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. So then, brothers and sisters, stand firm and hold fast to the traditions that you were taught by us, either by word of mouth or by our letter.

Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and through grace gave us eternal comfort and good hope, comfort your hearts and strengthen them in every good work and word.

Luke 20:27-38

Some Sadducees, those who say there is no resurrection, came to Jesus and asked him a question, “Teacher, Moses wrote for us that if a man’s brother dies, leaving a wife but no children, the man shall marry the widow and raise up children for his brother. Now there were seven brothers; the first married, and died childless; then the second and the third married her, and so in the same way all seven died childless. Finally the woman also died. In the resurrection, therefore, whose wife will the woman be? For the seven had married her.”

Jesus said to them, “Those who belong to this age marry and are given in marriage; but those who are considered worthy of a place in that age and in the resurrection from the dead neither marry nor are given in marriage. Indeed they cannot die anymore, because they are like angels and are children of God, being children of the resurrection. And the fact that the dead are raised Moses himself showed, in the story about the bush, where he speaks of the Lord as the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. Now he is God not of the dead, but of the living; for to him all of them are alive.”

Life giving Spirit

8th November 2025

The Spirit of God has made me, and the breath of the Almighty gives me life. Job 33:4

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 from Genesis 2: 7,15 (based on The Message)

God formed Human out of dirt from the ground and blew into their nostrils the breath of life. Human came alive—a living soul! God took Human and set them down in the Garden of Eden to work the ground and keep it in order.

A reading from John 20:21-23 (The Message)

 The disciples, seeing the Master with their own eyes, were awestruck. Jesus repeated his greeting: “Peace to you. Just as the Father sent me, I send you.”

Then he took a deep breath and breathed into them. “Receive the Holy Spirit,” he said. “If you forgive someone’s sins, they’re gone for good. If you don’t forgive sins, what are you going to do with them?”

A response:

Air, 

flutters in my nostrils, 

brushes my lips, 

on the tip of my tongue, 

filling my mouth

flows into my lungs – 

oxygen interchange 

recharges my blood. 

Life!

Spirit, 

flutters in my nostrils, 

brushes my lips, 

on the tip of my tongue, 

filling my mouth 

flows into my lungs – 

oxygen interchange 

recharges my soul. 

Life!

Prayers: 

Thank you for the ever renewed gift of life.

Thank you for biology and chemistry 

and physicality. 

Thank you for heart and soul 

and imagination.

Thank you for love and faith 

and compassion.

Living God,

We lay before you our own sins and short comings, 

our guilt and our stupidity.

Forgive us and relieve us of our shame. 

Help us to make recompense 

for the damage we have caused, 

to rebuild our lives and those we have afflicted.

Living God, 

We lay before you our failure 

to tend and care for the earth, 

our failure tend your plants 

and care for your creatures.

Grant us time for amendment, 

to renew and  re-wild 

to reclaim and regenerate your beautiful earth.

Living God,

We lay before you the sins of our communities

and those sins which afflict our lives. 

Bestow again your forgiveness and mercy 

and enable us to be forgiving too. 

Help us to rebuild our communities, 

to bind the wounds and heal the scars,

and to renew the bonds of kinship.

Amen.

The Grace. 

Counting on … 182

7th  November 2025

The Eat-Lancet Commission reports that report, currently the “wealthiest 30% of people drive more than 70% of food-related environmental impacts” (1) but this is not the only way that wealth and food produce inequalities. Lack of money means many people go hungry and many others cannot afford a healthy diet.

Here in the UK the Food Foundation’s research showed that 14% of households experienced food insecurity in June 2024 affecting approximately 7.2 million adults. 18% of households with children experienced food insecurity in the same period affecting an estimated 2.7 million children. Their  report, The Broken Plate, also noted that “many people in the UK lack the financial means to access decent food and that much of the food readily available and marketed to us is damaging our health and the planet.” (2) 

Further they also highlighted  that such inequalities affect not only the individual’s wellbeing but also that of their communities. “Food is a huge part of all of our lives, nourishing and fuelling us. It impacts our health, happiness and overall prosperity. But the current food system is holding our nation back. Because it is so difficult to eat healthily, poor diet is now the biggest risk for preventable disease, placing massive strain on our NHS.” (3)

Food, including food production and access to food, is a climate issue, a health issue, an economic issue as well as a justice issue.

(1) https://eatforum.org/update/eat-lancet-commission-warns-food-systems-breach-planetary-limits/

(2) https://foodfoundation.org.uk/publication/broken-plate-2025

(3) https://foodfoundation.org.uk/initiatives/nourishing-nation

Counting on … 181

6th November 2025

Bang on cue! Yesterday saw the launch of a new campaign – Bang on Some Beans – to encourage us to eat more beans and pulses in the best interests of our own health and for the health of the planet. 

https://foodfoundation.org.uk/initiatives/bang-some-beans

The Guardian offers a selection of appetising recipes (although the quantities look as if they would feed many more than the recipes suggests). 

https://www.theguardian.com/food/2025/nov/05/magic-beans-the-protein-rich-superfood-in-a-potful-of-top-chefs-recipes?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other

Another go to site for recipes is Hodmedod’s who are a British grown beans, pulses, grains etc. Their recipes include ones using bean flour – dried beans milled into flour are a great way to increase protein and fibre and reduce carbon hydrates and can be used in making cakes, biscuits, bread, pasta etc.

https://hodmedods.co.uk/blogs/recipes