Prayers – The Green Tau

Be with us God, show us the way

25th July 2026

“Never have we so hurt and mistreated our common home as we have in the last 200 years. We are not God. The Earth was here before us and was given to us. The exploitation of the planet has already exceeded acceptable limits and we still have not solved the problem of poverty. We must regain the conviction that we need one another, that we have a shared responsibility for others and the world, and that being good and decent are worth it.” Pope Francis, Laudate Si

When I am tempted to meanness,

Show me your ways, O God,

and teach me your paths.

When I fail to care for your creation,

Show me your ways, O God,

and teach me your paths.

When I am too busy to stand and stare,

Show me your ways, O God,

and teach me your paths.

From Rhythms of Remembering, Hannah Ward and Jennifer Wild, with permission

Pause for reflection

“But ask the animals what they think—let them teach you;
    let the birds tell you what’s going on.
Put your ear to the earth—learn the basics.
    Listen—the fish in the ocean will tell you their stories.
Isn’t it clear that they all know and agree
    that God is sovereign, that he holds all things in his hand—
Every living soul, yes,
    every breathing creature?
Isn’t this all just common sense,
    as common as the sense of taste? Job 12:7-11

To know you in all things –

Weave a web of your presence around us today.

Be with our hands as they work.

Be with our eyes as they see.

Be with our ears as they hear.

Be with our tongue as it speaks.

Be with our feelings and our thoughts.

Be with the people we meet.

Be with the trees we walk by and the grass we walk upon.

Be with the birds we hear and the creatures we see.

Be with the things we make and the things we take.

Be with the decisions we address.

Be in and through, over and under all,

so that doing and hearing and seeing, speaking and making and being,

we may glimpse your glory, hear your voice

and joyfully work with you

to create a new heaven and a new earth.

May the Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ

and the love of God,

and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit

be with us all.

Amen

Tending the earth for all

18th July 2026

Trust in the Lord and be doing good; dwell in the land and be nourished with truth.
Let your delight be in the Lord and he will give you your heart’s desire.
Commit your way to the Lord and put your trust in him, and he will bring it to pass.

Psalm 37:3-5

You Lord are the bread of life;

feed us with your wisdom.

Our meat is to do the Father’s will.

guide us in all we do

Whenever we eat or drink

Let it be to the glory of God.

A Reading – Mark 4:3-8

“Listen! A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants, so that they did not bear grain. Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up, grew and produced a crop, some multiplying thirty, some sixty, some a hundred times.”

Pause for reflection

For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven,
and do not return there until they have watered the earth,

So may we store water for when and for whoever needs it,

and safeguard those living with the threat of flooding.

As the earth brings forth and sprouts,
giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater,

So may we harvest what is needed,

sharing the bounty so no one goes hungry.

So shall God’s word be that goes forth; it shall not return empty,
but it shall accomplish that which is purposed
and succeed in the thing for which it is sent.

May we pay attention to God’s word,

following the ways of wisdom that God desires

for the wellbeing of all creation.

For as the earth brings forth its shoots,

May we protect the fertility of the soil,

not polluting it with chemicals nor stripping it of nourishment.

And as a garden causes what is sown in it to spring up,

May we treasure those who tend and farm the land,

paying fair wages and sharing profits.

So the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise
to spring up before all the nations:

May we welcome God’s kingdom with all our being,

following God’s law with hands, hearts and voices.

Based on Isaiah 55:10,11 and 61:11

The Grace

Bread for sharing

11th July 2026

Is there anyone among you who, if your child asks for bread, will give a stone? Matthew 7:9

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.

As long as the earth endures, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night, shall not cease. Genesis 8:22

Heavenly Parent, mother and father of us all,

May you be ever honoured by your children.

For you are the one who caused the earth to bring forth seed bearing plants –

wheat and barley, oats and rye and all manner of grains.

You are the one who provides the staff of life.

Hallowed be your name!

For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return there until they have watered the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and succeed in the thing for which I sent it. Isaiah 55: 10 -11

Heavenly God, creator of soul and body,

May you be ever honoured by your creation.

From you comes wisdom and insight

so that we may learn how to love you and our neighbour.

You are the one who provides the staff of life.

May your kingdom come!

Then he ordered the crowds to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven, and blessed and broke the loaves, and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds. And all ate and were filled; and they took up what was left over of the broken pieces, twelve baskets full. Matthew 14:19-20

Heavenly Redeemer, sustainer of life,

May you be ever honoured by your people.

You provided manna for the long years in the wilderness,

And the harvests of the earth are sufficient to feed the whole world,

such that all should have the means to thrive and flourish.

May your will be done!

So we pray:

Teach us today and every day

to handle bread with respect.

Teach us today and every day

to appreciate that bread is the means of life.

Teach us today and every day

to take only what we need.

Teach us today and every day

not to steal from tomorrow’s supply.

Teach us today and every day

not to hoard what comes to us as a gift.

Teach us today and every day

to share what you give us.

Teach us today and every day

not to be satisfied until everyone is fed.

Amen.

Trees as Good Samaritans

4th July 2026

And the Lord God brought forth of the ground all manner of trees, fair to behold, and pleasant to eat. Genesis 2:9

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 story based on an idea by Jesus as recorded in Luke’s gospel.

There once was a sojourner who, going about their daily business, was beset by disaster upon disaster: floods and drought, heatwaves and colds snaps, hunger and thirst.

Politicians, as they passed, turned to look the other way. Church leaders buried their noses in their prayer books. The wealthy trusted money as a get-out clause.

Yet in the midst of it all, were the trees. They kept on breathing in carbon dioxide and releasing oxygen; they even helped clean the air of pollutants. They collected rain with their leaves to slow its fall, and collected more between their roots, reducing the risk of flooding. Their leaves provided shade and, as they released moisture, so they cooled the air. They caught energy from the sun and turned it into useful materials, food and even medicines. They welcomed other visitors, fauna and flora. They offered green spaces that calmed the anxious and the weary.

Who was the good neighbour to the sojourner?

Holy God,

we have not loved our neighbours as ourselves.

We have ignored the plight of others.

We have not stood in solidarity with those who need help.

Rather we have spurned those who are our neighbours.

We have cut them down in their prime.

We have cut away at their roots

and have poisoned their lifeblood.

Have mercy.

Have mercy,.

Heal us and have mercy.

V/. A reading Leviticus 23:39-41 (The Message)

On the fifteenth day of the seventh month, after you have brought your crops in from your fields, celebrate the Feast of God for seven days. The first day is a complete rest and the eighth day is a complete rest. On the first day, pick the best fruit from the best trees; take fronds of palm trees and branches of leafy trees and from willows by the brook and celebrate in the presence of your God for seven days—yes, for seven full days celebrate it as a festival to God. Every year from now on, celebrate it in the seventh month.

God of the oak and the tamarisk,

we praise you.

God of the palm tree and the olive,

we praise you.

God of the fig tree and the vine,

we praise you.

God of the cedar and the myrtle,

we praise you.

For the wonder and beauty of trees,

we praise you.

For leaves and shade, for seeds and fruit,

we praise you.

For rootedness and stability,

we praise you.

For maturity and heritage,

we praise you.

For carbon absorbed and oxygen released,

we praise you.

For community and interconnectedness,

we praise you.

God of wisdom,

teach us to understand and value

the world you have created.

Teach us to recognise that what you create is one family,

that all its people, its plants and creatures,

are our brothers and sisters.

Teach us to love them as our neighbours,

and give us the grace

to receive the love they bestow on us.

Amen.

Waves – Prayers for Creation

27th June 2026

See, now is the acceptable time; see, now is the day of salvation!
2 Corinthians 6:2b

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 Luke 10:1, 8-11 ‘After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them two by two ahead of him to every town and place where he was about to go. “When you enter a town and are welcomed, eat what is offered to you. Heal the sick who are there and tell them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’ But when you enter a town and are not welcomed, go into its streets and say, ‘Even the dust of your town we wipe from our feet as a warning to you. Yet be sure of this: The kingdom of God has come near.’

Response:

Now is the time to act.

Now is the time to build a new world.

The gentle to and fro of the wave,

back and forth,

soothing,

gently rocking,

Loving God, calm us, and

move us as peace-makers.

The persistence of the wave,

never stopping,

never quitting,

gradually wearing down all resistance

Loving God, sustain us, and

make us a force for good.

The power of the wave,

building up,

growing in size,

acquiring energy as it moves

Loving God, strengthen us, and

harness our energy to do what is right.

The breaker, poised but still moving,

ready to break –

to break out, to break up,

to break forth

Loving God, contain us, and

prepare us to spill out into the world.

The crest of the wave, exploding,

releasing energy

that breaks down barriers

and undermines obstructions

Loving God, free us, and

use us to reform the structures of the world.

Storm wave, tidal wave,

tsunami,

that brokers no discussion,

that overwhelms all

Loving God, override us,

and free the world from its own vices.

Amen.

Listening to the sounds of the world

20th June 2026

I will listen to you, LORD God, because you promise peace to those who are faithful and no longer foolish. Psalm 85:8

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.

Reading from 1 Kings 19: 11b – 13a

Now there was a great wind, so strong that it was splitting mountains and breaking rocks in pieces before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake; and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a sound of sheer silence. When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave.

The day is quiet.

It catches my attention.

No murmur of cars, nor drone of airplanes.

No crash or thump of builders.

Silence –

Silence? Are you sure?

I can hear a bird –

no not one but two, maybe three –

singing.

The buzz of a passing insect.

The wind rustling a leaf.

The slight crunch of my shoes on the ground.

The soprano voice of a child –

Mummy, why do ….?

God, creator and companion,

Stay my attention on the sounds of ‘silence’,

on the sounds of life.

Attune my heart to hear

the unabated sound of creation,

to sift out the raucous noise

of the unimportant sounds.

Open my ears just enough to know your presence.

Ever mindful God, be present

with those surrounded with the noise

of guns and bombs.

Bring compassion

into the hearts of those who wage war.

Remove greed and pride from those

who might then make peace.

Ever mindful God, be present

with those surrounded with the noise

of traffic and engines.

Bless the work of those who create green spaces,

those who bring calm to frenzied lives.

Lend strength to those who protect the environment

and those who seek a quieter way of life.

Ever mindful God, be present

with those who seek to tell the truth –

however inconvenient.

Open hearts and minds to hear your word,

to discern your wisdom.

Give grace to all who question,

to all who seek to understand

and to all who are willing to learn –

for you the way, the truth and the life.

Amen.

Prayers for the outpouring of God’s Spirit

13th June 2026

I will establish my covenant between me and you, and your offspring after you throughout their generations, for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and to your offspring after you. Genesis 17:17

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 Deuteronomy 8:6-9

Therefore keep the commandments of the Lord your God, by walking in his ways and by fearing him. For the Lord your God is bringing you into a good land, a land with flowing streams, with springs and underground waters welling up in valleys and hills, a land of wheat and barley, of vines and fig trees and pomegranates, a land of olive trees and honey, a land where you may eat bread without scarcity, where you will lack nothing, a land whose stones are iron and from whose hills you may mine copper.

As at the beginning, Lord God,

you made us in your image

and wrought with us a special bond,

an everlasting covenant of faith and love.

Continue to breathe your Spirit

into our hearts

that we may truly return that love.

As at the beginning, Lord God,

you have provided us good rich land,

overflowing with the good things of creation –

plants for food, water to drink.

Continue to breathe your Spirit

into our hearts

that we may be generous in caring and sharing this gift.

As at the beginning, Lord God,

you created all manner of creatures

– our kith and kin –

for companionship and teamwork.

Continue to breathe your Spirit

into our hearts

that we may be faithful friends with all.

As from the beginning, Lord God,

you have filled the world with signs

and words of wisdom

so that we may learn and live well.

Continue to breathe your Spirit

into our hearts

that we may be attentive to your instruction.

As from the beginning, Lord God,

you have created a world of harmony

and flourishing

that all may live lives of fulfilment.

Continue to breathe your Spirit

into our hearts

that we may be at one with all creation.

As from the beginning, Lord God,

you have a created your world

as a place for joy and love to thrive

and where happiness will abound.

Continue to breathe your Spirit

into our hearts

that we may ever rejoice and praise your glory.

Amen.

How long O Lord?

My soul is deeply distressed. How long, O LORD, how long? Psalm 6:3

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 Hosea 5:15-6:3

Thus says the Lord: “I will return again to my place until they acknowledge their guilt and seek my face. In their distress they will beg my favour: ‘Come, let us return to the Lord; for it is he who has torn, and he will heal us; he has struck down, and he will bind us up. After two days he will revive us; on the third day he will raise us up, that we may live before him. Let us know, let us press on to know the Lord; his appearing is as sure as the dawn; he will come to us like the showers, like the spring rains that water the earth.’

How Long O Lord?

How many heat waves?

How many droughts?

How many floods?

How many lost coast lines?

How many before we admit our error?

Before we recognise the crisis?

How many lost penguins?

How many missing polar bears?

How many extinct butterflies?

How many disappearing swifts?

How many before we admit our error?

Before we recognise the crisis?

How many car journeys?

How many air miles?

How many beef steaks?

How many tonnes of cement?

How many before we admit our error?

Before we recognise the crisis.

Creator God, we admit our error

and recognise the crises we have caused.

Grant us the wisdom and determination to make amends:

To change the way we live,

To change the way we see things,

To have care for the future.

Amen.

Tune our senses to God’s wisdom

30th May 2026

Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind: ‘Who is this that darkens counsel by words without knowledge? Job 38:1-2

The wind blows where it chooses, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit. John 3:8

Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is. Ephesians 5:17

Listen; attune your ears – what do you hear?

The excited chatter of children,

and the chatter of jackdaws,

wind rustling the leaves,

and feet tapping the road.

Or the drone of cars – too much!

Or the whine of planes – too many!

Look; focus your vision – what do you see?

a lacework of branches against the sky,

and curvaceous clouds,

the green patina of leaves,

and the tight curl of a snail shell.

Or traffic crawling bumper to bumper – too much

Or discarded tatters of plastic – too many!

Stretch; bare your skin – what do you feel?

The warm caress of the sun,

the gentle frisson of the breeze,

the prickle of grass,

the textured bark of a tree.

Or the rasp of exhaust in your throat – too much!

Or the scratch of particulates in your eyes – too many!

Sniff; breathe deeply – what do you smell?

The aroma of fresh coffee,

and the zest of orange juice,

the fragrance of the rose,

and the warmth of ground spices.

Or the reek of petrol – too much!

Or the sting of pesticides – too many!

Savour; let it linger on your tongue – what do you taste?

The fresh acidity of an apple,

and the earthy satisfaction of bread,

the squishy sweetness of banana,

and the melting delight of chocolate.

Or the fake sweetness of green wash – too much!

Or the gall of climate injustice- too many !

Merciful God,

bring us to our senses.

Help us rebuild a world

of right experiences.

Amen.

“Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.” John 3:17

Holy God,

in the hour of our stupidity,

guide us with your wisdom.

Help us to understand afresh

the intricacies and interconnectedness

of the world you have given us.

Holy God,

in the hour of our need,

repair the damage we have caused

to your world

so that we might all be saved.

Amen.

Prayers for Pentecost

23rd May 2026

Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. 2 Corinthians 3:17

Holy Spirit, you are the breath of life:

reinvigorate us with new growth.

Holy Spirit, you are the inspiration for knowledge:

refresh us with your wisdom.

Holy Spirit, you are the wind of change:

redirect us to the right path.

And let this be to the glory of the kingdom of God.

A reading from Isaiah 32:14 -17 (The Message)

The royal palace is deserted,
    the bustling city quiet as a morgue,
The emptied parks and playgrounds
    taken over by wild animals,
    delighted with their new home.

Yes, weep and grieve until the Spirit is poured
    down on us from above
And the badlands desert grows crops
    and the fertile fields become forests.
Justice will move into the badlands desert.
    Right will build a home in the fertile field.
And where there’s Right, there’ll be Peace
    and the progeny of Right: quiet lives and endless trust.
My people will live in a peaceful neighbourhood—
    in safe houses, in quiet gardens.
The forest of your pride will be clear-cut,
    the city showing off your power levelled.
But you will enjoy a fortunate life,
    planting well-watered fields and gardens,
    with your farm animals grazing freely.

Pentecost Spirit,

taking breath over creation,

drawing life out of chaos.

Inspire us with a vision of the world as it could be.