Prayers – The Green Tau

Rejoice in the living waters!

5th September 2026

With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation. Isaiah 12:3

You Lord, our the source of all wisdom:

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 Ezekiel 47: 1, 8-12

The man brought me back to the entrance to the temple, and I saw water coming out from under the threshold of the temple toward the east (for the temple faced east).

He said to me, “This water flows toward the eastern region and goes down into the Arabah, where it enters the Dead Sea. When it empties into the sea, the salty water there becomes fresh. Swarms of living creatures will live wherever the river flows. There will be large numbers of fish, because this water flows there and makes the salt water fresh; so where the river flows everything will live. Fishermen will stand along the shore; from En Gedi to En Eglaim there will be places for spreading nets. The fish will be of many kinds—like the fish of the Mediterranean Sea. But the swamps and marshes will not become fresh; they will be left for salt. Fruit trees of all kinds will grow on both banks of the river. Their leaves will not wither, nor will their fruit fail. Every month they will bear fruit, because the water from the sanctuary flows to them. Their fruit will serve for food and their leaves for healing.”

Praise God and rejoice,

for the living water of creation

will make fresh our stagnant water,

And God’s Spirit will make fresh

our stagnant lives.

Praise God and rejoice,

for wherever the living water flows,

it will restore the life of our rivers,

bringing back fish and birds,

mammals and insects.

And God will renew our love for them.

Praise God and rejoice,

for wherever the living water flows,

it will restore the life of our lands,

bringing back birds and creatures,

plants and insects.

And God will renew our love for them.

Praise God and rejoice,

for wherever the living water flows,

it will restore the life of our towns and villages,

bringing back places for leisure and opportunities for work,

places for contemplation and opportunities for healing.

And God will renew our love for each other.

Amen.

The changing seasons

29th August 2026

Note: It seems as if Autumn is coming early this year. The extreme temperatures and lack of rain have desiccated many plants and are causing the early fall of leaves. There has also be a deeply sad sparsity of swallows and swifts. I first wrote these prayers 2 years ago when that seemed less acute. These prayers may therefore also represent something of the progress of climate change itself.

And God said, ‘Let there be lights in the dome of the sky to separate the day from the night; and let them be for signs and for seasons and for days and years – Genesis 1:14

A reading from Isaiah 55: 9-11

For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts.

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.

Change Happens

A drop of water

falls.

Drip.

Another.

Drip.

Drip, drop – more fall.

The drip becomes a trickle;

Drip, drip, drop -.

the trickle a stream.

The stream becomes a river,

a down pour, a torrent –

surge, rush, roar.

A flood begins with just a drip.

Snow.

Sun on snow.

A little warmth,

a little melting.

A moment of easing,

loosening,

a shifting of weight.

gathering momentum –

And whoosh!

A million tonnes of speeding snow.

An avalanche begins with just one flake.

A swallow

perched on the telephone wire,

testers slightly.

Now or later?

One swallow, two.

Another, three. Sway.

Now or later?

Four, six;

Eight, ten. Now?

Gather, check, sense the air.

Now? Now!

Up, and away,

wings beat, compass set,

off –

fare well.

Where one or two are gathered,

change begins.

May God bless our endeavours.

Amen.

In times of drought

22nd August 2026

I will break down your stubborn pride and make the sky above you like iron and the ground beneath you like bronze. Leviticus 26:19

You Lord, our the source of all wisdom:

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 Haggai 1:5-6, 9b-11

Now this is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘Give careful thought to your ways. You have planted much, but harvested little. You eat, but never have enough. You drink, but never have your fill. You put on clothes, but are not warm. You earn wages, only to put them in a purse with holes in it.’

‘Why?’ declares the Lord Almighty. ‘Because of my house, which remains a ruin, while each of you is busy with your own house. Therefore, because of you the heavens have withheld their dew and the earth its crops. I called for a drought on the fields and the mountains, on the grain, the new wine, the olive oil and everything else the ground produces, on people and livestock, and on all the labour of your hands.’

Patient God,

have mercy on us for our foolishness.

We ignored the rising temperatures

and the extreme weather events,

thinking it would not affect us.

We did not heed the warning signs:

we lived as if there would always be more water,

as if we could have enough water to wash our cars and patios,

grow crops and fodder, feed cattle and cool data centres.

Patient God,

have mercy on us for our pride,

our desire for greater riches,

our confidence that economic growth was the only way.

We were sure we were in control:

that we could buy fast fashion and disregard its ecological footprint,

that we could eat meat and not consider where cattle food came from,

that we could enjoy lives of luxury without being mindful of the poor.

Patient God,

have mercy on us for our arrogance,

our certainty that we had all the answers,

that nature would always be at our beck and call.

The future was ours and we were kings:

we could extract more and more from the planet – and not give back,

we had the technology that would provide all the answers,

we had no need for restraint!

God of recreation,

renew your spirit within us.

May we learn from your wisdom ways of caring for the land,

ways to conserve precious water,

and ways to live joyfully within limits of the planet.

God of restoration,

renew your spirit within us.

May we find true happiness that comes from joy not financial gain,

that comes from discerning the true value of all we consume,

and that seeks fulfilment in the wellbeing of others.

God of reformation,

renew within us your spirit.

May we respect the gifts of nature,

learning to give a well as take,

and returning to a life lived within the natural environment.

Amen.

For I will pour water on the thirsty land, and streams on the dry ground;

I will pour out my Spirit on your offspring, and my blessing on your descendants. Isaiah 44:3 3

Sound the alarm!

15h August 2026

Blow the ram’s horn trumpet in Zion! Trumpet the alarm on my holy mountain! Shake the country up!

Joel 2:1a (The Message)

You Lord, our the source of all wisdom:

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 – 1 Kings 19:11b, 12

And a great and mighty wind tore into the mountains and shattered the rocks before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind. After the wind there was a fearsome tumult, but the LORD was not in the tumult. After the tumult there was a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire came a still, small voice.

A response

In the face of typhoons and hurricanes,

we hold in our hearts to those who suffer injury

and loss of life.

We ache in our hearts for the loss of homes and livelihoods,

the destruction of essential infrastructure,

and the hollowing out of economies.

We lay before you O God,

our prayers for strength and healing,

for compassion and recovery.

We hang our heads in shame

for our failure to address climate change,

for our failure to equip vulnerable communities

in the face of the risks we have created.

Lord have mercy!

Hear our prayer.

In the face of the tumult of war and violence,

we hold in our hearts to those who suffer injury

and loss of life.

We ache in our hearts for the loss of homes and livelihoods,

the destruction of essential infrastructure,

and the hollowing out of economies.

We lay before you O God,

our prayers for strength and healing,

for compassion and recovery.

We hang our heads in shame

for our failure to address injustice and inequality,

for our failure to address long held grievances,

for our failure to support vulnerable communities

in the face of the greed of the economic systems that we have created.

Lord have mercy!

Hear our prayer.

In the face of wild fires and drought,

we hold in our hearts to those who suffer injury

and loss of life.

We ache in our hearts for the loss of homes and livelihoods,

the destruction of essential infrastructure,

and the hollowing out of economies.

We lay before you O God,

our prayers for strength and healing,

for compassion and recovery.

We hang our heads in shame

for our failure to address climate change,

for our failure to equip vulnerable communities

in the face of the risks we have created.

Lord have mercy!

Hear our prayer.

In the face of failed harvests and poverty,

we hold in our hearts to those who suffer injury

and loss of life.

We ache in our hearts for the loss of homes and livelihoods,

the diminution of the right for a good life,

and the hollowing out of economies.

We lay before you O God,

our prayers for strength and healing,

for compassion and recovery.

We hang our heads in shame

for our failure to address climate change,

for our failure to share equitably the riches of creation,

our failure to care for vulnerable communities

in the face of the unjust world we have created.

Lord have mercy!

Hear our prayer.

But there’s also this, it’s not too late — God’s personal Message! –

“Come back to me and really mean it! Come fasting and weeping, sorry for your sins!”

Joel 2:12 (The Message)

Taste and see – God is good!

1st August 2026

O taste and see that the Lord is good Psalm 34:8a

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 Isaiah 55:1-3 (The Message translation)

Hey there! All who are thirsty,
    come to the water!
Are you penniless?
    Come anyway—buy and eat!
Come, buy your drinks, buy wine and milk.
    Buy without money—everything’s free!
Why do you spend your money on junk food,
    your hard-earned cash on cotton candy?
Listen to me, listen well: Eat only the best,
    fill yourself with only the finest.
Pay attention, come close now,
    listen carefully to my life-giving, life-nourishing words.
I’m making a lasting covenant commitment with you,
    the same that I made with David: sure, solid, enduring love.

A response:

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,

tawny shades of fallen 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 chilly nip 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 last 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 squashy 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.

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.