Prayers – Page 6 – The Green Tau

Prayers for Creation

Friday 3rd June 2022

There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit. Isaiah 11:1

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: So Paul stood up and with a gesture began to speak: ‘You Israelites, and others who fear God, listen. The God of this people Israel chose our ancestors ….. he made David their king. In his testimony about him he said, “I have found David, son of Jesse, to be a man after my heart, who will carry out all my wishes.” Of this man’s posterity God has brought to Israel a Saviour, Jesus, as he promised. Acts 13: 16, 17a, 22b,23

Roots secure us to the past, ensure that we are part of the continuity of creation; shoots and branches take our lives forward into the as yet unformed future. Without the next generation there will be no ongoing continuity. The gospels of Luke and Matthew both locate Jesus within a human family tree; the prologue of John’s gospel locates him as co existent with the beginning of all creation. Later in John’s gospel, Jesus affirms his coexistence with the Father and the ongoing coexistence, through him, of all believers, all God’s children.

For gifts of past generations

We thank you God:

For the gift of fire for cooking and heating

For the gift of clean water and sewers

We thank you God:

For the domestication of cattle and horses,

Cats and dogs, sheep and pigs,

Hens and geese

We thank you God:

For the gift of gardening and arable cultivation , sowing and reaping, growing and harvesting

We thank you God:

For the gift of healing and caring, of medicine and surgery

For the understanding of the intricacies of mind and body

We thank you God:

For the gift of story telling and drama, of art and observation

means of sharing grief and joy.

We thank you God:

For the gift of learning and research, of teaching and sharing

We thank you God:

For the gift of exploration and endeavour, of travel and communication

We thank you God:

For the gift of worship, of self realisation and of the knowledge of God.

We thank you God:

But what shall we pass on to generations to come?

Do we offer gifts or burdens?

Merciful God forgive and inspire us.

Clean air or choking smog?

Merciful God forgive and inspire us.

Living water or dying oceans?

Merciful God forgive and inspire us.

Renewables or fossil fuels?

Merciful God forgive and inspire us.

Biodiversity or widespread extinction?

Merciful God forgive and inspire us.

Fertile soils or inhospitable dust?

Merciful God forgive and inspire us.

Balmy summers or wild fires?

Merciful God forgive and inspire us.

Snow capped mountains or drowned coastlines?

Merciful God forgive and inspire us.

Homes for all or camps for migrants?

Merciful God forgive and inspire us.

May we be wise guardians of what we have received

Skilful custodians of what we consume

Generous donors of what we hand on

That the future of creation will be bright and beautiful,

fair and just.

Amen

Prayers for Creation

Friday 27th May 2022

The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of her hands. Psalm 19:1

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 on How to live:

You, O Lord, have charged that we should diligently keep your commandments.

O that my ways were made so direct that I might keep your statutes.

Then should I not be put to shame, because I have regard for all your commandments.

Open my eyes, that I may see the wonders of your law.

I am a stranger upon earth; hide not your commandments from me.

Make me understand the way of your commandments, and so shall I meditate on your wondrous works.

Psalm 119: 4-6, 18-19,27

If the idea of obeying commandments sounds too authoritarian, too black and white, think of God’s commandments as the instruction manual for the world, the user’s guide, best practices for living – or even as an expanded set of the rules of nature.

A further reading:

As the rain and the snow come down from above, and return not again but water the earth,

‘Bringing forth life and giving growth, seed for sowing and bread to eat,

‘So is my word that goes forth from my mouth; it will not return to me fruitless,

‘But it will accomplish that which I purpose, and succeed in the task I gave it.’ Isaiah 55: 6-9

For the sun and moon

that mete out the seasons,

and measure out the days and weeks:

We thank you, Lord our creator.

For chlorophyll and photosynthesis,

for leaves and phytoplankton,

that turn sunlight into energy:

We thank you, Lord our creator.

For H2O in all its forms,

for evaporation and precipitation that waters the earth

and quickens life.

We thank you, Lord our creator.

For the air we breathe,

a fluctuating mix of gases

whose balance must be conserved for life to bloom:

We thank you, Lord our creator.

For rocks and mountains,

erosion and sedimentation,

that lays out a rich blanket of soil:

We thank you, Lord our creator.

For DNA building blocks

that see life adapt and evolve,

reminders of our network of kinship:

We thank you, Lord our creator.

For flora and fauna that twist and twine,

building habitats and

grounding ecosystems:

We thank you, Lord our creator.

As ‘Johnny-come-lately’ to this world,

Lord grant us the humility to learn from what is already here,

to look with awe and wonder at what is happily established,

to treat with respect ecosystems built up over millennia,

to study and understand the laws of nature,

to observe and respond to the natural cycles that maintain life,

to cooperate with others

and with sensitivity to share this space where all can be at home.

Amen.

The Grace

Prayers for Creation

Friday 20th May 2022

The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of her hands. Psalm 19:1

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: God said, ‘See, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit; you shall have them for food. And to every beast of the earth, and to every bird of the air, and to everything that creeps on the earth, everything that has the breath of life, I have given every green plant for food.’ And it was so. God saw everything that he had made, and indeed, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day. Genesis 1:29-31

Prayers of praise –

Holy is your name and

Holy is the sky above,

shades of blue –

azure, periwinkle, powder –

with clouds billowing and piled high,

little puffs and wispy streaks;

glowing white or deepest dark greys,

fair weather or storm bearers:

Holy is the sky!

Holy is your name and

Holy is the earth below,

shades of brown –

umber, ochre, taupe –

stones and grit, dust and hummus,

teeming with life –

worms and beetles,

microfauna and fungi:

Holy is the earth!

Holy is your name and

Holy are the waters far and wide,

more shades of blue –

aquamarine, cobalt, sea green –

sparkling spring and dancing stream,

majestic river and languid lake,

and voluminous ocean –

each overflowing with the gift of life:

Holy are the waters!

Holy is your name and

Holy are the weeds that toil and spin,

shades of green –

lime, moss, emerald –

rooted in the earth, clinging onto rocks,

colonising the desert, reaching for the sky,

brimming with fruits in season,

breathing life into the air

Holy are the weeds!

Prayers of sorrow-

Heavenly Parent,

We have erred against you and your world.

We have polluted the air and the water,

the seas and the soil.

We ask for forgiveness and healing.

We have squandered the earth’s resources,

and consumed more than our fair share.

We ask for forgiveness and healing.

We have decimated plants and animals,

we have destroyed habitats and poisoned food chains.

We ask for forgiveness and healing.

We have abused our kin and ignored their humanity,

grinding them down into lives of misery.

We ask for forgiveness and healing.

From a place of sorrow, revive us.

From a place of penitence, quicken us.

From a place of humility, rebuild us.

The Grace

Prayers for Creation

Friday 13th May 2022

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:

Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth?
Tell me, if you have understanding.

Who determined its measurements—surely you know!
Or who stretched the line upon it?

On what were its bases sunk,
or who laid its cornerstone

when the morning stars sang together
and all the heavenly beings shouted for joy? Job 38:4-7

Lord, we should not cease to be amazed at the wonder of creation,

the diversity of colour, shape and size,

the ingenious adaptations of plants and animals,

the interconnectedness of all living things.

Response:

Then Job answered the Lord: ‘See, I am of small account; what shall I answer you?
I lay my hand on my mouth. I have spoken once, and I will not answer;
twice, but will proceed no further.’ Job 40:3-5

Lord, we should not forget the immense timespan of creation,

the geological age that have gone before us,

and the ages yet to come.

Forgive us when we exaggerate our importance,

when we claim knowledge we do not have

and when we exceed our competence.

A further reading:

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 12:7-10, 13

Lord, teach us wisdom.

Give us humility to learn from others,

patience to observe what is true,

and contrition to make amends for our mistakes.

Show us how to find joy in simple things,

contentment with less,

and delight in companionship with all creation.

A final reading:

May the glory of the Lord endure for ever;
may the Lord rejoice in his works—

who looks on the earth and it trembles,
who touches the mountains and they smoke.

I will sing to the Lord as long as I live;
I will sing praise to my God while I have being.

May my meditation be pleasing to him,
for I rejoice in the Lord. Psalm 104: 31-34

Lord, may your creation flourish,

may we ever be thrilled by what we see,

uplifted by what we experience,

and delighted by what we can offer you.

The Grace.

Prayers for Creation

Friday 6th May 2022

From the dew of heaven and the richness of the earth, may God always give you abundant harvests of grain and bountiful new wine. Genesis 27:28

The month of May May owes its name to the Greek goddess of fertility, Maia. For many May is the month dedicated to the Virgin Mary, Queen of May. It is certainly the month when spring growth is at its most abundant.

Glory be to God for the may tree –

the happy hawthorn:

Decked in white blossom,

she serves a feast for insects – alleluia!

Glory be to God for the mayfly –

ephemera vulgate:

Older even than dinosaurs, this insect surrenders its underwater life

for one brief air born day of delight – Alleluia!

Glory be to God for the maybug –

the cockchafer:

Four years toiling as grub underground,

she emerges a chestnut gilded member of the scarab family – alleluia!

Glory be to God for the may flower –

the cuckoo flower, Cardamine pratensis:

Pink flowers veined with purple, a dainty plant

that feeds the caterpillars of orange-tip and the green-veined white butterfly –

Alleluia!

A reading: Genesis 1: 29-31

And look! I have given you the seed-bearing plants throughout the earth and all the fruit trees for your food. And I’ve given all the grass and plants to the animals and birds for their food.” Then God looked over all that he had made, and it was excellent in every way. This ended the sixth day.

God of all creation,

May we cherish what you have created,

respecting each plant and animal,

bird and insect as both unique and irreplaceable.

May we honour with reverence

what spreads out before our feet,

what flies in the air above, slides through the water

or creeps in the soil below.

May we temper our lives

to make space for others,

ceding priority to the vulnerable

and encouraging the faint- hearted.

May we listen with our ears,

see with our eyes

and comprehend with wisdom

the harmony of your Kingdom here in earth.

Amen.

The Grace

Prayers for Creation

Friday 29th April 2022

The earth is the LORD’s and the fullness thereof, the world and those who dwell therein. Psalm 24:1

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 Ephesians 2:8-10 (The Living Bible)

Because of God’s kindness, you have been saved through trusting Christ. And even trusting is not of yourselves; it too is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good we have done, so none of us can take any credit for it. It is God himself who has made us what we are and given us new lives from Christ Jesus; and long ages ago God prepared that we should spend these lives in helping others.

To conclude the series we started in Lent, today’s prayers focus on Europe.

Europe is the western peninsula of the “supercontinent” of Eurasia and is is divided from Asia by a series of watersheds, including the Ural River. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and the Mediterranean, Black, and Caspian Seas to the south. Europe has been a dominant economic, social, and cultural force throughout recorded history, exerting influence (for good and ill) beyond its own territories. The North European Plain extends from the southern United Kingdom east to Russia. It is crossed by many navigable rivers, including the Rhine, Weser, Elbe, Oder, and Vistula. The climate supports a wide variety of seasonal crops. These physical features allowed for early communication, travel, and agricultural development. The Central Uplands extend east-west and are heavily wooded. They are lower in altitude than the Alpine region to the south. This region includes a few active volcanoes. The continents forests were drastically reduced as a result of intense urbanisation throughout human history. Intense trade introduced many species, which often overtook native plants. The forests and grasslands of western and central Europe have been almost completely domesticated, with crops and livestock dominant. Today, around 15 percent of Europes animal species are threatened or endangered, mainly by habitat loss, pollution, overexploitation, and competition from invasive species. https://www.nationalgeographic.org/encyclopedia/europe-physical-geography/

Glory to God,

Creator of rivers and streams, lakes and mountains.

We praise you for the majesty of the Alps, their glittering snowy peaks

and the frozen waters stored in their glaciers.

Glory to God,

Creator of forests and plains:

We thank you for the vast lands where we can grow crops, for hillsides where we grow vines, and for meadows where sheep and cattle may graze.

Glory to God

Creator of rocks and minerals:

We thank you for the wealth of raw materials with which we can make so much;

we thank you for fast flowing waters that provide us with energy.

Glory to God,

Creator of curiosity and ingenuity:

We thank you for the wisdom we have learnt from the study of your world; thank you for the skills we have learnt in harnessing the resources you have given us.

Forgive us when we have misused that wisdom; forgive us when we have used those skills for ill.

Merciful God,

Creator of human kind,

Forgive our greed that has mined land and sea for fossil fuels, jeopardising our future.

Forgive our greed that industrialises farming, destroying soils and draining lakes.

Forgive our greed that turns animals into commodities and disregards their sentient nature.

Forgive our greed for consumer goods that strips the earth’s reserves.

Merciful God,

Creator of our brothers and sisters:

Forgive the casualness with which we let the rich grow richer

and the poor poorer.

Forgive the casualness with which we let the rich break the laws

and yet still penalise the poor.

Forgive the carelessness with which we discard what we buy

ignoring the meagre pay of those who labour.

Guiding God,

Source of all wisdom,

Transform our hearts and minds, turn the direction of our hands and feet

so that with alacrity and commitment we will reform our lives

and live only in harmony with your creation.

Amen.

The Grace

Prayers for Creation

Friday 22nd April 2022 – Earth Day

The earth is the LORD’s and the fullness thereof, the world and those who dwell therein. Psalm 24:1

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 Psalm 8 (The Message )

God, brilliant Lord,
yours is a household name.

Nursing infants gurgle choruses about you;
toddlers shout the songs
That drown out enemy talk,
and silence atheist babble.

I look up at your macro-skies, dark and enormous,
    your handmade sky-jewelry,
Moon and stars mounted in their settings.
    Then I look at my micro-self and wonder,
Why do you bother with us?
    Why take a second look our way?

Yet we’ve so narrowly missed being gods,
    bright with Eden’s dawn light.
You put us in charge of your handcrafted world,
    repeated to us your Genesis-charge,
Made us stewards of sheep and cattle,
    even animals out in the wild,
Birds flying and fish swimming,
    whales singing in the ocean deeps.

God, brilliant Lord,
your name echoes around the world.

Today, 22nd April, is Earth Day – a globally recognised event calling on everyone to focus on the needs of the earth.

“This is the moment to change it all — the business climate, the political climate, and how we take action on climate. Now is the time for the unstoppable courage to preserve and protect our health, our families, our livelihoods… together, we must Invest In Our Planet.” https://www.earthday.org/earth-day-2022/

And as Paul writes, ‘As God’s co-workers we urge you not to receive God’s grace in vain. For he says,“In the time of my favour I heard you, and in the day of salvation I helped you.” I tell you, now is the time of God’s favour, now is the day of salvation.’ 2 Corinthians 6:1-2

Glory to God,

Let the earth be glad, and the sea resound:

Let all that is in it rejoice.

We praise you!

Glory to God,

Let the fields be jubilant, and everything in them;
Let all the trees of the forest sing for joy.

We praise you!

The law of the Lord is perfect,
making wise the simple.

Yet we have done our own thing and despoiled the environment.

Lord have mercy.

The commands of the Lord are radiant,
giving light to the eyes.

Yet we have hidden your ways under the cloak of greed, making life dark for our fellow beings.

Now is the time!

Teach us once more to seek your wisdom for the earth.

Now is the time!

Teach us once more how to live in harmony with creation.

Now is the time!

Teach us to be mindful in what we use and generous in what we give.

Merciful God,

forgive us and heals us,

restore our world to its former glory.

Amen.

The Grace

Easter Day Intercessions

17th April 2022

Can I invite you to cup your hands,

and imagine that in them you are holding an egg.

Feel the smoothness and the hardness of the shell. It is there to protect the young chick inside.

Let us pray for those people and situations who need protection. For the people of Ukrainian living with the dangers of war and especially for young children and those who have been separated from their families. For the people of the Philippines living with the dangers of flooding and mudslides in the aftermath of Storm Megi, and for the people of South Africa suffering from storm force rains and floods. For the Javan rhinoceros threatened with extinction by trophy hunting, poaching and habitat loss. We pray for the climate which needs protection from our human stupidity.

Lord in your mercy: hear our prayer.

Now imagine that you can hear a small tapping sound as the chick in your egg uses its beak to break open the shell.

Let us pray for those places and situations where people are trying to free themselves. For refugees and asylum seekers. For people trapped by poverty. For people in abusive relationships. For people working in unsafe environments. For the work of Tree Aid planting trees to free communities from the worst affects of the climate crisis. For the people of Shanghai trapped by rising covid infection rates. For Just Stop Oil trying to free us from our dependency on fossil fuels.

Lord in your mercy: hear our prayer.

Now imagine that the shell is breaking open and out struggles a small damp and floppy chick,

needing warmth and comfort to gain its strength.

Let us pray for those who need care and comfort and healing. For ecosystems struggling to cope with the climate crisis and the pressures of human consumption. For those who are lonely, for those in pain. For those who feel anxious and afraid. For those who are sick.

Lord in your mercy: hear our prayer

Now imagine that the chick perched in your hands is all fluffed up and warm, with a beady eye and a happy cheep.

Let us give thanks for the wonder and joy of life, for the beauty we see around us and the love we encounter day by day, for the resilience of nature.

On this day of resurrection we remember those who have died recently,

And those whose year’s mind occurs now,

Let us give thanks for the hope and reassurance that God gives us through the resurrection of his Son, Jesus Christ.

Merciful God accept these prayer for the sake of your Son, our Saviour, Jesus Christ. Amen.

.8

Prayers for Creation

Friday 8th April 2022

Happy are those who do not follow the advice of the wicked. They are like trees planted by streams of water, which yield their fruit in its season, their leaves do not wither. In all that they do, they prosper. Ps 1:1a,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 Proverbs 22:16-18

Oppressing the poor in order to enrich oneself, and giving to the rich, will lead only to loss. The words of the wise: Incline your ear and hear my words, and apply your mind to my teaching; for it will be pleasant if you keep them within you if all of them are ready on your lips.

Each Friday during Lent we will focus on a different continent; this week North America

North America extends from the tiny Aleutian Islands in the northwest to the Isthmus of Panama in the south. The continent includes the enormous island of Greenland in the northeast and the small island countries and territories that dot the Caribbean Sea and western North Atlantic Ocean. In the far north, the continent stretches halfway around the world, from Greenland to the Aleutians. But at Panama’s narrowest part, the continent is just 50 km across. North America can be divided into five physical regions: the mountainous west, the Great Plains, the Canadian Shield, the varied eastern region, and the Caribbean. Mexico and Central America’s western coast are connected to the mountainous west, while its lowlands and coastal plains extend into the eastern region. Within these regions are all the major types of biomes in the world. https://www.nationalgeographic.org/encyclopedia/north-america-physical-geography/

Glory to God

Creator of successions of mountains ranges:

We praise you for the awe and wonder of these regions,

their reminder that we are but humans.

We marvel at the power of water to carve out canyons

and the power of water to generate energy.

Glory to God

Creator of forests and plains:

We praise you for the richness of their biodiversity, for tall prairie grasses and even taller trees;

for the smallest grasshoppers to the mighty bison,

for the whistling marmots and black bears that huff and grunt.

Glory to God

Creator of rivers, lakes and wetlands:

We praise you for the Great Lakes and the fresh water they contain,

for the Mississippi River and the fertile soil it nurtures,

and for the wetlands of the Everglades, the 360 plus species of bird

and the plump grandeur of the manatees.

Glory to God,

Creator of tundra and ice:

We praise you for the ingenuity of life that adapts to the extremes of climate and geography.

We marvel at the diversity of life – lichens and moss, polar bears and caribou,

and the many migrating birds such as the Arctic tern.

Merciful God,

Creator of human kind,

Forgive our greed that has mined land and sea for fossil fuels, jeopardising our future.

Forgive our greed that industrialises farming, destroying soils and draining lakes.

Forgive our greed that turns animals into commodities and disregards their sentient nature.

Forgive our greed for consumer goods that strips the earth’s reserves.

Merciful God,

Creator of our brothers and sisters:

Forgive the casualness with which we let the rich grow richer

and the poor poorer.

Forgive the casualness with which we let the rich break the laws

and yet still penalise the poor.

Forgive the carelessness with which we discard what we buy

ignoring the meagre pay of those who labour.

Guiding God,

Source of all wisdom,

Transform our hearts and minds, turn the direction of our hands and feet

so that with alacrity and commitment we will reform our lives

and live only in harmony with your creation.

Amen.

The Grace

Midday Prayers

Week of 1st April

Happy are those who do not follow the advice of the wicked. They are like trees planted by streams of water, which yield their fruit in its season, their leaves do not wither. In all that they do, they prosper. Ps 1:1a,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 Psalm 95: 1-5

O come, let us sing to the Lord;
let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation!

Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving;
let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise!

For the Lord is a great God,
and a great King above all gods.

In his hand are the depths of the earth;
the heights of the mountains are his also.

The sea is his, for he made it,
and the dry land, which his hands have formed.

Each Friday during Lent we will focus on a different continent; this week Asia.

Asia (the eastern half of the Eurasian supercontinent) is the largest of the world’s continents, covering approximately 30 percent of the Earth’s land area. It is also the world’s most populous continent, with roughly 60 percent of the total population. It comprises five major physical regions: mountain systems; plateaus; plains, steppes, and deserts; freshwater environments; and saltwater environments. The Himalayas are so vast that they are composed of three different mountain belts. The northernmost belt, known as the Great Himalayas, has the highest average elevation and includes Mount Everest, which stands at 8,849m. The glaciers of the Tibetan Plateau contain the largest volume of ice outside the poles and feed Asia’s largest rivers. Approximately 2 billion people depend on the rivers. Lake Baikal is the deepest lake in the world, containing 20 percent of the world’s unfrozen freshwater. It is also the world’s oldest lake, at 25 million years old. https://www.nationalgeographic.org/encyclopedia/asia/

Glory to God

Creator of mountains and glaciers:

We praise you for the awe and wonder of these regions,

their reminder that we are but humans.

We thank you for the life giving water they provide for peoples far below.

Glory to God

Creator of rivers and wetlands:

We praise you for the Tigris and the Euphrates,

for the Fertile Crescent and the roots of human civilisation.

We praise you for the Ganges and Brahamaputra rivers,

and for the biodiversity of the Sundarban wetland with its huge mangrove forest.

Glory to God,

Creator of Steppes and deserts:

We praise you the ingenuity of animals and peoples, adapting to the extremes of climate.

We praise you for yaks and bactrian camels and for livelihoods sustained by trade.

Glory to God,

Creator of flora and fauna:

We praise you for rich diversity of flora, for the many fruit trees – oranges and peaches –

and the beautiful flowers of China – roses and camellias, peonies and hibiscus.

We praise you for the wildlife of the Sundarban wetlands – birds and monkeys, monitor lizards and Bengal tigers.

Merciful God,

Creator of human kind,

Forgive our greed that destroys ancient forests in favour of logging for timber and wood pulp.

Forgive our greed that destroys biodiverse rain forests in favour of oil palm plantations.

Merciful God,

Creator of our brothers and sisters:

Forgive the casualness with which we ignore their plight when faced with war and oppression,

their poverty when corporate greed takes away their livelihoods

and their hunger when climate change decimates their crops.

Merciful God,

Creator of climates and seasons,

Forgive our foolishness that creates both drought and flood.

Forgive our foolishness that destroys mangroves that protect shorelines

and the forests that stabilise soils and lock in carbon

Guiding God,

Source of all wisdom,

Transform our hearts and minds, turn the direction of our hands and feet

so that with alacrity and commitment we will reform our lives

and live only in harmony with your creation.

Amen.

The Grace