Tag: christmas

Christmas Day

Vulnerability 

 One small light 

One new born infant 

Lacking  protection

Seeking love –

Can we care for him?

Vulnerable world

1.5 degrees –

Do we care enough?

Like the last few years, this year has been overshadowed by the ongoing climate crisis. The oddly shaped seasons with an early spring and a long warm autumn and in between a heat melting summer – not just here but across the world. Amazingly the trees and plants that seemed dead during the drought, have bounced back with new growth and new blooms well into November. I am not sure that the birds and insects have been as resilient. 

This nativity picture spoke to me of vulnerability, and I feel that the world is in a similarly vulnerable state. It seems that it won’t take much in terms of a temperature rise, to trigger a series of tragedies – disappearing glaciers and ice caps, floods and rising sea levels, burnt out summers, crop failures, hunger and drought. Will we humans look on bemused, and simply fail to act? 

In this nativity scene, the onlookers are in awe of this new life, worshipping this gift. They are looking on with love and compassion, and each in their own way will change their lives to care for that new life that lies before them. They will keep a flame of hope alight, not knowing what blaze of glory it will ignite. 

Have a happy Christmas filled with love and awe for all that is good in the world. And may 2023 be a year of hope and transformation, a year in which we rise to the challenge of averting the worst of climate crisis, a year in which peace and joy and sufficiency will be our reward.



 

Prayers for Creation

Friday 23rd December 2022

Let’s seek God with all our heart
Amen. Christ be our still-point.
Let’s seek God with all our soul
Amen. Christ be our vision.
Let’s seek God with all our mind
Amen. Christ be our wisdom.
Let’s seek God with all our strength
Amen. Christ be our souls’ companion.

Adapted from Our Common Prayer

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being in him was life, and the life was the light of all people. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.

And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son, full of grace and truth. John 1:1-5, 14

God is nowhere 

if not in creation. 

God’s breath over the void 

drew forth light and dark, land and sea.

God’s will caused water to flow 

and plants to sprout.

God’s breath inspired life a human form  

and God’s imagining inspired creatures, 

companions all in an ecological union.

God’s vision of a perfect world 

displayed in a garden.

God is nowhere

if not with creation..

But human tenacity is short lived, 

promises forgotten and undertakings overlooked.

Never quite getting a grip 

on the need for teamwork, 

side-lining others in the interests of self.

Wilfully ignorant 

of the inter connected relationships 

of plant and animal life, 

failing to see the human role is in – 

not over- creation.

God is nowhere 

if not in human form –

conceived in flesh and blood,

born in time and space, 

occupying our human limitations, 

sharing our divine inspiration. 

True to his calling, 

working in union, 

disciplined to God’s will,

humbling self to love the other, 

following God’s vision of a world 

displayed in perfect humanity. 

Let us pray:

Rejoicing in the miracle of God’s Word present in creation from the beginning,

may we honour all that has life,

cherishing trees and plants, birds and animals, insect life and sea life so that their life is not extinguished by our thoughtless actions.

Rejoicing in the miracle of the Word that brings light to the world,

may we learn from the light. 

Help us overcome our pride, to acknowledge our ignorance, and to live in harmony with all creation.

Rejoicing in the miracle of God born in human flesh, may we be inspired to follow Christ’s example,

humbling ourselves to better love one another,

humbling ourselves to better love the world around us,

humbling ourselves to know our place in and not above creation.

Amen.

Prayers for Creation

2nd December 2022 

Those who sow in tears shall reap with joyful shouting.

He who goes to and fro weeping, carrying his bag of seed,

Shall indeed come again with a shout of joy, bringing his sheaves with him. Psalm 126:5-6 

In Scandinavia a sheaf of wheat or other grains is saved and put out at Christmas for the birds. If lots of birds come, it is said to presage a good harvest. Maybe it is a reminder that generosity is frequently reciprocal. 

A reading from Deuteronomy 24:10-21

When you reap your harvest in your field and have forgotten a sheaf in the field, you shall not go back to get it; it shall be for the alien, for the orphan, and for the widow, in order that the Lord your God may bless you in all the work of your hands. When you beat your olive tree, you shall not go over the boughs again; it shall be for the alien, for the orphan, and for the widow. “When you gather the grapes of your vineyard, you shall not go over it again; it shall be for the alien, for the orphan, and for the widow. 

As we prepare for Christmas amidst a rush to buy all that we want and more, let us pray for those from whose labour we gain:

We pray for shop staff and shelf stackers, warehouse workers and delivery drivers:

May their work be rewarding and well rewarded.

We pray for factory hands and machinists, for assemblers and packers:

May their labour be rewarded, their safety ensured.

We pray for farmers and growers, labourers and pickers:

May the fruits of their work be savoured and not be wasted.

We pray for the soil and the water table:

May what is extracted be replaced, may their good health be sustained.

We pray for agricultural live stock – birds, animals and fish:

May they be raised with love and respect, and at their life’s end with dignity and care.

May we as consumers, always show out thanks and respect for the work of others.

May we be measured in what we buy, 

may we be conscientious in caring for what we have, 

and may we be generous in passing forward all that we can share. 

Amen.

Go forth into the world in peace.

Be of good courage.

Hold fast that which is good.

Render to no one evil for evil.

Strengthen the fainthearted.

Support the weak.

Help the afflicted.

Show love to everyone.

Love and serve the Lord,

rejoicing in the power of the Holy Spirit;

and may the blessing of almighty God,

the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit,

be with us all. Amen.

From the Book of Common Prayer 

Eco Tips – Christmas

24th November 2022

  • More is not always good – enough is better!
  • The financial value of a gift is not the same as the value of the gift, nor does not equate to the  amount of love you have for the recipient.
  • You might agree with friends and family to source all your presents from charity shops – the charities gain, and if anyone receives something they can’t use, it is easy to pass it on again via another charity shop!
  • You might opt to give charity gifts such as sponsoring a puffin, planting a tree, twinning a toilet or equipping a child with warm winter clothes. 
  • Reuse last year’s wrapping paper ( or make a note to keep this year’s for reuse).
  • Reuse brown paper (often comes as a space filler in delivery boxes) which you could decorate with potato prints. Equally newspaper with coloured string is effective (choose sheets with a nice picture). 
  • Use eco friendly/ non plastic sticky tape or  use string as  that can be reused.
  • Make gift tags from last year’s recycled cards or simply buy some coloured card and cut it into squares or rectangles.
  • If you make your own Christmas cards why not make them as postcards avoiding the need for envelopes. Email news letters rather than printing out round robins. Add a picture and make your email into an e-Christmas card.
  • Make your own decorations. Cut up coloured paper (pages from colour magazine, strips of reused  wrapping paper etc) to make paper chains or pleated chains. 
  • If you collected autumn leaves earlier in the season, strings these together to make a decorative chain. 
  • Tie together pine cones, decorative twigs and to make vertical hanging decorations.
  • Make pleated paper angels, origami stars, reindeer,  or Father Christmases. For a series of activities making Christmas theme decorations you can watch this YouTube Advent calendar – https://youtu.be/HhSwBrGRqJE
  • Use champagne corks and felt to make Christmas elves – https://youtu.be/Er7POBLRDOY
  • Rather than buying a tree collect some decorative branches and arrange them in a large vase (add stones to ensure it is bottom heavy) and then add your tree decorations. 
  • Make a wreath from greenery from your garden or tie into a bunch with  a cheerful ribbon (door decorations don’t have to be circular).
  • We tend to generate most food waste over the Christmas season. Make a list of what you need and stick to it. If you do add in extra potatoes etc – just in case – make sure you use them before buying more. (We dread not having enough but perhaps forget that by Boxing Day plus 1 many shops will be reopening).
  • If you like a tradition roast bird, try and source one that has been compassionately reared, ideally organic. Maybe this could be the year to investigate a vegan alternative complete with all the trimmings of roast potatoes and parsnips, sprouts, cranberry sauce and stuffing. Cook enough to have left overs to enjoy on Boxing Day.
  • If you haven’t yet made mincemeat there is still time and it is very easy. Making your own mince pies will avoid a lot of waste and/ foil and plastic. https://greentau.org/2021/09/09/count-down-47/
  • Christmas puddings are also easy to make. If the 7 hours of steaming puts you off, you can steam then in a slow cooker half filled with hot water. 
  • Plan for a walk on Christmas Day in  a local green space – the exercise and fresh air is a good tonic and it is a chance to reconnect with the natural world. 

 Counting on … day 345

10th October 2022

Green Christian advocates ‘Joy in Enough’. Enough is about what is sustainable for the planet ; joy is about pleasure and fun and contentment. Christmas is a couple of months away but now may be a good time to plan for a joyously sustainable Christmas. Talk to family and friends what this might look like for Christmas is a time of coming together. 

Counting On …. Day 18 

 1st December 2021

During Advent I have a YouTube series with a short story and activity designed for children but just as enjoyable for adults. Today’s episode shows you how to make a paper angel. Over the course of the whole series you will find instructions to make several Christmas decorations and a crib set.

Counting On … day 16 

29th November 2021

Things we find around us can be used to create alternative and wonderful Christmas decorations. Rather than buying a Christmas tree, a more sustainable option might be to find a decorative branch or twiggy stick  that you can take from your garden. This you can decorate with baubles and the like (often people have collections of decorations going back over many years and embed with happy memories). Or you can make new decorations and I’ll be suggesting some of the next few days.