Celebrating God's CreationLiturgical elements for worship services
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The beginning |
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In the beginning God said, "Let there be light".
(from EYCE Songbook - Ecumenical Youth Council in Europe) |
Praise to you |
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Praise to you,
(Per Harling) |
We light a light |
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We light a light to God, the Creator,
(Per Harling) |
Giver of Life |
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Giver of Life,
(from Worshipping Ecumenically, WCC Publications) |
CONFESSION
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0 God, your fertile earth is slowly being stripped of its riches
During this there will be an action whereby we commit ourselves
(from: A Creation Liturgy, The Iona Community Worship Book, Wild Goose Publications, Glasgow 1991)
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INTERCESSIONS
Spirit of Creation
Spirit of creation, spilling into rivers and oceans,
cleanse the life-giving waters.
Spirit of creation, rushing through mighty forests,
spread the seeds of new life.
Spirit of creation, burning in the hearts of your people,
give life, re-born and renewed.
Spirit of God, water, wind and fire,
fill us with your love.
(Diane Clutterbuck, England)
Lord, have mercy on us
L Hear our cry, God,
it is the crying of the victims of the wars of our time,
it is the crying of those, who offer themselves
in love and wrath for the sake of justice,
it is the crying in pain, in anger, in powerlessness.
Hear our cry, God.
All Lord, have mercy on us.
L Hear our groaning, God,
it is the lamentations of the woods and the seas,
it is the groaning of the air and the earth,
it is the lamentations of hunger and starvation from dried up grounds,
it is the groaning in helplessness, in mistrust and exhaustion.
Hear our groaning, God.
All Lord, have mercy on us.
L Hear our weeping, God.
it is the weeping of the children, who have been abandoned or abused,
it is the weeping of the women, who have been assaulted,
it is the weeping of the darkness of the mourning,
it is the weeping in despair, in loneliness and abandonment,
All Lord, have mercy on us.
L Jesus Christ, you who on the cross
cried out the abandonment of the human being,
you who suffered, died and rose up from death for our sake,
be with us in our crying, in our groaning and in our weeping,
All And give us courage and strength in the struggle for a new and worthy life.
(Per Harling)
You entrusted your creation to us
Song: Come, light of God,
give light to creation,
enlighten our hearts
and remain with your world.
O God, Creator of the universe and of all that lives and breathes,
from your dwelling place you refresh the mountains and forests.
The earth is filled with the fruits of your work.
You make grass grow for the herds,
plants and fruit trees for people to farm,
drawing their bread from the earth.
You entrusted your Creation to us.
We beseech you: save us from the temptation of power and domination.
May your Spirit of Wisdom teach us
how best to care for and safeguard what you entrust to us.
May your Spirit of life, O Lord, blow on your people.
Song: Come, light of God...
We beseech you, bless every effort and every search,
every struggle and every pain that seek
to restore the harmony and beauty of your Creation.
Renew the face of the earth, so that every human being
may live in peace and justice, fruits of your Spirit of love.
May your Spirit of life, O Lord, blow on your people.
Song: Come, light of God...
We beseech you, Lord, bless the fruits of the earth and our work
and teach us to share the abundance of your goods.
Send rain to the dry soil, sun and fair weather
where harvest is endangered by storms.
May your Spirit of life, O Lord, blow on your people.
Song: Come, light of God...
We reach towards you with all our will:
give us something of your fullness,
so that your truth may convert us
and our weakness may be overcome.
Without this gift we are too weak to reach you, Lord of gifts.
We ask this through Jesus,
your Son and our Saviour.
Amen.
(Communitá di Grandchamp, Areuse (Svizzera); translated by Elizabeth Stace)
All They will be filled.
L Blessed are the merciful.
All They will receive mercy.
L Blessed are the peacemakers.
All They will be called the children of God.
L Walk with righteous hearts,
merciful hands
and peaceful minds.
All Amen.
(Per Harling, based on the Beatitudes, Matthew 5)
Go forth in the miracle of the grace of God.
And may you be touched by the fire of the Spirit,
the gentleness of the Christ
and the wisdom of your Maker.
(Dorothy McRae-McMahon, Australia)
(from A World of Blessingedited by. Geoffrey Duncan, Canterbury Press, 2000)
Merciful God, who loves humankind, look with an eye of compassion upon the works of your hands and set free the expanse of the atmosphere from dread destruction and death-dealing emissions and every poisonous pollution, through which death and danger threaten. Take pity then on what you have fashioned and give to all prudence not to act senselessly, the result of which is corruption, granting to all pardon and salvation and divine mercy.
Verse: With my voice I cried to the Lord, and he heard me from his holy mountain.
Accept, 0 Saviour, the entreaties of your Mother, which she offers for all
creation, and the supplications of all your Saints. Grant to all your mercies, and keep unharmed the firmament which you spread out from the beginning with wisdom, Lord, and brought into being for the benefit of mortals. Keep undamaged, 0 Lord, the whole environment which girds the earth from harmful influences, granting to all pardon and salvation and great mercy.
Verse: When I called you hearkened to me, 0 God of my justice, in all affliction you set me at large.
With humility of our soul we entreat you, Lord, and we fall down before you: At your command deliver the earth on which we dwell from every harm and from harsh ruin, and speedily avert from it and abolish by your will destructive emanations and pour out the fresh dew of life-sustaining air. Fence about the whole enclosure of the environment Master and Saviour, with your mighty power, granting to all pardon and salvation and divine mercy.
(from: Orthodoxy and Ecology Resource Book, SYNDESMOS 1996)
AFFIRMATION OF FAITH
(With a period of silence between each section)
L We have faith
C in One God, one Source of all life. One Ground of the whole earth,
with all her creatures.
L And thus we have faith
C in the fulness of earth's life, in the innate worth of all her
dependents, in human partnership in the life of nature.
L And we have faith
C that in Christ we have been shown the special role of the human
race to bear God's likeness in working and caring for the earth, in
seeking to understand her mysteries and powers, in gently working
with these powers for the well being of all children of the earth.
L And we have faith
C that God´s Spirit will lead us to sensitive closeness with earth's life,
so that meek, unselfish and compassionate life-style by which the
earth is inherited in peace, by which her life is transformed for all
creatures to share justly in her bounty. So be it. Amen.
(from Indio, in Sinfonia Oecomenica, Gütersloher Verlagshaus, Gütersloh und Basileia Verlag, Basel 1998)
I have faith in God, the Almighty
who created heaven and earth
and who wishes to save the world
against our foolishness and megalomania.
I have faith in the spirit
And the might of our community
Which enables and protects life
Which stands up against lethal threat
And paralysing helplessness.
And in Jesus Christ, our brother and Son of God
Who grounds heaven
And links heaven to earth
Who suffered from our weakness
Who was crucified by our missing faith
Who died of our paralysing fear
Who was buried under our indifference
Down to the kingdom of the mighty
Who rises among us with every new hope
With every drop of good water
With every breath of healthy air
With every flower in full blossom
And he will separate those
Who practise death and those
Who answer for life.
BIBLE READINGS
The wolf lives with the lamb,
the panther lies down with the kid,
calf and lion cub feed together
with a little boy to lead them.
The cow and the bear make friends,
their young lie down together.
The lion eats straw like the ox.
The infant plays over the cobra's hole;
into the viper's lair
the young child puts his hand.
They do not hurt, or harm,
on all my holy mountain,
for the country is filled with the knowledge of God
as the waters cover the sea.
(Is. 11:6-9)
The whole creation is eagerly waiting for God to reveal his sons. lt was not for any fault on the part of creation that it was made unable to attain its purpose it was made so by God; but creation still retains the hope of being freed, like us, from its slavery to decadence, to enjoy the same freedom and glory as the children of God. From the beginning till now the entire creation, as we know, has been groaning in one great act of giving birth; and not only creation, but all of us who possess the first-fruits of the Spirit we too groan inwardly as we wait for our bodies to be set free. For we must be content to hope that we shall be saved our salvation is not in sight, we should not have to be hoping for it if it were but as I say, we must hope to be saved since we are not saved yet - it is something we must wait for with patience.
(Letter to Romans 8:19-25)
Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; the first heaven and the first earth had disappeared now, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the holy city and the new Jerusalem coming down from God out of heaven as beautiful as a bride dressed for her husband. Then I heard a loud voice call from the throne, "You see this city? Here God lives among people. He will make his home among them; they shall be his people and he will be their God; his name is God-with-them. He will wipe away all tears from their eyes; there will be no more death, and no more mourning or sadness. The world of the past has gone". Then the One sitting on the throne spoke: "Now I am making the whole of creation new."
(Revelation 21:1-5a)
Love all God´s creation, the
whole of it and every grain of sand.
Love every leaf, every ray of God's light!
Love the animals, love the
plants, love everything. lf
you love everything, you will
perceive the divine mystery
in things. And once you have
perceived it you will begin
to comprehend it ceaselessly,
more and more every day.
And you will at last come to
love the whole world with
an abiding universal love.
Love the animals: God has
given them the rudiments of
thought and untroubled joy.
Do not therefore, trouble it,
do not torture them, do not
deprive them of their joy, do
not go against God´s intent.
(Starets Zosima in The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor M. Dostojevsky)
Good Lord, most high almighty,
to you all praise is due,
all glory, honour, blessing,
belong alone to you;
there is no man whose lips
are fit to frame your name.
Be praised then, my Lord God,
in and through all your creatures
especially among them,
through noble Brother Sun,
by whom you light the day;
in his radiant splendid beauty
he reminds us, Lord, of you.
Be praised, my Lord. Through Sister Moon and all the stars;
and have made the sky shine in their lovely light.
In Brother Wind be praised, my Lord,
and in the air,
in clouds, in calm,
in all the weather moods that cherish life.
Be praised, my Lord, through Sister Water;
she is most useful, humble, precious, pure.
And Brother Fire, by whom you lighten night;
how fine is he, how happy, powerful, strong.
Through our dear Mother Earth be praised, my Lord,
she feeds us, guides us, gives us plants, bright flowers
and all her fruits.
Be praised, my Lord, through us,
when out of love for you
we pardon one another.
When we endure
in sickness and in sorrow.
Blessed are they who preserve in peace;
from you, Most High, they will receive their prize.
Be praised, my Lord, praised for our Sister Death
from whom no man alive can hope to hide;
wretched are they who die deep in their sin.
And blessed those, Death finds doing your will.
For them there is no further death to fear.
0 people! Praise God and bless him,
give him thanks
and serve him most humbly.
Through heaven and earth and the sea
Through heaven and earth and the sea,
through wood and stone,
through all creation visible and invisible,
I offer generation to the Creator and Master
and Maker directly and by itself,
but it is through me that the heavens declare the glory of God,
through me the moon worships God,
through me the stars glorify him,
through me the waters and the showers rain,
the dews and all the creation,
venerate God and give him glory.
APPENDIX 1
BIBLE REFERENCES
First Creation Story (P) Gen. 1,1-2,5a
Second Creation Story (J) Gen. 2,4b-25
Humans are a part of the earth Gen. 3,19
Humans destroy Creation Gen. 6,5-8
God stands by his Creation Gen. 8,20-22
The covenant of Noah Gen. 9,1-17
Sabbath year Lev. 25,1-7
Jubilee Year Lev. 25,8-13
Sabbath Rest for humans and beasts Dt. 5,12-15
Greatness of God Dt. 8,7-20
Everything is God´s property Dt. 10,14
Sabbath Year (Uncultivated fields) Dt. 15,1
Protection of fruit trees Dt. 20,19-20
Protection of birds Dt. 22,6-7
God reveals himself in small signs 1 Kings 19,9-13
Might of God’s creation Job 9,2-10
Knowledge of God from nature Job 12,7-10
God's incomprehensible might of Creation Job 38,1-40,2
Humans and beasts are fugitive Ecclesiastes 3,16-22a
God loves his Creation Wisdom 11,17-26
Efforts for wisdom Sirach 14,20-15,1
Responsibility of humans Sirach 15,14-17
Praise of the Creator in nature Sirach 42,15-43,33
Richness of peace (paradise) Isaiah 11,1-9
Everything will be healed Isaiah 35,1-10
Human sin destroys creation Isaiah 64,1-7
Misery caused by drought Jeremiah 14,2-9.19-22
Sanctification of the Sabbath Jeremiah 17,21-27
God rejects evil (parable of the potter) Jeremiah 18,1-11
The greatness of God Jeremiah 51,15-19
The water of healing Ezekiel 47,1-12
Singing of praise in the fiery furnace Daniel 3,51-90
Sin damages nature Hosea 4,1-3
The impact of drought and plague Joel 1,2-4.10-22
Fear about life Jonah 2,1-11
The day of judgment and God's saving intervention Malachi 3,19-24
Responsibility (salt and light) Mt 5,13-16
God or mammon Mt 6,24
The narrow gate Mt 7,12-14
Good or bad fruit Mt 7,15-20
Message of caution to all creatures Mk 16,14-18
Appeal to turn back Lk 11,29-32
False security Lk 12,16-21
God cares for us Lk 12,22-31
Recognise the signs Lk 12,54-57
Administrator of God Lk 16,9-13
The word became flesh John 1,1-18
God loves the world John 3,16
The creation sighs Rom 8,18-23
New creation in Christ 2 Cor 5,17-19
Gods plan of healing Eph 1,3-14
Christ as ruler of the universe Eph 1,17-23
Christ as perfect image of God Col 1,12-20
New life in Christ Col 3,1-10
Watchfulness of Christians 1 Thess 5,1-6
All that has been created is good 1 Tim 4,1-5
Creation and Christ's second coming 2 Pet 3,2-7
The Creator is holy Rev 4,2-11
All creatures adore Rev 5,11-14
Do not harm the land, sea, and trees! Rev 7,1-3
Destruction of living space Rev 8,2.6-9,6
Destroying the destroyers of the earth Rev 11,15-18
Adoring the Creator Rev 14,6-7
The new Creation Rev 21,1-4
The new Jerusalem Rev 21,9-11.22-23
Life with God Rev 22,1-5
The glory of the creator - the dignity of humans Ps 8
Praise of creation Ps 19,1-7
Glory of God in the thunderstorm Ps 29
Singing of praise for the mighty and kind God Ps 33,6-9
Thanks for the gifts of God Ps 65,6-14
The king of peace and His kingdom Ps 72
A new song to the judge and the one who rescues Ps 98
A song of praise to the Creator Ps 104
Thanks for the eternal cherish Ps 136,1-9,25-26
Thanks to God, the Creator and Lord Ps 148
The great Hallelujah Ps 150
APPENDIX 2
AN EXAMPLE OF A SYMBOLIC SETTING OF A SONG
The song :
God made the crystal clear water
This song tells, in three parts, the story of creation and salvation (verses may be sung by one or two chanters and the refrain by the congregation):
Verses 1-4 tell the story of the growth of good creation.
Verses 5-6: the story of human sin and the devastation of creation.
Verses 7-9: the story of salvation and healing through Jesus Christ in the power of the Spirit.
The song, therefore, may be used in a threefold liturgical movement in the form of three processions:
In the first procession examples of good creation - fruit, vegetables, etc - may be brought to the altar/front of the worship space, while verses 1- 4 are sung. Then there is a call to worship and/or an offering of praise.
In the second procession - during the singing of verses 5 - 6 examples of the devastation of creation - garbage of different kinds - may be brought in, followed by a confession of sin (and a moment of silence).
In the third procession - during the singing of verses 7- 9 - the cross, bread and wine (if the Eucharist is to be celebrated) - may be brought in, followed by words of forgiveness (the garbage may be taken away) and a song of praise. In Sweden where this song originates - the third procession may be led by the minister - and even a bishop - who carries a child on his / her shoulders; the child carries a cross...
Text and melody of this song
COME HOLY SPIRIT
"The world we live in :
Guilt and Repentance ... Pain and Healing"
Most offences against the order of creation occur in people’s everyday life. Often we talk about the 'development' of poor countries without really understanding what is at stake. The real problem is our own life style, our patterns of production and consumption. Instead of exporting it to the rest of the world we should change our own inconsiderate consuming habits.The order of worship here proposed is meant to promote a better understanding of our interrelation with the world and lead to a more responsible use of the gifts of creation. It is to point to new approaches to available products of industry, agriculture and other new achievements of industry of everyday life, increasing mobility,…
Symbols of everday life are placed in front of the altar as a tangible illustration of the way in which we deal with the material world, for example things, which mirror the world both in its beauty and destruction:
Pieces of stones, wooden beams: barriers on the way
Flowers: gracefulness and animating smell, Dried branches: no sap – no life
Grass: the unexpected breaking through asphalt – hope
Bulbs: How much energy do people need? The problem of stopping energy resources
Fruit: its importance for health, production, long distances for transport
Water An interpretation of the objects and the developments linked to them will follow. "Inspiring spirit of the world" The importance of the Gospel is symbolised by the festive entrance of the Holy Bible which is held high above the head and accompanied by two candle bearers.
The Easter candle.
Readings and Sermon (text pointing to the need to 'read the signs of the time' could chosen such as Mt 16,1-4 or Lk 12,54-56)
Worshippers at the service receive candles, which are lit by the Easter flame, in a procession. The participants form a circle around a cross (lying on the floor or the cross at the altar).
Procession and formation are accompanied by songs (f.e. Veni Sancte Spiritus, Taizé)
Intercessions and thanking:
cultivation of plants (single-crop farming), destruction of the ground and its living beings, pollution of water and micro-organisms,
often producing under unhealthy conditions (especially women in the poor countries) and low wages
After a short silence this contemplation is closed with a Halleluja or Kyrie.
Lord´s Prayer
The world we expect
Verse : "We hope in a new heaven and a new earth" (song)
Dismissal and blessing
Continuation
outside the church (weIcome celebration, slide-lectures, dance ...)
Justice - peace - the preservation of creation : each is ultimately connected one to the other
Quotation
Procession out of the church with candles and songs
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APPENDIX 4
GESTURES
In front of the altar two people stand; one holds a bowl filled with incense and the other a censer or thurible with burning charcoal.
The faithful come forward one by one towards these bowls saying their own special prays and placing beads of incense onto the burning charcoal.
This action to be accompanied by appropriately quiet music.
Incense: Offering and Intercession
Let my prayers rise up to you, 0 Lord as incense in your sight
A large cross is erected before the altar. The faithful come forward, and praying silently, they place flowers in an arrangement following the outline of the cross.
Explanation by preachers or the faithful (including children).
At the dismissal, the faithful take the flowers with them.
Cross of Flowers
The cross is a symbol of our responsibility for sinful actions against God, against the creation, and against our fellow humans.
1. Procession with the gospel and candles before the reading
Other Examples
2. Thanksgiving for first fruits (grapes, apples, etc) and flowers
3. Thanksgiving for bread (and/or wine and oil)
4. Thanksgiving for water: procession to lake, river, well
5. Planting trees
6. Care of church yard/cemetery (consecrated ground)
7. Icons connected with the creation, e.g. Transfiguration
8. Lighting of lamps - processions - accompanied by appropriate prayers/hymns/chants
9. Participation of children
10. Offering of incense
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APPENDIX 5
RECOMMENDED HYMNS
1. Thank you God for water, soil and air (melody: Per Harling) International Ecumenical Hymn
2. Veglia sul mondo
3. 0 heavenly King - Cantate Domino
4. God gave us breath... International Ecumenical Hymn
5. This is the only World....
6. Come, Holy Spirit - Graz
7. For the healing of the Nations - Basel
8. I am your mother - Per Harling
9. Lord, bring the day to pass - Lambeth
10. Holy, holy, holy - Per Harling
11. You shall go out with joy - Graz
12. The peace of the Earth be with you - Common Ground
13. Touch the Earth lightly - Common Ground
14. God made the crystal clear waters - WCC Canberra
15. Psalm 24 - Marijke van Duin
FURTHER INFORMATION
Isolde Scoenstein, facilitator of the ECEN Creation Time working group :
argeschoepfung@utanet.at
ECEN Secretariat :
ecen@cec-kek.be This page was last updated on 30 October 2001
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european christian environmental network
Peter Pavlovic | Conference of European Churches Ecumenical Centre | Rue Joseph II 174 BE-1000 Brussels | Belgium tel : 00 32 2 230 1732 | fax : 00 32 2 231 1413 email : ecen@cec-kek.be | web: www.ecen.org |
