Worship now opens every Ecochurch afternoon gathering, and in October this was beautifully prepared and led by Helen.
Entry: Collection of seeds on table. As people arrive they choose one and sit in choir.
Welcome: Ali: Welcome to our Eco Church worship which has a focus on seeds and environmental awareness
We take a moment to gather our thoughts and examine seeds.
Introduction: HB: We meet today with a sense of the wonder and beauty of creation and with an awareness that the natural environment is under threat. The seed may be a hopeful metaphor for the growing environmental movement as we observe the transformation from tiny ‘idea’ to a great movement with energy and purpose. At our Eco Church we are participating in this movement, channelling our energy into promoting environmental awareness and connecting with the natural world, in line with our belief in the God in all things. We seek to understand how to best to protect and manage the environment around our church and how to support each other in living our lives both more sustainably and spiritually.
Bible Reading: Andrew BGenesis 1:11–13 (REB):
Then God said, ‘Let the earth produce growing things; let there be on the
earth plants that bear seed, and trees bearing fruit each with its own kind of
seed.’ So it was: the earth produced growing things; plants bearing their own
kind of seed and trees bearing fruit, each with its own kind of seed; and God
saw that it was good.
HB: Sustainability begins with wonder – the wonder of beginnings, of all life and means of life in tiny seeds, each holding secrets necessary to bear ‘its own kind of fruit’.
Meditation on a Beech nut: Faith in a Nutshell (Fiona)
Inside this prickly shell
silky soft skin cups
the sharp-edged nut;
slowly
the petals of the pod open
and release the promise of new life.
In this sweet seed
hides a great tree,
the mystery of its pattern
dispersed into the rich earth
to disappear and grow
in secret;
to thrust bold shoots
through the earth’s crust,
until
the sturdy sapling stands
unshaken and unbent;
striving towards its proud
and ancient heritage;
a blueprint traced
in the beginning of time,
when God smiled.
Carol Dixon
HB: The continuance of life on earth may depend upon the rekindling of our sense of wonder at the natural world and our understanding of the fragile connections within it. There’s a song by Shirley Murray that talks about living gently and lightly, while searching for truth. We can sing it to the tune of The Ashgrove.
Hymn: Go Gently, Go Lightly
Go Gently, go lightly,
go safe in the Spirit
live simply, don’t carry
much more than you need
go trusting God’s goodness,
go spreading God’s kindness,
stay centred on Jesus
and where he will lead
Go singing, go bringing
the gifts of the Spirit,
go hopefully searching
for things that are true:
in living, in loving,
whatever befalls you,
God keep you, God bless you
in all that you do.
Shirley Murray Tune: The Ashgrove
HB: We know that mitigating the effects of climate change will require changes to our individual lifestyles but also structural changes led by governments and corporations. This prayer from the Iona Community reflects the need for both spiritual and political awareness and action.
Prayer: HB: May awe and wonder be sustained within us: so we are able to see the beauty of the earth as a finite whole, eternity in tiny seeds, an understanding of life and death in the fall of a sparrow.
All: God of love and truth, Help us to look with open eyes, To see with open hearts.
HB: May we be filled with vision and imagination: so we are able to see how waste and greed in one place diminishes life in another; help us to rediscover the significance and surprise in sharing.
All: God of love and truth, Help us to look with open eyes, To see with open hearts.
HB: May we be filled with fire and vigour, anger at short-sighted policies, cold-blooded economics and heartless trading: so we may protest greed and the misuse of the earth’s resources, and seek passionately the just use of our abundant knowledge, skills and resources to cherish all life.
All: God of love and truth, Help us to look with open eyes, To see with open hearts.
Amen
Blessing:
Ali: Love, tangible and expressive,
All: transform us.
Ali: Joy, holy and earthy,
All: uplift us.
Ali: Peace, of heart, home and community,
All: be within us, always.
Ali: May we be continually inspired by the miracle of the seed, and never lose sight
of the possibility of transformation. Amen Joy Mead
The Haven Eco-Church 