Celebrate
and
care
for the earth this Creation
September 1st to October 4th
Time!
Churches in Ireland are being urged to join with Christians throughout the globe during Creation
Time in celebrating Creation and considering how they care for the earth.
In keeping with the United Nations' International Year of Biodiversity, this year's Creation Time
theme is Creation Flourishing – A Time for Celebration and Care.
In the wake of BP’s disastrous oil spill, Eco Congregation Ireland (ECI) hopes that churches will
take time to consider the impact of human activity on the environment as well as celebrating the
beauty of the natural world and promoting sustainable lifestyles.
ECI helped prepare the wide range of resources on the Churches Together in Britain and
Ireland website -http://www.ctbi.org.uk/498. These include prayers, sermon notes, liturgy,
biodiversity facts, resources for children’s groups/schools and action ideas for groups and
individuals. They are designed to help churches focus on a Creation theme, either on one occasion
or over the five weeks of Creation Time.
Included are ~
~ two sets of sermon notes, one based on the Lectionary readings
~ prayers of intercession for use on one or more Sundays
Creation Time is an opportunity to enjoy and celebrate the beauty and diversity of our abundant
planet, to ask forgiveness for its degradation, to pray for its protection and commit ourselves to
its healing and care.
"Every time we allow any species or habitat to become extinct through greed or carelessness, we
remove something unique of God's self-revelation in Creation," says ECI chairperson, Catherine
Brennan SSL. "Protecting biodiversity is also about the vital resources that underpin the wealth
and health of the world's poor and that provide the vital needs for the well-being of us all.
Investing in this capital is the only way to ensure a sustainable future for the world's children."
Eco Congregation Ireland is an inter-denominational project that encourages churches to adopt an
eco approach to worship, lifestyle, community outreach and contact with the developing world. We
offer resources and practical suggestions for churches and individual Christians who wish to live
out their vocation to care for God’s Creation as part of their Christian faith. For further info see
www.ecocongregationireland.org.
Wishing you a joyful and proactive Creation Time,
Fiona Murdoch, Communications Officer, Eco Congregation Ireland (Tel:00353 86 1706923) ~
info@ecocongregationireland.org
Catherine Brennan SSL, chairperson & Roman Catholic representative ~ catherine.brennan@ecocongregationireland.org
Joe Furphy, Presbyterian representative ~ joe.furphy@ecocongregationireland.org
Helen Shiel, Methodist representative ~ helen.shiel@ecocongregationireland.org
Natasha Harty, Religious Society of Friends representative ~ natasha.harty@ecocongregationireland.org
Robert Cochran, Church in Society Forum (formerly the Inter-Church Committee on Socical Issues) ~
rcochran@eircom.net
(the position of Church of Ireland representative is currently vacant)
Creation Flourishing - A Time for Celebration and Care
Intercessory/Bidding Prayers ~ Creation Time resources 2010
~
Set 1
Holy are you, O God; the whole earth is full of your glory; help us to live compatibly with our environment.
Lord hear us
Response: Lord graciously hear us.
Jesus, you loved the land and fields of flowers; bless farmers, gardeners and all who till and care for the soil.
Lord hear us
Response: Lord graciously hear us.
Jesus, you taught your followers to travel lightly through life; call our consumer culture to a change of heart - to
values that lead to life.
Lord hear us
Response: Lord graciously hear us.
O God we are one in you, and all that we do affects the whole; make us aware of our power to seed the world with
good or ill by every thought, word and deed.
Lord hear us
Response: Lord graciously hear us.
The gifts of the earth are distributed unevenly, and we long to lift up those in need; soften the hearts of those who
place personal or national gain above the good of the whole.
Lord hear us
Response: Lord graciously hear us.
In taking flesh among us you raised all creation to a new dignity; teach us to have an ever growing reverence for
your bountiful creation and a sense of responsibility for its preservation.
Lord hear us
Response: Lord graciously hear us.
Priest/Leader: Most provident God, you graciously give us all good gifts. Teach us to care for our earth: to till our
soil responsibly, to keep our air pure, to free our waters from pollution, to harvest the warmth of our sun, and to
respect the rights of all species. May we willingly share the gifts of your goodness with all. We ask this of you,
God of our universe, through Christ our lord. Amen
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Intercessory/Bidding Prayers ~ Set 2
All creation comes from You, O God, and you have invited us to be its stewards. Give us eyes to see your
handiwork in every creature.
O God hear us, we pray
Response: O Lord, give us your love for the whole of creation
Christ our light, we are humbled by your simplicity; show us creative ways to live simply and to conserve our
natural resources for future generations.
O God hear us, we pray
Response: O Lord, give us your love for the whole of creation
Spirit of God, you promote progress, you make all things new. Give us the vision we need to develop for the better
without destroying our vital heritage.
O God hear us, we pray
Response: O Lord, give us your love for the whole of creation
Rain and clouds are your gifts of life and beauty to us, O God; teach us how to use and preserve the waters of the
earth.
O God hear us, we pray
Response: O Lord, give us your love for the whole of creation
Creator Spirit, you adorn the earth with the beauty of each season; awaken us to your loving care for all that exists
as you lift up our hearts with colour and surprise.
O God hear us, we pray
Response: O Lord, give us your love for the whole of creation
We pray for environmentalists, recyclers, and those who till, care for, and harvest the fruits of our earth. May they
be confirmed and supported in their efforts to preserve the earth for future generations, so that the harvest of our
land yields enough for all.
O God hear us, we pray
Response: O Lord, give us your love for the whole of creation
Priest/Leader: O God you created all things great and small, your care extends to all. Help us to see your sustaining
presence everywhere. Teach us to live responsibly, sharing the gifts of creation with satisfaction and joy .Grant this
through Jesus, your Word of life, who teaches us the way. Amen.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Intercessory/Bidding Prayers ~ Set 3
Bountiful God, you delight in all your creatures; help us to respect the earth’s rich diversity and to share with each
other and all living creatures in responsible ways.
O God hear us, we pray
Response: Lord, give us your love for the whole of creation
Christ Jesus, you sent your followers to preach the good news to all creation; may all people and all creatures
experience your justice and love through those who profess faith in you.
O God hear us, we pray
Response: Lord, give us your love for the whole of creation
Rain down your Spirit upon our waters, and upon those responsible for decisions concerning the purity of our seas,
rivers and lakes.
O God hear us, we pray
Response: Lord, give us your love for the whole of creation
We pray for victims of starvation. Banish famine from our world and teach us to share.
O God hear us, we pray
Response: Lord, give us your love for the whole of creation
Through scientists and scholars, new knowledge comes to light; may it further the quality of life for all peoples and
all creatures in their journey to wholeness.
O God hear us, we pray
Response: Lord, give us your love for the whole of creation
Your plundered earth, with its rich variety of endangered species, is crying out for healing. Help us to be
instruments of that healing and to redeem the harm we have done to our planet.
O God hear us, we pray
Response: Lord, give us your love for the whole of creation
Priest/Leader: God of love, you gave us this universe filled with your gifts. Help us to reverence all of your
creation, respecting the rights of all species, and the integrity of the elements, so that all creation may live with you
for all eternity. Amen