A Liturgy for Green Sunday

FOR PERSONAL REFLECTION BEFORE WORSHIP BEGINS                                                                                     God’s Grandeur    Gerald Manley Hopkins S.J.                                                                                                                                                    The world is charged with the grandeur of God.
It will flame out, like shining from shook foil;
It gathers to a greatness, like the ooze of oil
Crushed. Why do men then now not reck his rod?
Generations have trod, have trod, have trod;
And all is seared with trade; bleared, smeared with toil;
And wears man’s smudge and shares man’s smell: the soil
Is bare now, nor can foot feel, being shod.
And for all this, nature is never spent;
There lives the dearest freshness deep down things;
And though the last lights off the black West went
Oh, morning, at the brown brink eastward, springs—
Because the Holy Ghost over the bent
World broods with warm breast and with ah! bright wings.
WORDS OF WELCOME
CALL TO WORSHIP                                                                                                                                   The Earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof, the world and all that dwells therein.
We live in God's world, we are not alone. We share this life with the heavens and the earth, with the waters and the land, with trees and grasses, with fish, birds, and animals, with creatures of every form, and with all our brothers and sisters.
God saw all that was made, and behold, it was very good.
In addition to this or as an alternative to it here is a blessing of the elements, earth, water, wind and fire,
On a table there is a potted plant, a jug of water and a bowl and an unlit candle
We share of the substance of the Earth herself,                                                                                        part of the warp and weave of Creation
The plant is lifted and put down, these words are spoken                                                                                                  We are rooted in the earth, we rely on it for our sustenance and in time we return to it.                                          We bless the earth, on which we depend.                                                                                                                             The jug is lifted and water poured into the bowl                                                                                                              Without water we could not be, it is necessary for life itself                                                        We bless water, without which we cannot be.                                                                                                                     The candle is lit                                                                                                                                                                          Here is  fire and air , warmth and breath, the air in our lungs, the heat on our skin                                                                                                                                                                                           We bless air and fire, with our every breath, with every rising of the sun.      

HYMN

PRAYER                                                                                                                                                                                      O give thanks to our God who is good:
whose love endures forever.
You sun and moon, you stars of the southern sky:
give to our God your thanks and praise.
Sunrise and sunset, night and day:
give to our God your thanks and praise.
All mountains and valleys, grassland and scree,
glacier, avalanche, mist and snow:
give to our God your thanks and praise.
You kauri and pine, rata and kowhai, mosses and ferns:
give to our God your thanks and praise.
Dolphins and kahawai, sealion and crab,
coral, anemone, pipi and shrimp:
give to our God your thanks and praise.
Rabbits and cattle, moths and dogs
kiwi and sparrow and tui and hawk:
give to our God your thanks and praise.
You Maori and Pakeha, women and men,
all who inhabit the long white cloud:
give to our God your thanks and praise.
All you saints and martyrs of the South Pacific:
give to our God your thanks and praise.
AN ETHICAL REFLECTION                                                                                                                                                          We stand at a critical moment in the history and future of our planet, a time when our human community must choose about the future of our earth community. The protection of our planet’s vitality and diversity is a sacred task and a common vocation. At a summit organized by the Ecumenical Patriarchate three years ago, former NASA climate scientist Professor James Hansen observed: “Our parents honestly did not know that their actions could harm future generations. But we, our current generation, can only pretend that we did not know.”

A moment of silence is kept

PRAYER
We acknowledge how we have wounded the Earth,                                                                                     how we have polluted air and water.                                                                                                         How we have crowded out space and resources for the other species                                              we are meant to share this planet with,                                                                                                                                   how the impact of our recklessness                                                                                                          falls most heavily on the poorest and most vulnerable.
We resolve to live more carefully,                                                                                                                                       to give to the Earth and not just take,                                                                                                                                   to conserve more and consume less.                                                                                                                                        For this beautiful yet fragile world is                                                                                                                                          God’s creation,                                                                                                                                           made good and whole   Amen

THE LORD’S PRAYER                                                                                                                                                                     Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name.                                                                                                                                                          Your kingdom come, your will be done,                                                                                                                                                                                                        on earth as it is in heaven.                                                                                                                                                                  Give us this day our daily bread.                                                                                                                                                               Forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us.                                                                                                                      Save us from the time of trial and deliver us from evil.                                                                                                                       For the kingdom, the power and the glory are yours,                                                                                                                   now and forever   Amen
 A COLLECT – OR PRAYER ON THE THEME OF THE DAY                                                                                                       God of all,                                                                                                                                                          who crafts the stars,                                                                                                                                    forms ocean and land                                                                                                                                  and every wondrous thing in and on them,                                                                                              we acknowledge that we are not above your creation                                                                          but part of it,                                                                                                                                                                                 help us to live in nurturing and harmony with all that you have made.                                                                       We ask this in the name of Jesus,                                                                                                               Your Word, through whom all things were made  Amen

HYMN

A STORY MIGHT BE TOLD

SCRIPTURE READINGS    Genesis 1:1-26, Ps 65:9-13, Colossians 1:15-20, Matthew 8:18-27

SERMON

HYMN

THE OFFERTORY                                                                                                                                                                           Of all that we have been given we offer these gifts in return,                                                                                             may these and all that we do, all that we have, all that we are                                                                                              be used with wisdom, justice and car.                                                                                                                                       We ask this in the name of Jesus,                                                                                                                    in whom God gifted God’s own self  Amen

HYMN  

BLESSING                                                                                                                                                                                           May the Earth continue to live,
May the heavens above continue to live,
May the rains continue to dampen the land,
May the wet forests continue to grow,
Then the flowers shall bloom
And we people shall live again.

And the blessing of God be with you / us all,                                                                                                                         the Creator, Redeemer and Sustainer of the World   Amen                       

THE GRACE                                                                                                                                                      Kia tau ki a tatou katoa, te atawhai o to tatou Ariki o Ihu Karaiti,                                                       Me te aroha o te Atua, me te whiwhinga tahitanga ki te Wairua Tapu.                                                 Ake, ake, ake   Amine
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God,                                                                                 And the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with us all.  Amen