Rivers: Prayers for the Climate and Ecological Emergency

Send us Fan MailWords and Prayers by Jon Swales, Video version herePiano by Alice BrencherFather of Creation, The first and the last,You created a world of wonder,Full of possibility and potential,You declared it to be good.And it was good,And it is good,To you be all praise, honour and glory.A river flowed through Eden,Watering the garden of delight.And Creation flourished in the blessing of biodiversity.We praise you for the rivers.A river flowed through Eden,Sustaining, Maintaining, and Participating, In the cosmic dance of wonder. We praise you for the rivers.  Watercourses of wonder,Spread across the globe,Teeming with life,We praise you for the rivers.Streams, creeks, brook and gills,Collecting, Gathering, Growing, Moving,Flowing,Still,Calm,Fast,Furious,Shallow,Deep,From source to mouth.We praise you for the rivers.Amphibians, reptiles, fish, Birds and mammals,Are sustained by  flowing freshwater ,The river choir of non human worshippers Joining a symphony of praise. Beavers,Otters,Crocodiles, & Hippopotamus,Open their lips to sing your praise.Kingfisher, Mallard, Herons,& Swans,Open their wings to proclaim your praiseTrout,Chub,Dace,& Minnow.Perform an underwater waltz of wonder.For the flow of the Yukon ,and the life giving Ganges,For the Rio Grande, and theMighty  Mekong,We praise you for the rivers.For the flow of the  Amazon And the life giving Zambezi,For the beauty of the Bhramaputra, And the mighty Mississippi.We praise you for the rivers.Closer to home,We give thanks.For local rivers, full ofLife, love and laughter,Fishing and fun,Ducks and Birds,Willows and Waterfalls,Swimming, Stepping Stones, and Skipping stones Romantic walks and peace of mind.For the healing wisdom of walks beside water.In local rivers,At local rivers.A taste of EdenFor the Tees, Wharfe and  AireThe Ribble, Severn and the WyeWe praise you for the rivers.For the Tyne, Thames and TamarThe Mersey,  Avon and the Ure We praise you for the rivers.Father of Creation,God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,Your son was plunged in Jordan flow,And in the waters of baptism you remind us of,Waters that wash, Of streams that sanctify Of rivers of rebirth, We praise you for the rivers.Father of Creation,God of Justice,The rivers of this world are not as you intended them to be.For we have sinned and done evil in your sight.The natural network of wondrous watercourses are now plagued with pollution,Lord have mercy. Industrial chemicals and agricultural runs offs upset the balance of biodiversity, Lord have mercy.Our children Swim in sewage,Lord have mercy.Non human worshippers face population decline, decimation and extinction,Lord have mercy.Forgive us Lord,For what we have done,We have poisoned our own wells,And fear that we will reap what we have sown.Have mercy on us.Rivers,Be renewed ,In Jesus’ named.Father of Creation,God of restoration and renewal.In you there is hope,Hope for the human,Hope for the rivers.