Soil: Prayers for the Climate and Ecological Emergency

Send us Fan MailBeats via Chris Sayburn Words and Voice by Jon Swales.Father of Creation,God and Father of Our Lord Jesus Christ.You created a world of wonder, And declared it to be good.Father of Creation,God of Compassion,The Earth was formless and void,And you spoke, And life came into being.Trees and plants were raised from the earth,You formed man out of the dust of the ground.The soil and mudParticipate in your creative act.And you declared it to be good.And we declare it to be good.For our lives are inexplicably linked with the life of the soil.From the riches of soil,Crops, vegetables, and fruit grow which sustain life,Both of Humans and Non-Human Worshippers.Soil is our life support system,For this we give you praise.Soil provides anchorage for roots,For this we give you praise.Soil holds water and nutrients,For this we give you praise.Soils are home to a myriad of microorganisms,And an army of microscopic animals,For this we give you praise.In this time of climate breakdown,The soil is our ally,Our friend.Providing a vital role in the earth's interconnected ecosystem,We praise you for fertile soil from which a symphony of praise grows and is given voice.Father of Creation, God of Compassion,We have moved East of Eden, We are Homesick Exiles,Creation Groans,The Soil is Dying. We have betrayed our friend,And may well reap what we have sown. We have opened the door to the sin of ecological violence,And it has overwhelmed us.Through the greed of exploitation, The fertile earth is being degraded,Polluted and Acidified.We lament that 12 million hectares of land of once fertile land is lost every year to desertification and drought.We lament that an increase in degraded soil will likely affect food production.We lament for when we have chosen quick profits instead of sustainable agriculture.We lament the use of certain types of pesticides which bring increased yields for the moment, but in the long-term makes the soil incapable of sustaining life.Father of Creation,God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,Your Son walked this land of soil and dust,And dreamed a dream of a different world,A Kingdom in which the hungry are fed and the humble are lifted high.May we too, who walk this earth, Tread lightly upon the soil.And like your Son, May we be Kingdom people, Who Dream, And ActWho Tend and Keep,Guard and Protect,Plant and Harvest,Sustain and DevelopThis world that you have made.May our hearts, as fertile soil,Be the place from which the fruits of the Spirit grow,May we, like Jesus, feed the hungry,And care about the soil from which it comes.In all areas of life may we point both to the King and the Coming Kingdom.Father of Creation,God and Father of Our Lord Jesus Christ,You created a world of wonderAnd declared it to be good.Father of Creation,God and Father of Our Lord Jesus ChristThe Earth was formless and void.And you spoke, and life came into being.Trees and Plants were raised from the earthYou formed man out of the dust of the ground,To you be all praise, honour and glory.Amen.