Maintaining and Increasing Biodiversity
Please sing or read the Hymn: We plough the fields and scatter (Singing The Faith 130)
- We plough the fields, and scatter
the good seed on the land;
but it is fed and watered
by God’s almighty hand:
he sends the snow in winter,
the warmth to swell the grain;
the breezes and the sunshine
and soft refreshing rain.
All good gifts around us
are sent from heaven above:
then thank the Lord, O thank the Lord
for all his love.
- He only is the Maker
of all things near and far;
he paints the wayside flower,
he lights the evening star:
the winds and waves obey him,
by him the birds are fed;
much more, to us his children
he gives our daily bread.
- We thank you, then, our Father,
for all things bright and good;
the seed-time and the harvest,
our life, our health, our food:
accept the gifts we offer
for all your love imparts;
and that which you most welcome –
our humble, thankful hearts.
Matthias Claudius (1740-1815) translated by Jane Montgomery Campbell (1817-1878)
Prayer: (Chris Polhill: Eggs and Ashes) amended PCW
With mountains, hills and valleys; With trees and all green growing things; With oceans deep, rivers and sparkling streams; We praise and glorify God our creator.
With swooping eagle and all the birds of the air; With Lion and rabbit, and all that crawls upon the land, with leaping dolphins and all that swim and live in the deep waters; We praise and glorify you God our creator.
With all people, young and old; With all races, short and tall; With different faces in our wonderful difference and diversity, We praise and glorify you God our creator.With all creation we praise God with all our being, heart and soul for we are one with God and creation.
Amen.
Bible readings: Psalm 8
1Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory in the heavens.
2 Through the praise of children and infants you have established a
stronghold against your enemies, to silence the foe and the avenger.
3 When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars,
which you have set in place,
4 what is mankind that you are mindful of them, human beings that you care for them?
5 You have made them a little lower than the angels and crowned them with glory and honour.
6 You made them rulers over the works of your hands; you put everything under their feet:
7 all flocks and herds, and the animals of the wild,
8 the birds in the sky, and the fish in the sea, all that swim the paths of the seas.
9 Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!
Q. As we read this Psalm, what image of creation and our part within it do we have?
Since being a small child, I have always had a oneness with nature and enjoyed being outside. In every study I’ve worked in, I have placed my desk so that I can look out of the window and be reminded of being at one with creation and the Creator.
Q. Where do you feel most connected to God?
If we think about the reading in Psalm 8, Verses 6-8, we are reminded of being created by God the Creator and that we are also part of Creation and that we also have responsibility to care for it as it continues to evolve.
Q. Think about the ways you take care of creation.
Wherever I have lived in the past 30 years I have tried to create space for nature to exist. What is meant by ‘nature’ is creating a space for animals, birds, insects and myself to thrive. It is a place where biodiversity and everything within it can thrive. I always leave part of the garden to ‘rewild’. This enables biodiversity and nature to evolve naturally and organically without any interference from me.
In 1986 after a fire and explosion destroyed the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in the Ukraine, leading to the evacuation of thousands of people from the surrounding areas, wildlife diversity and numbers were found to have increased dramatically since there was no human interaction.
Q. What do you think about rewilding? Are you happy to let go and let nature take its course or do you like to be in control?
Psalm 8 6 You made them rulers over the works of your hands; you put everything under their feet: 7 all flocks and herds, and the animals of the wild, 8 the birds in the sky, and the fish in the sea, all that swim the paths of the seas.
Q. What does ‘made them rulers over the works of your hands’ mean to you? What makes a ‘Good’ ruler? Would we consider ourselves as ‘Good Rulers’ within creation?
Sometimes nature needs a helping hand like the reintroduction of native species or creating wildlife corridors where animals and wildlife can safely travel through urban landscapes. There are now fields left with hedgerows and dry stone walls that increases a natural habitat and enhances ecosystems. These changes made by us as ‘good rulers’ increase the biodiversity and sustainability of the planet, which benefits every living creature humans and non-humans alike.
“You and I are invited to cooperate with the great regeneration of creation and are invited to be part of what is emerging. We are beckoned along that trajectory of hope, inspired and energised by the ‘New- Every- Morning’ Love of God. Hear the call to participate in the ultimate adventure. Jesus says, ‘Follow me’. ‘Rewilding the Church’ p.202 (Steve Aisthorpe. St Andrews Press)
- Has our view of ‘Ruling over creation’ changed? If so, in what ways?
- Are we willing to continue to be part of God’s great creative adventure? How?
Prayer:
Lord God, you are the creator, the architect and inspirer of all that is seen and unseen. Forgive us for the misuse of the gifts and resources we have been given to live fulfilled and content lives. Give us wisdom through your Holy Spirit to make the right choices where we value, respect and work alongside creation in maintaining natural habitats that are life giving. We thank you for the life, peace and serenity that being out in your wonderful tapestry of the landscape brings to our lives. Almighty God continue to make us aware of the smallest microns and plankton that enable life on this great planet to exist. We pray that we may be constantly reminded of the things that we can’t see like the wonder of photosynthesis and oxygen generated through trees that give life to us. Jesus, we thank you for the reminder of the tree on which you gave your life in order that we may have life. Lord God, we thank you that we are wonderfully made and part of creation continually being transformed, refreshed and renewed by you. May we play our small but significant part in caring for this celestial ball in the depths of the universe we call home for now.
Challenges for the week
Individual:
- Go litter picking
- Put up bird feeders
- Visit a farm
Church/Community
- Create a bee hotel and places for insects to hibernate in
- Plant wildflowers in the garden, or create a meadow area
- Get involved in a wildlife watch (e.g. butterflies, garden birds)
Prayer:
With mountains, hills and valleys;
With trees and all green-growing;
With oceans deep, rivers and sparkling streams;
We praise and glorify God, our creator.
With swooping eagle and all birds of the air;
With lion and rabbit, and all that runs or crawls on land;
With leaping dolphins and all that swims in the waters;
We praise and glorify God, our creator.
With all people, old and young;
With all races, short and tall;
With different faces – in all our wonderful difference and diversity;
We praise and glorify God, our creator.
We pray for those who work to care for creation:
those preserving forests and oceans,
those that work to protect flora and fauna,
and charities that seek justice across the globe
We pray for those who daily choose to work with or abuse creation:
Planners and developers,
Farmers and fisher folk,
Industrialists and bankers,
All who travel by land, sea or sky.
We pray for ourselves, for the choices we make daily:
What we buy, how we travel, what we reuse or recycle.
In all our struggles to live within God’s harmony,
God bless us and enable us
that our lives may sing your praises.
Amen.