Words and Voice Rev'd Jon Swales
Music Classical Sad Piano, Copyright Free , Scott Buckley, Undertow.
Father of Creation,
God of Compassion,
You made a beautiful world,
Full of awe and wonder,
Full of possibility and potential.
You declared it to be good.
To you be all praise, honour and glory.
Father of Creation,
God of Mercy,
You gave humanity a call to tend and keep,
Yet we have sinned in thought, word and deed.
Through consumerism and exploitation
We have acted like parasites instead of gardeners.
We have acted like ecological vandals instead of caretakers, Have mercy on us!
We pause to remember and grieve the loss from this world of non-human worshippers who have now become extinct.
Bramble Cay Melomys What have we done? Have mercy on Us
Yangtze River Dolphin What have we done? Have mercy on Us
Northern White Rhino What have we done? Have mercy on us
Spix Macaw
What have we done? Have mercy on us
Zanibar Leopard What have we done? Have mercy on us.
Ivory-Billed Woodpecker
What have we done? Have mercy on Us
Black faced Honey Creeper
What have we done? Have mercy on Us.
Father, we know these are but a few of the creatures you have made who are no longer with us. You declared them to be good, but we made them extinct.
Have mercy on us.
Father of Creation,
God of Mercy,
We thank you for your Son Jesus,
Our brother, king and friend.
We thank you that in Jesus we see
Justice embodied and
Entwined with extravagant mercy.
We thank you that he welcomed the weak,
Gathered the oppressed and laid down the prophetic challenge to the unjust structures and systems of his day.
Father of Creation,
God of Justice,
Embolden us with the Spirit of Christ,
That we may rise from the ashes of our lament into the prophetic waters of justice.
Restore us that we may be restored,
That your church may arise with healing in its wings.
In the year of the COP26 Climate Conference
Set us on fire with a love for all of your creation,
That we, your covenant people, would shake off our parasitical past and instead be the stewards, caretakers and love-filled creatures you have called us to be.
Let your church be so empowered that we would peacefully and publicly join with others in rebelling against extinction.
Father of Creation,
God of Justice,
To you be all praise, honor and glory, Now and Forever.
