Sing a New Song

Psalm 96 is one of the psalms that call the Earth to sing a new song to the Lord – to praise his name and proclaim his salvation. Share on screen some images that display ways that the Earth praises his name as you read out this passage. In what ways do these examples of creation proclaim his salvation and declare his glory? 

Spend some time praising his name through prayer. You could do this by asking people to share words of praise for God, or his different names/attributes (eg Creator, King, Restorer, Saviour).

Psalm 148

Psalm 148 is another great psalm calling on all of creation praising God. Engage Worship have three different versions of this psalm which could be used as a regular or interactive reading:

• Praise God from the Heavens – Psalm 148 Poem – engageworship
• Praise the Lord – praise shout based on Psalm 148 – engageworship
• Psalm 148 Active Version – engageworship

The Bible Project also has a useful video that unpacks the context and importance of this psalm and talks about Jesus rescuing all of creation, which is why all of creation is called to praise God:

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XgCrFl4Mc5Q

In God’s Image

Give out small mirror mosaic tiles (available to purchase online or from craft shops) to each member of your congregation/group. Or, if using online, encourage people to find a mirror or use the camera on their device. Reflect on the fact that we are each made in God’s image. Take some time to recognise the divine presence of God in who he has made us to be and consider how we can each reflect his nature in the way we treat his human and non-human creation.

Oaks of Righteousness – Meditation

Read Isaiah 61:1-3 from The Message.

Oaks are said to take 300 years to grow, 300 years to live and 300 years to die. They are long-lasting and they stand firm. They stretch towards the heavens and deep into the ground. As the seasons change, they have times of growth and times where they lie dormant, conserving and preserving before they sprout their leaves and grow again.

Spend some time reflecting on what it means to have been planted as an Oak of Righteousness …

Planted by God

Start by thanking God that you have been chosen by him, for the assurance of his grace, and that you have been reclaimed and replanted by him to display his glory.

Deepen your roots

What soil are you planted in? How deep are your roots? How well can you withstand the challenging winds when they come? Are you able to stand firm? Are you being blown around or is the air still?

Stretch down deeper into God who dwells in you, who has made your heart his home. Welcome him in and ask him to reveal more of his love to you. Ask God to help you reach down deeper into his love.

Sunlight and rain

Trees stretch up and bend towards the sun so their leaves can absorb the light. How can you stretch out your hands towards God? 

As trees soak up nutrition through sunlight and rain, think about what God is feeding you with. How can you absorb what he is trying to say to you? How can you ensure you are soaking up what is of God?

Respond to the season

Like other deciduous trees, oak trees shed their leaves in winter to conserve resources. This also helps protect them from being blown over in the windier months. 

Think about the season you’re in. Are you in a season where there is lots in your surrounding environment to help you grow? Or are you having to shed leaves, to preserve what you have to protect yourself against the adverse weather?

Trust that just as the seasons change, so the seasons of our lives will change. Ask God for his guidance to respond effectively to the season you’re in at the moment.

Growing together

The solitary field oak is not as useful to a carpenter or builder as the woodland oak. As they grow with other trees, they don’t spread out as they would in the open field. They grow straighter and higher to reach towards the light. 

The oaks of righteousness are plural – they are growing together. Pray for those in your forest – that you can grow upwards together towards the light. Don’t be a field oak, stretching out and taking over, but a woodland oak, helping each other to grow.

Bearing fruit

Oak forests support more life forms than any other native forest, including hundreds of insect species. They are an important source of food for many birds. Squirrels, badgers and deer feed on acorns, and caterpillars feed on its flower and leaf buds.

Let your life be fruitful, helping others around you to be nourished. Pray for the impact that your actions have on such a wide variety of people around you, as well as the wider creation. Finally, consider how we can stand firm as oaks in the midst of the chaos and the swirling winds of life.

References

https://www.christiantoday.com/article/oaks-of-righteousness-the-hidden-lesson-in-a-bible-prophecy/128352.htm

https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/trees-woods-and-wildlife/british-trees/a-z-of-british-trees/english-oak/

https://www.sciencefocus.com/nature/why-do-trees-lose-their-leaves/

Scratch Doodles

The issue of air pollution is one that affects our towns and cities as well as people around the world. Using scratch art doodle pads (available from craft and stationery suppliers) ask people to respond and create an image of beauty by ‘removing the pollution’. While doing so, encourage people to pray that God will help them translate this symbolic action into practical action.

Creator God

Here are two variations on the creation story which can be used as responsive readings to consider and reveal our Creator God in a new and fresh way:

• Genesis 1 Rhyme Reading – engageworship
• In the beginning Liturgy – engageworship

Reconciled

A poem which reminds us of God’s plan to reconcile all things, including creation. 

• Reconciled – based on Colossians 1 – engageworship

Practical Worship

Consider what you can do as a practical act of worship that will help take care of creation. What this involves will vary depending on the area where you live and the local ecological issues being faced, but here are some ideas:

• Clean local waterways – these may contain pollution from fertilisers and pesticides, as well as other waste, including plastics. Here are some tips on how to organise a clean-up.
• Organise a clean-up of a local area – Like the waterways above, organising a clean-up of a local park, forest or other natural area can help to protect the plants and animal life that live there from pollution such as chemicals and microplastics.
• Plant a tree – Trees help combat climate change, clean the air and provide habitat. The planting and nurturing of a tree can be a symbol of your shared commitment to creation. If possible choose a native species as this will best support insects and other animals. (https://www.plantbritain.co.uk/)

Bin Stickers 

Give out some labels (or alternatively use plain paper). Ask people to draw on or decorate these with a reminder to consider the impact of what you consume and the waste this creates. Encourage people to take these and stick them on or around their main waste bin to be reminded of the call to be involved in restoring creation.

Recycled Poster

Use a large piece of a cardboard box (sourced from a recent delivery or the supermarket) and encourage a group to spend time creating a prayer poster collage using recycled materials. Display these somewhere in the building as an ongoing reminder of your commitment to serving creation as part of your mission.

Consider holding some or all of your service outside and spend some time in prayer and worship in the context of God’s creation, ‘which is already worshipping God eloquently as every creature, and even mountains, rivers and trees worship the Lord simply by doing what God created them to do’[1]. If not, consider how you could encourage your community to spend time in prayer and worship during a walk or other time outside. 

• If it is a place of great natural beauty, focus on giving thanks to God and commit to protecting the site and others.
• If it is a place of environmental degradation, focus on confessing our environmental failures and committing to actions of healing and restoration. You may also want to spend some of your time together cleaning up the area or thinking about what practical steps you could take to help restore this place.
• If it is an urban space, look out for the examples of the natural world which can be seen and thank God for these, and pray that you will take notice more fully of God’s creation each day.

Look for ways to incorporate your surroundings into your time of worship by:

• Gathering symbols of nature from the space (without damaging it) and bringing them together or sharing them out as examples of the beautiful world God has created.
• Include a time of silence to listen to, and wordlessly join in with, the song of creation’s worship and its groaning (Romans 8:22).
• Encouraging people to explore the space themselves and then share what they have seen and what God might be revealing to them.

Adapted from Season of Creation Celebration Guide

[1] Season of Creation Celebration Guide

Outdoor Worship Service Plans and Ideas

Engage Worship have two different resource books with ideas and service plans for outdoor worship, along with ideas for different prayer and worship stations:

• Worship in the Woods: Church Service Pack – engageworship
• Outdoor Worship Book – engageworship
• We’re Going on a Prayer Hunt – outdoor prayer stations – engageworship
• Outdoor Worship Stations – engageworship
• Outdoor worship: Garden prayer stations – engageworship

Creation walk

Organise a creation walk to meditate on the gift of God’s creation and our response to be in deeper communion with all of life. This could include spending time meditating on the seven days of creation at different points along your route, using relevant Bible passages or prayers featured elsewhere in this resource, or the Earth Examen (found here).

Adapted from Season of Creation Celebration Guide

Wildflower Seed Bombs

You will need:

• wildflower seeds
• soil
• flour or powdered clay
• water
• mixing bowl

Wild flowers are a great way to brighten up your garden or local area and reclaim a little bit of our local community for nature. Provide some wildflower seeds and encourage people to make their own seed bombs and release them somewhere as an act of worship to our Creator. 

References

https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/features/how-to-make-wildflower-seed-balls

https://www.wildlifetrusts.org/actions/how-make-seed-bomb

‘Stick’ Pictures

Provide (or ask people to collect) a selection of sticks (you could also gather leaves etc) and use them to create a picture – these could either be stuck to some paper or card or arranged on the ground and then photographed.

Get OWT Colour Hunt/Collage

Get people to go in search of as many different colours in nature that they can find. You could even use what you find to make a colourful rainbow collage. Use the Get OWT Week 2 activity sheet and colour hunt card to help you.

Get OWT (Outside With Toddlers) is a family-oriented programme that uses nature to nurture little ones. There are loads of resources online to help toddlers and their carers experience the benefits of nature through fun and creative activities.