Growing Together 

Order of Service for OWW 2008

This is an adaptation of the service written for OWW 2007, by Jo Rathbone, of Eco-Congregation, with additional materials and suggestions from OWW to make it appropriate for the 2008 theme
If you used the All Together Now in 2007 you may want to try something different this year. ( A service related to fair trade is in preparation )

Notes for the service leader

As humans we are one race, living on one planet. But we are part of creation, and must learn to live within the constraints of one planet. We seek to grow together - humanity and the whole of creation, not humanity to the detriment of the rest of creation; nor one group of people at the expense of other people. The Enlightenment dream of the supremacy of humanity is turning into a nightmare. We must recognise our togetherness now with the rest of creation, and work together for its healing.

Planning the service

This outline can be developed and adapted to your own preferences and needs:  there are references in this text to additional OWW materials: prayers, dramas, readings, quotations, thoughts; and suggestions of sources of appropriate hymns.

Growing Together 
Order of Service for OWW 2008

Welcome

Growing together in praise

Praise the LORD. 
	Praise the LORD, O my soul. 
Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob, 
	whose hope is in the LORD his God, 
the Maker of heaven and earth, 
	the sea, and everything in them - 
	the LORD, who remains faithful forever. 
He upholds the cause of the oppressed 
	and gives food to the hungry. 
	The LORD sets prisoners free, 
The LORD watches over the alien 
	and sustains the fatherless and the widow, 
	but he frustrates the ways of the wicked. 
The LORD reigns forever, 
	your God, O Zion, for all generations. 
	Praise the LORD.
From Psalm 146

Hymn or song

God’s love letters to us
“The whole creation cries to us penetratingly, with a great cry, about the existence and the beauty and the love of God.  The music roars it into our ears and the landscape calls it into our eyes… In all of nature we find God’s initials and all of God’s creatures are God’s love letters to us.”
From the Nicaraguan poet, Ernesto Cardenal, “To Live is to Love” New York, 1971

Groaning together with creation 

We know that all creation is still groaning and is in pain, like a woman about to give birth. The Spirit makes us sure about what we will be in the future. But now we groan silently, while we wait for God to show that we are His children. This means that our bodies will also be set free. And this hope is what saves us. But if we already have what we hope for, there is no need to keep on hoping.
Romans 8.22-24

Drama 
Planet Doctor [see DRAMA –Planet Doctor]

Facts
People in the UK are responsible for emitting as much as 50 times more CO2 than people in the poorest countries. Because of the nature of the carbon cycle, it takes 30 - 50 years for greenhouse gases to have their full effect on the climate. The damage already done to the climate by artificial (human-induced) greenhouse gas emissions will affect us for the next 1,000 years. 
Source: International Energy Agency

Measuring out Footprint
People might like to complete the questionnaire on energy and resource use to find out how many planets we might need to sustain our lifestyles. [See: ACTIVITIES – footprint]

Confession
We offer you Lord these moments of silence to remember our need of your forgiveness, for ourselves, our churches and our society. 

Silence for reflection 

Voices of Confession
Voice 1: We consume more than we need at the expense of others and the earth
Voice 2: We take for granted the energy which enables us to live in warmth and light, to travel and to work, to create and to serve
Voice 3: We waste too much of this energy as we transform the good things of your creation into human utility and beauty
Voice 4: We use up the raw materials of energy with little thought for the future
Voice 5: We do not do enough to invest in research and development for future renewable technologies
Lord, forgive us
Lord, heal us
Lord, inspire us
Lord, guide us
Lord, fill us with your energy to turn our ideas into love and our love into action for the benefit of others and the well-being of your creation. Amen
From the European Christian Environment Network www.ecen.org

Hymn or song

Growing together in awareness

Bible reading:
Colossians 1: 15 – 20
John 3:16,17 Suggestion: use the word ‘cosmos’ in place of the word ‘world’ in this reading, as that is the Greek word used here, and implies for us the whole of the created order.

Every part of this earth is sacred.
Whatever befalls the earth befalls the children of the earth.
This we know: the earth does not belong to us:
we belong to the earth.
This we know: all things are connected:
like the blood which unites one family.
This we know: we did not weave the web of life:
we are merely a thread in it.
This we know: whatever we do to the web
we do it to ourselves.
from the prayers of the 2nd European Ecumenical Assembly, Graz 1997,
adapted from a text of the Indian chief Seattle

Hymn or song

Growing together in prayer

The live simply challenge
Compassionate and loving God,
you created the world 
for us all to share,
a world of beauty and plenty.
Create in us a desire to live simply,
so that our lives may reflect your generosity.

Creator God,
you gave us responsibility for the earth,
a world of riches and delight.
Create in us a desire to live sustainably,
so that those who follow after us 
may enjoy the fruits of your creation.

God of peace and justice,
you give us the capacity to change,
to bring about a world that mirrors your wisdom.
Create in us a desire to act in solidarity,
so that the pillars of injustice crumble
and those now crushed are set free.
Amen.
© Linda Jones CAFOD  [www.livesimply.org.uk]

Hymn or song

Address

Growing together in action

Responding to the Cry of Creation
The cry of creation prompts us all to ask 'What then should we do?'. What is needed is 'not merely a feeling of vague compassion or shallow distress at the hardships of many people, both near and far. On the contrary, it is a firm and persevering determination to commit ourselves to the common good: that is to say, to the good of all and of each individual because we really are responsible for all.' 
Pope John Paul II, Sollicitudo Rei Socialis, 1988, Section 

Someone brings forward a plastic bag and says:
Each person in the UK uses on average around 20 times as many resources as each person in the global south. If everyone consumed the way we do in the UK we would need three planet earths.
Will you think twice before making your purchases? Pray as you shop and make choices which are better for you and better for the planet. 
Growing together we can make a difference now:
Creator God, give us strength together to resist the powers which manufacture desire.
Someone brings forward a lettuce and a jug of water and says:
We use 70% more water in the UK today than we did 40 years ago.  
It takes 50 litres of water to grow a single bag of supermarket lettuce.
Will you reduce your water demand?  Pray as you turn the tap on and make choices which are better for the whole planet.
Growing together we can make a difference now:
Creator God, give us carefulness in our living for the sake of the whole earth.
Someone brings forward a bowl of fruit and vegetables
95% of fruit and 50% of vegetables eaten in the UK are imported. 
Choosing seasonal products and buying them locally at Farmers' Markets could reduce food miles to 1/60th of food bought in a supermarket.
Will you find out about buying food produced locally? Pray as you draw up your shopping list and make choices that reduce energy use.
Millions of poor farmers in developing countries cannot earn enough to cover their costs and care for their families.  Those who produce for the Fairtrade market are guaranteed a fair price which covers their costs, and enables them to care for their land and provide for their families.
Will you choose Fairtrade products?  Pray as you chose products which enable those who grew or made them to grow too. 
Growing together we can make a difference now:
Creator God, give us creativity to work out how to organise our food buying for the sake of the soil, the climate and your people.
Someone brings forward a set of car keys and says:
41% of all journeys made in Britain in 2002/3 were less than 2 miles in length. Around a quarter of all car trips were less than 2 miles in length. By 2050 aviation is set to become one of the biggest single sources of greenhouse gas emissions.
Is your journey really necessary? Pray as you plan your journeys and holidays and make choices which build healthy communities.
Growing together we can make a difference now:
Creator God, give us the will to change our habits for the sake of the global family.
Someone brings forward some pictures of children and says:.
People in the UK are responsible for emitting as much as 50 times more CO2 than people in the poorest countries. The damage already done to the climate by human-induced greenhouse gas emissions will affect us for the next 1,000 years.
Will you change your light bulbs to low energy ones? Pray as you use equipment needing energy that you would always remember the impact of our energy use on people around the world both now, and long into the future.
Growing together we can make a difference now:
Creator God, give us compassion to live positively into a new low energy age.
From an idea by Simon Taylor in "What on Earth are we doing?"
Lent Resource pack from churches in Devon

Commissioning
God said: 'I have seen the affliction of my people in Egypt, their loud cry of complaint against their slave drivers I have heard. I know well their suffering.' (Exodus 3:7). In the power of the Spirit go forth, seeing the affliction of the earth as God sees it, hearing creation's cry of complaint as God hears it, knowing its suffering as God knows it.
We commit ourselves anew to seeing the affliction of the earth, hearing its cry and knowing its suffering. 
We commit ourselves to learning more about the changes that are needed. We commit ourselves to embarking on that long and difficult road toward life in harmony with all God's creatures.
In covenant with God and with the wisdom of the Holy Spirit
we are called to action in the name of Jesus Christ.
Amen.
 © David Hallman, Canada (permission applied for) 
Taken from What a World, a worship anthology compiled by Geoffrey Duncan and 
published by The United Reformed Church, 2002 

Blessing
May we bless the earth and all its inhabitants
as we receive the blessing of God:
Creator, Redeemer and Sustainer of this fragile planet.   
Amen