Prayer For Earth
Blessed art Thou
O Lord our God
King of the world
who makes the fruit
of the tree.
Blessed art Thou
O Lord our God
King of the world
whose word makes all
things on earth.
Blessed art Thou
O Lord our God
King of the world
who brings food
out of the earth.
Blessed art Thou
O Lord our God
King of the world
who gives clothes
to cover our bodies.
Blessed art Thou
O Lord our God
King of the world
who makes sweet smelling
wood and plants.
Blessed art Thou
O Lord our God
King of the world
who has kept us alive
until now so we may
find joy in what has
just come to us.
Blessed art Thou
O Lord our God
King of the world
who has created
the wonderful things of
earth and heaven.
It's harvest time,
It's harvest time,
How rich is nature's yield
In fruit of earth
And bush and tree,
From orchard, farm and field.
It's autumn time,
It's autumn time,
When leaves turn gold and red.
In smiling sky
And land and sea
God's glories are outspread.
It's Sukos time,
It's Sukos time,
This day of our Thanksgiving.
We hymn the praise
Of God above
For all the joys of living.
Lord, the air smells good today,
straight from the mysteries
within
the garden
of God.
The trees in their prayer,
the birds in praise,
the first blue violets,
kneeling.
Father, we praise you with all your creatures.
They came forth from your all-powerful hand;
they are yours, filled with your presence and your tender love. Praise be to you!
Son of God, Jesus,
through you all things were made.
You were formed in the womb of Mary our Mother, you became part of this earth,
and you gazed upon this world with human eyes. Today you are alive in every creature
in your risen glory.
Praise be to you!
Holy Spirit, by your light
you guide this world towards the Father's love and accompany creation as it groans in travail. You also dwell in our hearts
and you inspire us to do what is good.
Praise be to you!
Triune Lord, wondrous community of infinite love, teach us to contemplate you
in the beauty of the universe,
for all things speak of you.
Awaken our praise and thankfulness
for every being that you have made.
Give us the grace to feel profoundly joined to everything that is.
God of love, show us our place in this world
as channels of your love
for all the creatures of this earth,
for not one of them is forgotten in your sight.
Enlighten those who possess power and money
that they may avoid the sin of indifference,
that they may love the common good, advance the weak, and care for this world in which we live.
The poor and the earth are crying out.
O Lord, seize us with your power and light, help us to protect all life,
to prepare for a better future,
for the coming of your Kingdom
of justice, peace, love and beauty.
Praise be to you!
Amen.
For water, oceans, rivers, streams and ponds. Let us pray.
For air, wind, climate and weather. Let us pray.
For sun, clean energy and prevention of global warning. Let us pray.
For animals, especially endangered species. Let us pray.
For all humankind. Let us pray.
For recycling and moderate personal consumption. Let us pray.
For proper use of chemicals and disposal of toxic waste. Let us pray.
For Earth and unity. Let us pray.
Creator God, we thank you for all of creation.We ask your forgiveness where we have failed to be just stewards. And we now ask for your guidance in restoring the face of the earth. May we learn to live in harmony, safety and just sharing of resources among all so that we achieve the kingdom of God.
Peace be to this community. Peace be to this land. Peace be to all people. Amen.
This is my Father's world,
And to my list'ning ears
All nature sings, and round me rings
The music of the spheres.
This is my Father's world:
I rest me in the thought
Of rocks and trees, of skies and seas
Your hand the wonders wrought.
This is my Father's world:
The birds their carols raise,
The morning light, the lily white,
Declare their Maker's praise.
This is my Father's world:
You shine in all that's fair;
In the rustling grass I hear You pass,
You speak to me everywhere.
Lord God,
We confess that since the creation of the world Your invisible qualitiesYour eternal power and divine naturehave been clearly seen all around us, as Romans 1 states.
We believe that You made the earth by Your power; You founded the world by Your wisdom and stretched out the heavens by Your understanding, as Jeremiah 10:12 says.
We know that You placed humankind on this earth and instructed us to care for it, as the first chapters of Genesis reveal.
We confess that we have too often ignored or abused the gift of Your Creation and our duties as its caretakers.
Forgive us, God, and grant that we may live in this global garden in a way that honors You and reflects our gratitude for all of Your mighty works, which continue to this day.
May the glory of the Lord endure forever; may the Lord rejoice in his works (Psalm 104:31, NIV), and in our respect and appreciation for them, amen.
All-powerful God, you are present in the whole universe and in the smallest of your creatures.
You embrace with your tenderness all that exists.
Pour out upon us the power of your love,
that we may protect life and beauty.
Fill us with peace, that we may live
as brothers and sisters, harming no one.
O God of the poor,
help us to rescue the abandoned and forgotten of this earth, so precious in your eyes.
Bring healing to our lives,
that we may protect the world and not prey on it,
that we may sow beauty, not pollution and destruction. Touch the hearts
of those who look only for gain
at the expense of the poor and the earth.
Teach us to discover the worth of each thing,
to be filled with awe and contemplation,
to recognize that we are profoundly united
with every creature
as we journey towards your infinite light.
We thank you for being with us each day.
Encourage us, we pray, in our struggle
for justice, love and peace.