Haven Service - 30th April 2020 - Blessings of Nature
HAVEN and the Blessings of Nature
You may wish to bring a photo or an artefact (plant, shell, pine cone etc) to look at/feel/smell during the silence and a candle to light during the intercessions, or you may wish to use the photos here.
Stop and consider the wondrous works of God.
Do you know how God controls the clouds,
And makes the lightening flash?
Do you know how the clouds hang poised,
Those wondrous works of the one whose knowledge is perfect?
(Job 37 14-16)
Song - Enemy of Apathy – Youtube link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dwsiXzcYFis
She sits like a bird, brooding on the waters,
Hovering on the chaos of the world’s first day;
She sighs and she sings, mothering creation,
Waiting to give birth to all the Word will say.
She wings over earth, resting where she wishes,
Lighting close at hand or soaring through the skies;
She nests in the womb, welcoming each wonder,
Nourishing potential hidden to our eyes.
She dances in fire, startling her spectators,
Waking tongues of ecstasy where dumbness reigned;
She weans and inspires all whose hearts are open,
Nor can she be captured, silenced or restrained.
For she is the Spirit, one with God in essence,
Gifted by the Saviour in eternal love;
She is the key opening the scriptures,
Enemy of apathy and heavenly dove.
(J Bell)
Reading
The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge. There is no speech or language
where their voice is not heard.
Their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world.
In the heavens he has pitched
a tent for the sun.
Psalm 19: 1-4
Poem by Jane Hirshfield
Today, when I could do nothing,
I saved an ant.
It must have come in with the morning paper,
still being delivered
to those who shelter in place.
A morning paper is still an essential service.
I am not an essential service.
I have coffee and books,
time,
a garden,
silence enough to fill cisterns.
It must have first walked
the morning paper, as if loosened ink
taking the shape of an ant.
Then across the laptop computer — warm —
then onto the back of a cushion.
Small black ant, alone,
crossing a navy cushion,
moving steadily because that is what it could do.
Set outside in the sun,
it could not have found again its nest.
What then did I save?
It did not move as if it was frightened,
even while walking my hand,
which moved it through swiftness and air.
Ant, alone, without companions,
whose ant-heart I could not fathom—
how is your life, I wanted to ask.
I lifted it, took it outside.
This first day when I could do nothing,
contribute nothing
beyond staying distant from my own kind,
I did this.
Approximately 10 minutes of reflection/silence- If you wish you may look at or your photo, plant, object or the photos in this booklet.
Prayers of intercession – please feel free to pray aloud or in the silence of your own heart
You may wish to light a candle during the intercessions
We gather our prayers together, saying
OUR FATHER in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done,
on earth as in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins
as we forgive those who sin against us. Lead us not into temptation
but deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power,
and the glory are yours
now and for ever. Amen.
Closing Responses
Let the light fall warm and red on the rock, let the birds sing their evening song
and let God’s people say Amen. Amen
Let the tools be stored away,
Let the work be over and done
And let God’s people say Amen. Amen
Let the flowers close and the stars appear; let the hearts be glad and minds be calm And let God’s people say Amen. Amen
Bless to us, O God,
the moon that is above us,
the earth that is beneath us,
the friends who are around us,
your image deep within us, Amen
Music composed by Hildegard of Bingen to listen to as you leave this service at this link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ef70x-TU0NY
