Prayer Stations

I want you to think about when was the last time you really noticed, really appreciated or really connected with the created world, with nature. 

Did you go for a walk outside?
Did you do some gardening?
Did you watch the ocean?
Or did you listen to the rain?
And how did it make you feel?

We are surrounded by an amazing creation that sustains us with water and food. A creation that renews us when we connect with it. A creation we can see the hand of the creator, God in it.

In the fist book of the bible, in the first chapter we read the story of God creating the whole world. The story is told as creation being made in 7 days. I think the point of the story is to tell us that God created the Earth for us, and God created it for us to look after.  It’s a call on us as humanity, and as Christians to take care of the created world.

June 5^th was World Environment Day. A day to really focus on the big issues facing creation and what humanity can do about it. The 2021 theme is Reimagine, Recreate, Restore, and it has a focus on ecosystems. World Environment Day this year was also a launch of The United Nations Decade on Ecosystems Restoration. 

So to help us reflect on God calls to us to care for creation, and focus on World Environment day we have some prayer stations. They are based on the 7 days of creation and can be navigated to via the links below. At each link you will find the bible verse (from Genesis), and reflection on God’s creation, and then an active response to help care and look after that part of creation

Use the link below to navigate to information on each station:

• Day 1 – Day and Night
• Day 2 – Sky and Sea
• Day 3 – Land and Plants
• Day 4 – The Universe
• Day 5 – Animals
• Day 6 – Humanity
• Day 7 – Rest

I’m not sure if you noticed as you were going through the stations but there is something that get repeated again and again in the creation story.  After each day, God looks at creation and says it is good. 

God created something of value. The created world is of value.  How are we going to continue to value it? How are we going to continue to make sure that when God looks at creation, God sees something good? We can’t change much of what has already happened to our world, some damage is irreparable.

The theme for world environment day is Reimagine. Recreate. Restore. Maybe we need to reimagine a new good. 

God called all creation good, including humanity.  Maybe part of the new good God see in this world, is humanity working to recreate and restore God’s creation.