Worship Resources for Congregations

Whether in private prayer or community celebrations, worship provides occasions to recall and give thanks for God's creative and sustaining activity, to celebrate and express our love for the beauty and wonder of creation, and to commit ourselves to the responsible care of the earth.

Worship Resources from the Partnership Groups

Each of the Partnership groups provides extensive worship resources for its congregations. In addition, some produce worship resources each year on a different theme, to be used in a special worship service focused on honoring the Creator and respecting the creation.

Coalition on the Environment and Jewish Life

• To Till and to Tend, COEJL's congregational resource, includes suggestions for two rituals, "Plant a Tree of Life," and "Sunrise Service."
• The COEJL website includes a Celebrate section, with environmentally-themed reflections on and resources for the yearly cycle of Jewish festivals, from Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur to Rosh Chadesh, as well as life-cycle celebrations such as Bar/Bat Mitzvah and weddings.
• The Program Bank on COEJL's website can also be searched for materials for specific holidays, life-cycle celebrations, prayers and liturgies, and sermons.
• COEJL's booklet, Caring for the Cycle of Life: Creating Environmentally Sound Life-Cycle Celebrations, demonstrates how an environmentally sensitive approach to such celebrations can provide an opportunity for affirming our connection to the living world around us.

U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops Environmental Justice Program

• Each of the congregational resource kits issued by the USCCB provides homily helps and other worship resources.
  
  • Renewing the Face of the Earth has a special section of suggestions for prayer and worship, including an essay on "Liturgy: Creation as Sacrament"
  • Peace with God the Creator, Peace with All Creation offers reflections and prayers which can be used by committees or organizations at the beginning of meetings and or as part of the process of identifying the vision for the group's work.
  • Let the Earth Bless the Lord includes prayers and blessings for special occasions.

National Council of Churches of Christ

• The NCC's congregational resource kit, God's Earth, Our Home includes a section of worship resources with a complete worship service, a suggested order of worship, and suggested litanies, scripture readings, sermon ideas, hymn titles, and resources for children's worship.
• Every year, Earth Day Sunday materials are produced around themes such as air, water, children's health, sustainable living, or energy.