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Worship and the Environment in the Mainline Protestant Denominations
Stepping out of the whirl of daily distractions
and responsibilities into the space of worship
gives people a chance to reconnect with the Holy
source of all that is. In groups or alone, in
quiet contemplation or festive celebration, worshippers
recollect themselves in relation to the One to
whom they belong, by whom they are sustained,
and whose agents in the world they are called
to be.
Worship is a time to give praise and thanks for
God’s life-giving love, to celebrate and
honor creation, to confess sins of environmental
degradation, to re-energize commitment to environmental
justice, and express longing for healing of the
earth and its people. It can provide a teachable
moment —an opportunity to use hymns, prayers,
sermons, worship bulletin inserts, and liturgies
to enhance the congregation’s appreciation
for the Creator’s works and human responsibilities
in the web of life.
A wide variety of worship styles can be found
among Protestant, Orthodox, and Anglican churches.
Some congregations are very flexible in their
use of contemporary language and music, while
others adhere more closely to historic forms and
patterns. Some devise new ways to express earth’s
beauty and travail through art, song, poetry,
and ritual in the context of worship. For others,
connecting worship to environmental concerns means
deep exploration of the traditional liturgy and
hymns of the church to lift up age-old affirmations
of creation and the natural world. In the Orthodox
liturgy, there are especially resonant connections
between the grace of God and the created world.
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Creative ways
have been found to take congregations outdoors,
or to bring representatives of nature indoors,
to help worshippers experience creation as a reality
rather than just an idea. Many churches celebrate
a “Creation Sunday” or “Earth
Sunday” at least once a year, and many resources
have been developed for such services. Thanksgiving,
Christmas, Lent, and Easter are rich in traditional
symbols drawn from the natural world that convey
the message of God’s creating and redeeming
love for the whole creation.
Find worship resources for congregations.
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