Lament & Hope

Send us Fan Mail

Words and Voice Rev'd Jon Swales
Music Classical Sad Piano, Copyright Free , Scott Buckley, Undertow.  

Father of Creation,
God of Compassion,
You made a beautiful world,
Full of awe and wonder,
Full of possibility and potential.
You declared it to be good.
To you be all praise, honour and glory.

Father of Creation,
God of Mercy,
You gave humanity a call to tend and keep,
Yet we have sinned in thought, word and deed.
Through consumerism and exploitation
We have acted like parasites instead of gardeners.
We have acted like ecological vandals instead of caretakers, Have mercy on us!

We pause to remember and grieve the loss from this world of non-human worshippers who have now become extinct.

Bramble Cay Melomys What have we done? Have mercy on Us

Yangtze River Dolphin What have we done? Have mercy on Us

Northern White Rhino What have we done? Have mercy on us

Spix Macaw
What have we done? Have mercy on us

Zanibar Leopard What have we done? Have mercy on us.

Ivory-Billed Woodpecker
What have we done? Have mercy on Us

Black faced Honey Creeper
What have we done? Have mercy on Us. 

Father, we know these are but a few of the creatures you have made who are no longer with us. You declared them to be good, but we made them extinct.
Have mercy on us.

Father of Creation,
God of Mercy,
We thank you for your Son Jesus,
Our brother, king and friend.
We thank you that in Jesus we see
Justice embodied and
Entwined with extravagant mercy.
We thank you that he welcomed the weak,
Gathered the oppressed and laid down the prophetic challenge to the unjust structures and systems of his day.

Father of Creation,
God of Justice,
Embolden us with the Spirit of Christ,

That we may rise from the ashes of our lament into the prophetic waters of justice.

Restore us that we may be restored,
That your church may arise with healing in its wings.

In the year of the COP26 Climate Conference
Set us on fire with a love for all of your creation,
That we, your covenant people, would shake off our parasitical past and instead be the stewards, caretakers and love-filled creatures you have called us to be.

Let your church be so empowered that we would peacefully and publicly join with others in rebelling against extinction.

Father of Creation,
God of Justice,
To you be all praise, honor and glory, Now and Forever.

Send us Fan Mail

Words and Voice Jon Swales
Music: Sad Piano Instrumental, Copyright Free , Naoya Sakamata, Heartless Flock

Father of Creation,

God of Faithfulness,

If we ascend up into heaven, 

You are there: 

and if we make our bed in hell, 

you are there.

We have made our climate bed,

It is hell 

And we  may well lie in it.

But you are there, and 

You are here

To you be all praise and glory 

As temperatures rise you are there,

As sea levels rise you are there.

Comforting, 

Loving,

You offer Proximity and Presence

Challenging,

Beckoning, 

You offer Proximity and Presence. 

Father of Creation

God of Faithfulness,

If we to take the wings of the morning,
 And dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,

Even  there Your hand shall lead us
 And Your right hand shall hold us,

To you be praise and glory

We have travelled to the uttermost part of the sea, 

As sons and daughters into the far country,

We have followed the siren song of consumerist delight, and now,

We reap what we have sown, and 

Without help will be dashed against the rocks. 

But even here you hold us

To you be praise and glory

As temperatures rise,

You hold us.

As sea levels rise 

You hold us.

Comforting,

Loving,

Offering us Proximity and Presence.

Challenging,

Beckoning 

Offering us Proximity and Presence.

If we had the wings of a bird we would fly away, 

Away from the grief,

Away from the hurt,

Away from  the existential threat which humanity faces.

But we don’t have wings and are bound to frail flesh. 

But in our grief, hurt and danger,

You are there and your hand will guide us

Loving,

Comforting

Offering Proximity and Presence

Challenging

Beckoning 

Offering Proximity and Presence

And so we lift up to you,

The foolish decisions from councils, corporations and governments, to 

Expand airports & 

Expand flights,

Despite the sure and certain knowledge that as it currently stands,

Such a choice plunges us further into the catastrophic and choppy waters 

Of runaway climate breakdown,

Lord have mercy. 

Bring repentance and recalibration, 

We pray.

In our foolishness 

Love us and comfort us.

Lord have mercy

In our foolishness 

Challenge and Beckon us

Afresh to 

To the beautiful dream, 

The better story

In which our desire for overseas holidays,

Does not outweigh our commitment for justice, peace and the flourishing of all.

And so we lift up to you,

Our temptations and desires,

To travel the world and behold the wonder 

Knowing that as it stands our flights support an industry that brings destruction. 

When we did not know, we could not act. 

Now we know, we must act,

We must perform and participate in a kingdom manner

That does justice and loves mercy.

In our foolishness, 

Love us and comfort us.

Lord have mercy

In our foolishness 

Challenge and Beckon us

Afresh to 

To the beautiful dream, 

The better story

In which our desire for overseas holidays,

Does not outweigh our commitment for justice, peace and the flourishing of all.

And so we pray for those who fly

For family reasons, business or recreation,

Send us Fan Mail

Words by Rev'd Jon Swales
Voice by Rev. Oli Preston
Music  :Broken. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sYiVaLS6Mfs


Father of Creation,
God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
We know that when your Son entered Jerusalem, he wept. 

He wept because he knew what would befall it.

Father of Creation,
God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
When we look at this world of yours, this world of ours, we weep. We weep because we know what has befallen it.

Violence, Lord have Mercy.
Consumerism, Lord have Mercy. Unrestrained Capitalism, Lord have Mercy.

Father of Creation,
God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,

Your Son dreamed a dream of a different kingdom, 

An alternative reality for an alternative community. 

And then he demonstrated what this looked like,

 By healing the sick,

Welcoming the outcast,
Overturning tables of injustice,
And living a life, and dying a death, of self-giving sacrificial love.

Father of Creation,
God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
May we too dream a dream of a different kingdom,
An alternative reality for an alternative community.
That your church would demonstrate what this looks like, 

By bringing healing to the world,
Welcoming the stranger,
Challenging injustice,

And living lives full of self-giving sacrificial love.

Father of Creation,
God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, 

You raised your Son on the third day, 

Showing that a new day has dawned. 

Demonstrating that violence, evil and death 

Will not have the last word.
Demonstrating that oppressive empire 

Will not have the last word.

Father of Creation,
God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
May we too be resurrection people,
Who demonstrate that violence, evil and destruction
Will not have the last word.
Demonstrating that unrestrained capitalism and empires of exploitation Will not have the last word.

Father of Creation,
God and Father of our Lord Jesus,
Your son came to his disciples in an upper room.
They were scared, and he spoke saying,
‘Peace to you,
As the Father has sent me, so I am sending you.’
He calls, commissions and equips.
And then he breathed upon his disciples and said receive the Holy Spirit.

Father of Creation,
God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
Your son comes to us in a world of climate breakdown.

 We are scared.
And he speaks saying,
‘Peace to you.

As the father has sent me, so I am sending you.’
He calls, commissions and equips.
Empower your church afresh with the empowering presence of the Holy Spirit.

Empower us to be faithful to your Son,

 Until that day,
When the Kingdom of Your Son,
Now inaugurated,

Is consummated.
Until that day, when swords of ecological violence are turned into ploughshares.
Until that day, when unrestrained capitalism and empires of exploitation are no more.

To him who sits on the throne, And to the Lamb,
Be all praise, honour and glory.

Amen

Send us Fan Mail

Words by Rev'd Jon Swales
Voice by Rev. Oli Preston
Music : Cello and Piano Music (Royalty Free)- 'Blue Nights' by Juan Sanchez

Father of Creation,
God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
We know that when your Son entered Jerusalem, he wept. 

He wept because he knew what would befall it.

Father of Creation,
God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
When we look at this world of yours, this world of ours, we weep. We weep because we know what has befallen it.

Violence, Lord have Mercy.
Consumerism, Lord have Mercy. Unrestrained Capitalism, Lord have Mercy.

Father of Creation,
God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,

Your Son dreamed a dream of a different kingdom, 

An alternative reality for an alternative community. 

And then he demonstrated what this looked like,

 By healing the sick,

Welcoming the outcast,
Overturning tables of injustice,
And living a life, and dying a death, of self-giving sacrificial love.

Father of Creation,
God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
May we too dream a dream of a different kingdom,
An alternative reality for an alternative community.
That your church would demonstrate what this looks like, 

By bringing healing to the world,
Welcoming the stranger,
Challenging injustice,

And living lives full of self-giving sacrificial love.

Father of Creation,
God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, 

You raised your Son on the third day, 

Showing that a new day has dawned. 

Demonstrating that violence, evil and death 

Will not have the last word.
Demonstrating that oppressive empire 

Will not have the last word.

Father of Creation,
God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
May we too be resurrection people,
Who demonstrate that violence, evil and destruction
Will not have the last word.
Demonstrating that unrestrained capitalism and empires of exploitation Will not have the last word.

Father of Creation,
God and Father of our Lord Jesus,
Your son came to his disciples in an upper room.
They were scared, and he spoke saying,
‘Peace to you,
As the Father has sent me, so I am sending you.’
He calls, commissions and equips.
And then he breathed upon his disciples and said receive the Holy Spirit.

Father of Creation,
God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
Your son comes to us in a world of climate breakdown.

 We are scared.
And he speaks saying,
‘Peace to you.

As the father has sent me, so I am sending you.’
He calls, commissions and equips.
Empower your church afresh with the empowering presence of the Holy Spirit.

Empower us to be faithful to your Son,

 Until that day,
When the Kingdom of Your Son,
Now inaugurated,

Is consummated.
Until that day, when swords of ecological violence are turned into ploughshares.
Until that day, when unrestrained capitalism and empires of exploitation are no more.

To him who sits on the throne, And to the Lamb,
Be all praise, honour and glory.

Amen

Send us Fan Mail

Words and Voice by Jon Swales
Music: Sad Piano Instrumental [No Copyright Sound], Naoya Sakamata, Heartless Flock

Father of Creation,
God of Compassion,
Help us not to romanticise reality,
But look it straight in the eye,
So that we may behold the climate chaos that many now endure And many more will endure.

Father of Creation,
God of Compassion,
Help us not to retreat into denialism, Living in our panelled houses
Whilst the temple of your world is in ruins.

Help us to see that
Climate breakdown acts as a threat multiplier.

As Conflicts Increase, Food supplies fail, Climate grief increases, Locusts swarm, Icebergs melt,

Seas acidify,
Extinctions multiply,
Children go hungry,
Floods and Fires wreck the land
And Humanity faces an existential threat.

This is not the way it was meant to be, Lord have mercy.

Father of Creation, God of Compassion,

8: Do Not Romanticise Reality

Let us not look away
But help us to lament
And grieve
And know that the kingdom of your Son is Calling.

Father of Creation,
God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Help us not to romanticise reality
But to look it in the eye,
That we would be those committed
To justice and peace.

Father of Creation,
God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Help us, like your Son,
To speak truth to those corrupted by power. Help us, like your Son,
To stand up for the oppressed.

Father of Creation,
God of Compassion,
Help us not to romanticise reality. We ask that, as our hearts break,
We may rest in your extravagant love And Holy embrace.
We thank you that whatever befalls We can bathe in your kindness
And receive your healing.

Father of Creation,
God of Compassion,
Help us not to romanticise reality.
But let us also know that hope is on the way, For your son will transform reality.

There is not a hurt he will not heal. Maranatha, Come, Lord Jesus!

Amen

Send us Fan Mail

Words by Jon Swales
Voice by Jon & Sarah Swales
Music from Chris Sayburn, 'It Pours' Used with Permission

Father of Creation,

God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ

With Confidence

We Approach your throne of grace

To receive mercy

And find grace

And help in our time of need.

To you be all praise and glory.

Our need is great,

For we face shipwreck in the storm of climate breakdown.

Our need is great,

As the winds of unrestrained capitalism,

And the waves of consumerism,

Have charted a course to ruin.

Lord have mercy

Our need is great,

For your church has fallen asleep at the wheel,

Lord have mercy.

Our need is great,

But your grace is greater,

And your mercy ever sweet.

To you be praise and glory

Father of Creation,

Remember your great mercy and love,
 for they are from of old.

 Do not remember the sins our arrogant youth
 and our rebellious ways;

We have drank deep from the wells of empire,

Our vision is blurred,

We stagger about as though blind,

Unaware of what befalls,

As temperatures rise,

Remember us.

For you O Lord are good.

As sea levels rise,

Remember us,

For you O lord are good

Our need is great,

But your grace is greater,

And your mercy ever sweet.

To you be praise and glory

Father of Creation

Out of the depths we cry to you, Lord;
 Lord, hear  our voice.
 Let your ears be attentive
 to our cry for mercy.

And, perhaps Lord you have a word for us,

A word for your sleeping church

Perhaps, O Father, you would say

‘Awake O Sleeper and Rise from the Dead

I have called you to be the hands and feet of my Son.’

For a such a time as this,

I have called my church to compassion,

I have called my church to justice.

‘Awake O Sleeper and Rise from the Dead

I have called my church to look and love like Jesus’.

To welcome the climate refugee,

Feed the Hungry,

Live as Peacemakers

Embody mercy

Speak Truth to Power,

Build Community,

Live  humbly,

Flip Tables of injustice.

Do Justice

To live lives of self giving sacrificial love.

Father of Creation,

God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ

With Confidence

We Approach your throne of grace

To receive mercy

And find grace

And help in our time of need.

To you be all praise and glory.

Our need is great,

For we face shipwreck in the storm of climate breakdown.

Our need is great,

As the winds of unrestrained capitalism,

And the waves of consumerism,

Have charted a course to ruin.

Lord have mercy

Our need is great,

For your church has fallen asleep at the wheel,

Lord have mercy.

Our need is great,

But your grace is greater,

And your mercy ever sweet.

To you be praise and glory

Amen, Amen Amen

Send us Fan Mail

Words and Voice by Rev'd Jon Swales
Music 'This too Shall Pass'. by Scott Buckley

Father of Creation,

God and Father of Our Lord Jesus Christ,

The earth was formless and void,

The earth was drenched in darkness,

And the  wild goose of love hovered over the waters of the deep.

Father of Creation,

God of Faithfulness,

You spoke and breathed life into being.

A tapestry of textures, 

Displaying Bountiful biodiversity,

An interconnected web of life,

Formed and Filled as an act of creative love and power.

You declared it to be good, 

And it is good,

It is our home. 

To you be all praise and glory.

You declared it to be good,

And it is good,

We share this home with non-human worshippers

To you be all praise and glory.

Father of Creation,

Creation sings your praise,

Non-human worshippers partake in a litany of life, 

A sweet song of praise, 

A reverent dance and waltz of wonder.

Aardvarks and Badgers

Cats and Dogs

Elephants and flying foxes,

The sweet embrace of life.

Gorillas and Hippos,

Iguanas and Jellyfish,

Koalas and Llamas,

The sweet embrace of life.

Meerkat and Nightingales,

Orang-utans and Polar Bears,

Quetzals and Racoons,

The sweet embrace of life.

Seals and Tigers,

Umbrella Bird and Voles

Walrus and Xantus Leaf-toed Gekkos,

The sweet embrace of life.

Yellow Fin Tuna and Zebra Finch

The sweet embrace of life.

To to you be all praise and glory.

And yet, Oh Father,

The song of praise is being silenced 

As humanity betrays it’s calling to tend and keep.

Lord have mercy,

Christ have mercy.

And Yet, Oh Father,

Creations dance turns to final waltz,

As holy habits are plundered and pillaged,

Lord have mercy,

Christ have mercy.

Father of Creation, 

God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,

At this late hour,

As the earth becomes formless and void,

As the light of life becomes drenched in darkness, 

We thank you that the Wild Goose of Love still hovers 

Wild goose of Love,

Creation Groans.

Wild goose of love,

Creation groans.

In darkness, we wait.

In darkness, we hope.

These dry bones may yet live.

In darkness, we wait,

In darkness, we hope,

These dry bones may yet live 

Father of Creation,

God  of faithfulness,

Speak your word afresh and breathe life into being. 

So that creations song will sing once more,

That out of the lament for loss may once again be found a litany of life 

A sweet song of life

The sweet embrace of life, 

To you be all praise and glory. 

Send us Fan Mail

Beats via Chris Sayburn 
Words and Voice by Jon Swales.

Father of Creation,

God and Father of Our Lord Jesus Christ.

You created a world of wonder, 

And declared it to be good.

Father of Creation,

God of Compassion,

The Earth was formless and void,

And you spoke, 

And life came into being.

Trees and plants were raised from the earth,

You formed man out of the dust of the ground.

The soil and mud

Participate in your creative act.

And you declared it to be good.

And we declare it to be good.

For our lives are inexplicably linked with the life of the soil.

From the riches of soil,

Crops, vegetables, and fruit grow which sustain life,

Both of Humans and Non-Human Worshippers.

Soil is our life support system,

For this we give you praise.

Soil provides anchorage for roots,

For this we give you praise.

Soil holds water and nutrients,

For this we give you praise.

Soils are home to a myriad of microorganisms,

And an army of microscopic animals,

For this we give you praise.

In this time of climate breakdown,

The soil is our ally,

Our friend.

Providing a vital role in the earth's interconnected ecosystem,

We praise you for fertile soil from which a symphony of praise grows and is given voice.

Father of Creation, 

God of Compassion,

We have moved East of Eden, 

We are Homesick Exiles,

Creation Groans,

The Soil is Dying. 

We have betrayed our friend,

And may well reap what we have sown. 

We have opened the door to the sin of ecological violence,

And it has overwhelmed us.

Through the greed of exploitation, 

The fertile earth is being degraded,

Polluted and Acidified.

We lament that 12 million hectares of land of once fertile land is lost every year to desertification and drought.

We lament that an increase in degraded soil will likely affect food production.

We lament for when we have chosen quick profits instead of sustainable agriculture.

We lament the use of certain types of pesticides which bring increased yields for the moment, but in the long-term makes the soil incapable of sustaining life.

Father of Creation,

God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,

Your Son walked this land of soil and dust,

And dreamed a dream of a different world,

A Kingdom in which the hungry are fed 

and the humble are lifted high.

May we too, who walk this earth, 

Tread lightly upon the soil.

And like your Son, 

May we be Kingdom people, 

Who Dream, 

And Act

Who Tend and Keep,

Guard and Protect,

Plant and Harvest,

Sustain and Develop

This world that you have made.

May our hearts, as fertile soil,

Be the place from which the fruits of the Spirit grow,

May we, like Jesus, feed the hungry,

And care about the soil from which it comes.

In all areas of life may we point both to the King and the Coming Kingdom.

Father of Creation,

God and Father of Our Lord Jesus Christ,

You created a world of wonder

And declared it to be good.

Father of Creation,

God and Father of Our Lord Jesus Christ

The Earth was formless and void.

And you spoke, and life came into being.

Trees and Plants were raised from the earth

You formed man out of the dust of the ground,

To you be all praise, honour and glory.

Amen.

Send us Fan Mail

Words and Voice by Rev'd Jon Swales
Music by Rev'd Chris Sayburn, "Waiting' Used with Permission.

9. Woe to the Unholy Trinity

Father of Creation,
God of Compassion,
You made a world full of possibility and potential, You declared it to be good.
For this, we give you thanks.
To you be all honour and glory.

Father of Creation,
God of Compassion,
There are strange dehumanising and destructive forces at work In this world of yours, this world of ours.
Creation Groans,
Creation Cries.
Lord have mercy.

Father of Creation,
God of Justice,
Your church has too bowed the knee and benefited from these demanding and destructive powers. We have become entranced and enticed,
We are compromised and have colluded,
We have grown rich, our hearts have grown heavy.
Lord have mercy.

Father of Creation,
God of Justice,
These dehumanising and destructive forces help to maintain our status quo,
And we have stood silent at the butchery of your world,
At first unaware, but then deliberately we have walked down the other side of the road And then, at times, we have acted as cheerleaders and chaplains to this unholy trinity Lord have Mercy.

And so we name the unholy beast.

We renounce it. We repent of it.

Unrestrained Capitalism, Consumerism, Individualism.
Your days are numbered.

This unholy trinity
That oppresses the poor, Ransacks the Earth, Dehumanises.
Your days are numbered.

This unholy trinity
Offers entertainment, Distraction,
Denial.
Your days are numbered.

Woe to the unholy trinity. Justice and Mercy will kiss, The kingdom will come. Blessed are the Peacemakers.

And so we pledge allegiance afresh to Jesus the butchered lamb
And ask that in this time of climate breakdown, we would be faithful to him.

To him who sits on the throne, And to the lamb,
Be all praise, honour and blessing.

Send us Fan Mail

Words and Voice vy Rev'd Jon Swales
Music. 'Father' by Rev'd Chris Sayburn. Used with permission.

Father of Creation,
God of Compassion,
We thank you that you are a holy Trinity of Love Who rules and reigns with self-giving sacrificial love. To you, we give all praise, honour and glory.

In this time of climate breakdown,
we ask that we would be filled with your love.

For a love, which in a wounded world, makes a difference. Trinity of Love, Fill our hearts.

For a love, which in a warming world, looks like something. Trinity of Love, Fill our hearts.

For a love, which in a culture of denial, speaks truth. Trinity of Love, Fill our hearts.

For a love, which in a world of oppression and indifference, challenges injustice. Trinity of Love, Fill Our hearts.

Fill our hearts, O Lord, with love for

Climate refugees
Those caught up in climate-related conflicts Those suffering from extreme weather events Those who face drought and food shortages

Father of Creation,
God of justice,
We thank you that you are not indifferent to those who suffer injustice and oppression.

In this time of climate breakdown, we ask that You would give us a holy rage,

4: Trinity of Love.

A righteous anger,
Which seeks to stand up,
Speak out and
Oppose the machine of unrestrained capitalism.

Father, in the name of your son,
Let us be those who rebel against Evil which tramples on the vulnerable.

Father, in the name of your son,
Let us be those who rebel against systems that put profit before people.

Father, in the name of your son,
Let us be those who rebel against economic forces that put pleasure before ethics.

Father, Give us courage.

Father, we ask that, like Jesus, our anger would come from a wellspring of Holy love. We ask that our righteous love and holy anger
Will always be good and never turn itself into violence.

We pray for an increase in peaceful truth-speaking, campaigning and protest.
We pray that it would be made clear to our governments that we will not be silent until we have plans put in place that do not jeopardise our futures and the wellbeing of the world's most vulnerable.

Blessed are the peacemakers.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for justice.

Lord have mercy. Christ have mercy. Amen