ASH WEDNESDAY
Today ash will be smeared on our foreheads and we will hear the words “Remember that you are dust and to dust you shall return”
What a shocking action – a smear of death on our faces. We are called to repent, to turn from death and choose life. In order to choose life we must choose to do no harm. This sounds simpler than it is, because we are all part of systems that we depend on for our survival that are in fact killing creation and others as well as ourselves. This realisation that we are somehow complicit in the deathliness of the world invites us to repent – to turn around – to change. This acknowledgement that we are complicit rather than “innocent” is at the root of all confession.
It is easy from the position of a false sense of innocence, to ask ourselves what good we can do. Doing good can feel good. Sadly, it often only addresses the symptoms in the form of charitable acts. Asking where we are doing harm, on the other hand moves us to see where we ourselves are the problem. This is uncomfortable but it may lead us to doing greater good. This approach is also more likely to address the systemic root of the problem that only doing justice can root out. So, ask not what good you can do, but rather what harm you can stop doing. May this be our fast for Lent: To fast from doing harm.
Rev Alan Storey
We would like to invite you to use the words of an environmental confession from Melanesia – communities which are on the forefront of climate change and sea level rise.
Litany of Environmental Lament and Repentance
From Melanesia
God of the whole human race.
You have given us responsibility to care for each other.
But we have exploited and hated each other by our wickedness.
We turn to you in sorrow and repentance.
Please help us to look to you and care for each other.
Lord in your mercy
Hear our prayer
O God of creation.
You have created land for us to make our gardens and for trees, animals and all living creatures on the earth.
Forgive us for our destruction of the land by logging and poisonous chemicals.
We turn to you in sorrow and repentance.
Help us O Lord to care for the land that you have given us.
Lord in your mercy
Hear our prayer
God of the universe, the ocean and of love.
You have given us the ocean for fish, shells, reefs, whales, waves, corals, and for ships and boats.
We have destroyed the ocean and everything in it, and not cared for it.
We turn to you in sorrow and repentance.
Please help us to care for the ocean, and to recognize that it is your blessing for us.
Lord in your mercy
Hear our prayer
God of the forest, in which all living things survive and engage their life and move peacefully.
You have given us wisdom, knowledge and understanding to use our resources well in a manageable manner.
We have been careless, short-sighted, and selfish and failed to share with other people throughout the world.
We turn to you in sorrow and repentance.
Please help us to think positively of your goodness and loving kindness.
Please help us to see the needs of others as you have seen us living in your beautiful forest.
Lord in your mercy
Hear our prayer
God of the universe, the God who created the atmosphere.
By your power of creation you made the sky so beautiful, the sun to give us light during the day and the moon and the stars to give light during the night.
You have given us clouds to bring rain and give life to your creatures.
Lord, we turn to you with a penitent heart for all the destructions we have caused to the atmosphere.
Lord in your mercy
Hear our prayer
Merciful God, God of love and everything in this world.
You have created the rain, winds, storms, cyclones, earthquakes, volcanoes and floods to renew your creation.
Help us to understand their existence in your world.
We turn to you in sorrow and repentance.
Please, Father, forgive us for the human activities which have overpowered the weather and caused destruction of our environment.
Lord in your mercy
Hear our prayer
God you are our creator, the source of all wisdom and power.
You have created humans and animals and you have appointed us humans to be responsible for them.
Forgive us who destroy your creatures.
We turn to you in sorrow and repentance.
Help us Lord to love and to care for them as you care for us.
Lord in your mercy
Hear our prayer
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Written by members of the four Religious Orders in the Anglican Church of Melanesia.
Melanesian Brotherhood, Society of St Francis, Community of the Sisters of the Church, Community of the Sisters of Melanesia.
The Anglican Church of Melanesia includes 9 dioceses in the Solomon Islands, Vanuatu and New Caledonia. It is one of the areas of the world most vulnerable to climate change due to sea level rise.
To find out more about the impacts of climate change in this area