When I was growing up, we were constantly reminded to "leave a place better than you found it" - so when we were invited to dinner at somebody's house, we were expected to help with the dishes, when we went on a picnic or a walk, part of the fun was seeing how much rubbish you could pick up. And even if it wasn't your personal mess, it was still a mess, so why shouldn't you be the one to help sort it out! Leaving a place better than you found it - sound advice.
The start of September signals the beginning of Creation Time, an ecumenical church season when Christians are encouraged to think, pray and act on issues relating to the environment, nature and the created world.
This year the Church of Scotland have published new worship resources which are available for a free download from the website.
There are many reasons why Christians need to be aware of and involved in environmental issues. For me it isn’t just a matter of heeding the scientific evidence that without our action on carbon emissions, the effects of climate change will be devastating. That’s really a given, and you don’t need to have faith to get it. For me, there remains a much stronger, and much older, cause, which is that the earth is the Lord’s, and all that is in it.
We have a sacred trust and responsibility to care for the planet. But also as we ourselves are part of creation we need to be more aware of how our actions, decisions and choices impact on the waters, air, plants, animals and human beings that we share this world with.
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