ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
OPENING PRAYER: #311 Voices United A Prayer
For The Care Of Creation
RESPONSIVE READINGS:
Declaration of Inter-dependence: (From the David Suzuki Foundation,
with revisions)
One: This We Know -
All: We humans are but one of thirty million species who inhabit the
thin layer of life enveloping the world. The stability of communities
of living things depends upon this diversity. Linked in a web, we are
interconnected - using, cleansing, sharing and replenishing the fundamental
elements of life. Our home, planet Earth, is finite - and therefore
has limits to growth. All life shares its resources, and for the first
time we have touched those limits.
One: This We Believe -
All: The activities of we humans has driven fellow creatures to extinction.
The comfort of some comes at the expense of others. When we compromise
the air, the water, the soil, and the variety of life, we steal from
the endless future to serve the fleeting present. Mourning and learning
from our mistakes, we move forward in hope. We respect and uphold the
absolute need for clean air, water, and soil. The future is not ours
to erase, so where knowledge is limited, we will remember all those
who will walk after us, and err on the side of caution.
One: This We Resolve -
All: All that we know and believe must become the foundation of the
way we live. At this turning point in our relationship with Earth, we
work for an evolution from dominance to partnership; from fragmentation
to connection; from insecurity to interdependence.
Litany of the Circle: By Chief Seattle (This can be found in many locations,
including the United Church Camping Newsletter published in 1990 on
page 5.)
PRINTED RESOURCES:
Prayers For A Planetary Pilgrim. A book of prayers, psalms poems and
worship resources by Edward Hayes including "A Summer Psalm Of
Freedom." Forest of Peace Books Inc., 1989.
The Dramatized Bible. Marshall - Pickering Bible Society, 1989.
The Message. A very interesting paraphrase of the Psalms and New Testament
by Eugene H. Peterson. Navpress, 1988.
Celebrate God's Presence: A Book Of Services. This is a very valuable
addition to any church or camp library for use in preparing worship
services. Published by the United Church Publishing House, 2000.
ADDITIONAL HYMNS FROM VOICES UNITED:
- #415 God We Praise You (Opening Hymn)
- #222 Come Let Us Sing (Opening Hymn)
- #701 What Does The Lord Require Of You (Sung as a round at the time
of the Offering.)
- #291 All Things Bright And Beautiful
- #307 Touch The Earth Lightly
- #422 God Be with You till We meet Again (Closing hymn.)
ADDITIONAL SONGS:
"Lying In My Sleeping Bag"by Linnea Good and other great camping
songs can be found in Spirit Of Singing by Mardi Tindal and Kate Middleton.
Wood Lake Books, 1994.
LITURGICAL DANCE RESOURCE:
A dance offering by a selected few dancers can be found in Congregational
Dancing in Christian Worship by Doug Adams, Appendix II pg.132-134.
The Sharing Company, 1971.
INTERGENERATIONAL SERVICE RESOURCES AND IDEAS:
INTERACTIVE MESSAGE:
Instead of a formal sermon, you could take several of the nature images
Jesus used in his teachings to point out that we can learn a lot about
God, ourselves and how to live, by observing and caring for the world
around us. These could include:
- Salt (Matthew 5:13, Mark 9:50)
- Light (Matthew 5:14-16, Luke 11:33-36, John 8:12)
- Water (John 4:1-26)
- Trees and fruit (Luke 6:43-45, Luke 13:6-9, Luke 21:29-30)
- Mustard seed (Luke 13:18-19, Luke 17:6)
- Wheat (John 12:24)
- Moths and Rust (Matthew 19-21)
- Yeast (Luke 13:20-21)
- Fishing (Matthew 4:18-20)
- Wheat in barns (Luke 12:16-21)
- Farming (Wheat and weeds - Matthew 13:24-30, Sower - Matthew 13:1-9
& 18-23)
- Sparrows (Luke 12:6-7)
- Flowers (Matthew 6:28-29)
- Vine (John 15:1-12)
- Sheep (Matthew 25:31-46, John 10:1-18)
People in the congregation could also be invited to share what they
have learned about God, and their faith from nature. Pictures of these
various nature symbols could be photocopied for children to colour.
They could be handed out early in the service and the children could
bring them forward with the offering, as an expression of our gratitude
for all of creation.
DRAMA:
Instead of a sermon a drama could be used. One possibility is "The
Divided Forest" by Rev. Angela Bailey. It is a re-write of Little
Red Riding Hood and can be found in The Whole People of God Curriculum
1991 C&S - Part C-I 46, or in Live The Story: Short Simple Plays
For Churches by Wood Lake, 1997. It is also available on the Bells Corners
United Church Web Site at http://www.bcuc.org. Look under "Sermons"
and you will find The Divided Forest listed for April 29, 2001.
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