FUTURECALLING-TheAvenueofaClimatePrayerWalkTheseprayersaredesignedtobeusedduringashortlocalprayerwalkfocusingontheenvironmentandclimatechange.Explainthatwhilewewalk,weencouragepeopletousethetimetofocusonalltheyseearoundthem.Aprayerwalkcanbeanencouragingtimeoffellowshipandofslowingdowntoappreciatetheworldaroundus.Aimtopauseforprayeratparticularspots,eachtimefocusingonanappropriateissue.Youcanusetheideasbelowtohelpplanawalkthatwilltakeinavarietyofplaceswhereyoucanstopandprayonspecifictopics,whetherthosebeloworyourown.Therewillbetoomanyprayersforanyonewalk–justselectthoseappropriateforyourownlocalarea.Andremember,theseideasarejustastartingpoint–reorderthemforyourareaanddoaddyourownideas.Thisprayercouldbeusedatboththebeginningand/ortheendifappropriate:DearLord,YoucalledyourdisciplesTofollowinyourway:YouaretheWayTheTruthandtheLife...Andsowecome,SeekingtofollowInyourfootsteps.

Creatoroftheearth,AswejourneyHelpustowalklightly,TreasuringtheworldYouhavegivenusAndcherishingeachother.

AndgrantthatourwalkMaybepartofyourplanForyourpeopletocareforcreationDojustice,lovemercyandwalkhumblywithyou,SeekingthecomingofyourKingdom,Onearthasitisinheaven.Amen

WaterWaterissuchablessing.Wetakeitforgrantedthatclean,safewaterwillcomeoutofourtapsatanytimeofnightorday.Wepraynowforthosepeoplearoundtheworldwhomayonlyhavewaterforanhoureachday–andforthosewhohavenotapsintheirhome,justapumporwatersourcethatmaybefarawayanddangeroustoreach.Inmanyareasaccesstowaterisatriskbecauseofclimatechange.Climatechangewillbringincreasedriskofbothdroughts,whichwilldryupwatersources,andofflooding,whichmaypolluteexistingwatersupplies.Weprayforthosewhosewatersuppliesmaybeaffectedandforallwhoareworkingtoprotecttheirsuppliesfromsuchrisks.Andwethankyouforlifegivingwater.Maywenevertakeitforgranted.Allotmentsorvegetableplots‘Growingyourown’canbeaverysatisfyingthingtodo-thoughlesssatisfactorywhenslugs,mice,pigeonsorcaterpillarswanttosharetheproduce!ItincreasesawarenessofthechallengesandthejoysofgrowingfoodcropsandhelpsconnectuswithGod’sgiftofthenaturalworld.Lord,weprayforallwhoworktogrowthecropsweeat.Maytheyseektoworkinharmonywithnature,andtoadjusttolesspredictableweatherconditions.Playgroup/nurseryTheimpactsofclimatechangewillincreasinglyaffectthegenerationsthatfollowus.Lordweprayforthebabiesandyoungchildreninourcommunity.Maywedoallwecantopreservethisbeautifulworldforthemtoinherit.

CemeteryCemeteriesremindusthatlifeisshortandprecious.Mayweuseourtimewellandbeablessingtoothers.Cemeteriesareincreasinglysanctuaries-notonlyprovidingplacesforpeopletopauseawhileandprayforlovedones,butalsoforwildlife.WegivethanksfortheCaringforGod’sAcrecharityandthesupportandinspirationitprovidesforchurcheswantingtodeveloptheirchurchyardswithnatureinmind.SchoolOuryoungpeoplearekeytothefuture.Weprayfortheirteacherswhoseektoshapeandguidetheirthinkingaboutwidersocialissues,andpraythatallyoungpeoplegainaglobalperspective.Weaskforforgivenessforourgenerationwhichhasstruggledforsolongtoreachglobalagreementonhowtorespondtothemassiveissueofclimatechange.Wepraythatthenextgenerationwilltakeforwardtheneedtocareandsustainthispreciousearth.FarmlandFarmersworkveryhardtoproducethefoodweeat,copingwithunpredictableweatherandoftenbattlingwithsupermarketsthatpayunfairlylowprices.Climatechangeisalreadymakingweatherpatternsevenmoreunpredictable,affectingpeople'sabilitytogrowtraditionalcrops.Weprayforfarmers–bothinthiscountryandaroundtheworld.Prayforprotectionagainstclimatedisaster.Andweprayforafairerfoodsystem,whichwillpayfarmersappropriatepricesandenablethemtoearnagoodlivingandwhichwillsupportthoseonlowincomestoaccesshealthyfood.ButterfliesandbeesButterfliesandbeesarealwaysajoytosee-flutteringaroundflowersandgrasslandorgatheringpollentomakehoneywheneverthesunshines.Theyappeartobecarefree,butactuallylifeisquitetoughforthem.IndeedtheUK’sbutterfliesandbeesareintrouble.OvertwothirdsofBritishbutterflieshavedecreasedinnumbersinthepast10years.AfewmigrantslikePaintedLadiesandRedAdmiralsappreciatethewarmingclimate,butmostspeciesaresuffering.AndaccordingtoDEFRA,theUKhassufferedthegreatestdeclineinwildbeesofanywhereinEurope,losing20speciessince1900withafurther35underthreatofextinction.Lord,wethankyouforthejoyofwatchingbutterfliesandtheirbeauty.Wethankyouforthebusynessofbees,sovitalforpollinatingourcrops.Wethankyoufortheorganisationsworkingtopreservespecialareasandreserves.Andwepraythatwemightdoallwecanbyplantingappropriateflowersinourgardensandleavingwildflowerareasinourchurchyards,vergesandgardens. SupermarketWegivethanksfortheeasewithwhichwecanbuywholesomeandvariedfoods.Maywenevertakethisforgranted.Wepraythatyouwillmakeusconsciousofthewayourchoicesinfoodaffecttheenvironmentandotherpeople.Mayweuseourshoppingasanopportunitytosupportlocalproducers,buyingorganicandfairtradeproductsandsupportinganimalfriendlypractices.Weprayforfamilieswhostruggletofindenoughmoneytofeedtheirfamiliesandaskforyourblessingonfoodbanksandallthosewhosupportthispracticalsupport.

Viewpoint,park-oranyattractiveplacePsalm104:24,31and33-34(NIV)“Howmanyareyourworks,Lord! Inwisdomyoumadethemall; theearthisfullofyourcreatures. MaythegloryoftheLordendureforever; maytheLordrejoiceinhisworks.IwillsingtotheLordallmylife; IwillsingpraisetomyGodaslongasIlive. Maymymeditationbepleasingtohim, asIrejoiceintheLord”. ChurchesandmeetingplacesItisablessingtomeettogetherinprayerandworship–andoneforwhichwegivethanks,awarethattherearemanypeopleforwhommeetingopenlyisnotapossibility.WeprayforthemandforallourbrothersandsistersinChristaroundtheworld. ChurchesalsohaveavitalroletoplayinhelpingpeopletothinkhowweliveinrightrelationshipwithGod,ourneighbourandtheplanet.Weprayformore‘prophets’tostandupandspeakoutclearlyanddecisivelywithinthechurches,sothatmorebelieversarespurredtoprayerandaction.WegivethanksforallthegroupswhichhaveprayedtogetheroverthepastyearandcelebrateansweredprayerswiththeformationandsigningoftheParisClimateAgreementby175countriestodate.AchemistTheWorldHealthOrganisationisveryconcernedabouttheimpactofclimatechangeonhealth.Olderpeopleandyoungchildrenandbabiesareparticularlyvulnerabletotimesofveryhightemperatures.We’regratefultoliveinacountrywherewehaveaccesstocoolwaterandicecreamsduringhotweather.Butweprayformanycountriesaroundtheworldwhererecentsearinghightemperatureshaveresultedinmanydeaths.Over2,500diedfromheatstrokeandrelatedhealthissuesduringtheIndianheatwavelastsummer.BusstoportrainstationWegivethanksforthevarioustransportoptionswehaveavailabletous.Mayweremembertosupportourpublictransportoptionstoensuretheirfuturesustainability.Helpustotakethelowercarbonoptionofwalkingandcyclingwheneverpossible–andtoshareliftsorcarsateveryopportunity.CaféorrestaurantLord,wethankyoufortherichvarietyoffoodsthatwecanenjoyfromallaroundtheworld.Thankyouforthepeoplewhogrowourfoodandthosewhoprepareit.Weprayforfarmerswhodon'tmakeenoughmoneytofeedthemselvesandtheirfamilies,andaskyourblessingonallwhoseektohelpthem.Helpustoeatinwaysthatarefriendlytopeopleandtheplanet.TreesLordwegivethanksfortrees.Trees‘rootus’aswereflectontheirbeauty,theirageandthe‘homes’theyprovideforwildlife.Scientistsknowofthemanybenefitsthatlivingneartreescanbring,suchasimprovingairqualityandairmoistureandprovidingshade.IntheBibletreesareusedasasymbolofwell-being,faithandhealing(Psalm1:3,Jeremiah17:8andRev22:1-2).Solet’sgivethanksfor,appreciateandenjoythetreesinourarea,learningmoreabouttheirnamesandqualitiesanddoingallwecantoprotectthemandtoplantnewtrees.Andprayforpeoplewhoarefightingloggingthatthreatenssomeoftheworld'soldestandmostdiverseforests.

IfyoudecidetoexplorethisAvenuefurther,recordthisonthe'FutureCalling-MyCommitments'sheet.

WiththankstoIsabelCarterand‘Pray&FastfortheClimate’forthesenotes