Praying at Home Today: Tuesday 21 September 2021
Praying at home today:
The Season of Creation: The human roots of the ecological crisis
Globalisation and the technocratic paradigm
For four weeks, following the first Sunday in September until the day before Harvest Sunday, we will be focussing on the season of creation, in preparation for the COP26 Climate Conference in Glasgow.
Although we will follow our usual form of prayer, our readings and some other material will follow those given in Daily Prayer of the Scottish Episcopal Church for this Season of Creation.
This is a good time to be grateful for our beautiful, yet fragile world, and to dedicate ourselves anew as faithful stewards to its protection.
A warm welcome to PrayingAtHome.com, where you can find worship resources for praying at home today or wherever you are.
We hope these readings, prayers, music and the short reflection will help you stay in touch with the Church and to sustain you on your journey through life.
If this is your first visit to this website, then you might like to read about the common elements and the suggested structure for each day’s prayer.
Everything’s optional!
Opening to the Word
You can spend a few moments in silence,
focussing on your breathing
to become more mindful of the present moment
and to open yourself more fully
to God’s presence within you.
O the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God!
From whom and through whom and to whom are all things.
To God be the glory for ever. Amen.
Romans 11:33,36
The earth is the Lord’s and all that is in it,
the world, and those who live in it;
For God has founded it on the seas,
and established it on the rivers.
Who shall ascend the hill of the Lord?
And who shall stand in God’s holy place?
Those who have clean hands and pure hearts,
who do not lift up their souls to what is false,
and do not swear deceitfully.
Psalm 24:1-4
Short reading
You set the beams of your chambers on the waters,
you make the clouds your chariot,
you ride on the wings of the wind,
you make the winds your messengers,
fire and flame your ministers.Qui tegis aquis superiora ejus:
qui ponis nubem ascensum tuum;
qui ambulas super pennas ventorum:
qui facis angelos tuos spiritus,
et ministros tuos ignem urentem.Il construit sa demeure au-dessus de l’eau,
il fait des nuages son char,
il s’avance sur les ailes du vent.
Il fait des vents ses messagers,
des éclairs ses serviteurs.
Psalm 104:3-4
The Liturgy of the Word
Here is today’s Bible reading.
Short reflection
During these four weeks of the Season of Creation, I’m reading Pope Francis’s encyclical letter Laudato si’, mi’ Signore – Praise to you, my Lord (LS) – and I hope to share with you a few nuggets from the Church’s social teaching on Creation and our stewardship of this planet we call our home.
In this third week, he explores the human roots of the ecological crisis (LS101).
Globalisation and the technocratic paradigm
Whilst praising advances in technology, Francis warns us of a deep issue with it, namely the way that it has been taken up and developed.
The wording he uses is “an undifferentiated and one-dimensional paradigm”.
This is about manipulating an external object, extracting everything from it with no regard to nature.
This approach, unlike in the past, is not in tune with nature; rather it is confrontational.
It is based on a lie, that there is an unlimited supply of the earth’s goods, and leads to the planet being squeezed dry beyond every limit.
Even where there is a recognition that these resources are finite, it is believed that they can easily be renewed and that any negative effects can easily be absorbed (LS106).
Francis continues: many of the world’s problems stem from this tendency. It not only affects the environment, but it also creates a framework conditioning lifestyles and shaping social possibilities along lines determined by certain powerful groups (LS107). (We can see this in global corporations, for whom we have become the product.)
How can we deal best with this issue? Living counterculturally, without technology, would be difficult and perhaps unrealistic. Our capacity to make decisions, a more genuine freedom and the space for each person’s alternative creativity are all diminished (LS108).
The global financial crisis has not helped either, with ever increasing lack of concern or interest in more balanced levels of production, a better distribution of wealth, concern for the environment and the rights of future generations: maximising profits is seen to be enough.
This is seen in the superdevelopment of a huge throwaway culture, divorced from the deepest needs of many people on this planet. Our present failures are largely to do with the current direction and emphasis of technological and economic growth (LS109).
The big picture is hard to see, clouded by a fragmentation of knowledge focussing on specialist needs.
This, in turn, makes it harder to find solutions for the world’s problems, especially for the environment and the poor; we need input from philosophy and social ethics as well as technology and the economy (LS110).
A wholistic approach is required, consisting of a dialogue between all who can contribute (LS111).
We can broaden our vision; we can choose not to be hidebound by what corporations tell us will bring us happiness.
Small cooperatives are one example of how people can work together to find solutions to their needs. Likewise, technology can be directed towards “resolving people’s concrete problems, truly helping them live with more dignity and less suffering”. This calls for an authentic humanity, a new synthesis (LS112).
People no longer seem to believe in a happy future; there is “a growing awareness that scientific and technological progress cannot be equated with the progress of humanity and history”: the way to a better future lies elsewhere.
We need to “continue to wonder about the purpose and meaning of everything. Otherwise we would simply legitimate the present situation and need new forms of escapism to help us endure the emptiness (LS113).
We need to recover the values and the great goals that are being swept away by our unrestrained delusions of grandeur. (LS114).
What can we do?
Step by step, little by little.
Each tiny action counts.
Enjoy the benefits that technology brings whilst not being enslaved to it.
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Responsory
The earth dries up and withers, the world languishes and withers;
the heavens languish together with the earth.
The earth lies polluted
under its inhabitants;
For they have transgressed laws, violated the statutes,
broken the everlasting covenant.
Therefore a curse devours the earth,
and its inhabitants suffer for their guilt.
Therefore the inhabitants of the earth dwindled, and few people are left.
The wine dries up, the vine languishes,
all the merry-hearted sigh.
Isaiah 24:4-7
Music for reflection
Prayer Suggestions
Creation waits in hope for God’s children to be revealed.
Creation waits in hope for God’s children to be revealed.
That Creation may be set free from its bondage to decay.
For God’s children to be revealed.
Glory to God, Source of all Being, Eternal Word and Holy Spirit.
Creation waits in hope for God’s children to be revealed.
Romans 8:19-21
As the Church celebrates Matthew (Apostle and Evangelist),
we continue our journey in faith today:
- for all preparing for the COP26 Climate Conference
- for Revenue Officers
helping us to contribute to the life of our country - for the small steps we take to combat climate change
- for those celebrating significant birthdays at this time, perhaps with some trepidation!
- for all who inspire us.
(In Holy Trinity, Stirling, we invite you to pray today
for the Magazine Team.)
For all who have asked for our prayers.
a moment of silence
Pray for us all
Amen.
The Lord’s Prayer
We can say the Lord’s Prayer in any language or version we choose.
Here it is, in English, Latin and French.
Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name.
Your Kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins,
as we forgive those
who sin against us.
Lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom,
the power and the glory are yours,
now and for ever.
Amen.
Pater noster, qui es in cælis;
sanctificetur nomen tuum:
adveniat regnum tuum;
fiat voluntas tua,
sicut in cælo, et in terra.
Panem nostrum cotidianum da nobis hodie:
et dimitte nobis debita nostra,
sicut et nos dimittimus debitoribus nostris:
et ne nos inducas in tentationem:
sed libera nos a malo.
Quia tuum est regnum,
et potestas, et gloria, in saecula.
Amen.
Notre Père, qui es aux cieux,
que ton nom soit sanctifié,
que ton règne vienne,
que ta volonté soit faite sur la terre comme au ciel.
Donne-nous aujourd’hui notre pain de ce jour.
Pardonne-nous nos offenses,
comme nous pardonnons aussi à ceux qui nous ont offensés.
Et ne nous laisse pas entrer en tentation
mais délivre-nous du Mal.
Car c’est à toi qu’appartiennent le règne,
la puissance et la gloire
pour les siècles des siècles. Amen.
Concluding prayer
God Most High,
maker of heaven and earth,
you created humankind in your own image
and entrusted the whole world to human care:
give us grace to serve you faithfully,
that we might be trustworthy stewards of your creation,
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever. Amen.
Collect for the Season of Creation
Returning to the world
Let us bless the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
Benedicamus Domino.
Deo gratias.
Thank you for joining us in praying at home.
Oremus pro invicem.
In these strange times, we are called to trust
* You can find more organ music from Holy Trinity Church, Stirling
on Alistair Warwick‘s website and on SoundCloud
There are several books by Brother Roger of the Taizé Community from many booksellers.
You can buy The Complete Chronicles of Narnia at Bookshop.org
Other worship resources
- Worship resources from Holy Trinity Church, Stirling, Scotland
- Music for reflection
- RSCM: Hymn for the Day and Sunday Self-Service
- Liturgy resources from New Zealand – Aotearoa
- Prayer live from Taizé
- CCC – Christ, Covid, Community (Facebook Group)
- Live-streamed liturgy from Pluscarden Abbey, Scotland
Praying at Home Today: Acknowledgements
The lectionary for weekdays is taken from the Vanderbilt Divinity Library.
In that lectionary, the readings are in the following order: Old Testament reading, Psalm, New Testament reading; we have changed the order to the more usual OT, Psalm and NT.
English Bible texts are usually from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicised Catholic Edition, copyright © 1989, 1993, 1995 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Latin Bible texts are from Biblia Sacra Vulgata, and are in the Public Domain.
French Bible texts are usually from Version Segond 21, copyright © 2007 Société Biblique de Genève by Société Biblique de Genève.
Images, unless otherwise stated, are from lockdown in Scotland, by Alistair Warwick.
Music engraved by The Art of Music.
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