The Eden Wild Goose Pray Initiative

October 2022

 
A page to fuel prayer
1/ A Thought based on the Rhythm on Life Prayer book
2/ Response to The Thought
3/ A linked Bible passage
4/ Songs to inspire
5/ 'Just picture it', a linked photo to think about.
 
Creation at Harvest time
The Rhythm of Life book Page 28 Monday
Eden Wild Goose Pray has free copies for you to request if you live in our area.
 
1/ A Thought based on the Rhythm on Life Prayer book
 
Sue Holmes

The Song of Creation page 30
Also in the Common Worship Prayer Book
 
Bless the Lord all you works of the Lord:
sing his praise and exalt him for ever.
 
Bless the Lord you heavens: 
sing his praise and exalt him for ever.
 
Bless the Lord you angels of the Lord:
bless the Lord all you his hosts;
 
Bless the Lord you waters above the heavens:
sing his praise and exalt him for ever.
 
Bless the Lord sun and moon:
bless the Lord you stars of heaven;
 
Bless the Lord all rain and dew:
sing his praise and exalt him for ever.
 
Bless the Lord all winds that blow:
bless the Lord you fire and heat;
 
Bless the Lord scorching wind and bitter cold:
sing his praise and exalt him for ever.
 
Bless the Lord dews and falling snows:
bless the Lord you nights and days;
 
Bless the Lord light and darkness:
sing his praise and exalt him for ever.
 
Bless the Lord frost and cold:
bless the Lord you ice and snow;
 
Bless the Lord lightnings and clouds:
sing his praise and exalt him for ever.
 
O let the earth bless the Lord:
bless the Lord you mountains and hills;
 
Bless the Lord all that grows in the ground:
sing his praise and exalt him for ever.
 
Bless the Lord you springs:
bless the Lord you seas and rivers;

Bless the Lord you whales and all that swim in the waters:
sing his praise and exalt him for ever.
 
Bless the Lord all birds of the air:
bless the Lord you beasts and cattle;
 
Bless the Lord all people on earth:
sing his praise and exalt him for ever.
 
O people of God bless the Lord:
bless the Lord you priests of the Lord;
 
bless the Lord you servants of the Lord:
sing his praise and exalt him for ever.
 
Bless the Lord all you of upright spirit:
bless the Lord you that are holy and humble in heart;
 
Bless the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit
sing his praise and exalt him for ever. 
 
This is a wonderful song praising and blessing God for the wonders of creation.  The sun, the rain, the wind, the mountains and hills, seas and rivers, the birds, animals and people too are exhorted to bless the Lord and praise him forever. I am reminded of the Canticle of the Creatures
 
Most High, all-powerful, good Lord,
Yours are the praises, the glory, and the honour, and all blessing.
To You alone, Most High, do they belong,
and no human is worthy to mention Your name.
 
Praised be You, my Lord, with all Your creatures,
especially Sir Brother Sun,
Who is the day and through whom You give us light.
And he is beautiful and radiant with great splendour;
and bears a likeness of You, Most High One.
 
Praised be You, my Lord, through Sister Moon and the stars,
in heaven You formed them clear and precious and beautiful.
 
Praised be You, my Lord, through Brother Wind,
and through the air, cloudy and serene, and every kind of weather,
through whom You give sustenance to Your creatures.
 
Praised be You, my Lord, through Sister Water,
who is very useful and humble and precious and chaste.
 
Praised be You, my Lord, through Brother Fire,
through whom You light the night,
and he is beautiful and playful and robust and strong.
 
Praised be You, my Lord, through our Sister Mother Earth,
who sustains and governs us,
and who produces various fruit with coloured flowers and herbs.
Praised be You, my Lord, through those who give pardon for Your
love, and bear infirmity and tribulation.
 
Blessed are those who endure in peace
for by You, Most High, shall they be crowned.
 
Praised be You, my Lord, through our Sister Bodily Death,
from whom no one living can escape.
Woe to those who die in mortal sin.

Blessed are those whom death will find in Your most holy will,
for the second death shall do them no harm.
 
Praise and bless my Lord and give Him thanks
and serve Him with great humility.
 
This beautiful Canticle, both a poem and a prayer of thanksgiving to God, was composed and dictated at San Damiano just outside Assisi, by St Francis, not long before he died.    His health was very poor and his living conditions too were extremely difficult.   But he believed that God was saying to him, ‘Brother be glad and rejoice.’  Unlike the Song of Creation, in this Canticle, Francis gives us a reason for praising God for all the elements and creatures in the world.  For Francis, just as he saw God as our Father, he saw family relationships with all creatures.   He saw our lives as intimately connected with all of creation – God’s artistry in everything – a powerful way in which God is present with us today. AND yet we so quickly forget that this is God’s created world and as a consequence the climate is changing, we are experiencing drought and then flooding in our own country and all over the world.  SO let each of us in our own way, as we celebrate the fruits of creation at harvest time this year, seek humbly to respect the whole of creation and to use it for the benefit of all in our world.
 
2/ Response to The Thought
 
Q How do praise and joy feature in your life, and might this need to change?
Q How could ‘reduce, re-use, recycle’ help you recognise the inherent value of every part of the world?
 
3/ A linked Bible passage
 
Read Psalm 150
Take the heart and soul of this Psalm to church when we gather.

4/ Songs to inspire
 
John Rutter – The Gift of Life

Chris Tomlin - Indescribable
Getty/Townsend - Creation sings 

5/ 'Just picture it', linked photos to think about.

Images to touch our souls.
Spend some time ‘in’ the Cumbrian pictures below
and respond in praise to the Creator of the creation.
 
Limestone pavement - look down,


Rock in Crummock Water – look across,


Blencathra in the cloud – look up,
and Praise the Lord.