We are a small Episcopal Church on the banks of the Rappahannock in Port Royal, Virginia. We acknowledge that we gather on the traditional land of the first people of Port Royal, the Nandtaughtacund, and we respect and honor with gratitude the land itself, the legacy of the ancestors, and the life of the Rappahannock Tribe. Our mission statement is to do God’s Will in all that we do.

Individual and Group Meditations on Climate Change

Meditations on climate change offer a rich opportunity to weave together Scripture, the Book of Common Prayer, and the Anglican tradition’s emphasis on stewardship of Creation. These meditations are designed to foster reflection, lament, hope, and action.

Framing

These meditations to our Baptismal Covenant, where we promise to “strive for justice and peace among all people, and respect the dignity of every human being,” which can be extended to all of God’s Creation.

  1. Individual Meditations

These are designed for personal prayer time, perhaps in a quiet space at home, in a garden, or before a church service.

Example 1: A Meditation on Romans 8 (Lectio Divina Style)

Lectio Divina (“Divine Reading”) is an ancient practice of praying with Scripture.

Preparation: Find a quiet place. Light a candle to symbolize the light of Christ. Take a few deep breaths to center yourself. Read the passage slowly, three times.

Scripture: “For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the children of God; for the creation was subjected to futility, not of its own will but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and will obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. We know that the whole creation has been groaning in labor pains until now.” – Romans 8:19-22

  1. Read (Lectio): Read the passage aloud slowly. What single word or phrase stands out to you? Don’t analyze it; just notice it. Perhaps it’s “eager longing,” “bondage to decay,” or “groaning in labor pains.” Sit with that word or phrase for a moment.
  2. Reflect (Meditatio): Read the passage again. Now, engage your mind. How does this passage connect to what you see in the world?
    • Where do you see Creation “groaning”? (e.g., in wildfires, melting glaciers, species extinction).
    • What does it mean for Creation to wait for the “revealing of the children of God”? What is our role in that revealing?
    • How does the idea of “labor pains” reframe climate anxiety not just as death, but as the difficult birth of something new?
  3. Respond (Oratio): Read the passage a third time. Now, respond to God in prayer.
    • Offer a prayer of lament for the ways humanity has subjected Creation to futility.
    • Offer a prayer of intercession for vulnerable communities, ecosystems, and species.
    • Offer a prayer of hope, asking God to help you live as a “child of God” who participates in Creation’s liberation.
  4. Rest (Contemplatio): Sit in silent communion with God. Rest in the knowledge that God is with us and with all Creation in its groaning. Release your thoughts and simply be in God’s presence.

Example 2: A Sensory Meditation on Stewardship

This meditation uses a physical object to ground the prayer.

Preparation: Go outside and find a natural object: a stone, a fallen leaf, a bit of soil, a flower. If you are indoors, hold a small glass of water.

  1. Acknowledge God’s Handiwork: Hold the object in your hands. Contemplate its texture, weight, temperature, and complexity. Consider the immense journey of time and the intricate processes that led to its existence. Say a prayer of praise from the BCP (p. 88/136): “We praise you, Lord, for the splendor of the whole creation, for the beauty of this world, for the wonder of life, and for the mystery of love.”
  2. Confess Our Role: Continue to hold the object. Reflect on how human actions have impacted this small piece of Creation and the system it represents.
    • If holding a leaf: Consider deforestation, air pollution, and acid rain.
    • If holding a stone: Consider destructive mining, quarrying, and the extraction that fuels our consumption.
    • If holding water: Consider plastic pollution, chemical runoff, and the commodification of this life-giving gift.
    • Pray a silent prayer of confession, for your own complicity and for our collective sin against Creation. “Most merciful God, we confess that we have sinned against you in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done, and by what we have left undone… especially in our failure to be faithful stewards of the world you have given us.”
  3. Commit to Action: Look at the object one last time. What is one small, concrete action you can take this week to honor God’s gift of Creation and protect it from further harm? (e.g., reduce single-use plastic, write to an elected official, eat a plant-based meal). Ask God for the strength and grace to fulfill this commitment. Close with the Lord’s Prayer.
  1. Group Meditations

These are designed for a small group, a formation class, or a special service. They are more interactive and communal.

Example 1: A Litany for Creation

This can be done in a service, with a leader and the people responding. The response can be spoken or sung.

Leader: Let us pray for God’s Creation, for the earth our home. In the midst of beauty and splendor, we give you thanks, O God. For the soaring mountains and the depths of the sea, People: We thank you, Lord.

For the vibrant forest and the quiet desert, People: We thank you, Lord.

For the song of the bird and the buzz of the bee, People: We thank you, Lord.

Leader: In the midst of suffering and degradation, we cry out to you, O God. For the warming oceans and the acid seas, People: Lord, have mercy.

For the burning forests and the thirsty lands, People: Lord, have mercy.

For the creatures driven from their homes and the people displaced by drought and flood, People: Lord, have mercy.

For our greed, our wastefulness, and our indifference to the groaning of Creation, People: Lord, have mercy.

Leader: In the midst of hope and challenge, we offer ourselves to you, O God. For scientists, engineers, and planners working for a sustainable future, People: Strengthen their hands, O God.

For activists and advocates who speak truth to power, People: Embolden their voices, O God.

For farmers, gardeners, and all who till the soil with care and reverence, People: Bless their work, O God.

Leader: Grant us the courage to change our habits, the conviction to seek justice, and the faith to be co-workers in your renewal of all things. Give us hopeful hearts, that we may see in the pains of this present age the birth of a new heaven and a new earth, through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. People: Amen.

Example 2: A “Stations of Creation” Walking Meditation

This can be done outdoors on the church grounds or indoors with images at different “stations.”

Facilitator: “We walk today to remember our connection to the earth and to pray for its healing. As we walk, let us do so with reverence and attention.”

  • Station 1: Gratitude (at a large tree or beautiful garden).
    • Read Genesis 1:31a: “God saw everything that he had made, and indeed, it was very good.”
    • Prompt: “Spend a few moments in silence, giving thanks for one specific, beautiful thing you see right now.”
    • Prayer: Leader: “Creator of all, we give you thanks for the beauty of this place.” All: “And for the goodness of all you have made.”
  • Station 2: Lament (at a storm drain, parking lot, or trash receptacle).
    • Read Hosea 4:1, 3: “There is no faithfulness or loyalty, and no knowledge of God in the land… Therefore the land mourns, and all who live in it languish; together with the wild animals and the birds of the air, even the fish of the sea are perishing.”
    • Prompt: “Look at this sign of human impact. Let us silently acknowledge the harm we have caused, the waste we have created, and the ways we have broken our covenant with Creation.”
  • Station 3: Intercession (looking out towards the wider community).
    • Read Amos 5:24: “But let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.”
    • Prompt: “Let us bring to mind the people most impacted by environmental injustice—the poor, marginalized communities, and future generations. We will now have a moment of open prayer.” (Allow people to voice short prayers for specific people or places).
  • Station 4: Commitment (at the church doors).
    • Read a selection from the Baptismal Covenant (BCP, p. 305), asking: “Will you strive for justice and peace among all people, and respect the dignity of every human being?”
    • Response: All: “I will, with God’s help.”
    • Prompt: “Before we re-enter our church, a place of renewal and commissioning, let us each make a silent, personal commitment to one action we will take on behalf of God’s Creation this week.”
    • Closing Prayer: All: “Grant, O God, that we may be living gateways of your love and care, passing from this time of prayer into a life of action, for the healing of the earth and the glory of your name. Amen.”