An intro to this study from the author:
Just a few years after Darwin published ‘On the Origins of Species’, in another book called ‘Man and Nature’, first published in 1864, the scholar George Perkins Marsh challenged the general belief that human impact on nature was generally benign or negligible, and insisted that ancient civilizations of the Mediterranean had brought about their own collapse by their abuse of the environment.
By deforesting their hillsides and eroding their soils, they had destroyed the natural fertility that sustained their well-being.
We are quite a few years on from that time, and yet the discussion does not appear to have moved on very far. As Christians we begin our scriptures with a picture of God’s creation and the place of humankind and the various creatures, big and small that live above us, alongside or beneath us in the soil or oceans.
This study does not attempt to offer definitive answers, but by looking at Scripture and a selection of available information and articles, invites those taking part to think about the issues that are being raised today by environmentalists throughout the world, and come to a better understanding of what their own relationship with all of God’s creatures should and could be.
The All God's Creatures | Bible Study (faithandworship.com) can be purchased to support John's ministry - PDF copies will be provided in the Study send outs. Sign up for the weekly email also including the link to join on Zoom below.
John visited our study session on the 4th of October to share about how he creates study resources and other material for the Church year: Guest Teacher at Study - see below video recording of some of that session.
More information on the Season of Creation for 2023 can be found on our events page.
2023 Season of Creation Prayer
Creator of All,
From your communion of love life sprung forth like a mighty river and the whole cosmos came into being.
On this Earth of overflowing love, the Word was made flesh and went forth with the life-giving waters proclaiming peace and justice for all creation.
You called human beings to till and keep your garden. You placed us into right relationship with each creature, but we failed to listen to the cries of the Earth and the cries of the most vulnerable.We broke with the flowing communion of love and sinned against you by not safeguarding the conditions for life. We lament the loss of our fellow species and their habitats, we grieve the loss of human cultures, along with the lives and livelihoods that have been displaced or perished, and we ache at the sight of an economy of death, war and violence that we have inflicted on ourselves and on the Earth.
Open our ears to your creative, reconciling and sustaining Word that calls to us through the book of Scripture and the book of creation. Bless us once again with your life-giving waters so that the Creator Spirit may let justice and peace flow in our hearts and overflow into all creation.
Open our hearts to receive the living waters of God’s justice and peace, and to share it with our suffering brothers and sisters, all creatures around us, and all creation.
Bless us to walk together with all people of good will so that the many streams of the living waters of God’s justice and peace may become a mighty river all over the Earth.
In the name of the One who came to proclaim good news to all creation, Jesus Christ.
Amen.