Lent course: Calling a wounded Earth home

On Sunday 26 March we concluded our Lent series reflecting on how we can call a wounded earth home. Over five weeks, in our evening service, we have considered how facing the climate crisis with Jesus enables us to respond with love, truth, wisdom, justice and hope. Each discussion began with participants sharing stories from their own lives and were framed by times of prayer.

In the first session, we looked the way that Psalm 148 helps us see nonhuman creatures as fellow worshippers and the difference this makes. In the second session we considered the relevance of Jeremiah’s critique of his society. The third explored what Job 28 and James 3 has to say about wisdom. In considering justice, we looked at the story of Zacchaeus and his sacrificial stand against unjust structures. Finally, we engaged with Revelation 21 and Romans 5, and debated the distinctive nature of Christian hope.

In our response to the climate crisis, we want to be shaped by scripture as well as being well-versed in the scientific and political realities. We are therefore very grateful to Richard Nicholson for convening a reading group on Greta Thunberg’s The Climate Book which will continue to meet after Easter. We look forward to seeing where these conversations take us.