Lament & Hope: Prayers & Teaching for Justice and Peace
A podcast journey of prayer with a focus on the climate and ecological emergency based around Rev Jon Swales' book '26 Prayers for the Climate and Ecological Emergency' .
See www.cruciformjustice.com
Lament & Hope: Prayers & Teaching for Justice and Peace
The Ancient Story Act II Fall
Words and Voice: Jon Swales
Music: Used with permission Chris Sayburn
The Ancient Story- Act I (Draft)
Long ago,
Many years before the Anthropocene,
Long before the wars of empire and spiral of ecological ruin
the Spirit of the Great King hovered over the waters of the deep.
All was silent for the earth was formless and void.
And love spoke into the darkness
And there was light.
And life came into being.
Over six days the great King
created other than himself.
Forming and filling,
Blessing the beautiful,
Physicality bathed in holiness.
A cosmic canvas,
A glorious tapestry,
A rich symphony,
And he declared it to be good.
On the sixth day the Great King
dignified the dust,
soil became sanctified.
A human being,
A living soul.
A living ,
breathing, animate
image of the invisible.
Imago Dei
Image of God.
Receive a holy calling,
To tend and keep,
Guard and Protect.
Imago Dei,
Image of God.
Receive a Holy calling
To enact and embrace the reign and rule of the great King,
To serve as Priests of the High King of Heaven.
On the Seventh day the great King Rested,
For his work was done,
He had a place to dwell.
A place of presence and proximity,
A Cosmic Temple.
And the Great King declared it to be very good,
And it is very good.
For it is his home,
It is our home.
To him be all praise and glory.
The Ancient Story: Act II (Draft)
Long ago,
Many years before we were seduced by the beast of unrestrained capitalism
Our ancestors,
Full of possibility and potential,
Betrayed their calling to tend and keep.
Deceived by Lies and the lust for Power
the beautiful became broken,
the glorious rebellious
the blessed cursed
And humanity began its long walk as homesick exiles East of Eden.
We built Babel,
But this did not satisfy
And we opened the door to sin.
It has overwhelmed us.
Lord have mercy,
Christ have mercy.
Yet the Great King
Full of great love,
Did not forsake his Cosmic Temple
Nor did he forget his plan for humanity to
take up its calling to
tend and keep,
to be faithful and fruitful.
As image-bearing Priest Kings.
Love spoke,
Hope sang,
And the Great King
Embarked on a rescue mission
to liberate his cosmic temple.
To him be all praise and glory.