A Quiet Day for Creationtide

Craig Nobbs, a Licensed Lay Minister in the parish, is holding a quiet day on Saturday, September 2nd, in The Sumner Room at St John’s, from 9.15am for a 9.30am start, finishing at 12.30pm but with an option to stay on until 1.30pm for a guided meditation.
‘For the beauty of the earth’ – or so the hymn says. Yet the world burns. Communities are washed away. Wars scar the earth. The rich nations deplete the atmosphere; the poor and oppressed suffer catastrophe. Humankind’s stewardship of our beautiful God-given planet falls woefully short.
It’s time for Christians to act: to speak out about the climate emergency, and to see that climate action is a fundamental missional vocation. But how can we begin to start?
The programme for the day:

• Morning Prayer
• Reverence: what does God have to say about His planet and beyond?
• Justice: what does God require of us now?
• Action: Practical climate action for our mission and discipleship.
• Midday Prayer
• Option: If the weather is fine, you are welcome to join Craig in the churchyard for a guided hour of reflection and silence in God’s presence, to acknowledge the sheer scale of creation, and that we might see how reverence for the earth is part of our call to worship.
  Enquiries to LLM Craig: llm.craig@badshotleaandhale.org

On the eve of #cop26 the bells at St John’s, Hale, will be ringing out at 6pm tonight as part of a national church call for action on the climate emergency.

Church bells have traditionally been rung to mark significant moments, both in times of celebration, such as victory in war, and as a warning of impending danger, such as invasion. The climate crisis is one of great impending danger and the bells on the eve of the COP26 are a warning symbol, but also one of hope that the conference will lead to action.

Bishop Jo, Bishop of Dorking, explains more here: