Sunday Worship

 

The service comes from Jesus College, Oxford

 

Sunday 11 February 2007

Suddenly, from behind the rim of the Moon, in long, slow-motion moments of immense majesty, there emerges a sparkling blue and white jewel, a light, delicate sky-blue sphere laced with slowly swirling veils of white, rising gradually like a small pearl in a thick sea of black mystery. It takes more than a moment to fully realize this is Earth . . . home.
MUSIC ENDS

Welcome

 

Revd Margot Hodson
Good morning. Those were the words of astronaut, Edgar Mitchell, when he first saw the Earth from space. As we begin our service this morning it's that view of the whole of God's creation that can inspire us.

Last week, the latest Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report was released, giving sobering evidence of the serious situation faced not only by humanity, but by the whole of our world's biodiversity. It was produced by hundreds of the world's best climate scientists including some from Oxford University, and also including our preacher this morning.

A Christian response to this serious situation, needs to consider the earth not only as humanity's protective home, but as the home to all of God's creation for which God has made mankind responsible. The Christian tradition takes a holistic view - it sees the earth, perhaps like Mitchell did, as if from space. Our preacher, Sir John Houghton, organised an historic conference here in Oxford in 2002, for scientists, church leaders and policy makers, to convince them of the need to take action in light of the evidence of Climate Change, and we'll be hearing how that conference has helped move the debate forward in the USA later.