April 24 - Land Blessing Liturgy

Apr 21

Written By Caren Miles

(At the sound of the singing bowl, the people gather around the edges of the spiral.)

Opening Acclamation
Bishop
Alleluia. Christ is risen.

People
The Lord is risen indeed. Alleluia.

Bishop
There is one Body and one Spirit;

People
There is one hope in God's call to us;

Bishop
One Lord, one Faith, one Baptism;

People
One God and Father of all.

Bishop
God be with you.

People
And also with you.

Bishop
Let us pray.

O merciful Creator,
your hand is open wide to satisfy the needs of every living creature: Make us always thankful for your loving providence; and grant that we, remembering the account that we must one day give, may be faithful stewards of your good gifts; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

We acknowledge that this land is the traditional territory of the Bay Miwuk, Mumekema, and Yokuts peoples. Their presence is imbued in the lands and waters surrounding us. May we nurture our relationship with our Native neighbors, and the shared responsibilities to their homelands where we all reside today.

Blessing of Water
(The Bishop blesses the water and seeds in the center of the spiral first, saying)

Bishop         May God be with you.
People         And also with you.
Bishop         Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
People         It is right to give God thanks and praise.

Bishop
We thank you, Almighty God, for the gift of water. Over it the Holy Spirit moved in the beginning of creation. Through it you led the children of Israel out of their bondage in Egypt into the land of promise.

In it your Son Jesus received the baptism of John and was anointed by the Holy Spirit as the Messiah, the Christ, to lead us, through his death and resurrection, from the bondage of sin into everlasting life.

We thank you, Creator, for the water of Baptism. In it we are buried with Christ in his death. By it we share in his resurrection. Through it we are reborn by the Holy Spirit.

Therefore in joyful obedience to your Son, we bring into his fellowship those who come to him in faith, baptizing them in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

(At the following words, the Bishop touches the water)
Now sanctify this water, we pray you, by the power of your Holy Spirit, that those who here are cleansed from sin and born again may continue for ever in the risen life of Jesus Christ our Savior. To him, to you, and to the Holy Spirit, be all honor and glory, now and for ever. Amen.

(The Bishop then blesses the seeds in the center of the spiral, saying)
Loving God, bless these seeds, pregnant with vast potential and the Easter promise of new life from death and burial. May they burst forth soon with verdant growth from the earth, rain, and sun. All this we ask through Christ our Lord, Amen.

The Cosmic Walk

(The first walker takes their place at the center of the spiral, ready to start walking when the first reader begins. Each subsequent walker and reader will synchronize, meaning sometimes the reader will have to wait for a walker to finish, or at times the next walker will have to wait for the previous reader to finish.

Each person will take a handful of seeds, slowly spreading them as they walk, leaving most of them at the appropriate station.)

Bell

Reader 1:

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The Word was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through the Word, and without the Word not one thing came into being. What has come into being in the Word was life, and the life was the light of all people. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.

Bell

Reader 2:

Fourteen billion years ago,
from that place that was no-place, from that time that was no-time, God calls forth the cosmos in a silent blaze of inconceivable brilliance. It contains all the light, energy, and potential for everything that will ever come to be.

Bell

Reader 3:

Eight and a half billion years later,
our Grandmother Star becomes a supernova. She gives up her life in an explosion that gives rise to our Star, what we call the Sun. The sun and a great disk of matter emerge — all the members of our solar system.

Bell

Reader 4:

For the next three hundred million years,
Earth sweeps up solar system debris, swelling in size. Some of the outer layers of the molten Earth splash out into orbit, Creating the moon.

Bell

Reader 5:

Over the next six hundred million years,
as Earth's surface quiets and cools, an atmosphere begins to form. The first rains fall upon the Earth.

Bell

Reader 6:

Four billion years ago,
Oceans are born and bring forth the wonder of life – simple cells. Earth comes alive.

Bell

Reader 7:

Five hundred million years ago,
the first animals and plants move out of the waters onto the dry land, separating themselves from the creatures that remained in the waters of the oceans.

Bell

Reader 8:

Two hundred million years ago,
the continents shift, crack, and drift apart. Separate oceans are formed. Creation on earth expands and moves apart.

Bell

Reader 9:

Six hundred and fifty thousand years ago,
The plates that form the San Andreas fault began their dance. Shifting and sliding, squeezing and stretching, slipping and spreading They created the San Francisco bay and the foothills that surround us.

Bell

Reader 10:

One hundred and forty thousand years ago,
modern Homo Sapiens emerge in the unfolding life process. Through humans, the universe realizes its capacity for conscious self-awareness.

Bell

Reader 11:

Twenty-six hundred years ago,
the stories that would later become the oldest part of the Bible are first written down by people seeking God.

Bell

Reader 12:

Two thousand years ago,
a woman named Mary gives birth to a child, Jesus, called Emmanuel, “God with us.” His struggle to embody, teach, and share God's love inspires followers who later became known as Christians.

Bell

Reader 13:

Two hundred and fifty years ago,
Captain Pedro Fages and his group climbed the western slopes of Mount Diablo and discovered the potential of the River Delta. Human greed and selfishness drove their desire to dominate the land and
claim it for a foreign power.

Bell

Reader 14:

One hundred and eighty-four years ago,
Dr. John Marsh became the first white man to acquire property in the area. Our desire for “progress” led us to displace and enslave the gentle native people to serve selfish interests; we disregarded their harmony with the land and became disconnected from God’s creation
in our exploitation of the land for our own benefit.

Bell

Reader 15:

One hundred and eleven years ago,
Balfour, Guthrie and company discovered the potential of Brentwood’s rich soil and weather conditions. Coal mining desecrates the natural harmony of the land and the railroad interrupts its natural ways and divides its people. We forget to care for God’s creation and exploit it to satisfy human desire for more and better.

Bell

Reader 16:

Eighty-eight Years Ago,
Astronomers observe the expansion of the Universe. Humans learn we live on the outskirts of a continually developing Universe.

Bell

Reader 17:

Thirty years ago,
people’s desire for bigger houses for less money drives the growth of the city from less than 2,000 inhabitants to over 65,000. Agricultural land is sold for development; long commutes leave us little time for each other. We become disconnected from the land which is the source of our food, from each other, and from care for God’s creation.

Bell

Reader 18:

TODAY,
the Story of the Universe is being told as our Sacred Story. The Flaring Forth continues at this moment. Today, all humans can know the story of our origin, Our shared story with all creation living in this sacred Universe.

Bell

Bishop         God be with you.
People         And also with you.
Bishop         Let us pray.
Creating and life-giving God, you have placed us in communities of people and in connection with all of life. Help us to be aware of your presence in the natural world around us, and to commit ourselves to caring for all of life on this fragile earth, our island home.

Let us love and support one another in the shared work of caring for the environment, that others in generations to come may always see your handiwork in the sky, land, and water. In the name of the one through whom all things came into being, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Bell

Presentation and Examination of the Candidates

Bishop
The Candidates for confirmation will now be presented.

Presenters
I present these persons for Confirmation.

Bishop
Do you reaffirm your renunciation of evil?

Candidates
I do.

Bishop
Do you renew your commitment to Jesus Christ?

Candidates
I do and with God's grace I will follow him as my Savior and Lord.

Bishop
As the Episcopal branch of the Jesus Movement and as people who live the Way of Love, we long to grow loving, liberating, and life-giving relationship with God, each other and God’s Creation.

In this urgent moment, we have come forward to make a faithful pledge to protect and renew this good Earth and all who call it home. We trust that the body of Christ acting together will always accomplish more than any one could alone.

Group
As followers of Jesus and as lovers of God and of all that God has created, we present ourselves to you. We ask for God‘s blessing on our commitment to sustain and renew the earth and all who call it home.

Bishop
Will you share your stories of love and concern for the Earth and link with others who care about protecting the sacred web of life?

Group
We will.

Bishop
Will you stand with those most vulnerable to the harmful effects of environmental degradation and climate change – women, children, poor people and communities of color, refugees, migrants?

Group
We will.

Bishop
Will you change your habits and choices in order to live more simply, humbly and gently on the Earth?

Group
We will.

Bishop
Will you who witness these promises do all in your power to support these persons in their life in Christ, pray for your companions on the Jesus Way, and discover ways that you can also engage in new behaviors that help the whole creation to flourish?

People
We will.

Bishop
Let us join with those who are committing themselves to Christ and renew our own baptismal covenant.

Do you believe in God the Father?

People
I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.

Bishop
Do you believe in Jesus Christ, the Son of God?

People
I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord. He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended to the dead. On the third day he rose again. He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again to judge the living and the dead.

Bishop
Do you believe in God the Holy Spirit?

People
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting.

Bishop
Will you continue in the apostles' teaching and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in the prayers?