Up dated Sunday 27/9/20 10:55
Sunday 27 September – Climate Change Sunday
The Church of Scotland and Eco-congregation Scotland have encouraged churches to mark one Sunday during September’s focus on creation as “Climate Change Sunday”. Our own Sherbrooke Mosspark group, formed just before lockdown to prepare for the international Climate Change conference - due to be held in Glasgow but now postponed until November 2021 - will help us mark this in our worship next Sunday morning.
Rev Graham K Blount
Wednesday 16/6/20
Sherbrooke Mosspark COP26 Group
Some of you may recall that – way back in the days before the lockdown – I flew a kite by suggesting we might form a group of people interested in preparing for the international conference on climate change planned for November 2020 here in Glasgow.
Ten people responded positively to being part of that group. But before we could meet the virus struck and we were locked out of face-to-face meetings. Then the COP26 Conference itself was postponed.
Rightly, our thoughts and prayers have been directed towards the pandemic, to those suffering, to those on the front line, to caring for one another amid lockdown.
Now we are starting to ask ourselves what a “new normal” will look like as restrictions are eased. Most people accept that we cannot rush back to “business as usual”. Could this be an opportunity to build a future less destructive of our planet, or will we be so keen to get the economy going again – and help those whose jobs are at risk - that we forget our targets for carbon reduction?
We are close to an important time of rebuilding. For the sake of our children and grandchildren, and for those for whom a simple thing like proper hand-washing is impossible due to lack of clean water, care for our planet has to be part of that rebuilding.
The UK Government has said that the COP26 will still happen in Glasgow, from the start of November 2021. And we need to keep the pressure on until then.
To make a start, our COP26 Group has joined a “prayer chain”, hosted by Christian Aid in partnership with Tearfund and CAFOD, to take us towards the COP26 conference (see https://www.christianaid.org.uk/pray/prayer-chain )
After joining the prayer chain initially for each Sunday in the month of May, we have now committed to pray about this in a half-hour slot on the first Sunday of each month, starting on 5th July, from 5pm, each in our own homes and in our own way. We’ve found this helpful and encouraging. Each weekend, I suggest a reading as a “starter” for our reflections, and a short shared prayer we will all use along with our personal prayers. If you would like to join with others in this, please let me know by email to graham.blount@churchofscotland.org.uk so that I can send you the starters and shared prayers.
WE have also written to Alok Sharma, the UK Government Business Secretary, Alok Sharma, who will be the Chair of COP26, welcoming the Government’s commitment to the “Race to Zero” but urging him not to wait until November 2021 to work for what he called “a fairer, greener recovery from the effects of Covid-19, a recovery which delivers for both our people and our planet”.
Meantime let’s go on caring for each other … and the planet God has trusted to us!
Rev Graham K Blount
Sherbrooke Mosspark COP26 Group
Some of you may recall that – way back in the days before the lockdown – I flew a kite by suggesting we might form a group of people interested in preparing for the international conference on climate change planned for November 2020 here in Glasgow.
Ten people responded positively to being part of that group. But before we could meet the virus struck and we were locked out of face-to-face meetings. Then the COP26 Conference itself was postponed.
Rightly, our thoughts and prayers have been directed towards the pandemic, to those suffering, to those on the front line, to caring for one another amid lockdown.
Now we are starting to ask ourselves what a “new normal” will look like as restrictions are eased. Most people accept that we cannot rush back to “business as usual”. Could this be an opportunity to build a future less destructive of our planet, or will we be so keen to get the economy going again – and help those whose jobs are at risk - that we forget our targets for carbon reduction?
We are close to an important time of rebuilding. For the sake of our children and grandchildren, and for those for whom a simple thing like proper hand-washing is impossible due to lack of clean water, care for our planet has to be part of that rebuilding.
The UK Government has said that the COP26 will still happen in Glasgow, from the start of November 2021. And we need to keep the pressure on until then.
To make a start, our COP26 Group has joined a “prayer chain”, hosted by Christian Aid in partnership with Tearfund and CAFOD, to take us towards the COP26 conference (see https://www.christianaid.org.uk/pray/prayer-chain )
After joining the prayer chain initially for each Sunday in the month of May, we have now committed to pray about this in a half-hour slot on the first Sunday of each month, starting on 5th July, from 5pm, each in our own homes and in our own way. We’ve found this helpful and encouraging. Each weekend, I suggest a reading as a “starter” for our reflections, and a short shared prayer we will all use along with our personal prayers. If you would like to join with others in this, please let me know by email to graham.blount@churchofscotland.org.uk so that I can send you the starters and shared prayers.
WE have also written to Alok Sharma, the UK Government Business Secretary, Alok Sharma, who will be the Chair of COP26, welcoming the Government’s commitment to the “Race to Zero” but urging him not to wait until November 2021 to work for what he called “a fairer, greener recovery from the effects of Covid-19, a recovery which delivers for both our people and our planet”.
Meantime let’s go on caring for each other … and the planet God has trusted to us!
Rev Graham K Blount
Sherbrooke Mosspark COP26 Group
Some of you may recall that – way back in the days before the lockdown – I flew a kite by suggesting we might form a group of people interested in preparing for the international conference on climate change planned for November 2020 here in Glasgow.
Ten people responded positively to being part of that group. But before we could meet the virus struck and we were locked out of face-to-face meetings. Then the COP26 Conference itself was postponed.
Rightly, our thoughts and prayers have been directed towards the pandemic, to those suffering, to those on the front line, to caring for one another amid lockdown.
Now we are starting to ask ourselves what a “new normal” will look like as restrictions are eased. Most people accept that we cannot rush back to “business as usual”. Could this be an opportunity to build a future less destructive of our planet, or will we be so keen to get the economy going again – and help those whose jobs are at risk - that we forget our targets for carbon reduction?
We are close to an important time of rebuilding. For the sake of our children and grandchildren, and for those for whom a simple thing like proper hand-washing is impossible due to lack of clean water, care for our planet has to be part of that rebuilding.
The UK Government has said that the COP26 will still happen in Glasgow, and they expect to announce this month a new date for it (probably around this time next year).
To make a start, our COP26 Group has joined a “prayer chain”, hosted by Christian Aid in partnership with Tearfund and CAFOD, to take us towards the COP26 conference (see https://www.christianaid.org.uk/pray/prayer-chain )
We have committed to pray about this in a half-hour slot each Sunday in May from 5pm, each in our own homes and in our own way. We started on Sunday 3rd May, and found it helpful and encouraging. Each weekend, I will suggest a reading as a “starter” for our reflections, and a short shared prayer we will all use along with our personal prayers. If you would like to join with others in this, please let me know by email to graham.blount@churchofscotland.org.uk so that I can send you the starter and shared prayer each weekend.
Keep safe, protect the NHS … and the planet God has trusted to us!
Rev Graham K Blount
Some of you may recall that – way back in the days before the lockdown – I flew a kite by suggesting we might form a group of people interested in preparing for the international conference on climate change planned for November 2020 here in Glasgow.
Ten people responded positively to being part of that group. But before we could meet the virus struck and we were locked out of face-to-face meetings. Then the COP26 Conference itself was postponed.
Rightly, our thoughts and prayers have been directed towards the pandemic, to those suffering, to those on the front line, to caring for one another amid lockdown.
Now we are starting to ask ourselves what a “new normal” will look like as restrictions are eased. Most people accept that we cannot rush back to “business as usual”. Could this be an opportunity to build a future less destructive of our planet, or will we be so keen to get the economy going again – and help those whose jobs are at risk - that we forget our targets for carbon reduction?
We are close to an important time of rebuilding. For the sake of our children and grandchildren, and for those for whom a simple thing like proper hand-washing is impossible due to lack of clean water, care for our planet has to be part of that rebuilding.
The UK Government has said that the COP26 will still happen in Glasgow, and they expect to announce this month a new date for it (probably around this time next year).
To make a start, our COP26 Group has joined a “prayer chain”, hosted by Christian Aid in partnership with Tearfund and CAFOD, to take us towards the COP26 conference (see https://www.christianaid.org.uk/pray/prayer-chain )
We have committed to pray about this in a half-hour slot each Sunday in May from 5pm, each in our own homes and in our own way. We started on Sunday 3rd May, and found it helpful and encouraging. Each weekend, I will suggest a reading as a “starter” for our reflections, and a short shared prayer we will all use along with our personal prayers. If you would like to join with others in this, please let me know by email to graham.blount@churchofscotland.org.uk so that I can send you the starter and shared prayer each weekend.
Keep safe, protect the NHS … and the planet God has trusted to us!
Rev Graham K Blount