(Cambridge) CHRISTIAN CLIMATE ACTION: Ely Cathedral Banking

At the end of last week, we joined a small demonstration by the members of Cambridge Christian Climate Action (CCCA) standing with a banner outside the magnificent Ely Cathedral, asking the Cathedral to consider switching its banking away from Barclays Bank, (which is the bank most invested in the fossil fuel industries) - and therefore at complete odds with the Cathedral’s A Rocha, Gold award for ecology.

We were met by the Acting Dean, Canon James Revelly who listened to our request that the Cathedral should reconsider its use of Barclays;  understandably countered by listing the Cathedral’s credentials as a climate-change-oncerned organisation. It was, perhaps, significant that the eco-awareness of the Cathedral appears to be achieved by just a small group of members of the congregation encouraging the Cathedral authorities.

Canon James, as acting Dean is, of course, not in a position to agree to such change but did agree to see whether the Cathedral Chapter would be prepared to meet with members of CCCA to hear their argument for what seems to be a very modest change and would make the Cathedral's concerns about the biggest existential threat to the planet clear, and which would be wholly consistent with a Christian approach to Climate Justice. The climate justice issue was expressed powerfully by the CCCA’s principal advocate who contrasted the effects on Climate change on the poor of the poorest nations in the world with the impact on the less affected wealthy West.

As we could have predicted, our pamphleteering was met with a wide range of attitudes. A few were genuinely sympathetic, too many simply weren’t interested and a few were opposed to any form of Climate Action, absurdly believing it to be a hoax.

 One man on his way into the Cathedral was unpleasantly aggressive, quoting what the LSE Global School of Sustainability has described as ‘The Misinformation of Lomberg and Tol' (Commentary published in April 2024 which can be found at More misinformation and nonsense on climate from Lomborg and Tol - Grantham Research Institute on climate change and the environment ). That was not a good moment but a dramatic demonstration of the dangerous attitudes that will see the planet destroyed in short order and endorses the reason that such demonstrations are so very important, because the Cathedral taking such action as changing their bankers would be an exemplar to churches throughout the Diocese and a signal to other Cathedrals.

A HYMN FOR EARTHDAY (April 22nd)

 EARTHDAY - APRIL 22nd

Make us Good Stewards, Lord

Tune: Hills of The North Rejoice

 

Make us good stewards, Lord,

of this your earthly home.

Help us be resolute

in curbing damage done

by fossil fuels and plastic waste,

and other ways earth is defaced.

 

Help us encourage hope

that the world can achieve,

limits to harm caused by

products to which we cleave,

which strip the world of minerals rare,

and plunder water without care.

 

Give us your people, Lord,

zeal so we might protest,

when justice is denied

by wealth’s voracious quests

That ransack earth, afflict the poor,

as greedy profiteers make more.

 

If your church is working to promote biodiversity in its churchyard: this may be of interest

ON OUR COMPANION BLOG ECO-VERSES

KEEPING CLIMATE CONCERN

CONVERSATIONS ALIVE with... 

A Churchyard:

In this Little Patch of Creation 

With many churches working to promote the biodiversity in their churchyards, here is a novel way to invite people in. Further Climericks will build on this invitation.

 

In this little patch of Creation,

we invite you to find restoration

for your body and soul,

in this place, with its rôle -

to give peace that will last generations.

Find more about the thinking behind the growing collection of CLIMERICKS HERE  

NEW CLIMERICKS WILL APPEAR ON THIS SITE TWICE WEEKLY - SO KEEP LOOKING TO STAY UP TO DATE.

What are CLIMERICKS (Armchair protest on Climate Concern)

WHAT ARE CLIMERICKS? 

CLIMERICKS (CLImate emergency LIMERICKS) - If you’re not sure what constitutes a Limerick, Wikipedia has an excellent description that will enable you understand what this invitation is about.

 

No-one, in 2023, can deny we are experiencing extreme weather in many, many places.

 

There are at least 70 scientific disciplines and a similar number of respected National scientific institutes (such as the Royal Society and comparable bodies in other countries) that believe, from solid evidence, the pace of climate change is way faster than has ever happened in thousands of years of history. Those very responsible scientists and those institutions are clear that the present temperature rises causing these extremes and the related climate emergency are human induced.

 

Since there is such a consensus among so many respected institutions and scientists of so many faculties, it is near-unbelievable that anyone or any organisation is prepared to deny these trends. That smacks of denialism, blindness, vested interest, greed for the profits which still flow from the fossil-fuel based industries, disinformation and outright lies. This sinister activity is, terrifyingly, funded by huge investment from the right of the political spectrum. Responsible people who have a more visionary understanding cannot muster anything like the funding base for deniers and delayers of the need for urgent action and, in order to wake the population at large to the catastrophe which faces the world, some engage in protest which is sometimes disruptive and unpopular to those inconvenienced by it. Politicians in many countries, hoping to gain favour of the general public, are passing legislation to prevent legitimate peaceful protest. This at a time of unprecedented existential crisis and with the hideous connivance of right-wing media.

 

So is there a method which can massively raise awareness to the impending crisis, (which is a crisis of TODAY and not a future crisis, and by which time today’s power-brokers, deniers and delayers will no longer hold the power they do today)? Long-term targets for ‘Net Zero’ or other CO₂ diminution are all fixed too far in the future, too late to be of serious help.

 

If you are concerned about this impending catastrophe which will make life increasingly difficult for everybody and every creature, you may well wonder what YOU can do. Well, here’s something very simple. Here’s an invitation to join CLIMERICKS.

 

CLIMERICKS have been devised to give voice to anyone concerned about the climate calamity we face. Here’s What to do.

 

1 Call up the Eco-verses site where you will find a growing collection of CLIMERICKS. You will find it at http://Eco-verses.blogspot.com

 

2 call up at your favourite reliable NEWS Site and/or a reliable community website for your own home community

 

3 Look around the news site to see if there are any headlines about CLIMATE CHANGE DENIAL, DELAY or the wilful obstuction of Climate change mitigation targets.

 

4 Look Round the Eco-verses/CLIMERICKS site to see if there is already a CLIMERICK that make that form of delay or denial a nonsense.

 

5 Either post that CLIMERICK as OR EVEN BETTER WRITE YOUR OWN and post it as widely as you can (If writing your own try and make them amusing but telling. Try not to be rude but make your verse as compelling as you possibly can). The CLIMERICK site has a growing collection of examples for you to model your writing on: you may get new ideas from there too! If you can inject hope into your CLIMERICK too, that will be brilliant. 

 

6 Invite those you know who want to show their support for early and wide-ranging climate chaos prevention to share your chosen or written CLIMERICK.

 

7 Send your chosen CLIMERICK to your MP, Local Councillors, Radio Stations and Any Civil Service department having input into Climate Change catastrophe politics. Send hard copies if you can afford it and Emails if you need to keep your costs of joining in, low. If you know how, overprint your CLIMERICK on a pertinent image and post it to whichever CLIMERICKS site you operate on. Let’s engulf all places where power is exercised with CLIMERICKS

 

8 JUST POSSIBLY, CLIMERICKS MIGHT BECOME AN ACTIVITY HUB FOR ALL THOSE WHO DON’T QUITE KNOW HOW THEY SHOULD BE MAKING A CONTRIBUTION TO THE VITAL CLIMATE EMERGENCY DEBATES.

 

THINK ON THIS: CLIMERICKS could become a place to express concern for 

 

ALL THOSE who care about the future of the planet and want urgent action, particularly -

 

·      Young people and especially any school or college Climate Advocates:

·      Mums to be and their partners:

·      All parents who care for their children’s future (and their own):

·      People in places threatened by and experiencing the fallout of wildfires, floods, tornadoes, unseasonal deep snow and other extreme weather:

·      Family members who have care of disabled, old and frail relations:

·      Anyone fearful for the planet’s future:

·      Anyone who cares about the impact of the Climate catastrophe on low income people:

·      Anyone who cares about the impact of the Climate catastrophe on those who inhabit low-lying lands:

·      Anyone frustrated by the inaction of politicians:

·      Anyone who assents to the Pope’s encyclical ‘Laudato Si’ and wants to take action prompted by it:

·      Any members of the hero organisation ‘Extinction Rebellion’ and similar organisations in other countries who want to supplement their existing brave protests:

·      People of faith who feel it is their call to be a steward of our beautiful planet:

 

Anyone who wants to join a life-saving initiative for a healthy planet -SOON.  

To see all CLIMERICKs posted to this blog so far, go to the Home page via your browser’s button. (more to come)

Here’s a sample of using a letter to an MP

SAMPLE LETTER TO MP using a CLIMERICK

Home address

      Date

 

Lucy Fraser MP.

 

As one of your constituents,

I wish to register my deep 

concern that your party leader

has blatantly reneged on any 

sense of being concerned

about the present human 

induced Climate Catastrophe.

 

In order to help me to understand

how you stand as my MP, I would

like to know your reaction to the

following CLIMERICK 

(CLIMate concern limERICK).

 

Four brave people scaled wall and roof

to remind the PM of this truth:

Selling oil and gas stakes

Irredeemably breaks

His green promise: those stakes 

                          - damning proof.

 

Thank you,

Trevor Thorn

 

 

 

  

Our Earth is Beset by a Crisis

 

Earth and Space  (imagined): Pixabay free image

This poem was written as a song for the Resound 12 Song Challenge 2022/3. Musicians might like the challenge of writing music for it. If used as a poem, in the chorus use line 1, 3,4,6

Our Earth is Beset by a Crisis 

 

Our earth is beset by a crisis, 

driven by human excess,

through profligate use of resources 

by we who could manage with less.

God surely calls us to be stewards

of the planet where Jesus has lived,

and challenge the fossil fuel behemoths,

to save our Creator’s great gift.

 

chorus

help us be stewards Lord,

help us be stewards Lord,

of this your much-loved home.

help us be stewards Lord,

help us be stewards Lord,

working so justice may come.

 

The evidence for this disaster

spans continents islands and seas:

so Christians in every nation

need pray and protest to relieve

the damage that’s being inflicted

on this ravaged planet, our home,

and bring hope through visionary challenge,

as_we_plead ’Now with justice, Lord, come’

 

chorus

help us be stewards Lord,

help us be stewards Lord, 

of this your much-loved home.

help us be stewards Lord,

 help us be stewards Lord,

 working so justice may come.

 

Dear Lord, I Thank You for The Sun (& other clean energy sources)

 Dear Lord, I thank you for the sun

Tune: Fulda (We Have a Gospel to Proclaim ) or many LM tunes

 

Dear Lord, I thank you for the sun

with its amazing energy,

which we can harvest every day

and turn to power reliably.

 

Dear Lord, I thank you for the winds,

unseen as they turn turbine sails

to generate their gusty streams

of pristine power at mighty scale.

 

Dear Lord, I thank you for the ways

that water-power is utilised,

and pray that soon we’ll tame the tides

for widespread use – a precious prize.

 

Dear Lord, please guide those who invest,

to understand; NOW is the hour

for boosting flows of finance to

those who commit to greener power.

Find more Care of the Planet poems, songs and hymns at https://crossandcosmos.blogspot.com/p/care-of-planet-collection.html

 

People of God, Awake!

 

People of God, Awake! 

Tune: Hills of the North Rejoice/ Little Cornard

People of God, Awake!

In this earth’s crisis hour.

Bold in our stewardship

let us speak truth to power:

the use of fossil fuels must end

if we, the planet ‘s health would mend.

 

Unless good sense prevails

every low coastal place

will fall beneath the waves

millions will be displaced.

So may we like the prophets old

sound warnings and take actions bold.

 

If everyone of faith

rallied to make it clear

that our Creator God

needs us renounce our fears

of taking action, to demand 

that gas, oil, coal are swiftly banned.

 

Then would our stewardship

chime with the will of God,

who must lament the wounds

wrought on the world he trod.

So protest now in forceful ways

to save these being earth’s last days.

Find more Care of the Planet poems, songs and hymns at https://crossandcosmos.blogspot.com/p/care-of-planet-collection.html

 

 

Look Around In Many Towns and Villages...

This is a companion poem to 'The Song of The Rooftop’ published here just a week ago. Both are fairly lighthearted poems written with the idea that school-age children might be able to use them to start a conversation about a fairly prominent statement demonstrating a community’s desire to do all it can to protect out fragile planet.

I will add to this post over the next two-or-three weeks as I find information which can supplement this poem. One thought would be that this and/or its companion could be included in an end-of-term concert. So, watch this space, and watch also for a post which will list around 10 or 12 items, all of which could, similarly be introduced into end-of-term concerts. 

Solar Panels on St Barnabas (Barney’s) Derby: 

Photo credit Pixaby.

Oh Yes! Don’t worry if people quote Listed Building Status as a problem: there are lots of helpful precedents, including solar panels on two Cathedrals - Gloucester (installed 2016) and Salisbury (installed 2020).

Look Around In Many Towns and Villages.

 

Look around, in many towns

and villages you’ll find, 

there's a parish church

which has weathered storm and wind, 

down the years. There, people

have met to mark the dates,

of life and death occasions

and often celebrate.

 

Almost all these churches

have nave roofs that face South:

they'll get the sun upon them 

throughout the daylight hours; 

and as they’re large and well-placed

to gather solar power,

with big arrays of panels 

they can drive emissions down.

 

So why not ask the Vicar,

and chat around the town

to see if there are people

whose backing could be found,

to help to make this happen 

in your community

to help towards an earth that can

from fossil fuels break free?

 

Trevor Thorn June 2022

The companion poem ’The Song of the Church Rooftop' can be found HERE

Bring some joy into the lockdown: Music - a mighty gift.

Credit www.publicdomainpictures.net

I caught it only fleetingly as I ‘surfed’ some websites – a single line that set me thinking - ‘Music is a gift of God’. That chimed with something I make part of my quiet times. YouTube is a rich resource for videos of all kinds of music in a wide, wide range of styles and one's favourite hymn is an excellent starting point to experiment with. Just call up, for example ‘YouTube And Can it Be’. (You now know one of my favourites!) But try ‘YouTube Shine Jesus Shine’ if that’s more to your taste. There really is something for everyone.

So, before I give you some further ideas, let me share more about one version of ‘And Can It Be’ which should be one of the options you will be presented with. It is a clip from a ‘Songs of Praise’ broadcast. To me, it is magnificent far beyond the great tune, great words level. The congregation is wonderfully diverse: young people, old people, people of numerous races, some who look very much like I envisage ‘business’ people, lots of smiles and those lovely moments when someone realises they are ‘on screen’ for just a few moments. Some wonderful national costumes; singing with wide open mouths; singing with less wide mouths. Then a piece of brilliant creativity. As the line ‘I woke, the dungeon flamed with light’, comes on screen, the camera points straight at a spotlight and the screen flares into a brief blaze of glory. Then as the hymn draws to an end the camera hovers on a young black man who is so enjoying the singing making it a moment moment to thank God and Charles Wesley for his incredible words that are as true today as they were in his time – 300 years ago, and they appear line by line on the screen so anyone can follow. But not to forget Thomas Campbell who provided the glorious tune.

But that may not be your taste. If not, then how about watching hundreds, if not thousands of young people worshipping together. To see that happening is a joy, just call up You Tube Hillsong. Here again such a glorious grouping of people of all nations. A different balance to the congregation of ‘And Can it Be’ and a reminder that Jesus’ love is wide and free.

‘YouTube Taize’ will lead you into something quite different, calm reflective music maybe especially delightful in the evening. The search will offer you the simple, restful and consoling chants in English or Latin and some in other languages too. Pick one of those that appeals most to you but be brave from time to time and think about the multitude of people who may prefer another language to worship the same God as we do.

Songs from Iona which are always thought provoking are a bit harder to find because the most popular sites using the island’s name are about cruises but YouTube Wild Goose will uncover a fair number fairly easily. Here you will be presented with hymns and songs about social justice, creation in all its glory and some short songs from the world’s church which again recognise that songs and hymns and worship chants arise from people all over this lovely but endangered world of ours. 

So what thought is uppermost in my mind as I leave this with you. This is a real chance to enjoy your favourite hymns or worship songs – but ALSO an opportunity to go beyond your own comfort zone in the privacy of your own home and reflect on how our human-ness gives rise to such a glorious range of styles of bringing different people closer to God. Oh yes! And you will, of course, find a different style again by calling up ‘YouTube Psalms ‘. May whatever you alight upon bring you joy.

Later added note: (2 June 2020) Since the beginning of the Lockdown, there has been a surge of recordings of ‘Blessings’. These are a remarkable use of contemporary video equipment, including, in some cases, mobile phones. Well worth having a look at: I think this is the ‘origin’ of the  song from Elevation Worship. You should be able to find an English version, a South African, South Korean, German,  Zimbabwean, Canadian, French, Spanish, Portuguese, two or three American and Dutch, at least. Whilst you will almost certainly not want to listen to them all, I invite you to watch the first three to four minutes of a few, and marvel at some of the features. Most are sung by young people, most of the singers seem to be joy-filled, many (I think most) of the recordings have members of different races among the singers, thus giving a clear message about the wide spread of the Gospel  and hope for all of us and for the churches of Jesus.

Even later note! (27th October 2020)

There are now over 80 different versions - and some from countries that might surprise many of us in the wealthy west.

Have a look at The Blessing, Uzbekistan for instance.

#COP25 Sing in support of the conference aims from this threefold pamphlet

On the opening day of #COP25 Five Climate concern hymns and a children’s song formatted to produce as a threefold (A4) sheet. All are written to tunes that will be familiar to church/ chapel musicians and many choir leaders. I was delighted to have a Buddhist comment favourably on the language used at Friday’s Silent Rebellion meditation in Cambridge’s (UK) Grafton Centre.

The words of the separate hymns or the song will be more easily copied from this version of the song set posted a short on this blog a short while ago

All the hymn words and the song are (c) Trevor Thorn but you are welcome to use them as widely as possible to promote climate concern anywhere.

Five Climate Concern Hymns and one children’s song

                                                                  Wildfire in the Amazon 2019

At ‘Once in a Lifetime’ conference. Here are five hymns and a children’s song on the theme of climate justice. All to familiar tunes. (Small revisions made December 2019 to improve scansion and ease of singing)

As Mighty Glaciers Recede

(Tune 88.88 Suggested – Grenoble)

As mighty glaciers recede

and leave great scars which cause alarm;

be sure it is the rising heat

of greenhouse gases causing harm.

When coastal glaciers discharge

their rapid melt, to chilly seas:

we know, that ocean levels will,  

rise swiftly and inexorably. 

By contrast, inland glaciers

cause havoc through reduced cascades,

so downstream waters can’t suffice

to turn hydraulic turbine blades.

We need to switch from fossil fuels

to wind and wave and solar power:

renewables already can

make all these risks far lo-o-wer.

For everyone who loves the earth

clean energy must be the aim,

to strengthen hope the planet can     

be saved through this essential change.

The evidence of shrinking ice

invites all those who love the Lord -

be stewards wise – and build up hope   

of justice for the coastal poor.

For as such massive change takes place

the least resourced will bear the toll

of harshness in the furious wake

of worsening weather through the world.

Does the God who Lived a Human

(Tune 87.D Suggested - Through the Night of Doubt and Sorrow/Marching)

Does the God who lived a human,

weep with anger, weep with rage,

at the vile and gross injustice 

of this money-driven age?

Wealth and arrogance are forcing

powerless people to the brink;

such as those who live in terror

that their homes and fields will sink.

Add to that the lies and falsehoods 

in our corridors of power: 

Lord of justice, cause your people 

to rise up in this dark hour.

Seeking truth and resolutely 

challenging both lies and wealth  

that are careless of resources,

or strip others of their health. 

Listen now to children’s wisdom,

many of whom recognise

that unless we change our lifestyle

earth is facing its demise .

If we strive more for God's vision

of an earth where love and care

guide the actions of its people,

hope can flower and quell despair.

So, bring hope, O great Creator,

let the planet’s saving be

hastened by your Holy Spirit,

calling leaders, calling me.

Make us Good Stewards, Lord 

(Tune: 66.66.88 Suggested - Hills of The North Rejoice )

Make us good stewards, Lord,

of this your earthly home.

help us be resolute  

in curbing damage done

by fossil fuels and plastic waste,

and other ways earth is defaced.

Help us encourage hope    

that the world can achieve   

limits to harm caused by  

products we scarcely need,   

which strip the world of minerals rare,     

and plunder water without care.    

Give us, your people, Lord,  

zeal so we might protest, 

when justice is denied

by wealth’s voracious quests    

that ransack earth, afflict the poor, 

as greedy profiteers make more.    

O Great Creator, Who Desires.

(Tune 8.88.88 Suggested - Eternal Father, Strong to Save/ Melita)

O Great Creator, who desires

that humans should protect the wild,

and weeps when tiny sparrows die,

forgive us when we close our eyes

to grasping greed with single aim

that spoils and kills for short term gain.

Lord, rouse us now to recognize

that we too often stand aside

from finding ways to stop the rape

of threatened creatures’ habitats;

so your command is disobeyed,

with species failing day-by-day.

Lord, help us to change attitudes

and work to challenge such abuse

that linked with trends through climate change

is now destroying a wide range

of species in life’s fragile tree

making earth sterile, needlessly.

Suns of Great Brilliance

(Tune55.54.D Suggested – Bunessan).

Suns of great brilliance pierce through our darkness,

from their colossal distance in space;

if their light dips it may be a planet

making a transit of that star’s face.

Like ours, those suns may have many planets

circling close or orbiting wide,

rocky or gaseous, balmy or frigid,

maybe benign or sterile to life.

Far in the future there may be humans

making their way to planets afar:

will they be stewards with good intentions, 

or will their greed those pristine worlds scar?

Pray that our race would honour the wonders

of God’s creation’s beauty and worth,

ever alert to how careless commerce

threatens the fragile, as here on earth.

God Gave us This Lovely Earth.

(A children’s song with a tune based on London Bridge is Falling Down)

God gave us this lovely earth,

lovely earth, lovely earth.

God gave us this lovely earth,

so let’s help save our planet.

Energy from sun, wind, tide,

sun, wind, tide; sun, wind, tide.

Energy from sun, wind, tide,

can save our lovely planet

Fossil fuels must be turned off,

be turned off, be turned off.

Fossil fuels must be turned off,

to save our lovely planet.

Batteries must better be,

better be, better be:

Batteries must better be,

to save our lovely planet.

After song - chant:

Scientists draw more power from the seas, please;

and also build better batteries