Woe to the Unholy Trinity: Prayers for the Climate and Ecological Emergency

Words and Voice by Rev'd Jon Swales
Music by Rev'd Chris Sayburn, "Waiting' Used with Permission.

9. Woe to the Unholy Trinity

Father of Creation,
God of Compassion,
You made a world full of possibility and potential, You declared it to be good.
For this, we give you thanks.
To you be all honour and glory.

Father of Creation,
God of Compassion,
There are strange dehumanising and destructive forces at work In this world of yours, this world of ours.
Creation Groans,
Creation Cries.
Lord have mercy.

Father of Creation,
God of Justice,
Your church has too bowed the knee and benefited from these demanding and destructive powers. We have become entranced and enticed,
We are compromised and have colluded,
We have grown rich, our hearts have grown heavy.
Lord have mercy.

Father of Creation,
God of Justice,
These dehumanising and destructive forces help to maintain our status quo,
And we have stood silent at the butchery of your world,
At first unaware, but then deliberately we have walked down the other side of the road And then, at times, we have acted as cheerleaders and chaplains to this unholy trinity Lord have Mercy.

And so we name the unholy beast.

We renounce it. We repent of it.

Unrestrained Capitalism, Consumerism, Individualism.
Your days are numbered.

This unholy trinity
That oppresses the poor, Ransacks the Earth, Dehumanises.
Your days are numbered.

This unholy trinity
Offers entertainment, Distraction,
Denial.
Your days are numbered.

Woe to the unholy trinity. Justice and Mercy will kiss, The kingdom will come. Blessed are the Peacemakers.

And so we pledge allegiance afresh to Jesus the butchered lamb
And ask that in this time of climate breakdown, we would be faithful to him.

To him who sits on the throne, And to the lamb,
Be all praise, honour and blessing.