Presentation in the Annual Conference of Leitourgia, the Nordic liturgical network (www.leitourgia.org) in Uppsala 6th November 2014

1. Panu Pihkala 6.11.2014, Uppsala

2. Closing
Commission people to "Go in peace. Serve the
Lord, Remember the poor. Care for creation."
Or “Tend the Earth.”
Confession
Include at least one statement of confession that
addresses our degradation and misuse of
creation.
Prayer
Always include at least one petition on behalf of
the natural world. [Avoid making only
anthropocentric arguments.]

3. The Finnish version
(P. Pihkala, Luontokirkkovuosi):
3. Thanksgiving and Praise
Always include at least one prayer of
thanksgiving (and/or praise) for nature’s gifts

4. John Constable: Salisbury Cathedral from the Bishop's Grounds, 1823

5. Two undercurrents
1) Environmental themes in liturgy
2) Environmental education by the whole
worship experience
Environmental crisis is taken for granted: it is
presumed that we all think that something
must be done, and we must do our part

6. Introduction to materials about liturgy and
ecology
 Season of Creation, Let All Creation Praise
H. Paul Santmire: Ritualizing Nature (2008)
Discussion about practical possibilities in
liturgy
Worship from an ecosystem point of view
(Stewart, A Watered Garden)
Christianity and the environment (A Rocha,
Finnish materials)

7. Special time of the church year
 Cf. Creation Time, WCC
Popular in Australia, parts of the Anglo-
American world
Operates through a web site
(www.seasonofcreation.com)
Many connections with another web site:
www.letallcreationpraise.org
SoC: A Preaching Commentary (Habel, Rhoads
and Santmire (eds.) 2011)

8. Focus both on special occasions (e.g. Creation
Sunday) and all worship
-> Season of Creation materials can be
applied to the church year in general

9. 1. God is first and foremost the creator of all of
life.
2. We were created with rest of nature.
3. God has given us a creation to celebrate
with.
4. Through worship, we have an opportunity to
come to terms with the current ecological
crises in a spiritual way so as to empathize
with a groaning creation.

10. 5. A fresh focus on the wonders and wounds of
creation will help us in positive ways to love
creation and so care for creation as our
personal vocation and our congregational
ministry.
6. This season enables us to celebrate the many
ways in which Christ is connection with
creation.
7. And finally, this season enables us to deepen
our understanding and experience of the Holy
Spirit in relationship to creation.
(Season of Creation: A Preaching Commentary)

11. ”In the Season of Creation we celebrate Christ
together with creation, we face the ecological
crisis with Christ, and we serve Christ in the
healing of creation.”
Key persons behind both web sites are
Lutherans
In addition: top scholars in worship and
ecotheology are Lutherans (Gordon Lathrop,
H. Paul Santmire; see also Frank Senn)

12. Caspar David Friedrich: Cross in the Mountains, 1807

13. Biblical scholars
Habel: Australia (originally from the US)
 Influential through the Earth Bible Series
 Society of Biblical Literature, Ecological
Hermeneutics
Rhoads: Lutheran School of Theology at
Chicago (LSTC)
 Performance Criticism
 Earth and Word: ecotheological sermons
 Web of Creation internet site

14. A key ecotheologian, active since the 1960s
www.hpaulsantmire.com
Harvard dissertation on Barth’s theology of
creation, studies with Tillich
Adaptation of Martin Buber’s thought:
relationship to nature as I-Ens
(between I-Thou and I-it)

15. Cf. Theories of recognition (C. Taylor, A.
Honneth etc.), study project in Helsinki by
Risto Saarinen
 Pihkala: Recognizing Nature
 Conferences in Finland in 2016:
▪ Societas Oecumenica (Theme: Recognition-related),
end of August
▪ European Christian Environmental Network (ECEN), probably
June 2016
▪ Both in Sofia center, Vuosaari, Helsinki

16. Brother Earth (1970)
 Tom SverreTomren: Miljöetikk og ökoteologi I Den
norske Kyrkja 2014 (School of Mission and
Theology Diss. 20)
Travail of Nature: The Ambiguous Ecological
Promise of Christian Theology (1985)
 Two ”motifs” in Christian theology
Nature Reborn (2000)
Before Nature (2014)

17. Ritualizing Nature (2008)
 Perhaps the most nuanced work yet on the
subject
 Mostly systematic and practical theology, but also
ritual studies (identity formation)
 Theology of ascent vs. theology of descent
 Ubiquity of Christ, Eucharistic theology
 ”Partnering with nature, ritually”

18. Recommends that different kinds of nature
should be represented in church art and
liturgical content:
 Wild nature
 Cultivated nature (e.g. fields, wineyards)
 Fabricated nature (e.g. medical tools)
 Cosmic nature
The tapestries in Linköping Cathedral include
most of these themes:

21. Lutheran, ecumenical theologian (1904-1987)
Known as a key pioneer in ecotheology (since
early 1950s)
 Collection of writings: Evocations of Grace (2000,
ed. by Bakken & Bouma-Prediger)
 Focus of P. Pihkala’s dissertation (December
2014): Joseph Sittler and Early Ecotheology
Leader of the American section of the Ways
of Worship ecumenical study project (1950s)

22. Shape of the Church’s Response in Worship
(1956)
“So it has happened that experts in worship
have arisen among us. All assume that the
purpose of public worship is to create a
mood; and he is the next admirable as the
leader of worship who has mastered finesse
in the mood-setting devices made available
by the application of psychological
categories. …

23. …Thence has flowed that considerable and
melancholy river of counsel whereby one may
learn how to organize an assault upon the
cognitive and critical faculties of the mind,
how to anesthetize into easy seduction the
nonverbalized but dependable anxieties that
roam about in the solitary and collective
unconscious, and how to conduct a brain-washing
under the presumed banner of the
Holy Ghost. ...

24. … That this is what worship means in
thousands of congregations is certainly true;
it is equally true that the scriptures know
nothing about such ideas. When we are
enjoined to be still and know that God is God,
the presupposition is not that stillness is good
and speech is bad -- but rather that God is
prior to man and all God-man relationships
are out of joint if that is not acknowledged.”
(http://www.religion-online.org/showchapter.asp?title=795&C=976)

25. Report of the American Section (Ways of
Worship) to the Montreal World Conference
of Faith and Order, 1963
 European Section: Regin Prenter etc.
Dogma and Doxa (1973)
Essays on Nature and Grace (1972)
Influenced Frank Senn
www.josephsittler.org

27. Step One: four key moments that help to
structure every worship service
(see the beginning of this lecture + invocation)
Each week incorporate creation-care into
other elements in worship
Bring the presence of nature in your
sanctuary
Green the practices related to worship
http://www.letallcreationpraise.org/four-steps-to-creation-care-in-all-worsh

28. Introduction:
If there is an introduction to the focus of the
season and the Sunday at the beginning of
the service, give a brief description of the
significance of the season that connects it to
creation.
Hymns:
Keep in mind hymns with references to the
natural world.

29. Scripture readings:
In the introduction to the lessons, take the
opportunity to note references to God the
creator and to the presence of the nature in
the biblical world and its role in the meaning
of the passage.
Psalm:
Often the psalm is a source of celebration of
God the creator and the natural world. As you
introduce the psalm, note its relevance to
nature.

30. Preaching:
Proclaim the good news to all God's creation.
Give examples and challenges that include
our relationship with nature.
Sacraments:
Make connections for people to the natural
elements of grapes, grain, and water bearing
the presence of Christ. Place baskets of fresh
grapes and grain and water for people to
touch and relate to.

31. Plants.
Living plants and trees in the worship space to
serve as partners in worship. If selected carefully,
these may also serve to purify the air.
Art displays.
Consider photographs around the sanctuary or
nature scenes by local artists. Point out scenes of
nature present on stained glass windows.
Worship outside:
Identify the plants and animals with whom you
are worshipping on your property.

34. ”Christian Worship and Earth’s Ecology”
(Fortress, 2011)
The worship event seen from an ecosystem
point of view
Examples:
 how much water is in the congregation
 what the building and event consumes, what it
gives (or emits) to the environment

35. Seasons as integrally related to Christian
message
The use of the baptismal font (and the areea
near it) in connection to natural elements and
seasons
Green Burial
-> a new way of thinking!

36. Adaptation into Nordic environment
Suvielise Nurmi, theologian specialized in
environmental ethics
A working group: a professional
environmental educator, youth worker,
cantor
Theory, guidelines, emphasis on practical
material: ready-to-use devotions and
activities
Luonto ja Raamattu (PP, 2010)

37. Pilgrimage
Variation in nature-related themes:
 Thanksgiving, petition, but also
 Lament
 Fear of nature/ environmental conditions
 the spiritual significance of nature
 Empowerment
The significance of personal attitude
Animals

39. 1. Are these kind of nature-oriented liturgical
elements used in my congregation?
Could I use them in my personal work?
2. Could I find time to read more about liturgy
and ecology, perhaps from one of these
books which were mentioned?
3. Could there be a chance for a local group
about Christianity and the environment,
perhaps through A Rocha?

40. Panu Pihkala
University of Helsinki
panu.pihkala@helsinki.fi
www.arocha.org